The Spiritual Journey From Divine Love to Divine Union
The word "love" is derived from Arabic word 'Hubb,' which is used in the context of a well into which a lot of water has been poured and it is spread in such a way that the gaze cannot penetrate it. The one who loves is called 'Muhib' and the beloved is the entity towards whom love is directed. Love is the name of that pure emotion and connection that exists between the lover and the beloved. The true beloved is Allah Almighty and the lover is His seeker.
When the love of Allah accumulates in the inward of a seeker and fills it with His presence, then besides the beloved, there is no room for anything else in the seeker’s inward. The sincere and passionate seeker of the Divine has only one desire, and that is the Divine Essence. The seeker always yearns for the vision and union with that Essence and this longing and restlessness helps him / her progress on the path of Faqr (Sufism). Ultimately, the sincere seeker reaches the pinnacle of Faqr and attains union with Allah becoming a manifestation of His Essence.
Divine Union is real success
Divine love predominates within the Divine seeker. He remain restless for his beloved at all times due to the love and cannot find peace until he see his beloved. The lover is restless in his place because he cannot attain the proximity of his beloved. It is evident from this relationship of love that two entities exist, one loving the other, meaning both coexist, whereas in the path of Faqr, until the lover and the beloved become one, love is not complete, and this complete love is called "Ishq". However, the impulse of love is a veil between the lover and the beloved. Love is that impulse which, besides the love of the beloved, renders every other love unnecessary. If it is said that love burns away all other loves, it wouldn't be unfounded.
Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) said:
اَلْعِشْقُ نَارٌ یَحْرِقُ مَاسِوَی الْمَحْبُوْبِ
- Meaning: Love is a fire that burns everything except the beloved.
Maulana Rumi (RA) said:
عشق آں شعلہ است کہ چوں بر افروخت
ہر چہ جز معشوق باشد باقی جملہ سوخت
Ishq aan shola ast ke choon barr afroght
Har cheh juz maashooq baashad baqi jumla sookht
- Explanation: Love is a flame that, when ignited, burns everything except the beloved.
Guidance of a Perfect Spiritual Guide is Indispensable
On the path of Faqr, a seeker cannot be successful until they complete their inner journey under the guidance of a perfect spiritual guide. Divine love does not bestow its wealth without the attention and gaze of the perfect spiritual guide. Without the guidance of a perfect spiritual guide, it is not possible to traverse the peaks and valleys of the inner path and overcome the challenges and trials presented in this path because the perfect guide knows every high and low of this path.
Moreover, the perfect guide is the possessor of Ism-e-Allah Zaat, who, through the invocation and contemplation of Ism-e-Allah Zaat ignites the spark of Divine love within the inward of the seeker and transforms this spark into the blazing fire of love through his perfect gaze, in the flames of which the seeker of the Divine, every moment, continues to yearn for their true beloved, that is, the Essence of Allah Almighty.
Sultan Bahoo about Perfect Spiritual Guide
Sultan Bahoo (RA) also considers the spiritual guide and Ism-e-Allah Zaat as the means of attaining true love. In his Punjabi verses, he says:
Sultan Bahoo Says
الف اللہ صحی کیتوسے، چمکیا عشق اگوہاں ھوُ
رات دیہاں دیوے تاہ تکھیرے، نِت کرے اگوہاں سوُہاں ھوُ
اندر بھائیں اندر بالن، اندر دے وچ دُھوہاں ھوُ
باھوؒ شوَہ تداں لدھیوسے، جداں عشق کیتوسے سوُہاں ھوُ
Alif Allah sahi kitose, chamkiya ishq agohan Hoo
Raat diyan diwe taah takhire, nit kare agohan sohawan Hoo
Andar bhayein andar balan, andar de wich duwahan Hoo
Bahoo, shoh tedaan ladhayose, jadon ishq kitose sohawan Hoo
Explanation: When we recognised the reality of Ism-e-Allah Zaat and its secret was revealed to us, then the fire of love ignited within us, and its warmth increased our restlessness and eagerness to meet the Beloved. The yearning of love compels us to take steps towards the next destination on the path of Faqr. The pain and longing for closeness and union with Allah Almighty has created a storm within us. When love acquainted us with the customs of the path of Faqr, we found the true Beloved (Allah Almighty). (Abyat-e-Bahoo Kamil)
محبت است کہ دل را نمیدہد آرام
وگرنہ کیست کہ آسودگی نمی خواہد
Mohabbat ast ke dil ra naminad aaram
Wagarna keast ke asoodgi nami khawhad
Explanation: This is love that doesn't let the heart find peace; otherwise, who doesn't want a life of tranquillity?" (Nur-ul-Huda Khurd)
When love transforms into passion, it becomes perfect, and the lover forgets everything except the beloved. There comes a time when the lover even forgets his/her own existence and annihilates in Divine Essence. So what remains at that time? Only the beloved (Allah).
