ḤāÌ Mīm ḤāÌ is an allusion to love [maḤabba] and Mīm is an allusion to favor [minna]. He is saying, “O you who have become a friend through the ḤāÌ of My love, not through your own excellence! O you have found Me through the Mīm of My favor, not through your obedience! O you whom I took as My friend when you did not recognize Me! O you whom I wanted when you did not know Me! O you to whom I belonged when you did not belong to Me! A hundred thousand were stand- ing at My threshold wanting Me and making their supplications. I paid no attention to them and I said to you without your asking, 'O community of AḤmad, I bestowed upon you before you asked from Me, I responded to you before you called upon Me, and I forgave you before you asked Me to forgive you.' “The previous prophets were eager and yearning for you. Abraham said, 'Make for me a tongue of truthfulness among the later folk' [26:84], and Moses said, 'Make me one of the commu- nity of AḤmad. ' This was not because We explained your acts to them, for if We had talked about your acts to them, all would have pulled back from you. It was because I explained My bounteous- ness and beneficence toward you. Before you, I chose everyone I chose one by one. Thus, 'Surely God chose Adam and Noah and the House of Abraham and the House of Imran' [3:33]. When your turn came, I spoke generally and inclusively: 'You are the best community' [3:110]. All of you are My chosen ones. ” In another place He says, “The ones We chose from among Our servants” [35:32]. Included in this address are worshippers, wrongdoers, and disobedient.