Ishq Vs Love

[Luz Tonks]

Among classical Muslim authors, the notion of love was developed along three conceptual lines, oftentimes conceived in an ascending hierarchical order: natural love, intellectual love and divine love.[1] The growth of affection (mawadda) into passionate love (ishq) received its most probing and realistic analysis in The Ring of the Dove by the Andalusian scholar Ibn Hazm.[1]

The term ishq is used extensively in Sufi poetry and literature to describe a "selfless and burning love" for Allah. It is the core concept in the doctrine of Islamic mysticism as is key to the connection between man and God. Ishq itself is sometimes held to have been the basis of "creation". The term ishq is widely used in the sacred text of Sikhism.

Some scholars objected to the use of the term 'ishq' due to its association with sensual love but despite the linguistic, cultural or technical meanings, Sufis believe that 'ishq' can only be associated to the Divine.[3]

The word ishq referred to traditional ghazals and Indo-Persian literary culture[4] and has made its way to many other languages which were influenced by Sufism. Some of the most notable languages which have this word are Persian, Hindi, Urdu, Pashto, Arabic, Sindhi, Saraiki: عشق, Turkish: aşk, Azerbaijani: eşq, Bengali: এশ্ক, romanized: eshk and Punjabi: ਇਸ਼ਕ.

In Turkish, Aşk is commonly used to express love, passion or adoration. The Turkish version replaces the 'q' with a 'k', as Turkish lacks voiceless uvular plosive, and the letter 'ş' with the cedilla denotes the "sh" sound, /ʃ/. In comparison with Arabic or Urdu, (like Persian) the word is less restrictive and can be applied to many forms of love, or simply romance. It is common in the lyrics of Turkish songs.

Ishq is used in the Hindi-language, especially in Bollywood movies (Hindi cinema), which often use formal, flowery and poetic Urdu loanwords derived from Persian. The more colloquial Hindi word for love is pyar. In Hindi, ʻIshq' (इश्क़) means lustless love.[6] In Arabic, it is a noun. However, in Hindi-Urdu it is used as both verb and noun.

Ishq-e Majāzi (Persian: عشق مجازی) literally means "metaphorical love". It refers to the love for God's creation i.e. love of a man for a woman or another man and vice versa. It is said to be generated by beloved person's external beauty but since it is connected to lust, it is against the law and considered unlawful. Hence, in Faqr, the term Ishq-e-Majazi is directed only towards Ishq-e-Murshid.[7] This love for one's Murshid eventually leads to love for Muhammad and eventually for God, upon which one that understands Ishq-e-Haqeeqi is in fact the source of all 'metaphorical love'.

Ishq-e Rasūl (Persian: عشق رسول) means "love of Muhammad," an important part of being a Muslim. In Sufism, however, the Ishq-e-Majazi changes its form to Ishq-e-Rasool through the development of an intense feeling of Ishq for Muhammad. Every existent form of creation is in fact the slave of the Creator (in the sense of being subject to His will). Since Muhammad is the most beloved to Allah, the true Lover feels Ishq-e-Rasool till "the Prophet becomes dearer to him than his life, wives, children, house, business and everything else". (Sahih Bukhari and Muslim)[8]

Ishq-e Haqīqi (Persian: عشق حقیقی) literally means "the real love" i.e. "the love of God". It refers to the belief that only God is worth loving and He is the only one who can return His creature's love for Him.[9]The inner subtlety whose locus is the heart is felt by the true seeker of God only. According to this view, this is what differences man from beast because even beasts have senses, whereas inner sight is characteristic of humans.

Ishq is a disease that has ruined many people whether in their bodies, religion or both; a disease for which 'Dispraise of hawa', wherein I have composed the book I have listed enough cures for ishq, nonetheless, I will mention some of these cures here so as not to leave out anything that this book was intended for, therefore, I say:

Whoever abstains from the amalgamation [of harmful elements causing illness] by lowering his gaze, will be saved from this disease, otherwise he will be as much diseased as he who amalgamates in such harmful acts.

