Mutahāb-būn (The Lovers)

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“And so Mahab-bat (Divine Love) is a tree sprouting within the heart, humility for That Beloved the roots deep within, ITs Ma’refat (Divine Gnosis) the trunk unyielding, ITs dread the branches stretched aloft, Hayā (Timidity) for IT the leaves verdant, ITs obeisance the fruits abundant, ITs Dhikr (Remembrance) the nutrients promoting growth, and that moment when even one of these elements compromised, the Love shall fail deficient with imperfections!” Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawzia (Raudhatul Muheb-bin Wa Nuz-hatul Mushtāqin: Lovers’ Meadows and Yearners’ Promenade)


In every heart there is a forest; forest densely populated by the half-grown dead trees of so many past loves, trees uprooted by the odious gusts of betrayals, dried branches bearing the desiccated blossoms of each and every unfulfilled desire that never bore any fruits for no one, hollow barks of false-hopes strewn upon the earth of broken hearts while the gales of ‘I love you’ hissing through the hollowness of all those short-lived loves.

Yet within the vastness of the Sufi’s heart grows a single tree; a tree enrooted deep within the infinite past tense of Qadim (Time Immemorial) whilst branches—heavily laden with fruits lucent for all mankind—stretched causelessly aloft into the beginning-less endless Azal (Sempiternity); Mahab-bat’s (Divine Love’s) manifold branches pregnant with copious fruits of loving fed exclusively on the voiceless Dhikr (Remembrance), few words rolling off the Sufi’s tongue, few words soundlessly echoing within.

My dear, you loved and you are unloved, sacrificed all and yet betrayed, undying is your love and yet forsaken, and it is all within your rights to ask: Why? Because your loving did not reach Kamāl (Perfection) and what of love you offered rendered deficient and incomplete—in spite of all sacrifices and loyalty—similar to a withering tree in your garden due to lack of nutrients (Dhikr (Remembrance)) or a weak trunk (Ma’refat (Divine Gnosis)) or lifeless leaves (Hayā (Timidity)) or hardened roots, roots of humility for That Beloved hardened dead by arrogance.

A tree grows by itself to perfection and completion. It does not need you to grow, you need it and thereby you are ‘given’ to provide the necessary water and nutrients. Tree of Mahab-bat (Divine Love) does not need you either, it grows by itself deep within you, however you are ‘given’ the need to love or be loved and thus you are ‘given’ the necessary spiritual nutrients to grow this tree. 

Within the timeless and indivisible realm of Mahab-bat (Divine Love), either all lovers are but one person or all are indiscernible from each other, and my love no matter how you paraphrase these words, where the love of That Beloved flares we are all the same firewood set afire:  

They are a Nation loving each other via the Rouh (Spirit) of Allah without any consideration for belonging/wealth or any blood lineage, they are Nur (Light), their faces Nur (Light), upon the thrones of Nur (Light), fearless when people are scared and sorrow-less when people are sorrowed.” Prophetic narration (Hadith) with regards to a group of slaves who are neither prophets nor martyrs and yet even the prophets wish for their status in presence of Allah, and after these words the Prophet recited: Behold! Verily on the Auliā (Friends) of Allah there is no fear, nor shall they grieve. Qur’an [10:62]

Who is a lover? Answer: “They are a Nation” and what do these lovers do? Answer: “loving each other” and how they do that loving? Answer: “via the Rouh (Spirit) of Allah” and what causes this loving? Answer: “without any consideration for…” and what are these lovers made from? Answer: Nur (Divine Light) and where do they reside? Answer: “upon the thrones of Nur (Light)”.

There is no such a person as a lover, they are a Nation. When and where there is a discernable individual, when and where ‘I’ is mentioned, that is when and where the Mahab-bat (Divine Love) is compromised lacking Kamāl (Perfection) and completeness. That is when and where ‘you and I’ evaporate together, when and where the self-worship and worship of others fade, and none remains save the resplendent rays of beauty of That Beloved: 

“I swear by the One Whose Hand holds my Nafs (Self) you shall not enter Paradise until you believe and you shall not believe until you have Mahab-bat (Love) for each other” said the Prophet.

The lovers—Not individuals but a Nation loving each other, a Nation made from Nur (Divine Light), a Nation residing within Nur (Divine Light).


© 2005-2002,  Dara O. Shayda  




تخريج أحاديث الإحياء، الإصدار - للحافظ العراقي
المجلد الثاني >> الباب الأول: في فضيلة الألفة والأخوة

7 - حديث قال أبو إدريس الخولاني لمعاذ: إني أحبك في الله فقال: أبشر ثم أبشر فإني سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول "تنصب لطائفة من الناس كراسي حول العرش يوم القيامة وجوههم كالقمر ليلة البدر، يفزع الناس وهم لا يفزعون ويخاف الناس وهم لا يخافون وهم أولياء الله الذين لا خوف عليهم ولا هم يحزنون، فقيل: من هؤلاء يا رسول الله؟ فقال هم المتحابون في الله تعالى"
أخرجه أحمد والحاكم في حديث طويل: أن أبا إدريس قال: قلت والله إني لأحبك في الله قال فإني سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول "إن المتحابين بجلال الله في ظل عرشه يوم لا ظل إلا ظله" قال الحاكم صحيح على شرط الشيخين، وهو عند الترمذي من رواية أبي مسلم الخولاني عن معاذ بلفظ "المتحابون في جلالي لهم منابر من نور يغبطهم النبيون والشهداء" قال حديث حسن صحيح، ولأحمد من حديث أبي مالك الأشعري "إن لله عبادا ليسوا بأنبياء ولا شهداء، يغبطهم الأنبياء والشهداء على منازلهم وقربهم من الله... الحديث" وفيه "تحابوا في الله وتصافوا به يضع الله لهم يوم القيامة منابر من نور فتجعل وجوههم نورا وثيابهم نورا يفزع الناس يوم القيامة ولا يفزعون وهم أولياء الله الذي لا خوف عليهم ولا هم يحزنون" وفيه شهر بن حوشب مختلف فيه.


زيادة الجامع الصغير، والدرر المنتثرة، الإصدار 2.05 - للإمام السيوطي
كتاب "زيادة الجامع الصغير"، للسيوطي >> حرف الواو

3454- والذي نفسي بيده لا تدخلوا الجنة حتى تؤمنوا ولا تؤمنون حتى تحابوا، أولا أدلكم على شيء إذا فعلتموه تحاببتم: أفشوا السلام بينكم
(حم م د ت ه) عن أبي هريرة.