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Ibn al Qayyim and the Issue of Love

Allah said in the qur’an, " and of mankind are those
that take partners besides Allah , they love them like
the love of Allah . and those who believe are stronger
in their love for Allah ." (al baqarah)

Ibn al qayyim and the issue of love:

Ibn al qayyim rahimahulah had spoken extensively about
love and its various branches and implications. in
fact, he authored perhaps the best book on the subject
; rawdatul muhibbeen'- the garden of the lovers.

Ibn al qayyim said in his epic work- 'al jawaab al
kaafi', speaking about the love that leads the person
to commit shirk,...

"and it (love) can sometimes lead to disbelief , like
the one who takes his beloved as an equal, loving her
as he loves Allah , so what if his love for her in his
heart was greater than his love for Allah ? this is a
passionate love that he will not be forgiven for, as
verily it is from the greatest acts of shirk and Allah
does not forgive that partners be set up with him and
it is only repentance that can wipe that away. The
signs of this passionate love that is shirk and
disbelief :

That the person who has this passionate love gives
priority to the pleasure of his beloved over the
pleasure of his lord. And if there is a clash and
conflict between giving his beloved his/ her portion
and right and giving his lord his right and obedience,
he will give preference to the right of his beloved
over the right of his lord. He will give preference to
his beloveds pleasure over the the pleasure of his
lord. He will take great pains to expend for him/her
the most precious of what he can muster, and will
expend for his lord (if he expends anything at
all)-the worst of what he has with him. He will take
great strides for the pleasure of his beloved and for
his/her obedience and drawing close to him/her, while
he will present to his lord-from his time (if he obeys
him at all)- the superfluous remains of that which his
beloved was blessed with.

Reflect upon the state of the majority of those who
posses this passionate love for objects and you will
find their state consistent with this description.
Then place their condition in one hand and their
tawheed and imaan in the other hand, then weigh the
two with a weighing that will please Allah and his
messenger and exemplifies justice and fairness..."

Let us all reflect on this and look at ourselves. Let
us keep our love within the confines of that which
pleases Allah as he the most high said in the
qur'an,...

“the close friends on that day will be enemies of one
another, except the muttaqoon (those of taqwa)."