With Infallibles

With Infallibles75%

With Infallibles Author:
Translator: Maryam Akhond Ali
Publisher: Naba Publication (www.nabacultural.org)
Category: General Books
ISBN: 978-964-8323-64-1

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With Infallibles

With Infallibles

Author:
Publisher: Naba Publication (www.nabacultural.org)
ISBN: 978-964-8323-64-1
English

This book is corrected and edited by Al-Hassanain (p) Institue for Islamic Heritage and Thought

Alhassanain (p) Network for Islamic Heritage and Thought

With Infallibles

Author (s): A Group of Authors

Translator (s):Maryam Akhond Ali & AlaEdin Pasargadi

www.alhassanain.org/english

Name: With Infallibles

Author: A Group of Authors

Translator: Maryam Akhond Ali & AlaEdin Pasargadi

Firs t Edition: 2008

Publis her: Naba Cultural

E-mail: Info@Naba Cultural.org

ISBN: 978-964-8323-64-1

Table of Contents

Introduction 4

Deatail of Topics and Writers 5

Another Prayer 6

Not Out of Rage 8

Revelation of Delight 12

The Mid-Day Traveler 16

I am Sakinah 20

A Gift from Sky 23

Coins of Victory 26

The Last Words 30

The Second Growth 33

De'bel's Secret 36

No one saw 39

In Those Palaces 44

The Great Secret 48

The Last Hope 53

Introduction

Preparing "with infallibles" is a step towards recognizing the lives of 14 imams; each story of this collection is recreated and written according to historical events. This book comprised of 14 stories of different authors, and each story is about one of our 14 imams. It is started with a story of the Prophet and ended with a story about the 14th infallibles.

The 2,8,10, and 12 stories (according to the content's numbers) are translated by Dr. AlaEdin Pasargadi and the rest are translated byMaryam Akhond Ali.

Deatail of Topics and Writers

1. Another Prayer (Mostafa Rahmandoost )

2. Not out of Rage (AhmadArabloo )

3. Revelation of Delight (Syed Mehdi Shojae )

4. The Mid-Day Traveler (Sarvare Katbi )

5. I amSakinah (Syed Mehdi Shojae )

6. A Gift from Sky (Sarvare Katbi )

7. Coins of Victory (Mostafa Rahmandoost )

8. The last words (Mostafa Rahmandoost )

9. Rebirth (Azar Reza'ee )

10.De'bel's Secret (Fariba Kalhor )

11. No one saw (Sa'eed AleRasool )

12. Those palaces (Mehdi Hejvani )

13. The Great Secret (Mehdi Rahimi )

14. The Last Hope (Mehdi Rahimi )

Another Prayer

It was three months that "Salimah " had not gone to the mosque. She thought about the mosque especially when she heard the sound of the 'Azān '. It was three months now that she had become a mother. She had no one to look after her baby so she could attend to the mosque for praying. Her husband was a peddler date-seller who walked through the alleys of Medina, from morning to night, in order to run his family.

He neither had time to take care of his baby, nor money to pay someone to look after it.Salimah was content with her life, but she always had a strange feeling when she heard the Azan. She was reminded of the pleasant and warm voice of the Prophet in the mosque. How she longed to go to the mosque as before, when she heard the sound of the Azan and attend the mass prayer.

Her first baby was born three months ago. It was a crying baby and did not keep quiet. Most of the time,Salimah was tired and sleepy. She knew that going to the mosque and praying behind the prophet would make her fresh and happy. But there was no one to leave her child with.

That day, like every other day, was ending when once again the sound ofAzān echoed through the sky of Medina…"Allaho -Akbar"

Salimah felt deeply sad at heart. She stared at her child, listening to theAzān . The baby was asleep and breathed quietly.Salimah could not take it anymore. She got up and put on her clothes. She performed ablution and slowly took her child in her arms. She went out of the house in a hurry, to get to the mosque in time for mass prayer. She looked straight ahead of herself and not paying attention to her surrounding strode quickly towards the mosque to be in time for the prayer. Her feet moved involuntary towards the mosque.

She became calm when she arrived at the mosque. The prayer had not started yet. She was joyful for being at the mosque in time. She slowly entered the mosque.Salimah looked at her child. The baby had woken with a sweet smile on its lips.Salimah thought, "Why did I trouble myself all this time? I could've brought my child to the mosque like now. It's a pity to pray alone at home and not attend the mass prayer. It's a blessing, even if I pray just one "Rak'a " with the prophet."Salimah had not yet stood in the rows of prayer, when she heard theMuazzin crying, "Ajjeloo beSalah ," meaning, hurry up to prayer.Salimah quickly stood in one of the rows. She was looking around for a suitable place to put her child, when she heard the voice of the Prophet saying, "Allaho -Akbar".

The praying started.Salimah laid her child on the straw mat, which covered the floor of the mosque. Her child was quiet.Salimah glanced at its face and wished that the baby would keep quiet until the end of the prayer, so she could perform a peaceful prayer after three months.Salimah prepared herself quickly and stood to prayer…

The pleasant voice of the Prophet was heard. Apart from his voice, nothing else could be heard. It seemed that the mosque, the birds, and the sky were all silent and still, to listen to the voice of the Prophet, praying.Salimah listened to the Prophet reciting theSurah , Al-Fatihah , with all her heart. For three months, she had missed listening to the recitation of thisSurah in the Prophet's voice.Salimah's heart was filled with happiness and serenity.

With the hearing of "Allaho -Akbar," all prayers prostrated,

-"Sobhana Rabi-al-Azime va behamdehAllaho -Akbar"

And suddenlySalimah's baby started to cry.

Salimah's heart sank. In the pleasant silence of the mosque, the sound of her child seemed very loud. The baby was crying continuously.Salimah was not aware of the way she finished thatRak'a . She blamed herself, for disturbing others by bringing her baby to the mosque. She wished to finish her prayer as fast as possible, to take her child away.

"Allaho -Akbar"…all prayers stood up. So didSalimah . The baby continued to cry.

The Messenger of God recited the words of the prayer hurriedly. He performed the prostrations very quickly. The secondRak'a was done very fast. The thirdRak'a was also done a lot faster than the other evenings.

Salimah's child was still crying.Salimah was so anxious that she did not realize that the Prophet had ended the prayer sooner than before.Salimah was sad at heart and ashamed that she had disturbed the peace of other prayers. She was about to take her child and go, when she confronted with the smiling face of the Prophet. The Prophet had kneeled next to the baby and he was smiling at it. The baby became quiet when it saw the smiling face of the Prophet.

The prayers were surprised of the quick prayer of that evening. They were even more surprised when they saw the Prophet getting up straight after the prayer. When the Prophet returned they all went towards him and asked the reason for what he had done.

The Prophet answered, "Didn't you all hear a baby weeping and crying?"

Everyone understood that the Prophet had finished the prayer sooner, to quiet the child.Salimah too, heard what the Prophet said. She knew that the Prophet had finished the prayer sooner so she could care her baby. She was not embarrassed anymore. She turned to the baby and said, "You naughty child, you cried so much, that you attracted the attention of the Prophet to yourself. When you grow up, I shall tell you how much the Prophet loved the children."

Not Out of Rage

After some thirty days of tiresome march the army of Mecca reached the outskirts of the city of Medina. AbuSofyan , commander ofMeccan infidels, had, since a long time before, prepared this large army. His plan was to carry out a big raid upon Medina, which was the center of the new government of Islam. He had also planned to kill the holy Prophet and his loyal friends and overthrow Islam. TheMeccan infidels, in order to make sure of the success of their evil plan, concluded a pact with the Jews of Medina, who were great enemies to Islam, and intended to attack Medina with an army of about ten thousand soldiers.

When theMeccan army reached the city of Medina, they were faced with a strange scene. Round the city a wide canal of three to four meters depth had been dug. Inside the canal, too, many obstacles had been placed, so that despite their every effort the infidels could not overcome these obstacles and enter the city.

The Muslims of Medina had learned of the infields' raid. So, on the suggestion ofSalman Farsi, who was an Iranian Muslim and a faithful friend of the Prophet, they had dug this canal round the city before the enemy's imminent attack.

TheMeccan infidels who never expected such a measure, halted in awe and amazement. They had cherished the hope of entering the city on their horsebacks, easily and unchecked, to massacre the Muslims. But the canal round the city proved to be an insurmountable barrier for the pagans.

Then, AbuSofyan broke the terrible silence of his frustrated army with a loud cry which showed his rage and anxiety. He ordered his troops to camp near the canal so that he might consult his army officers to find a solution. Very soon the tents were raised and the city of Medina surrounded by the army of Abu-Sofyan .

The siege lasted many days. AbuSofyan's army soon became tired and weary.

They were deeply enraged at being unable to find a way to infiltrate the city. Inside the city the Muslims who were about three thousands in number, with their trust in God, were preparing for the confrontation and each time the enemy army intended to pass the canal, they would pour showers of arrows upon them.

One day, however, an incident took place. In the infidel army there was a soldier named 'Amr Ibn-Abduwod who had won great fame as a brave warrior among all Arabs. He had become weary and angry that the siege had had taken so long. So, he mounted his horse and surveyed the canal several times. Suddenly, he chose a sport where the width of the canal was shortest and managed to jump over to the other side of the canal.

This caused a great uproar in both armies and all eyes turned towards him. TheMeccan infidels encouraged him with their cries of support.

When 'Amr reached the vanguard of the Muslim army, he waved his sword in the air and boastfully challenged a match, saying: "Hark! Is there anyone who dares to step into the field to confront me?"

The Muslims held their breaths in the breasts and bowed their heads. To fight against such a powerful warrior was not a simple matter.

Suddenly, a voice from among the Muslimarmy, broke the silence. It was the voice of Ali (p.b.u.h .) who had volunteered to fightAmr , and was begging Prophet's permission to enter the field.

