“For the elect, Ishq (love) is a tremendous eternal light, but for the common people, Ishq is form and sensuality.” “Rumi
There are two most commonly used words for love in Arabic. Ishq and Habb. Habb is mentioned in the Quran; Ishq is not. Ishq usually implies an intense, excessive, and passionate love, while Habb is a commonly expressed type of love. The experts in Kalam deemed it inappropriate to use the term ishq when relating love between servant and God. The Sufis and philosophers, however, ignored them, and used them interchangeably. They saw all types of love as ultimately love for God.
Whether people know it or not, humans love God. Most people are confused with the object of their love. Thus they fall in love with beloveds who cannot live up to love’s reality. Hence, the love turns stale…or disappears completely. And then they get disappointed when they don’t live up to expectations. If they are to find their true Beloved, they need to follow the divinely established guides.
My notes from the beginning of Sidi W. Chittick’s talk on Divine Love:
