3. DIVINE LOVE
I looked into what wise mentors have said about (unruly) love (‘ishq), its causes and its cure. So I composed a book and named it ‘The Dispraise of Desire (Dham al-Hawa)’ wherein I mentioned statements that describe this type of love occurring because of an aimless enticement of an empty heart.
However, they disputed over whom this effect befalls; some of them stated that it only happens to appealing characters, and others said it happens to those whose hearts are negligent (gbafil) Hence distracted from reflecting on the real essence of everything.
An interesting thought however basked in my mind, which I would like to explain below:
This type of love (‘ishq) can only overpower those whose endeavours are lowly or in vain. Because those of high endeavours— when they are about to fall into what necessitates their attachment and love {mababbab) to a matter— they notice its shortcomings. Either after thinking about it or as a result of having a firsthand experience due to an interaction with what is to be loved, they thus detach their hearts from it, avoid falling in it and search for another better alternative.
Indeed, only those whose endeavours are minimal will fail to notice the shortcomings of such a type of love and hence will hold fast to the images he sees.
As for those who keep themselves above lousy acts and blemishes, they constantly rise in rank and nothing can stand in their ways. Should their innate nature (nafs) be inclined to love someone, their love never becomes overwhelming and unruly but rather, in the worst case, they may fall in love badly at the beginning because of the lack of contemplation (taffakur) (about the shortcomings of whom they love) or their lack of knowledge (Jahl) about the defects of the one they love as they have not interacted with it frequently, or because the lover and the loved happen to have something in common such as the smart one meets his equal or the cute one meets his equal; as this leads to creating love in the heart. As for undisciplined love, it can never find its way to them because the camels of their innate nature follow the chants of their intellect, and as the nature of humans is attached to, and eager for what does not exist in this worldly life. That is perfection not to be found in people, therefore as soon as the defects and shortcomings are noticed it detaches from what it liked and loved before.
On the other hand, the love and attachment that hearts have for the Creator is enough reason to keep the hearts wanting to add someone else besides Him.
Although this type of love a person has for his Creator is different to the type of love a person may have for another, those who acquired the knowledge of their Lord are overwhelmed by their love and too busy loving their Lord to love someone else, causing their nature to be indulged due to the strong effect of the knowledge the heart has acquired.
It was related that once a poor ascetic passed by a woman whom had his attention, so he approached her father and asked for her hand in marriage upon which the father agreed and invited the man to his house and gave him better clothes to wear.
As soon as the night arrived [i.e. the time for his night worship], the poor man started crying and saying, ‘Where are my clothes? Where are my clothes? I no longer can feel what I used to feel [before I indulged into these worldly pleasures].’ This change was noted by this poor man and so he realised the change was of the state of his heart (in deviating from the supreme higher state he used to enjoy).
This lofty state is exclusive to those whose knowledge of their Lord is ultimate and who rise above anything that is deemed low or imperfect.
Ibn Mas’ud (radiyAllahu ‘anhu) said: ‘When a person is tempted by a woman, let him think of her urination [to dismiss such a temptation from his heart].’ This is because the mind (‘aql) becomes heedless to the defects of a matter and its example is like that of a person enjoying the taste of food, his mind overlooks the unsightly scene when food is being chewed in the mouth and swallowed.
Similarly, when a person engages in sexual intercourse, his mind never thinks of the filth he is exposed to due to the influence of his lust (ghalaba al-shahwa). The same way a person is apt not to think of the fact that his own saliva is not a food yet he still swallows it. All this happen because the absence of such notions from the mind is to serve a good purpose.
However, the awakened minds (that are self-observant with high endeavours) are aware of such feelings and events without even looking for it, causing their comfortable life to be disturbed and raise them above the degradation of self-desire (haw’a).
However much a person considers the consequences, the effect of love increases or decreases in the heart towards the loved accordingly, and as per the level of awakening a person has the severity of worries shall there be.
To recapitulate all of what I have intended to explain; the nature of people with an awakened mind (who do not overlook the negative consequences of actions) is in constant elevation causing them not to attach wholly to a person despite all of his or her good qualities.
This continuous elevation happens as a result of thinking of the defects and shortcomings of the likeable, or because of being too busy seeking what is more important and better so that one does not become attached. This is why the hearts of the ones who know their Lord are better equipped to rise to their Lord, and so they reflect.
aaAs for the heedless persons, their rigidness and inadvertence in both situations, necessitates them being captive [to their desires] and always confused and inadequate.
(Source: al-Hafiz Abu’l-Faraj ibn al-jawzl [d. 597AH] “CAPTURED THOUGHTS being” a translation of his masterpiece ‘Sayd al-K hatir)
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