The Prophet had not yet consented to Ali's request to fight whenAmr once more shouted: "Hark! I have kept on calling for a fighter so many times that my throat had got hoarse. Is there no one to take up the challenge? O Muslims? Do you not claim that on being killed you will send me to hell? So let one of you come and send me to hell or go to heaven himself!"

Again Imam Ali begged the Prophet's permission to fight 'Amr , but again the Prophet did not give permission.

'Amr kept on bragging andwith each bravado the shouts of the infidels' acclaim filled the air. Then he galloped his horse round about the field and for the third time called for a challenger.

Again Ali volunteered to take up his challenge, and this time the Prophet gave him the permission to do so. Imam Ali, smiling and confident with a heart full of faith, took firm and steadfast steps towards his adversary, and addressed him saying, "Amr , keep quiet! Now your challenger is coming to you without the slightest fear!"

All eyes were turned to the field of battle. The infidel army's clamor gradually died down and they stretched their necks to see who had dared to take up the challenge of their great champion. The Prophet who had his eyes on the gallant Imam Ali said: "Now the whole of infidelity is facing the whole of faith." Then he prayed for Ali.

'Amr pulled back the rein of his horse and quieted it he then peered to see the challenger who had dared to confront him. When Imam Ali came in full view, 'Amr looked him up and down, and then said in a tone of surprise: "Young Man! Who are you that wish to lose your life so easily? Have you not heard my name?"

Ali responded: "I have heard your name; and I am 'AliIbn -Abi-Taleb !"

On hearing 'Ali's name, 'Amr trembled with fear and remembered Ali's valiant bravery with battles ofBadr ans Uhod . Then be urged on his horse to getnearerto Ali, and said in a low voice: "O son ofAbi-Taleb ! You are very young. You have plenty of time to live in this world. It would be a pity to take your life so soon. Go back and let someone else come to fight me!"

Ali took another step forward and said: "O 'Amr ! I have come to fight you. Did you not brawl for a match?"

'Amr reasoned: "I have been a friend of your father,Abi-Taleb , and have no wish to see you immersed in your blood!"

Ali said: "O 'Amr ! I have been told that if in the field of battle your adversary makes three requests to you, you will surely grant one of them."

'Amr said: "Yes. What you have heard is true."

Imam 'Ali then said: "Now I have three requests from you; one of which you must fulfill."

'Amr said: "What are they?"

The Imam said: "First, give up infidelity and idolatry and submit that Muhammad is the rightful Prophet and thus live with honor and freedom among the Muslims."

"Amr said: "This is impossible. What is your next request?"

The Imam said: "Abstain from fighting us and return from the very way you have come. Your horse can take you to the other side of the canal."

Amr retorted angrily: "If I return to the other side of the canal I shall be disgracefully reproached by the other soldiers. So, you can be sure that I shall not return before I strike a heavy blow on theMedanese army."

At this answer Imam Ali smiled and concluded: "My third request is that you dismount from your horse to fight me!"

Amr became so greatly enraged that he immediately leapt down from the horse and charged against Imam Ali.

Both armies kept perfect silence, and waited for the outcome of this duel.

Amr waved his sword in the air and brought it down with all his might upon Ali's head, but Ali swiftly protected his head with his shield, and the clash of the sword and shield echoed loudly in the silent field. For a moment the joyful uproar of the infidels dominated the groans of the Muslims.

As a result of this blow Imam 'Ali's shield was split and the corner of 'Amr's sword wounded the Imam's head slightly. 'Ali dressed his wound in a brisk and before 'Amr could collect himself for another assault, the Imam advanced him. He clasped the hilt of his sword firmly with both hands and swiftly swished 'Amr on the body. The flash of the swordsparkled the eyes of the infidels' army and the great historical blow of truth was dealt by Imam Ali.

The blow was so forceful that it could have shaken a mountain, and this it could have shaken a mountain, and this single blow knocked the wretched 'Amr down. Both armies craned their necks in curiosity to see the proceeding amidst the clouds of dust. They could not quite make out the one who was lying down on the ground.

At this moment a Victorious chant put an end to the deadly expectation of both armies. It was the voice of Imam 'Ali, chanting Allah-o-Akbar [God is Great]. The whole army of Islam, hearing 'Ali's voice, joined in chanting, Allah-o-Akbar, which sank the hearts of the infidels to the bottom. 'Amr's wounds were so deep that he was unable to rise.

Imam 'Ali sat on 'Amr's chest, as it was the code of conduct to end his pair. 'Amr was livid with rage and envy at his defeat by the lion-hearted man of Islam. This mental pain was so great that he forgot his physical pain. So in his last moment he resorted to aninsolent and unmanly act, and in his helplessness to move, he suddenly spat on the face of Imam 'Ali.

This moment another heroic act began to take place. Imam 'Ali, who had raised his sword to finish off the work lowered it slowly, rose from 'Amr's chest, and cleaned his face. He let out e deep sigh, looking up at heaven, and began walking to and fro.

The enemy forces, 'Amr and even theMeccan army were struck with astonishment.

They asked themselves:

-Why did 'Ali rise from 'Amr's chest?

- Why does he not end it all?

-Why is he walking to and fro?

-Why doesn't he finish off the work?

-What is 'Ali thinking about?

There were so many 'whys'. But no one but God and His Prophet could know what was in 'Ali's mind or the reason for it. In those moments an utmost faith in God and in His satisfaction was surging within the mind of the Imam.When 'Amr committed his mean and lowly act, 'Ali became very angry, and everyone expected him to kill 'Amr at once. But contrary to the general expectation, 'Ali did not do so. At that moment he thought that killing 'Amr at that instant would be attributed to his own anger. So he rose from 'Amr's chest and walked about until his anger subsided. Then he knelt on 'Amr's chest and with a manly blow, which was dealt only for God's satisfaction and not in revenge, killed 'Amr and returned victoriously to the Muslim army.

'Amr possessed a valuable chain-mail and sword. It was customary among the Arabs that the victor took the mail and weapon of the vanquished for himself. But Imam Ali in his chivalry left those objects of 'Amr in the field.

Some days later when 'Amr's sister heard the news of her brother's death, she inquired who had killed her brother. When she was told that Ali had done so, she said without any show of uneasiness and anger: 'If my brother had been killed by anyone else but Ali, I would have wept and groaned. But I know that Ali is a manly, noble and peerless warrior, and my brother's death at the hand of such a man need not be lamented."

This historical combat of the Imam filled the infidel army with despair, and after a while they abandoned their siege of Medina in defeat and went away.

The significance of Imam Ali's strike in the battle of Ditch (Khandagh ) was so great that the Prophet said: "Ali'sstike in that battle was worthier than the religious devotions of all human beings and angles."

Revelation of Delight

A heavy cold silence has taken over Medina. The people of the town, tired from their daily work have gone to their homes to rest.

The stars have decorated the sky. The earth is lighted from the soft, pale glow of the moon which has spread its rays like a silk cloth over the small mud-built houses of Medina.

Medina is silent and quiet and the only sound which gives it life is the echo of the strong steps of the Prophet. He is getting closer to Ali's home.

The Prophet is accompanied by two of his followers. They too are pondering about what is worrying the Prophet.

Not only them, but the entire town knows how much the Prophet lovesHasan andHussain .

Everybody knows that the Prophet gets sad from what saddensHasan andHussain and is pleased from what pleases them. Everyone knows that his love for them is not just the love of a grandfather for two adorable sweet grandsons. It's a divine love; a divine affection. All Muslims know that they must follow the Prophet and loveHasan andHussain .

Because lots of times before, they had seen the Prophet in front of the eyes of everyone saying, "Oh, God, I loveHasan andHussain . Love whoever may love them."

Now the Prophet and two of his followers have reached Ali's home. The sweet warm voice of the Prophet echoes through the house:

-Dear Ali, darling Fatima, greetings to you. I've come to visit my children with two others. May we come in?

It is the eager voice of Ali and Fatima that is heard from inside the house:

-Greetings to you and the bliss of God! Welcome. Come in please.

First the scent of the Prophet and them himself and his followers enter the house. But this timeHasan andHussain don't come running towards the Prophet. This time they do not throw themselves in his arms nor give themselves to his kisses.

TonightHasan andHussain are in their sickbeds and their illness has weakened them. They open their eyes with difficulty. But they do not find the power in their limbs to get up.

The Prophet, worried and impatient, goes towards their sickbed, rolls his cloak around his legs and sits next to the children kissing their faces.

-What's the matter my dear ones? I hope God removes this illness from you and give your health back.

Hasan andHussain circle their hands around the Prophet's neck and hug him. Although this house belongs to the commander of the Islamic army, but nothing is found in it to serve the guests.

Ali apologizes for not having anything to serve the guests. However, the Prophet and his followers know that Ali's poverty is his honor and the honor of Islam. They know that if Ali wanted, he could have had the best of livings. It was the lifestyle which Ali and Fatima had chosen, themselves.

Therefore, the guests are served with love, kindness and sincerity of the host.

Before leaving, the Prophet asks Ali:

-Dear Ali! Don't you want to perform a vow for the cure of their illness?

Ali answers without hesitation:

-Yes, I will vow three days of fasting. If God gave back their health I will fast for three continuous days.

Fatima, hearing what the Prophet and Ali said, she says:

-I too, vow that if God gave back the health of my children, I fast three continuous days.

Hasan andHussain open their tired eyes and say:

-We will fast for three days too.

And they feel the lips of the Prophet on their faces.

"Fezzah " is a woman who has been the servant of Amana, the Prophet's mother, for years. Now, she has voluntarily come to this house to be the companion of Fatima and learn the lesson of life from her. She, like the rest of her dear ones, vows to fast for three continuous days for the cure ofHasan andHussain .

* * *

It is a little after their vow that God gives back the health toHasan andHussain . They both get up from their sickbeds, strong and refreshed.

It is now the time to fulfill their vow and the household are all fasting. For breaking their fasts, there is only grain for five breads, which Fatima andFezzah prepare and cook.