If he redresses this before it becomes deeply rooted, the cure might benefit him. However if he leaves it until it becomes deeply rooted the cure will be of no benefit. Know that the mere looking at what is coveted does not result in ishq, rather looking at the coveted often increases as it is aided and supported by the strength of greed, youthfulness and lust. Therefore whoever wants the cure should hasten to it before this illness becomes deeply rooted and that is by blocking the means leading to it (lowering the gaze) and by enduring it with patience. For indeed self-restraint and strength are the best of cures. The best of aids in this is fear of Allah, restraining the disdainful self from the state of humiliation and remembering the inner flaws of the loved one. As Ibn Masud said: "If any of you like a woman, he should remember her flaws."

Whenever the loved is someone attainable and lawful to have, uniting the loved with the lover [by means of marriage] would be the best of cures. For the intensity of this disease decreases with marriage, as well as marrying more than one wife, possessing new female-slaves, travelling for long distances, thinking of the betrayal of the loved one, reading books about asceticism, remembering death, visiting the sick, and visiting cemeteries. Then one should contemplate what he wants, and how it is when he is over with it, and think of his indifference towards what he wants afterwards and how people change. Then look to the examples in himself and in others, for others might help him emerge from this chasm, and help him out of this dilemma.

Why was I abandoned like never before And the proofs of abandonment are so clear
And I see that you are drinking me, but confounding me (loving others besides him)
Although I have always known you drinking me alone (his only lover)

I am acting like a young-man, when in reality I am old
I am being flagged with awkwardness
Do not blame me for my disaffection
What I have wasted is enough for me
I will be held accountable for what
I have done So save me the sins I may commit
We have seen the father of mankind (Adam)
Due to a mistake, descend in humiliation (from heaven to earth)

The first stage of beginning of a story, eyes meet, sparks initiated and something happens. At this stage a boy likes or gets attracted to a girl. But he may not know exactly as to what attracts him, but he realizes that there is something in her which he finds interesting.

And now in this stage he is more interested in her and decides to woo her. So he will try to get any opportunity to talk to her, meet her and so on. He keeps on looking for her signals too. In case he do not get any indication from her in this stage he will move on to other greener pastures but not without a sincere attempt.

The most blissful of all stages. Here the guy starts feeling at top of the world unaware of other things in life just lost in thoughts of his beloved. Here, he is totally involved. She showed him attention and he is now madly in love (he thinks but actually he is not)

This stage initiates the process in love. Here one started trusting someone more than anything and anyone. At this stage the boy decides about the relation and gets into it. Now, he is becoming dependent and his feelings are getting serious now. After this there is no turning back in love.

In this stage love reaches at the extend of worshiping the beloved where nothing can be wrong with the object of worship. Here love not ends even after a denial by the beloved instead leads to the next stage of love. He is loosing control here.

In this stage one finds his own identity incomplete without beloved thus his urge to have love reaches to the level of obsession and madness. A stage where mind stops working and heart starts ruling everything, a very dangerous stage where nothing counts except obsession about the beloved counts.

Appreciation : the boy appreciate and likes the girl. He may not know why he likes her, but there is something which is interesting in her. Of course, there are several of girls which he will find interesting.

Infatuation : here, he would try to woo her and will look for some signal about her interests. If there is nothing like that he surely moves to the other girl which is he was interested in.

Attraction : Slightly more attracted here and will make a little more serious attempt here (may be to keep his reputation). His main agenda here is to ensure that she likes him too. He is not still thinking about love or going anything near to it.

I write about my thoughts on relationships and life, as they come to my mind and as seen in different perspectives. I don't edit them.
I am passionate about what I do. I like making pencil sketches and I am lazy.

I am a Muslim man and fell in love with a sikh girl in graduate school. I left the school where we met since the marriage would be invalid. It has been 2 years and I thought my feelings for her would diminish over time but they have not.

2. Secondly, I am pretty sure I am suffering from ishq, or passionate love. I heard a scholar say the cure for ishq is the union or connection. Yet what is my cure since I cannot be with her?

Everything that the Divine decides is perfect and balanced. The wisdom behind why we are tested with tribulation is known by Him and is sometimes disclosed to those who have knowledge. By acquiring knowledge and acting upon knowledge man understands that whatever the Divine chooses is the best. The tribulations and sufferings of this world can be a means of spiritual elevation and attaining closeness to Allah, Most High. It is needed for us to grow as human beings. Yet the tribulations and sufferings in this world are pale in the face of eternity and what will befall after death. By suffering in this world we come to understand how little we can bear the sufferings of the next world.

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