Or is this disconnected? Its meaning is, do you think that this blame is more severe than that which preceded it, so that it has become justified to turn away from it to this one? It is that they are deprived of hearing and understanding, because they do not lend an ear to listening to the truth nor to contemplating it with their minds. They are likened to cattle, which are an example of heedlessness and misguidance, and even more misguided than that. If you say, why did he delay his desire and the original saying is: 'he took his desire as a god'? I say: it is only a matter of placing the second object before the first for emphasis, as you say: 'I learned the departure of Zayd': due to your special attention to the departure. [Mahamud said: 'If you say, why did he place his god, which is the second object, first? It is answered that he placed emphasis on it as in your saying: 'I thought the departure of Zayd' if your attention was on the departure.' Ahmad said: 'And there is a good point in it, which is the indication of exclusivity. The speech before the entry of 'did you see' is a subject and a predicate: the subject is his desire, and the predicate is his god. And placing the predicate, as you know, indicates exclusivity, as if he said: 'Did you see one who did not take his deity except his desire? So it is more eloquent in his blame and reproach. And Allah knows best.'] If you say: what is the meaning of mentioning the majority? I say: among them were those who were not prevented from Islam except by one disease: which is the love of leadership, and it is enough as a severe disease. If you say: how were they made more misguided than cattle? I say: because cattle submit to their owners who feed and care for them, and they know who does good to them from who does harm to them. They seek what benefits them and avoid what harms them, and they are guided to their pastures and watering places. And these do not submit to their Lord, nor do they recognize His kindness to them from the harm of the devil who is their enemy. They do not seek the reward which is the greatest of benefits, nor do they fear the punishment which is the most severe of harms and disasters, nor are they guided to the truth which is the clear and sweet legislation.