The breads are cooked; one per person. They all sit waiting for Ali to come back from the mosque, so they could break their fasts together.

When Ali returns from the mosque, they all sit down to eat after a day of fasting and hunger.

Their hands have not reached the food when a knock on the door is heard:

-I am a poor, wretched beggar. Oh household of the Prophet! I pray God to serve you from his heavenly foods. Help me. My family and I are hungry…

The beggar has not finished his words yet that Ali rises to give his bread to him. Fatima's bread is put on top of Ali's and thenHasan ,Hussain andFezzah do the same? Five breads, the entire dinner of a fasting household is given to a beggar.

Now, there is only water to be served. The five fasters break their fasts with water alone, and thank God!

The second day of fasting is here. Again five breads are prepared for dinner. After two days of hunger and fasting, the hands go towards the hot breads which are the only food in the house; when again there is a knock on the door…

-Oh, household of the Prophet! I am an orphan child that has nothing to eat. Please help me.

A hand, with five breads in it, comes out from behind the door. The breads are given to the child along with good wishes and blessings. Again, the fasters break the second day of their fast with water. Hunger has drained their energy.

The food for the third day of their fasting is the same as the previous nights; flour enough for five breads.

Ali is a powerful man and hunger is something which he is used to. However, how can the slender and delicate Fatima,Fezzeh , and the two children who have just recovered from illness bear two days of hunger and not eat even a single piece of bread?

Anyway, they are fasting on the third day of their huger.

As they get closer to the time of breaking their fasts, their hands start to shake from starvation. The eyes ofHasan andHussain are sunken and they cannot walk nor stand on their feet from hunger. Ali returns from the mosque and there are five breads to eat and a bowl of water. Who knows how these three days have been for the members of this family? How appetizing this piece of bread looks!

Hasan andHussain pull themselves towards the food and stretch their hands towards the breads like the others. But… there is again a knock on the door…

The sound of the knock leaves the hands hanging in the air.

-Hello to the household of the Prophet! Oh, Mohammad's family! Please help a captive that has been hungry for a long time…

Nobody hesitates for a moment. The hands that had been stretched towards the breads to take a piece ofthem, put the breads in one pile and put them in the hands of the captive!

The only thing that gives this pained family strength and power is the joy of giving and self-sacrifice; the joy of giving when you are in need; to take the morsel from your starving mouth and giving it to another hungry being. Only God can value such a deed and knowits worth.

Ali looks at the pale yellow faces of his children and thinks with himself:

-visiting the Prophet will lessen pains and makes we forget our hunger. He turns toHasan andHussain and says,

-let's pay a visit to your grandfather.

The joy of seeing the Prophet excites the children and the three of them go towards his house.

When the Prophet sees the colorless and pale faces of his grandchildren and their delicate bodies, which shake from hunger, tears fill his eyes.

- How can I bear to see my children in such a condition? Oh God, witness what the family of your Prophet do to gain your pleasure. Get up my dear ones to see how my darling Fatima is doing. How has she spent these three days?

Fatima's eyes are sunken from hunger, and her legs are weak, but she still continues to pray.

The Prophet embraces his darling Fatima and cries in a way that his shoulders tremble.

Who can see the loved ones of the God in such a condition and be unmoved?

At this time the air is filled with a beautiful fragrance and Gabriel comes down to the Prophet.

-Oh Mohammad! Accept the gift which I have brought for your family.

-Gabriel! What have you brought with you?

-First the mercy and bliss of God for this family, and then verses about their matchless deed has been sent down.

Real value is in a work that brings about the pleasure of God. I, the faithful Gabriel, the bringer of revelation, and the link between you and God, do not find a greater gift than this.

In these verses, the almighty God has introduced this fasting group as "the righteous ones" and has described their state in heaven:

God protects the ones who perform vows and are fearful of the Day of Judgment and give their food out of love of God to the poor, the orphaned and the captive, saying:

"We only feed you for God's sake. We desire from you neither reward nor thanks. Surely we fear from our God, a stern distressing Day."

Therefore God will guard them from the evil of that Day and cause them to meet with ease and happiness.

And the reward of them for their patience is Heaven.

Reclining therein on raised couches they shall find therein neither heat nor cold.

And the shades of the garden will come down over them. And its fruits will hang low and easy to reach…

Surely this is the reward for you and your endeavor is accepted and recognized.

Now,Hasan ,Hussain ,Fezzeh , Fatima, and Imam Ali no longer feel hungry. Their starvation does no longer bother them and it is replaced by feelings of happiness and glory.

They all bow and thank their God for this wonderful great gift.

Human Love

Similar to what we saw earlier in the case of Divine love, human love for God, for His creation, for good deeds, and for each other plays a crucial role in the Islamic world-view, especially in theology, mysticism and ethics. Indeed, love for the truths embodied in the religion builds up the faith. For Muslim theologians, and indeed inspired by the Qur'an, although faith is based on knowledge of the religious facts, it is not reducible to that knowledge. There might be people who have knowledge of the religious facts and are confident about them but still do not commit themselves to any faith. The faith and belief only come when a person voluntarily commits himself to acceptance of articles of faith and does not refuse to follow them. In other words, the faith is there only when one loves the religious beliefs and not just when one comes to know them. The Qur'an says:

And they denied them (Divine signs or miracles) unjustly and proudly while their soul had been certain about it. (27:14)

The prototype example of those who know very well but refuse to practice what they have known is Iblis, the great Satan. According to Islamic sources, Iblis does whatever he does out of arrogance and selfishness, not out of ignorance.

Thus, a person becomes faithful and a believer only when he has respect and love for certain facts i.e. articles of faith. We read in a famous hadith that the Prophet Muhammad asked his companions of "the firmest handhold of faith". They suggested different things like prayer and hajj. When they could not give the appropriate answer the Prophet said:

The firmest handhold of faith is to love for the sake of God and to hate for the sake of God, to befriend God's friends and to renounce His enemies.1

The same idea is emphasised by Imams of the Household of the Prophet. For example, Fudayl ibn Yasar, a disciple, asked Imam Sadiq whether love and hatred derive from faith. Imam replied: "Is faith anything but love and hate?"2 The same hadith is narrated from Imam Baqir. It is also narrated that Imam Baqir said: "The faith is love and love is the faith."3

Love and Hate

An overall study of the Qur'an and narrations (hadiths) shows that in the Islamic view love either in its Divine form or in Human form, belongs only to the precious and valuable things as far as they are so. The result is firstly that the degrees of the love that different things deserve or receive differ according to their merits, and secondly that anything which is in conflict with those precious and valuable things or prevents their realisation should be hated. For example, if justice is to be loved injustice should be hated. Or if a person who tells the truth is to be loved a person who lies should be hated. Of course, in respect to their other characters and deeds, the situation might be different. A single person might be loved or praised for something and at the same time he might be hated or blamed for the other.

In comparison with some other faiths, one aspect of love in Islam is that it is usually considered along with `hate (of the evil) for the sake of God'. One has to love for the sake of God and hate for the sake of God. There is a tendency among some people to think that there should be no hate at all. These people assume that excellence and nobility of character and "being sociable" consist of having all men one's friends. Certainly Islam recommends Muslims to love people and optimise compassionate and sincere relationship with them, even if they do not believe in Islam or in God. However, it is not feasible for a person who has principles in his life and has devoted his life to realise sacred values to be indifferent to evil and oppressive deeds of wrongdoers and make friendship with everybody. Such a person certainly will have some enemies, whether we wish or not. There are always good people in the society and bad people. There are fair people and despotic people. Good and bad are two opposite poles. Attraction towards the good is not possible without repulsion from the bad.

When two human beings attract each other and their hearts wish for them to be friends and companions one with the other we should look for a reason for that. The reason is nothing other than similarity and resemblance. Unless there is a similarity between these two persons, they cannot attract one another and move towards friendship with each other. Rumi in his Mathnavi mentions two fine stories that illustrate this fact. One story is that once a very wise and well-known Greek physician asked his disciples for some medicine for himself.

His disciples were shocked. They said: "O, Master! This medicine is for the treatment of madness, but you are the wisest person that we know." The master replied: " On my way to here, I met a mad person. When he saw me he stopped and smiled. Now, I am afraid that he must have found some similarity between me and himself; otherwise he would not have enjoyed looking at me." The other story relates to another wise man that saw a raven who had formed an affection for a stork. They perched together and flew together! The wise man could not understand how two birds of two different species that had no similarity either in shape or in colour with each other could be friends. He went close and discovered that both of them had only one leg.

That wise man said: "I saw companionship

Between a raven and a stock

Amazed I was, and examined their condition

To see what sign of commonality I could find.So up I crept, and, to and behold!

I saw that both of them were lame. "

In Islam, there has been much emphasis on the necessity of promoting brotherhood and friendship with the people of faith and the people of good will and at the same time combating against the evil, corruption and the oppressors. Of course, in Islam love is universal and the Prophet of Islam was not sent, "save as a mercy unto all beings" (The Qur'an 21: 107).

Therefore, even fighting against those who do wrongs and injustice should be out of love. It is an act of genuine love for mankind as a whole and even, say, for a murderer such as Hitler to fight against him, to punish him and, if needed, to destroy him. Otherwise, he would do more crimes and would degrade himself more and more and would suffer much more sever punishments in this world and hereafter. There is a beautiful story that once an oppressing ruler asked a pious person to pray for him. In response, that pious person asked God not to let him live anymore. That oppressor was shocked and said: " I asked you to pray for me and not against me!" He replied: " This is exactly what I did. It is much better for you and, of course, for the people as well that your life becomes shorter. You will then have less chance to add to your crimes and people will have more chance to rest."

A rational and intelligent love is the one that involves the good and interest of the mankind and not a limited number of people. One can do many things to bring good to individuals or groups which bring evil to society or mankind as a whole. For example, if a judge releases a guilty criminal he might have done something good to that person, but a great harm has been inflicted upon the society and the ideal of justice. One should not let his affections hide the truth. If our beloved child needs injection or operation we should not let our love and passions for him to prevent us from doing so.

