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From Rabi`A to Ibn Al-Färich Towards Some Paradigms of the Sufi Conception of Love

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From Rabi`A to Ibn Al-Färich Towards Some Paradigms of the Sufi Conception of Love From Rabi`a to Ibn al-Färich Towards Some Paradigms of the Sufi Conception of Love By Suleyman Derin ,%- Submitted in accordance with the requirements for the degree of doctor of philosophy Department of Arabic and 1Viiddle Eastern Studies The University of Leeds The candidate confirms that the work submitted is his own work and that appropriate credit has been given where reference has been made to the work of others. September 1999 ABSTRACT This thesis aims to investigate the significance of Divine Love in the Islamic tradition with reference to Sufis who used the medium of Arabic to communicate their ideas. Divine Love means the mutual love between God and man. It is commonly accepted that the Sufis were the forerunners in writing about Divine Love. However, there is a relative paucity of literature regarding the details of their conceptions of Love. Therefore, this attempt can be considered as one of the first of its kind in this field. The first chapter will attempt to define the nature of love from various perspectives, such as, psychology, Islamic philosophy and theology. The roots of Divine Love in relation to human love will be explored in the context of the ideas that were prevalent amongst the Sufi authors regarded as authorities; for example, al-Qushayri, al-Hujwiri and al-Kalabadhi. The second chapter investigates the origins Of Sufism with a view to establishing the role that Divine Love played in this. The etymological derivations of the term Sufi will be referred to as well as some early Sufi writings. It is an undeniable fact that the Qur'an and tladith are the bedrocks of the Islamic religion, and all Muslims seek to justify their ideas with reference to them. This was especially true for the Sufis. The third and fourth chapters will, therefore, focus on the concept of Divine Love in the textual sources of Islam in order to determine the role that these played in the development of the Sufi conceptions of love in general. Having highlighted the origins and general context of Divine Love, the following five chapters will focus on selected Sufis whose contributions can be regarded as significant, original and representative of the Sufi tradition. The exclusive characteristics of each Sufi's concept of love will be analysed and an attempt will iii be made to present them as a paradigm of Sufi love. The paradigms of love of the following Sufis will be presented: Rabi`a, al-I-Jallaj, al-Ghazäli, Ibn 'Arabi and Ibn al-F5ricl. The concluding chapter will provide a synthesis of these paradigms of love by putting forward a framework which identifies the key stages in the development of the Sufi paradigm of love. Regarding the scope and limitations of this study, it should not be seen as a historical or biographical research. The historical analysis and information are presented merely to give some insight into the social and historical context of the Sufi's time. The primary aim of this research is to establish the different paradigms of love of the Sufis referred to above, by analysing the exclusive motives specific to each paradigm. Finally, this research is by no means a comprehensive account of the Sufi paradigms of love. The development of the thesis showed that this research can be approached from many different angles. For example, the concept of love is closely associated with the concept of ma`rifia, and the concept of God. The relationship of the two with the concept of love is a possible area of further research. In addition, the historical information available on each individual Sufi provides ample material for a detailed study of the concept of love in that particular Sufis paradigm. This work provides a general framework for further studies. iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS It is my pleasure to express my deep gratitude and thanks to my supervisor Prof. Ian Richard Netton for his continuous help, patience and valuable comments during this study. In addition, I would like to thank all members of Arabic and Middle Eastern Studies Department at Leeds University for their assistance. Many thanks are due to the Marmara University and Turkish Government for granting their financial support which enabled me to achieve this study. I am also grateful to Muhammad Naweed, Isobel Jeffery, Mrs Norma Khalid, Cecilia Twinch for their continuous help and support. Finally, my deep gratitude is paid to my parents and my wife Bunya for their continuous support and prayers during my study. And also for my sweet sons Abdurrahman and Abdurrahim. TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT Ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS iv ABBREVIATIONS xi TRANSLITERATION SCHEME xii CHAPTER ONE: The Nature of