The distinction between relating to people as ends in themselves or as means to an advantage, which unmasks favoritism as primarily transactional.
Rabia's devotion was famous for its purity: she loved God for God's sake alone, not for reward or fear of punishment. This principle applies equally to human relationships. When we play favorites, we typically do so instrumentally—favoring those who benefit us, are easier to manage, remind us of ourselves, or enhance our status. Pure devotion, by contrast, meets each person on their own terms, seeks nothing from them, and loves them for their inherent worth. The difference is visible everywhere: a teacher who favors compliant students over struggling ones; a leader who champions ideas from attractive allies but ignores the same ideas from outsiders. These are not failures of intention but failures of practice. Rabia teaches that favoritism persists because it offers psychological comfort and social advantage. True devotion demands the harder path: seeing each person's irreducible particularity and honoring it with equal care, whether or not they serve our interests.
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