Love and Reason

According to Islam, love has to be enlightened. A sacred love is the love which is realistic and insightful. It has been a common theme in moral advises by great Muslim preachers and Sufi masters that one should not let one's love for something or some person make him negligent of the whole truth. The reason for this emphasise is that love naturally tends to make the lover "blind and deaf'. If you love some one it is very unlikelyto have an impartial view of it, unless the love is directed by the reason. This is why even Sufi Muslims try not to be overwhelmed by love. Siraj ed-Din writes:

The Sufi has no choice but to be vigilant, observant, and discerning, to put everything in its rightful place, and to give everything its due ... It is in virtue of this perspective that Sufism is a way of knowledge rather than a way of love. As such it tends to repudiate partialities which the perspective of love necessarily condones and even encourages.4

Human Love for God

According to Islam, the minimum expectation from believers is that God should have the first place in their heart, in the sense that no other love may override one's love for God; God should be the highest and foremost object of love. The Qur'an says:

Say: If your father or your sons or your brethren or your wives or your kinsfolk or the property you have acquired or the commerce you fear may slacken or the dwellings which you love­ if these are dearer to you than God and His Apostle and striving in His way, then wait till God brings about His command; God does not guide the transgressing people. (9:24)

This verse clearly indicates that one's love for God has to be superior to one's love for whatever else that one may come to love in one's life. This superiority shows itself when the love for God and for His religion comes in conflict with one's love for one's personal belongings. In this case, a believer should be able to sacrifice his personal favourite things for the sake of God. For example, if God asks us to give our lives to protect innocent lives or our territorial integrity or the like, we should not let our love for the easy life or being with the family and so on prevent us from striving in His way.

Therefore, a believer is not the person who just loves God. A believer is the person whose love for God is the highest and strongest love he has. Elsewhere, the Qur'an says:

Yet there are some people who adopt rivals instead of God, whom they love just as they (should) love God. Those who believe are firmer in their love of God (2:165)

Why should one love God? According to Islam, one reason for loving God lies in the fact that God is the most precious, the most perfect and the most beautiful being, that a man can ever conceive and therefore, man out of his nature that aspires to values, beauty and perfection loves God.

Many Islamic scholars, especially mystics have asserted that everybody feels in his heart a great love for God the Almighty without necessarily being aware of it. They argue that even unbelievers who are just after secular aims or ideals love and worship what they take to be the ultimate good. For example, those who want to possess power want to have the ultimate power. They will never be satisfied by becoming a mayor or even president. Even if they could control the whole globe they would think about controlling other planets. Nothing in the world can set their hearts at rest. As soon as people reach what they had set up as their ideals, they realise that it is not sufficient and they will seek for more. Islamic mystics, such as Ibn Arabi inspired by the Qur'an believe that the reason behind this phenomenon is that everybody in fact is seeking towards the ultimate good, that is, God. The Qur'an says: "O man! Surely you strive (to attain) to your Lord, a hard striving until you meet Him." (84:6). However, the fact is that many people make a mistake in recognising what is the highest good. Some might take money as the highest good or, in other words, as their god.

Others might take political power as their god, and so on. The Qur'an says: "Have you seen him who takes his low desires for his god?" (25:43; 45:23)

If it happens that they reach what they have set up as their ideal their innate love for God, the highest good will remain unresponsive and so they will feel unhappy and frustrated. Ibn Arabi says:

"Nothing other than God has been ever loved. It is God who has manifested Himself in whatever is beloved for the eyes of those who love. There is no being except that it loves. Thus, the whole universe loves and is loved and all these go back to Him just as nothing has ever been worshipped other than Him, since whatever a servant (of God) has ever worshipped has been because of wrong imagination of deity in it; otherwise it would have never been worshipped. God, the most High, says (in the Qur'an): `and your Lord has commanded not to worship but Him.'(17:23) This is the case with love as well. No one has ever loved anything other than his Creator. However, He, the most High has hidden Himself from them under the love for Zaynab, Su'ad, Hind. Layla, dunya (this world), money, social position and all other beloved subjects in the universe.5

Ibn Arabi adds that: "mystics have never heard any poem or praise or the like but about Him (and they saw Him) beyond veils."6

The other reason for loving God is to reciprocate His love and blessings. There is a rich literature in Islamic sources on different aspects and manifestations of God's love and favour for all human beings, including, in a sense, wrongdoers arid those who disbelieve in Him. Human beings love whoever does good to them, and they appreciate such favour and benevolence and feel obliged to be thankful. The Prophet said:

Love God because He has done good to you and He has bestowed favours upon you.7

According to Islamic narrations, God said to both Moses and David: "Love me and endear Me to my people."8 . Then in response to their question how to endear Him to the people, God said: "Remind them about My favours and bounties, for they do not recall My favours without the feeling of gratitude."9

In a mystic prayer, known as the Whispered of the Thankful, Imam Sajjad says:

My God, The uninterrupted flow of Thy graciousness has distracted me from thanking Thee!

The flood of Thy bounty has rendered me incapable of counting Thy praises!

The succession of Thy kind acts has diverted me from mentioning Thee in laudation!

The continuous rush of Thy benefits has thwarted me from spreading the news of Thy gentle favours!

Then he adds:

My God, My thanksgiving is small before Thy great boons, and my praise and news spreading shrink beside Thy generosity toward me!

Thy favours have wrapped me in the robes of the lights of faith, and the gentlenesses of Thy goodness have let down over me delicate curtains of might!

Thy kindnesses have collared me with collars not to be moved and adorned me with neck-rings not to be broken!

Thy boons are abundant-my tongue is too weak to count them!

Thy favours are many my understanding falls short of grasping them, not to speak of exhausting them!

So how can I achieve thanksgiving?10

A believer who has started his spiritual journey towards God first comes to recognise God's blessings upon him in providing him with lots of supports and helps that enabled him to act. Having continued his journey and been equipped with a mystical view of the world, he will realise that every good thing, indeed, comes from God himself. We read in the Qur'an: "Whatever benefit comes to you (O man!), it is from God, and whatever misfortune befalls you, it is from yourself" (4:79) There is no reason to think otherwise. The reason for inflicting unjust suffering can be one of these things or a combination of them:

Lack of power: A person who oppresses others may do so because he wants to gain something from it, or because he cannot prevent himself from doing something harmful to others.

Lack of knowledge: A person may even have good intention of benevolence, but due to lack of information or making wrong conclusions may do something that harms the recipient.

Hatred and malevolence: A person may be able to do good deeds and may also know how to do it, but he still fails to do so, because he is not kind enough to do so, or even more, because he hates the recipient and want to satisfy his anger and wrath by inflicting pain on the recipient.

Muslim thinkers argue that God never does something unjust or harmful to His servants, since there is none of the above reasons for being otherwise: He is the all-Powerful, the all-Knowing and the all-Merciful.

Thus, the picture of God in Islam is the picture of one who is love, the all-Merciful, the all­Compassionate and the all-Benevolent, one who loves His creatures more than they may ever love Him or themselves, one whose anger and wrath is out of love and preceded by love. There seems to be no difference among Muslims in believing in God who is love, though they might vary in amount of emphasise that they put on this aspect of Islamic worldview compared to others. In general, it might be said that Muslim mystics and Sufis are more concerned with this aspect of Islam than Muslim Philosophers, and Muslim philosophers in turn are more concerned than theologians. But as I mentioned earlier there is no disagreement on viewing God as who is love, the all-Merciful and the all-Compassionate. We read in the Qur'an that in response to Moses' request for the good life in this world and hereafter, God said: "(As for) My chastisement, I will afflict with it whom I please, and My mercy encompass all things." (7:56) We find in the Qur'an that a group of angels who bear the Divine Throne pray: "Our Lord! Thou embracest all things in mercy and knowledge, therefore forgive those who repent and follow Thy way and save them from the punishment of Hell." (40:7)

Although God's love for His servants is not arbitrary and depends on their merits, His love for wrongdoers and who have turned their back to Him is so great that it highly surpasses their expectation. The emphasis on this aspect of Divine love constitutes a considerable part of Islamic literature, including Quranic verses, ahadith and even poems. For example, we read in the Qur'an:

Say: O my servants! Who have acted extravagantly against themselves, do not despair of the mercy of God; Surely God forgives the faults altogether; surely He is the Forgiving, the Merciful. (39:53)

The idea of repentance is one of the key concepts in this regard. In many verses of the Qur'an, God speaks of the constant possibility of repenting and returning to Him, He is the Forgiving. He says:

But whoever repents after his iniquity and reforms (himself), then surely God will return to him (mercifully); surely God is Forgiving, Merciful. (5:39).

The Qur'an also refers to the fact that God not only forgives those who seek forgiveness, but also He may change their wrong deeds to good deeds. On those who repent and believe and do good deeds, the Qur'an says:"... these are they of whom God changes the evil deeds to good ones; and God is Forgiving, Merciful." (25:70).

It is interesting that in the Qur'an, God is introduced not as the one who just accepts the repentance of his servants and returns to them when they return to him. Indeed, it is God Himself that first attends to His servants who have broken in a way or another their servitude relationship with God, but still have love for goodness and truths in their hearts (i.e. their hearts are not sealed). God returns to such servants and then they repent and return to Him, and then God returns to them to forgive them. Therefore, as S.H. Tabatabai, the author of Al-Mizan in 20 volumes, notifies, every repentance and return of a wrongdoer servant is surrounded by two returns of God: the first return that gives that person the ability for voluntary repentance and the second return which is His forgiveness after the person has repented. The fact is clearly suggested by the Qur'an:

... they knew it for certain that there was no refuge from God but in Him; then He turned to them (mercifully) that they might turn (to Him); Surely God is the oft-returning (to mercy), the Merciful. (9:118)

According to Islamic mysticism, one's knowledge of God as the most beautiful and perfect being and the source of all good things that one has and successively one's love for God who is love and mercy gets so strong and encompassing that it will occupy all one's heart. At the same time, knowledge of one's weakness and deficiencies in front of God gets so intensive and deep that finally he will feel emptiness and nothingness. As such a person loses his sense of I­ness and becomes selfless, he will be identifiable with every type of goodness. From nothingness, one reaches the position of everythingness. He will feel no limitation or restriction. In a well-known hadith, we read that

Servitude to God is a substance, whose essence is lordship.11

A pure servant of God whose will is melt into His will be able to bring about extraordinary deeds.