Love 1 1.1 Introduction 1 1.2 The Nature of Love 2 1.2:1 Love in Human Beings as an Emotion 2 1.2:2 Love in Philosophy and in Muslim Philosophers 6 1.2:2:1 In Philosophy 6 1.2:2:2 Love in Muslim Philosophers: 9 1.3 The Nature of Lover and the Beloved 10 1.3.1 Application of Love to God 12 1.4 Love in Islamic Terminology 14 1.5 Love in the Sufi Classics 16 1.5.1 God's Love for Man 17 1.5.2 Man's Love for God 21 1.6 Stages of Love 27 1.6.1 al-'Alaqa 27 1.6.2 Irada 28 1.6.3 al-Sababa 28 1.6.4 al-Ghargm 28 1.6.5 al-Widad 28 1.6.6. al-Shaghaf 28 1.6.7 'Ishq 28 1.6.8 al-Tatayyum 28 1.6.9 al-Ta'abbud 28 1.6.10 al-Khulla: 28 1.7 MaPabba and 'Ishq 29 1.7.1 Mahabba 29 1.7.2 'Ishq 30 1.8 Conclusions 31 vi CHAPTER TWO : The Origins of the Term NT 34 2.1 Introduction 34 2.2 The Origins of the Term Riff 35 2.2:1 Safr 35 2.2:2 al,Saff al-Awwal 37 2.2:3 Ahl al,Suffah 38 2.2:4 St7f: 39 2.3 First Appearance of Sufism and the Dominant Element of Ascetic Understanding 44 2.3.1 Asceticism in the Queän and Prophetic traditions 44 2.3:1:1 The Queän 44 2.3:1:2 The Traditions 46 2.4 Social Background 50 2.5 The Christian Element 52 2.6 The Early Ascetics 53 2.7 Conclusion 55 CHAPTER THREE: The Paradigms of 'Love in the Quran and Bibl 60 3.1 Introduction 60 3.2 The Paradigm of Love in the Quran 60 3.3 God's Love for Man: 61 3.3:1 The first Group of Exegetes: 61 3.3:2 The Second Group of Exegetes 64 3.4 Man's Love for God: 66 3.4:1 The First Group of Exegetes 66 3.4:2 The Second Group 67 3.5 The Characteristics that God Loves in Man 72 3.6 The Characteristics That God does not Love in Man 74 3.7 The Origins of the Word Allah 76 3.8 Profane Love 78 3.9 The Concept of Love in the Bible 80 3.9:1 God's Love for Man According to the New Testament 81 vii 3.9:2 God's Love for Man According to the Old Testament 83 3.9:3 Man's Love for God according to Christianity 86 3.9:4 Man's Love for God According to Judaism 87 3.10 Love of Neighbour 88 3.11 Conclusion 90 CHAPTER FOUR: The Paradigm of Love in the Traditions of the Prophet 93 4.1 Introduction 93 4.2 God's Love for Man: 95 4.2:1 Causes of God's Love for Man 98 4.3 Love of God and the Prophet: 100 4.4 Love for God's Sake: 105 4.5 Love between Man and Inanimate Beings 108 4.6 Conclusion 108 CHAPTER FIVE: Räbi`a's Paradigm of Love 111 5.1 Introduction 111 5.2.-R5bi`a's Life 112 5.2:1 Her Birth 114 5.2:2 Räbi`a's Rejection of Marriage 115 5.2:3 Her Students 119 5.3 The Characteristics of Rabi`a's Understanding of Love 121 5.3:1 Her Background 121 5.4 Her Understanding of Love: 122 5.4:1 God's Love for Man: 123 5.4:2 Man's Love for God 125 5.4:2:a Selfish Love (ljubb al-Hawa): 125 5.4:2:b Love of God because of His Worthiness: (al-Hubb Huwa Ahlun Lah0) 129 5.4:2:c Practical Examples of Disinterested Love in Räbi`a's Philosophy 134 viii 5.4:3 Love for God's Sake (al-t-lubb Lilläh): 138 5.5. Traces of the Other Sufis on Räbi`a 139 5.6. The Influence and the Contribution of Räbi`a on the Other Sufis. 141 5.7 Conclusion 142 CHAPTER SIX: al-Hallärs Paradigm of Love 146 6.1. Introduction 146 6.2. His Life: 147 6.2:1 His Masters 148 6.2:2 His Travels: 149 6.2:3 His Execution 150 6.2:4 His Background 153 6.3 Sobriety and Intoxication 156 6.4 al- al-1-Ja1läj's Paradigm of Love 159 6.4:1 God's Love for Man: 159 6.4:2 Man's Love for God 164 6.4:2:1 Suffering in God's Love 166 6.4:2:2 Iblis: 168 6.5 His Influence 172 6.6 Conclusion 173 CHAPTER SEVEN : al-Ghazali's Paradigm of Love 176 7.1 Introduction 176 7.2 His Life 176 7.2:1 His Works 178 7.2:2 His teachers and Background 179 7.3 al-Ghaz5li's Understanding of Love 182 7.3:1 Man's Love for God 183 7.3:1:a Nature of Love 187 7.3:1:b The Causes of Love According to al-Ghaz511 189 7.3:1:c The Only Object of Love 194 7.3:1:d The Relationship between Knowledge (Ma '7-if-a) and Love 198 ix 7.3:1:e Causes of Increase in the Love of God 199 7.3:1:f Signs of the Servant's Love for God 201 7.4 God's Love for Man 204 7.4:1 The Signs of God's Love for Man 206 7.5 The Influence of Other Sufis on al-Ghazali 207 7.6 Conclusion 208 Chapter Eight: Ibn 'Arabi's Paradigm of Love 211 8.1 Introduction 211 8.2 His Life 211 8.2.1 His Works 213 8.2.2 His Masters and Students 214 8.3 His Understanding of Love (mahabbah) 216 8.3:1 The Nature of Love 216 8.3.2 Wandat al-Wujild 217 8.3:4 Love as the Purpose of Creation 221 8.4 God's Love for Man (al-fjubb al-Ilnht) 223 8.4:1 God's Love of Man for God's Sake 224 8.4:2 God's Love for Man for Man's sake 227 8.5 Man's Love for God 229 8.5:1 Spiritual Love 234 8.5:2 Natural Love 235 8.5:3 ' Ungiri(elemental) Love 236 8.6 Stages of Love 238 8.6:1 Hawa 238 8.6:2 flubb 239 8.6:3 `Ishq 239 8.6:4 al-Wudd 240 8.7 The Characteristics of the Lovers 240 8.7:1 al-Bass 240 8.7:2 al-Nuhril 240 8.7:3 al-Gharärn 241 8.7:4 Shawq 241 8.8 The Attributes of Lovers in the Qur'an 241 8.9 Influences of Other Sufis on Ibn 'Arabi 244 8.10 His Influence 246 8.11 Conclusion 246 CHAPTER NINE: Ibn al-Färid's Paradigm of Love
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