Divine Love and Belovedness

Love and belovedness are universal attributes that pertain not only to humans but to all entities, from animals and plants to inanimate objects. Even parts of an entity, such as the human eye or the colour of a flower, can possess the qualities of love or belovedness.

“So blessed is Allah, the best of creators” (Quran 23:14). This verse emphasises the equitable distribution of attributes within the system of creation.

Key point: Love and belovedness are general attributes encompassing all entities, even those in lower ranks.

Differences in Ranks of Attributes

Entities differ in degrees of love and belovedness, yet no being is entirely devoid of these qualities. This variation arises from the diversity of creation and divine wisdom, guiding each entity to its designated position.

Key point: Variations in love and belovedness demonstrate divine wisdom in the diversity of creation.

Uniqueness of Entities

No two beings in the universe are entirely identical. This uniqueness is reflected in love and belovedness, whereby each entity holds a distinctive place within creation. The following verse emphasises the uniqueness and just order in creation:

“You will not find any disparity in the creation of the Most Merciful” (Quran 67:3).

Key point: The uniqueness of entities in love and belovedness reflects divine wisdom in creation.

Challenges in Recognising Love and Belovedness: The Need for Deep Knowledge

Identifying the lover and the beloved requires profound understanding and expertise, akin to recognising beauty or the quality of sound. Such discernment helps in comprehending the position of each entity in the cosmic order.

Key point: Recognising love and belovedness necessitates deep and intuitive knowledge.

Effort and Effortlessness

Love is often associated with effort, whereas belovedness generally manifests without exertion. For instance, a worker may be loving through effort, while a beloved individual may attract attention without specific endeavour.

Key point: Love is distinguished by effort and belovedness by effortlessness, yet both stem from divine grace.

Love and Belovedness in the Order of Creation: Divine Justice and Grace

Both apparent and hidden love and belovedness originate from divine grace. God grants each entity what is due, and nothing in creation is wasted.

“Everything is facilitated for that for which it was created”.

Key point: Love and belovedness are manifestations of divine grace and justice, distributed within creation.

No Wastefulness in Creation

Even latent traces of love and belovedness may emerge in the future. For instance, an apparently unremarkable individual may give rise to offspring with high degrees of love and belovedness.

Key point: Nothing in creation is wasted, and latent traces of love and belovedness are valuable.

Religious Philosophy and the Unity of the Cosmic Mechanism

The mechanics of the universe are identical from the perspectives of believers and non-believers; the difference lies merely in naming (God or nature). This unity reflects divine order governing existence beyond apparent distinctions.

Key point: The mechanics of the universe possess a divine unity identical for believers and non-believers.

Innateness of Religion

Religion resides in human nature, and differences in expression (e.g., naming God or nature) do not compromise the unity of truth. This view emphasises the innate nature of guidance and love.

Key point: Religion is innate in devout individuals, and variations in expression do not affect the unity of truth.

Application of Knowledge of Lovers and Beloveds

Recognising lovers and beloveds, akin to aptitude testing, helps guide individuals to their appropriate positions. A person with specific talent, if placed correctly, produces benefit; in an inappropriate place, harm may result.

Key point: Understanding love and belovedness aids in guiding individuals to suitable positions and generating benefits.

The Role of God’s Saints

God’s saints, by virtue of patience and steadfastness granted by God, endure hardships and are guided along the straight path. This resilience distinguishes them from others.

Key point: God’s saints remain steadfast on the straight path through divine patience and resilience.

Summary

The interpretation of the verse “The path of those upon whom You have bestowed Your favour, not of those who have evoked Your anger, nor of those who go astray” sheds light on the attributes of love and belovedness. These attributes, as secondary intelligibles in philosophy, manifest across all beings, from humans to objects, reflecting divine wisdom and justice in creation. The uniqueness of entities, absence of waste, and the role of knowledge in recognising these attributes highlight the just and knowledgeable order of the cosmos.

The unity of the cosmic mechanism and the innateness of religion emphasise the singularity of truth amidst superficial differences. Recognising lovers and beloveds guides individuals to their proper stations, similar to aptitude testing leading to benefits. God’s saints, through divine patience and steadfastness, exemplify guidance along the straight path. This interpretation, integrating Qur’anic, philosophical, and mystical concepts, provides a comprehensive framework for understanding the path of the guided and invites contemplation of divine wisdom.

Absolute and Relative Belovedness in Creation

Absolute belovedness, like boundless light, pertains solely to God. Within creation, even the highest ranks, such as the Prophet and select holy figures, possess only relative, not absolute, belovedness. Belovedness in creation is relative and dependent on status and existential orientation.

Manifestation of Belovedness in Objects

Relative belovedness manifests in objects, their properties, parts, and details as secondary intelligibles. Similar to the concept of humanity derived from specific humans, it appears across all levels of creation, from humans to plants and inanimate entities.

Ranks of Creation and Divine Favour

The verse “And We raised some of them above others in degrees” (Quran 43:32) indicates the varied ranks of creation and divine favour. These ranks reflect diversity in the manifestation of belovedness and guidance.

Key point: Belovedness in creation, like relative light in various mirrors, manifests across different ranks of beings, whereas absolute light belongs solely to God.

Distinction Between Lovers and Beloveds

Those who are favoured (beloved) bear the weight of guidance with ease, while lovers traverse the path with effort and delay. This distinction resembles a person lifting a heavy load at once (beloved) versus someone carrying it in parts (lovers).