Sheikh Mahmud Shabistari in his Sa'adat ­Nameh has a beautiful description of what he takes to be different stages of the spiritual journey towards God. He says:

The service and worship of God

Is a dictate of the Merciful

To every creature: man and jinn alike.

And yet this order takes to task

The most elect-as God has said:

"I did not create the jinn and men for aught

but they should worship Me." (the Qur'an, 51:56)

Through worship man is brought to prayer;

From prayer to mystic thought, and then from though

The flame of gnosis leaps, until he sees

The truth with contemplation's inner eye.

Such wisdom comes from altruistic love (or kindness):

The latter is its fruit, the first the bough.

At last comes Love which ousts all else:

Love undoes all sense of `two';

Love makes all One,

Until no `mine'

Nor `thine'

Remain.12

Suhrawardi in his On the Reality of Love elaborates his view on the spiritual journey. He believes that this journey and its states and stations arise from virtue (husn), love (miter) and reflective sadness (huzn). He relates virtue to the knowledge of God and love to the knowledge of self. Sadness is the outcome of the knowledge of what was not and then was.

Suhrawardi believes that knowledge of the self leads to the discovery that the self is divine and this results in loving God and having Sufi experiences. It is indeed a Qur'anic idea which is clearly and greatly emphasised by ahadith that there is a necessary relation between knowing one's self and knowing one's Lord. For example, the Prophet Muhammad said: "Whoever knows himself has known his Lord."13 Suhrawardi believes that sadness is caused by reflection on the created order which signifies separation of man and his departure from his original abode.14

According to Islam, love for God is very active and manifests itself in all aspects of one's life. It shapes all one's love and hatred. It also shapes one's behaviour with others and with one's self. In the well-known hadith of nawafil (meaning non­compulsory good deeds) we read:

Nothing makes My servants closer to Me compared to the performance of obligatory deeds, wajibat. My servant constantly gets close to me by nawafil till I love him. When I love him, then I shall be his ears with which he listens, his eyes with which he sees, his tongue with which he speaks, and his hands with which he holds: if he calls Me, I shall answer him, and if he asks Me, I shall give him.15

A sincere lover has no power to disobey the beloved person or to refuse his wishes. Imam Jafar al-Sadiq said: "Do you disobey God and pretend you love Him? This is amazing. If you were true you would have obeyed Him, for the lover is submissive before the one whom he loves".16 We read in the Qur'an:

O you who believe! Whoever from among you turns back from his religion, then God will bring a people, He shall love them and they shall love Him, lowly before the believers, mighty against the unbelievers, they shall strive hard in God's way and shall not fear the censure of any censurer. (5:54)

The history of Islam is full of memories of those who embodied a sincere and overwhelming love for God and His religion. One of those who full-heatedly devoted himself to Islam was Bilal al ­Habashi, a black slave. The pagans of Quraysh in Mecca subjected him to torture asking him to mention names of their idols express his belief in them and disbelieve in Islam. They tormented him under the burning sun by laying him on scorching stones and putting heavy rocks on his chest. Abu Bakr, a rich companion of the Prophet, was passing by when he heard the cry of Bilal. He went close and advised him to hide his belief, but Bilal was not prepared to do so; since "love was ever rebellious and deadly". Illustrating the event, Rumi says:

Bilal was devoting his body to the thorns

His master was flogging him by way of correction,

(Saying:) "Why dost thou celebrate Ahmad (the other name of the Prophet)?

Wicked slave, thou disbelievest in my religion! "

He was beating him in the sun with thorns

(While) he cried vauntingly "One!"

Till when Siddiq (Abu Bakr) was passing in that neighbourhood,

Those cries of "One!" reached his ears.

Afterwards he saw him in private and admonished him:

Keep thy belief hidden.

He (God) knows (all) secrets: conceal thy desire. "

He (Bilal) said: "I repent before thee, O prince. "

There was much repenting of this sort,

(Till) at last he became quit of repenting,

And proclaimed and yielded up his body to tribulation,

Crying: "O Muhammad! O enemy of vows and repentance! D thou with whom my body and all my veins are filled!

How should there be room therein for repentance?

Henceforth I will banish repentance from this heart.

How should 1 repent of the life everlasting?"

Love is the All-subduer, and I am subdued by Love:

By Love's blindness I have been made bright like the sun.

O fierce wind, before Thee I am a straw:

How can I know where I shall fall?

Whether I am Bilad or the new moon,

1 am running on and following the course of Thy sun.

What has the moon to do with stoutness or thinness?

She runs at the heels of the sun, like a shadow.

The lovers have fallen into a fierce-torrent:

They have set their hearts on the ordinance of Love.

(They are) like the millstone turning round and round

Day and night and moaning incessantly.17

Human love for fellow humans

A believer who loves God is expected to love His people and be kind to them. Of course, those whose evil character surpasses this factor are excluded. The Prophet said:

O servant of God, let your love and hate be for the sake of God, because no one can attain to the wilayah (guardianship) of God without that, and no one shall find the taste of faith without that, though his prayers and fast be great in number.18

If one's love and hate are to be only for the sake of, it would be impossible not to love His people.

On the necessity of love for people, we see that the Qur'an praises those members of the Household of the Prophet who fasted three days and gave everyday the only little food that they had at home successively to a poor, an orphan, and a captive: "And they give food out of love for Him to the poor and the orphan and the captive. [They tell them:]we only feed you for God's sake: we desire from you neither reward nor thanks."(76:8 & 9)

There is a well-known hadith narrated in different sources that the Prophet said: "People are all God's family, so the dearest people to Him are those who benefit His family the most."19

According to a hadith and similar to what is mentioned in the New Testament (Matt. 25:31-46), on the Day of Judgement God will ask some people why they would not have visited Him when He was sick, why they would not have fed Him when He was hungry and why they would not have given water to Him when He was thirsty. Those people will ask: How could these have happened, while you are the Lord of all the world? Then God will. reply: So and so was sick and you did not visit him, so and so was hungry and you did not feed him and so and so was thirsty and you did not give water to him. Did not you know that if you did so you would find Me with him?20

Notes

1. al-Kulayni, 1397 A.H., Kitab al-Iman wal-Kufr, "Bab al-Hubb fi Allah wal-Bughd fi Allah", no. 6, p.126.

2. Ibid., no. 5 , p. 125.

3. Al-Majlisi, 1983, Kitab al-Iman wal-Kufr, "Bab al­Hubb fi Allah wal-Bughd fi Allah", lxvi, p. 238.

4. Siraj ed-Din, 1989, p. 234

5. Ibn Arabi, 1994, Vol. 2., p.326

6. Ibid.

7. al-­Daylami, 1370 A.H., p.226; my translation

8. al-Majlisi, 1983, Vo1.8, p.351 & Vol. 14, p. 38; my translation

9. Ibid.

10. Chittick, 1987, pp. 242 & 243

11. Mizan al ­Hikmah, Vol. 6, p. 13, no. 11317

12. Cited from Beyond Faith & Infidelity: The Sufi Poetry and Teachings of Mahmud Shabistari by L. Lewisohn, 1995, pp.231& 232.

13. For a discussion on self-knowledge (ma'rifat al-nafs), See Shomali, 1996.

14. For a discussion on his view in this regard see Suhrawardi and the School of Illumination by Mehdi Amin Razavi, 1997, especially p.680.

15. al ­Kulayni, 1397 A.H., Vol. 4.`p. 54; Arabic

16. Cited from Mutahhari, 1985, Ch. 6.

17. Mathnawi, Book 1, translated by Nicholson.

18. (Majlisi, 1983, Vol. 27, p. 54)

19. Hemyari, 1417 A.H., p.56

20. For example, see al-Hilli, 1982, p. 374.

Conclusion

Thus, in Islam love plays an essential role in ethics, mysticism, theology and even philosophy. To draw an Islamic picture of the world, including the story of the creation of the universe and mankind and then god's treatment of humanity one always needs to invoke the notion of love. God Himself is love and has created the world out of love.

He treats human beings with love. Faith also starts with love, an overwhelming love for certain truths and is required to flourish by the nourishment of this love to the extent that one's love for God fills all parts of one's heart and directs all aspects of one's life. One's love for God can increase only when one reduces one's selfishness and if one can ultimately get rid of selfishness and I-ness one will be a perfect man whose will and pleasure would be the will and pleasure of God.

Love for God and freedom from selfishness can be secured at first by sacrifice and losing one's desires for the sake of God, and His people and then by having no desire other than what He desires and no will other than His. Then, of course, there will be no sacrifice and no pain. Ethical rules are guidelines of this path of love, enlightened and oriented by teachings of the intellect and prophets.

