How can one reconcile the Quranic denunciation of whims (hawa) in verses like "Nor does he speak from whim" and "He takes his own whim as his god," with the Prophet's (PBUH) saying: "None of you truly believes until his whim is in accordance with what I have brought," and can whim ever be compatible with uprightness?

Following one's whims and desires (hawa) is one of the greatest causes of misguidance and perdition. It encompasses everything that deviates from the truth and to which the soul inclines. Allah has condemned hawa in the Quran. However, the hadith (definition), "None of you truly believes until his desires are in accordance with what I have brought," does not contradict this; rather, it emphasizes that a Muslim must rein in and rectify his desires so that they follow what the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, has brought.