The Holy Prophet (pbuh) said:
لَوْنُ الْمُحِبِّ لَوْنُ الْمَحْبُوْبِ
Meaning: The colour of the lover is the colour of the beloved. (Reference: Sultan Al-Wahm)
Sultan Bahoo (RA) says:
غرق بہ دریائے محبت را چہ آرائی خطاب
چوں حباب از خود تہی شد گشت آب
Ghurq ba dariya-e-mohabbat ra cheh aarai khitab
Choon hibaab az khud tehi shud gasht aab
Explanation: What title should be given to those who drown in the sea of love? Because when the bubble disappears, it becomes water. (Kaleed-ul-Tauheed Kalaan)
When the lover (seeker) sacrifices himself for the sake of the beloved (Allah), then the beloved manifests in his inward and illuminates it with His Divine beauty, charm, and the grace of His names. The beloved clothes the lover in His own attire, and within that attire, His own splendour shines forth. The beloved further adorns the lover with His attributes so that the lover may become worthy of the companionship and fellowship of the beloved. Then the duality between them vanishes, and the lover becomes the very beloved. The notion of "you and I" becomes a cause of concern, and the distinction between "you" and "I" fades away. (Sultan-ul-Waham)
رانجھا رانجھا کردی نی میں آپے رانجھا ہوئی
آکھو نی مینوں دھیدو رانجھا ہیر نہ آکھے کوئی
Ranjha Ranjha kardi ni mein aape Ranjha hoyi
Aakho ni menu dheedo Ranjha, heer na aakhe koi
Explanation: Calling out to Ranjha (my Beloved), I've forgotten my own existence. Now, let no one call me Heer, only Ranjha.
No veils remains when the seeker attains Divine Union
When such a state is attained through love, then the veil between the lover and the beloved is lifted. This state is called union because the lover no longer remains, he becomes the beloved. As Allah Almighty mentioned regarding the Holy Prophet: "O beloved, you are me, and I am you."
Allah says about Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) in Quran:
وَ مَا یَنْطِقُ عَنِ الْهَوٰیؕ
Meaning: And he does not speak out of his (own) desire. (53: 3)
When during the Battle of Badr, the Holy Prophet threw pebbles with his own hand, Allah Almighty attributed the act of throwing these pebbles to Himself. At the occasion of the Pledge of Ridwan, when the Holy Prophet took the pledge from the noble Companions, Allah Almighty placed His hand over the blessed hand of the Holy Prophet.
The Holy Prophet alluded to this fact in a Hadith as below:
لِیْ مَعَ اللّٰہِ وَقْتٌ لَّا یَسَعُنِیْ فِیْ مَلَکٌ مُّقَرَّبٌ وَ لَا نَبِیٌّ مُّرْسَلٌ
Meaning: I have a special time with Allah Almighty when even the closest angels and prophets do not have access.
Because of the true love, the Holy Prophet had become the epitome of Allah's manifestation. Therefore, there was nothing left in his existence except for the Divine Essence. That's why Allah placed His hand over his hand and attributed his actions to Himself.
Divine Love begins with Metaphorical Love
The journey of love and passion begins with the love of Allah's servant. When Allah loves someone, He instils His love in the seeker’s inward. Allah loves His seeker according to His greatness and glory. His love for the seeker is many times greater than the seeker’s love. Love becomes perfect when the seeker ascends towards Allah and achieves union. In the journey of union, the seeker ascends towards Allah while Allah descends towards the seeker. That's when union becomes possible, as Allah says in the Hadith Qudsi:
“When My servant comes closer to Me by a span, I go closer to him by a cubit; and if he comes closer to Me by a cubit, I go closer to him by the space covered by two hands; and if he walks towards Me, I run towards him." (Sahih Muslim, 6805)
Therefore, upon attaining union with the Beloved, the lover annihilates in the Beloved, and then there remains no veil between them. Loving the Beloved is not an easy task because in the journey of love, the lover has to sacrifice everything for the sake of love. Until the lover does not give up everything, the Beloved does not turn towards him. Just as Zulaikha, until she did not sacrifice her prestige, wealth, and belongings for the sight of Prophet Yusuf, her desire for meeting Prophet Yusuf remained unfulfilled, even though she attained her Beloved eventually. But until then, she had immersed so deeply in the love of her Beloved that she had lost her own sense. The only sense left was of Yusuf.