Selected Bibliography

1- al-Daylami (1370 A.H.), Irshad al-Qulub (Najaf. al-Matba'at al 'ilmeyyah)

2- al-Ghazzali (1988), AI-Iqtisad fi al-I'tiqad (Beirut: Darul Kutub al-'ilmeyyah)

3- al-Kulayni, M.(1397 A.H.), Usul al Kafi (Tehran: Dar al-Kutub al-Islamiyyah)

4- al-Majlisi M. (1983), Bihar al-Anwar (Beirut: al-Wafa)

5- al-Shahrestani (1395 A.H.), AI-Milal wal-Nihal, (Beirut: Darul Ma'rifah)

6- al-Shirazi, Sadr ud-din (1378 A.H.), A1 Asfar al Aqliyah, (Qum: Mostafavi)

7- Avicenna (1375 A.H.), Al-Isharat (Qum: al ­Nashr al-Balaghah)

8- _______ (1956), AI-Ilahiyyat al-Shifa (Cairo: Al-Matba'atul Amireyyah)

9- Chittick, W. C. (1987), The Psalms of Islam, English translation from AI-Sahifat AI-Kamilat Al-Sajjadiyya by Imam Zayn al-Abidin Ali ibn al-Husayn, (Great Britain and Northern Ireland: The Muhammadi Trust)

10- Fakhry, M. (1991), Ethical Theories in Islam (Leiden: Tuta Sub Aegide Pallas)

11- Hemyari (1417 A.H.), Qurb al-Isnad (Qum: Muassesat al-Thiqafat al-Islameyyah)

12- Hourani, G.F. (1985), Reason and Tradition in Islamic Ethics, (Cambridge University)

13- Ibn Arabi (1994), Al-Futuhat al-Makkeyyah (Beirut: Darul Fikr)

14- Lewisohn, L. (1995), Beyond Faith and Infedideity: The Sufi poetry and Teachings of Mahmud Shabistari, (Surrey: Curzon Press)

15- Mutahhari, M. (1985), Polarisation Around the Character of Ali ibn abi Talib (Tehran: world Organisation for Islamic Services, second edition)

16- Nanji, A. (1996), "Islamic Ethics", A Companion to Ethics, edited by Peter Singer (Oxford: Blackwell Publishers, First published 1991), pp. 106-120

17- Nasr, S. H. (1989), "God" in Islamic Spirituality, Vol. I (London: SCM Press Ltd.), pp. 311-323

18- Pavlin, J. (1997) "Sunni Kalam and theological controversies" in History of Islamic Philosophy Part 1, edited by Seyyed Hossein Nasr and Oliver Leaman, (London: Routledge), pp. 105­118

19- Razavi, M.A. (1997), Suhrawardi and the School of lllumination (Surrey: Curzon Press)

20- Siraj ed-Din, A. (1989), "The Nature and Origin of Sufism" in Islamic Spirituality, Vol. I (London: SCM Press Ltd.), pp. 223-238.

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Human Love

Similar to what we saw earlier in the case of Divine love, human love for God, for His creation, for good deeds, and for each other plays a crucial role in the Islamic world-view, especially in theology, mysticism and ethics. Indeed, love for the truths embodied in the religion builds up the faith. For Muslim theologians, and indeed inspired by the Qur'an, although faith is based on knowledge of the religious facts, it is not reducible to that knowledge. There might be people who have knowledge of the religious facts and are confident about them but still do not commit themselves to any faith. The faith and belief only come when a person voluntarily commits himself to acceptance of articles of faith and does not refuse to follow them. In other words, the faith is there only when one loves the religious beliefs and not just when one comes to know them. The Qur'an says:

And they denied them (Divine signs or miracles) unjustly and proudly while their soul had been certain about it. (27:14)

The prototype example of those who know very well but refuse to practice what they have known is Iblis, the great Satan. According to Islamic sources, Iblis does whatever he does out of arrogance and selfishness, not out of ignorance.

Thus, a person becomes faithful and a believer only when he has respect and love for certain facts i.e. articles of faith. We read in a famous hadith that the Prophet Muhammad asked his companions of "the firmest handhold of faith". They suggested different things like prayer and hajj. When they could not give the appropriate answer the Prophet said:

The firmest handhold of faith is to love for the sake of God and to hate for the sake of God, to befriend God's friends and to renounce His enemies.1

The same idea is emphasised by Imams of the Household of the Prophet. For example, Fudayl ibn Yasar, a disciple, asked Imam Sadiq whether love and hatred derive from faith. Imam replied: "Is faith anything but love and hate?"2 The same hadith is narrated from Imam Baqir. It is also narrated that Imam Baqir said: "The faith is love and love is the faith."3

Love and Hate

An overall study of the Qur'an and narrations (hadiths) shows that in the Islamic view love either in its Divine form or in Human form, belongs only to the precious and valuable things as far as they are so. The result is firstly that the degrees of the love that different things deserve or receive differ according to their merits, and secondly that anything which is in conflict with those precious and valuable things or prevents their realisation should be hated. For example, if justice is to be loved injustice should be hated. Or if a person who tells the truth is to be loved a person who lies should be hated. Of course, in respect to their other characters and deeds, the situation might be different. A single person might be loved or praised for something and at the same time he might be hated or blamed for the other.

In comparison with some other faiths, one aspect of love in Islam is that it is usually considered along with `hate (of the evil) for the sake of God'. One has to love for the sake of God and hate for the sake of God. There is a tendency among some people to think that there should be no hate at all. These people assume that excellence and nobility of character and "being sociable" consist of having all men one's friends. Certainly Islam recommends Muslims to love people and optimise compassionate and sincere relationship with them, even if they do not believe in Islam or in God. However, it is not feasible for a person who has principles in his life and has devoted his life to realise sacred values to be indifferent to evil and oppressive deeds of wrongdoers and make friendship with everybody. Such a person certainly will have some enemies, whether we wish or not. There are always good people in the society and bad people. There are fair people and despotic people. Good and bad are two opposite poles. Attraction towards the good is not possible without repulsion from the bad.

When two human beings attract each other and their hearts wish for them to be friends and companions one with the other we should look for a reason for that. The reason is nothing other than similarity and resemblance. Unless there is a similarity between these two persons, they cannot attract one another and move towards friendship with each other. Rumi in his Mathnavi mentions two fine stories that illustrate this fact. One story is that once a very wise and well-known Greek physician asked his disciples for some medicine for himself.

His disciples were shocked. They said: "O, Master! This medicine is for the treatment of madness, but you are the wisest person that we know." The master replied: " On my way to here, I met a mad person. When he saw me he stopped and smiled. Now, I am afraid that he must have found some similarity between me and himself; otherwise he would not have enjoyed looking at me." The other story relates to another wise man that saw a raven who had formed an affection for a stork. They perched together and flew together! The wise man could not understand how two birds of two different species that had no similarity either in shape or in colour with each other could be friends. He went close and discovered that both of them had only one leg.

That wise man said: "I saw companionship

Between a raven and a stock

Amazed I was, and examined their condition

To see what sign of commonality I could find.So up I crept, and, to and behold!

I saw that both of them were lame. "

In Islam, there has been much emphasis on the necessity of promoting brotherhood and friendship with the people of faith and the people of good will and at the same time combating against the evil, corruption and the oppressors. Of course, in Islam love is universal and the Prophet of Islam was not sent, "save as a mercy unto all beings" (The Qur'an 21: 107).

Therefore, even fighting against those who do wrongs and injustice should be out of love. It is an act of genuine love for mankind as a whole and even, say, for a murderer such as Hitler to fight against him, to punish him and, if needed, to destroy him. Otherwise, he would do more crimes and would degrade himself more and more and would suffer much more sever punishments in this world and hereafter. There is a beautiful story that once an oppressing ruler asked a pious person to pray for him. In response, that pious person asked God not to let him live anymore. That oppressor was shocked and said: " I asked you to pray for me and not against me!" He replied: " This is exactly what I did. It is much better for you and, of course, for the people as well that your life becomes shorter. You will then have less chance to add to your crimes and people will have more chance to rest."

A rational and intelligent love is the one that involves the good and interest of the mankind and not a limited number of people. One can do many things to bring good to individuals or groups which bring evil to society or mankind as a whole. For example, if a judge releases a guilty criminal he might have done something good to that person, but a great harm has been inflicted upon the society and the ideal of justice. One should not let his affections hide the truth. If our beloved child needs injection or operation we should not let our love and passions for him to prevent us from doing so.

Love and Reason

According to Islam, love has to be enlightened. A sacred love is the love which is realistic and insightful. It has been a common theme in moral advises by great Muslim preachers and Sufi masters that one should not let one's love for something or some person make him negligent of the whole truth. The reason for this emphasise is that love naturally tends to make the lover "blind and deaf'. If you love some one it is very unlikelyto have an impartial view of it, unless the love is directed by the reason. This is why even Sufi Muslims try not to be overwhelmed by love. Siraj ed-Din writes:

The Sufi has no choice but to be vigilant, observant, and discerning, to put everything in its rightful place, and to give everything its due ... It is in virtue of this perspective that Sufism is a way of knowledge rather than a way of love. As such it tends to repudiate partialities which the perspective of love necessarily condones and even encourages.4

Human Love for God

According to Islam, the minimum expectation from believers is that God should have the first place in their heart, in the sense that no other love may override one's love for God; God should be the highest and foremost object of love. The Qur'an says:

Say: If your father or your sons or your brethren or your wives or your kinsfolk or the property you have acquired or the commerce you fear may slacken or the dwellings which you love­ if these are dearer to you than God and His Apostle and striving in His way, then wait till God brings about His command; God does not guide the transgressing people. (9:24)

This verse clearly indicates that one's love for God has to be superior to one's love for whatever else that one may come to love in one's life. This superiority shows itself when the love for God and for His religion comes in conflict with one's love for one's personal belongings. In this case, a believer should be able to sacrifice his personal favourite things for the sake of God. For example, if God asks us to give our lives to protect innocent lives or our territorial integrity or the like, we should not let our love for the easy life or being with the family and so on prevent us from striving in His way.

Therefore, a believer is not the person who just loves God. A believer is the person whose love for God is the highest and strongest love he has. Elsewhere, the Qur'an says:

Yet there are some people who adopt rivals instead of God, whom they love just as they (should) love God. Those who believe are firmer in their love of God (2:165)

Why should one love God? According to Islam, one reason for loving God lies in the fact that God is the most precious, the most perfect and the most beautiful being, that a man can ever conceive and therefore, man out of his nature that aspires to values, beauty and perfection loves God.