Capacity of the Embryo

The embryonic state of lovers is not ready for guidance until about twenty years, whereas beloveds possess this capacity from the outset. The verse “And We created you in stages” (Quran 71:14) indicates this ontological difference.

Acquired Nature of Guidance

Both lovers and beloveds acquire guidance, but beloveds bear a heavier burden and divine guidance, while lovers endure more effort. Gratitude of lovers relates to the lightness of their burden, and that of beloveds to the absence of delay.

Key point: The guided (beloved) and the seekers (lovers) travel the path of guidance differently, each according to their capacity and method.

Perils of Ingratitude and Misguided Effort

The burden of guidance on lovers may cause pitfalls, while its absence in beloveds could pose existential danger. The verse “Allah does not burden a soul beyond its capacity” (Quran 2:286) affirms this principle.

Role of Prophets and Saints in Guidance

Prophets and saints, as divine guides, test and lead humans along the straight path. The verse “And We made them leaders guiding by Our command” (Quran 21:73) confirms this role.

Obedience to God and the Messenger

“And whoever obeys Allah and the Messenger, those are with the ones upon whom Allah has bestowed favour” (Quran 4:69). Obedience places individuals among the favoured.

Key point: Prophets and saints illuminate the path, guiding humans towards the favoured.

Self-Learning and Misguidance

Self-learning without guidance is like travelling without a guide, leading to misguidance. The verse “Is the one who guides to the truth more worthy to be followed?” (Quran 10:35) stresses the necessity of following divine guidance.

Key point: Ingratitude and self-learning act as obstacles on the path, diverting the devotee from the favoured to misguidance.

Inefficiency of Formal Sciences

Focusing exclusively on formal religious sciences (such as jurisprudence and principles) results in compounded ignorance. These should be summarised quickly to allow recognition of the remaining 90%: inner knowledge.

Critique of Knowledge Systems: Absence of Experiential Laboratories

The lack of systems to identify lovers and beloveds prevents society from recognising the position of the favoured. The verse “Most people will not believe even if you desire it” (Quran 12:103) highlights this neglect.

Need for Educational Reform

The majority of intellectual effort should focus on recognising the favoured, not superficial sciences. This reform, like a fresh current in stagnant water, revitalises knowledge.

Key point: The knowledge system, like a laboratory for understanding creation, requires deep reform to guide humans to the path of the favoured.

Significance of the Mention “Upon Whom You Have Bestowed Favour”

The specific mention has profound spiritual effects but requires readiness and guidance to be protected from harms.

Difference Between General and Specific Mentions

Specific mentions, such as “Upon whom You have bestowed favour,” necessitate existential preparedness, unlike general mentions. Specific mention, like a subtle key, produces effect only under proper conditions.

Constructive and Informative Nature of Mention

Constructive mention, intended to create an effect, is weightier than informative mention, which is for reward only.

Perils of Mention Without Guidance

Mention without guidance, like unhealthy food, can lead to harm, particularly in times of negligence and deprivation.

Key point: Specific mention, like a key to spiritual realms, requires readiness and guidance to be safeguarded.

Diversity and Influence of Details in Creation

The creation of beings, like various colours, is diverse. The verse “It is He who created you; so some of you are disbelievers, and some of you are believers” (Quran 64:2) points to this diversity.

Minor differences, like a single pea, can produce significant results in existential ranks. Such variations, like a small seed in the soil of creation, yield great outcomes.

Importance of Accurate Knowledge

Precise knowledge of creation, as emphasised in works such as Tawhid Mofaddal, is critical and more scientifically reliable than purely philosophical works. Understanding diversity in creation leads humans towards guidance.

Key point: Diversity in creation, like colours in the canvas of existence, reflects divine wisdom, guiding humans through precise knowledge.

Conclusion

Relative belovedness manifests across various ranks of beings. The favoured traverse the path with divine ease, while lovers bear effort in their journey. Critique of knowledge systems and emphasis on reform underscore the necessity of accurate comprehension of creation. Specific mentions require readiness and guidance to have spiritual effect. Diversity and detailed influence in creation invite reflection on divine wisdom, encouraging a reassessment of knowledge systems and striving to be among the favoured.

The seventh verse of Surah Al-Fatiha, “The path of those upon whom You have bestowed Your favour, not of those who have evoked Your anger, nor of those who go astray”, continues the supplication for guidance and elucidates the path of those specially favoured by God. This interpretation, with a philosophical and mystical approach, examines the distinction between the guided and the specially favoured, emphasising the need for a precise and scientific approach to the Qur’an and exploring existential ranks, divine will, and intrinsic differences between these groups.

Clarifying the Distinction Between the Guided and the Favoured

The verse highlights two distinct groups: the guided, who advance through effort and acquisition, and the specially favoured, who receive divine favour non-acquisitively.

Key point: The guided progress on the path through effort, whereas the favoured receive divine favour without effort. This distinction resembles travellers on foot versus those who soar with divine wings.

Existential Ranks and Intrinsic Differences

The guided operate within the realm of acquisition, while the favoured occupy a superior rank beyond effort. These distinctions are rooted in divine will and intrinsic capacities, resembling foundational layers of a grand edifice, where each progresses towards perfection, yet the favoured reach the summit attainable only by divine grace.