Duality is a Veil
Allah Almighty said to Ghaus-ul-Azam Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jilani (RA):
یَا غَوْثَ الْاَعْظَمْ اَلْمَحَبَّۃِ حِجَابٌ بَیْنَ الْمُحِبِّ وَ الْمَحْبُوْبِ فَاِذَا فَنِی الْمُحِبُّ عَنِ الْمَحَبَّۃِ وَصَلَ بِالْمَحْبُوْبِ
Meaning: O Ghaus-ul-Azam! Love is a veil between the lover and the Beloved. So when the lover attains annihilation in love, then he attains union with the Beloved.
According to the command of Allah Almighty, love is a veil between the lover and the Beloved, and when the lover attains annihilation in love, then he attains union with the Beloved. As long as the lover and the Beloved do not become one, duality remains, and duality is a veil. As stated by Sultan Bahoo:
باجھ وصال اللہ دے باھوؒ، سب کہانیاں قصے ھوُ
Bajh wasaal Allah de Bahoo, sab kahaaniyan qisse Hoo
Explanation: Apart from the union with Allah, all other stations, ranks, and states are merely stories and tales.
Books Consulted:
- 1. Shams al-Fuqara: Written by Sultan-ul-Ashiqeen, Sultan Muhammad Najib-ur-Rehman
- 2. Al-Risalah al-Ghawthiyyah: Written by Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani
- 3. Noor al-Huda Khurd: Written by the Sultan-ul-Arifin Sultan Bahoo
- 4. Sultan al-Wahm: Also authored by Sultan Bahoo
Comments (25)
Very nice blog! Allah mujhe baqa billah ki toufeeq ata farmaye♥️
Very nice. Enlightening article.
Very Beautiful ❤️ Article, May Allah The Almighty bless all of us Divine Love, Ameen.
Nice article
Best Article.
Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) said:
اَلْعِشْقُ نَارٌ یَحْرِقُ مَاسِوَی الْمَحْبُوْبِ
Meaning: Love is a fire that burns everything except the beloved.
Allah says about Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) in Quran:
وَ مَا یَنْطِقُ عَنِ الْهَوٰیؕ
Meaning: And he does not speak out of his (own) desire. (53: 3)
nicely explained
i like this artical 🌷🌹
Maulana Rumi (RA):
Love is a flame that, when ignited, burns everything except the beloved.
Nice article
Very informative and helpful
Very guiding article ❤️
Divine love predominates within the Divine seeker.
رانجھا رانجھا کردی نی میں آپے رانجھا ہوئی
آکھو نی مینوں دھیدو رانجھا ہیر نہ آکھے کوئی
Great 👍
Excellent May Allah help us to remain steadfast on the right path Ameen
Love is a fire that burns everything except the beloved.
Divine love is what takes the seeker to Divine Essence. However, in order to succeed on this path the guidance and supervision of a perfect spiritual guide is inevitable.
Sultan ul Ashiqeen is the perfect spiritual guide of this era
Very Informative and great article
upon attaining union with the Beloved, the lover annihilates in the Beloved, and then there remains no veil between them.
Beautiful Article 👍
Great explanation of Divine love
Explanation: What title should be given to those who drown in the sea of love? Because when the bubble disappears, it becomes water. (Kaleed-ul-Tauheed Kalaan)
Divine Union is real success
Divine love predominates within the Divine seeker. He remain restless for his beloved at all times due to the love and cannot find peace until he see his beloved. The lover is restless in his place because he cannot attain the proximity of his beloved. It is evident from this relationship of love that two entities exist, one loving the other, meaning both coexist, whereas in the path of Faqr, until the lover and the beloved become one, love is not complete, and this complete love is called “Ishq”. However, the impulse of love is a veil between the lover and the beloved. Love is that impulse which, besides the love of the beloved, renders every other love unnecessary. If it is said that love burns away all other loves, it wouldn’t be unfounded.
The Prophet of Mercy
Prophet Moham
Such an inspiring blog explaining that even love at one point becomes a veil between Allah and His seeker