Many Islamic scholars, especially mystics have asserted that everybody feels in his heart a great love for God the Almighty without necessarily being aware of it. They argue that even unbelievers who are just after secular aims or ideals love and worship what they take to be the ultimate good. For example, those who want to possess power want to have the ultimate power. They will never be satisfied by becoming a mayor or even president. Even if they could control the whole globe they would think about controlling other planets. Nothing in the world can set their hearts at rest. As soon as people reach what they had set up as their ideals, they realise that it is not sufficient and they will seek for more. Islamic mystics, such as Ibn Arabi inspired by the Qur'an believe that the reason behind this phenomenon is that everybody in fact is seeking towards the ultimate good, that is, God. The Qur'an says: "O man! Surely you strive (to attain) to your Lord, a hard striving until you meet Him." (84:6). However, the fact is that many people make a mistake in recognising what is the highest good. Some might take money as the highest good or, in other words, as their god.

Others might take political power as their god, and so on. The Qur'an says: "Have you seen him who takes his low desires for his god?" (25:43; 45:23)

If it happens that they reach what they have set up as their ideal their innate love for God, the highest good will remain unresponsive and so they will feel unhappy and frustrated. Ibn Arabi says:

"Nothing other than God has been ever loved. It is God who has manifested Himself in whatever is beloved for the eyes of those who love. There is no being except that it loves. Thus, the whole universe loves and is loved and all these go back to Him just as nothing has ever been worshipped other than Him, since whatever a servant (of God) has ever worshipped has been because of wrong imagination of deity in it; otherwise it would have never been worshipped. God, the most High, says (in the Qur'an): `and your Lord has commanded not to worship but Him.'(17:23) This is the case with love as well. No one has ever loved anything other than his Creator. However, He, the most High has hidden Himself from them under the love for Zaynab, Su'ad, Hind. Layla, dunya (this world), money, social position and all other beloved subjects in the universe.5

Ibn Arabi adds that: "mystics have never heard any poem or praise or the like but about Him (and they saw Him) beyond veils."6

The other reason for loving God is to reciprocate His love and blessings. There is a rich literature in Islamic sources on different aspects and manifestations of God's love and favour for all human beings, including, in a sense, wrongdoers arid those who disbelieve in Him. Human beings love whoever does good to them, and they appreciate such favour and benevolence and feel obliged to be thankful. The Prophet said:

Love God because He has done good to you and He has bestowed favours upon you.7

According to Islamic narrations, God said to both Moses and David: "Love me and endear Me to my people."8 . Then in response to their question how to endear Him to the people, God said: "Remind them about My favours and bounties, for they do not recall My favours without the feeling of gratitude."9

In a mystic prayer, known as the Whispered of the Thankful, Imam Sajjad says:

My God, The uninterrupted flow of Thy graciousness has distracted me from thanking Thee!

The flood of Thy bounty has rendered me incapable of counting Thy praises!

The succession of Thy kind acts has diverted me from mentioning Thee in laudation!

The continuous rush of Thy benefits has thwarted me from spreading the news of Thy gentle favours!

Then he adds:

My God, My thanksgiving is small before Thy great boons, and my praise and news spreading shrink beside Thy generosity toward me!

Thy favours have wrapped me in the robes of the lights of faith, and the gentlenesses of Thy goodness have let down over me delicate curtains of might!

Thy kindnesses have collared me with collars not to be moved and adorned me with neck-rings not to be broken!

Thy boons are abundant-my tongue is too weak to count them!

Thy favours are many my understanding falls short of grasping them, not to speak of exhausting them!

So how can I achieve thanksgiving?10

A believer who has started his spiritual journey towards God first comes to recognise God's blessings upon him in providing him with lots of supports and helps that enabled him to act. Having continued his journey and been equipped with a mystical view of the world, he will realise that every good thing, indeed, comes from God himself. We read in the Qur'an: "Whatever benefit comes to you (O man!), it is from God, and whatever misfortune befalls you, it is from yourself" (4:79) There is no reason to think otherwise. The reason for inflicting unjust suffering can be one of these things or a combination of them:

Lack of power: A person who oppresses others may do so because he wants to gain something from it, or because he cannot prevent himself from doing something harmful to others.

Lack of knowledge: A person may even have good intention of benevolence, but due to lack of information or making wrong conclusions may do something that harms the recipient.

Hatred and malevolence: A person may be able to do good deeds and may also know how to do it, but he still fails to do so, because he is not kind enough to do so, or even more, because he hates the recipient and want to satisfy his anger and wrath by inflicting pain on the recipient.

Muslim thinkers argue that God never does something unjust or harmful to His servants, since there is none of the above reasons for being otherwise: He is the all-Powerful, the all-Knowing and the all-Merciful.

Thus, the picture of God in Islam is the picture of one who is love, the all-Merciful, the all­Compassionate and the all-Benevolent, one who loves His creatures more than they may ever love Him or themselves, one whose anger and wrath is out of love and preceded by love. There seems to be no difference among Muslims in believing in God who is love, though they might vary in amount of emphasise that they put on this aspect of Islamic worldview compared to others. In general, it might be said that Muslim mystics and Sufis are more concerned with this aspect of Islam than Muslim Philosophers, and Muslim philosophers in turn are more concerned than theologians. But as I mentioned earlier there is no disagreement on viewing God as who is love, the all-Merciful and the all-Compassionate. We read in the Qur'an that in response to Moses' request for the good life in this world and hereafter, God said: "(As for) My chastisement, I will afflict with it whom I please, and My mercy encompass all things." (7:56) We find in the Qur'an that a group of angels who bear the Divine Throne pray: "Our Lord! Thou embracest all things in mercy and knowledge, therefore forgive those who repent and follow Thy way and save them from the punishment of Hell." (40:7)

Although God's love for His servants is not arbitrary and depends on their merits, His love for wrongdoers and who have turned their back to Him is so great that it highly surpasses their expectation. The emphasis on this aspect of Divine love constitutes a considerable part of Islamic literature, including Quranic verses, ahadith and even poems. For example, we read in the Qur'an:

Say: O my servants! Who have acted extravagantly against themselves, do not despair of the mercy of God; Surely God forgives the faults altogether; surely He is the Forgiving, the Merciful. (39:53)

The idea of repentance is one of the key concepts in this regard. In many verses of the Qur'an, God speaks of the constant possibility of repenting and returning to Him, He is the Forgiving. He says:

But whoever repents after his iniquity and reforms (himself), then surely God will return to him (mercifully); surely God is Forgiving, Merciful. (5:39).

The Qur'an also refers to the fact that God not only forgives those who seek forgiveness, but also He may change their wrong deeds to good deeds. On those who repent and believe and do good deeds, the Qur'an says:"... these are they of whom God changes the evil deeds to good ones; and God is Forgiving, Merciful." (25:70).

It is interesting that in the Qur'an, God is introduced not as the one who just accepts the repentance of his servants and returns to them when they return to him. Indeed, it is God Himself that first attends to His servants who have broken in a way or another their servitude relationship with God, but still have love for goodness and truths in their hearts (i.e. their hearts are not sealed). God returns to such servants and then they repent and return to Him, and then God returns to them to forgive them. Therefore, as S.H. Tabatabai, the author of Al-Mizan in 20 volumes, notifies, every repentance and return of a wrongdoer servant is surrounded by two returns of God: the first return that gives that person the ability for voluntary repentance and the second return which is His forgiveness after the person has repented. The fact is clearly suggested by the Qur'an:

... they knew it for certain that there was no refuge from God but in Him; then He turned to them (mercifully) that they might turn (to Him); Surely God is the oft-returning (to mercy), the Merciful. (9:118)

According to Islamic mysticism, one's knowledge of God as the most beautiful and perfect being and the source of all good things that one has and successively one's love for God who is love and mercy gets so strong and encompassing that it will occupy all one's heart. At the same time, knowledge of one's weakness and deficiencies in front of God gets so intensive and deep that finally he will feel emptiness and nothingness. As such a person loses his sense of I­ness and becomes selfless, he will be identifiable with every type of goodness. From nothingness, one reaches the position of everythingness. He will feel no limitation or restriction. In a well-known hadith, we read that

Servitude to God is a substance, whose essence is lordship.11

A pure servant of God whose will is melt into His will be able to bring about extraordinary deeds.

Sheikh Mahmud Shabistari in his Sa'adat ­Nameh has a beautiful description of what he takes to be different stages of the spiritual journey towards God. He says:

The service and worship of God

Is a dictate of the Merciful

To every creature: man and jinn alike.

And yet this order takes to task

The most elect-as God has said:

"I did not create the jinn and men for aught

but they should worship Me." (the Qur'an, 51:56)

Through worship man is brought to prayer;

From prayer to mystic thought, and then from though

The flame of gnosis leaps, until he sees

The truth with contemplation's inner eye.

Such wisdom comes from altruistic love (or kindness):

The latter is its fruit, the first the bough.

At last comes Love which ousts all else:

Love undoes all sense of `two';

Love makes all One,

Until no `mine'

Nor `thine'

Remain.12

Suhrawardi in his On the Reality of Love elaborates his view on the spiritual journey. He believes that this journey and its states and stations arise from virtue (husn), love (miter) and reflective sadness (huzn). He relates virtue to the knowledge of God and love to the knowledge of self. Sadness is the outcome of the knowledge of what was not and then was.

Suhrawardi believes that knowledge of the self leads to the discovery that the self is divine and this results in loving God and having Sufi experiences. It is indeed a Qur'anic idea which is clearly and greatly emphasised by ahadith that there is a necessary relation between knowing one's self and knowing one's Lord. For example, the Prophet Muhammad said: "Whoever knows himself has known his Lord."13 Suhrawardi believes that sadness is caused by reflection on the created order which signifies separation of man and his departure from his original abode.14

According to Islam, love for God is very active and manifests itself in all aspects of one's life. It shapes all one's love and hatred. It also shapes one's behaviour with others and with one's self. In the well-known hadith of nawafil (meaning non­compulsory good deeds) we read:

Nothing makes My servants closer to Me compared to the performance of obligatory deeds, wajibat. My servant constantly gets close to me by nawafil till I love him. When I love him, then I shall be his ears with which he listens, his eyes with which he sees, his tongue with which he speaks, and his hands with which he holds: if he calls Me, I shall answer him, and if he asks Me, I shall give him.15

A sincere lover has no power to disobey the beloved person or to refuse his wishes. Imam Jafar al-Sadiq said: "Do you disobey God and pretend you love Him? This is amazing. If you were true you would have obeyed Him, for the lover is submissive before the one whom he loves".16 We read in the Qur'an:

O you who believe! Whoever from among you turns back from his religion, then God will bring a people, He shall love them and they shall love Him, lowly before the believers, mighty against the unbelievers, they shall strive hard in God's way and shall not fear the censure of any censurer. (5:54)

The history of Islam is full of memories of those who embodied a sincere and overwhelming love for God and His religion. One of those who full-heatedly devoted himself to Islam was Bilal al ­Habashi, a black slave. The pagans of Quraysh in Mecca subjected him to torture asking him to mention names of their idols express his belief in them and disbelieve in Islam. They tormented him under the burning sun by laying him on scorching stones and putting heavy rocks on his chest. Abu Bakr, a rich companion of the Prophet, was passing by when he heard the cry of Bilal. He went close and advised him to hide his belief, but Bilal was not prepared to do so; since "love was ever rebellious and deadly". Illustrating the event, Rumi says:

Bilal was devoting his body to the thorns

His master was flogging him by way of correction,

(Saying:) "Why dost thou celebrate Ahmad (the other name of the Prophet)?

Wicked slave, thou disbelievest in my religion! "

He was beating him in the sun with thorns

(While) he cried vauntingly "One!"

Till when Siddiq (Abu Bakr) was passing in that neighbourhood,

Those cries of "One!" reached his ears.

Afterwards he saw him in private and admonished him:

Keep thy belief hidden.

He (God) knows (all) secrets: conceal thy desire. "

He (Bilal) said: "I repent before thee, O prince. "

There was much repenting of this sort,

(Till) at last he became quit of repenting,

And proclaimed and yielded up his body to tribulation,

Crying: "O Muhammad! O enemy of vows and repentance! D thou with whom my body and all my veins are filled!

How should there be room therein for repentance?

Henceforth I will banish repentance from this heart.

How should 1 repent of the life everlasting?"

Love is the All-subduer, and I am subdued by Love:

By Love's blindness I have been made bright like the sun.

O fierce wind, before Thee I am a straw:

How can I know where I shall fall?

Whether I am Bilad or the new moon,

1 am running on and following the course of Thy sun.

What has the moon to do with stoutness or thinness?

She runs at the heels of the sun, like a shadow.

The lovers have fallen into a fierce-torrent:

They have set their hearts on the ordinance of Love.

(They are) like the millstone turning round and round

Day and night and moaning incessantly.17

Human love for fellow humans

A believer who loves God is expected to love His people and be kind to them. Of course, those whose evil character surpasses this factor are excluded. The Prophet said:

O servant of God, let your love and hate be for the sake of God, because no one can attain to the wilayah (guardianship) of God without that, and no one shall find the taste of faith without that, though his prayers and fast be great in number.18

If one's love and hate are to be only for the sake of, it would be impossible not to love His people.

On the necessity of love for people, we see that the Qur'an praises those members of the Household of the Prophet who fasted three days and gave everyday the only little food that they had at home successively to a poor, an orphan, and a captive: "And they give food out of love for Him to the poor and the orphan and the captive. [They tell them:]we only feed you for God's sake: we desire from you neither reward nor thanks."(76:8 & 9)

There is a well-known hadith narrated in different sources that the Prophet said: "People are all God's family, so the dearest people to Him are those who benefit His family the most."19

According to a hadith and similar to what is mentioned in the New Testament (Matt. 25:31-46), on the Day of Judgement God will ask some people why they would not have visited Him when He was sick, why they would not have fed Him when He was hungry and why they would not have given water to Him when He was thirsty. Those people will ask: How could these have happened, while you are the Lord of all the world? Then God will. reply: So and so was sick and you did not visit him, so and so was hungry and you did not feed him and so and so was thirsty and you did not give water to him. Did not you know that if you did so you would find Me with him?20

Notes

1. al-Kulayni, 1397 A.H., Kitab al-Iman wal-Kufr, "Bab al-Hubb fi Allah wal-Bughd fi Allah", no. 6, p.126.

2. Ibid., no. 5 , p. 125.

3. Al-Majlisi, 1983, Kitab al-Iman wal-Kufr, "Bab al­Hubb fi Allah wal-Bughd fi Allah", lxvi, p. 238.

4. Siraj ed-Din, 1989, p. 234

5. Ibn Arabi, 1994, Vol. 2., p.326

6. Ibid.

7. al-­Daylami, 1370 A.H., p.226; my translation

8. al-Majlisi, 1983, Vo1.8, p.351 & Vol. 14, p. 38; my translation

9. Ibid.

10. Chittick, 1987, pp. 242 & 243

11. Mizan al ­Hikmah, Vol. 6, p. 13, no. 11317

12. Cited from Beyond Faith & Infidelity: The Sufi Poetry and Teachings of Mahmud Shabistari by L. Lewisohn, 1995, pp.231& 232.

13. For a discussion on self-knowledge (ma'rifat al-nafs), See Shomali, 1996.

14. For a discussion on his view in this regard see Suhrawardi and the School of Illumination by Mehdi Amin Razavi, 1997, especially p.680.

15. al ­Kulayni, 1397 A.H., Vol. 4.`p. 54; Arabic

16. Cited from Mutahhari, 1985, Ch. 6.

17. Mathnawi, Book 1, translated by Nicholson.

18. (Majlisi, 1983, Vol. 27, p. 54)

19. Hemyari, 1417 A.H., p.56

20. For example, see al-Hilli, 1982, p. 374.

Conclusion

Thus, in Islam love plays an essential role in ethics, mysticism, theology and even philosophy. To draw an Islamic picture of the world, including the story of the creation of the universe and mankind and then god's treatment of humanity one always needs to invoke the notion of love. God Himself is love and has created the world out of love.

He treats human beings with love. Faith also starts with love, an overwhelming love for certain truths and is required to flourish by the nourishment of this love to the extent that one's love for God fills all parts of one's heart and directs all aspects of one's life. One's love for God can increase only when one reduces one's selfishness and if one can ultimately get rid of selfishness and I-ness one will be a perfect man whose will and pleasure would be the will and pleasure of God.

Love for God and freedom from selfishness can be secured at first by sacrifice and losing one's desires for the sake of God, and His people and then by having no desire other than what He desires and no will other than His. Then, of course, there will be no sacrifice and no pain. Ethical rules are guidelines of this path of love, enlightened and oriented by teachings of the intellect and prophets.

Selected Bibliography

1- al-Daylami (1370 A.H.), Irshad al-Qulub (Najaf. al-Matba'at al 'ilmeyyah)

2- al-Ghazzali (1988), AI-Iqtisad fi al-I'tiqad (Beirut: Darul Kutub al-'ilmeyyah)

3- al-Kulayni, M.(1397 A.H.), Usul al Kafi (Tehran: Dar al-Kutub al-Islamiyyah)

4- al-Majlisi M. (1983), Bihar al-Anwar (Beirut: al-Wafa)

5- al-Shahrestani (1395 A.H.), AI-Milal wal-Nihal, (Beirut: Darul Ma'rifah)

6- al-Shirazi, Sadr ud-din (1378 A.H.), A1 Asfar al Aqliyah, (Qum: Mostafavi)

7- Avicenna (1375 A.H.), Al-Isharat (Qum: al ­Nashr al-Balaghah)

8- _______ (1956), AI-Ilahiyyat al-Shifa (Cairo: Al-Matba'atul Amireyyah)

9- Chittick, W. C. (1987), The Psalms of Islam, English translation from AI-Sahifat AI-Kamilat Al-Sajjadiyya by Imam Zayn al-Abidin Ali ibn al-Husayn, (Great Britain and Northern Ireland: The Muhammadi Trust)

10- Fakhry, M. (1991), Ethical Theories in Islam (Leiden: Tuta Sub Aegide Pallas)

11- Hemyari (1417 A.H.), Qurb al-Isnad (Qum: Muassesat al-Thiqafat al-Islameyyah)

12- Hourani, G.F. (1985), Reason and Tradition in Islamic Ethics, (Cambridge University)

13- Ibn Arabi (1994), Al-Futuhat al-Makkeyyah (Beirut: Darul Fikr)

14- Lewisohn, L. (1995), Beyond Faith and Infedideity: The Sufi poetry and Teachings of Mahmud Shabistari, (Surrey: Curzon Press)

15- Mutahhari, M. (1985), Polarisation Around the Character of Ali ibn abi Talib (Tehran: world Organisation for Islamic Services, second edition)

16- Nanji, A. (1996), "Islamic Ethics", A Companion to Ethics, edited by Peter Singer (Oxford: Blackwell Publishers, First published 1991), pp. 106-120

17- Nasr, S. H. (1989), "God" in Islamic Spirituality, Vol. I (London: SCM Press Ltd.), pp. 311-323

18- Pavlin, J. (1997) "Sunni Kalam and theological controversies" in History of Islamic Philosophy Part 1, edited by Seyyed Hossein Nasr and Oliver Leaman, (London: Routledge), pp. 105­118

19- Razavi, M.A. (1997), Suhrawardi and the School of lllumination (Surrey: Curzon Press)

20- Siraj ed-Din, A. (1989), "The Nature and Origin of Sufism" in Islamic Spirituality, Vol. I (London: SCM Press Ltd.), pp. 223-238.

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