Mahabbah
Definition
Mahabbah — love of God — is, for al-Ghazali, not a peripheral spiritual emotion but the central purpose of human existence and the heart of the entire path. He defines love philosophically: love is the inclination of the soul toward that which brings it pleasure; and since God alone is the source of all genuine beauty, goodness, and perfection, the fully awakened heart cannot but love God above everything else. Al-Ghazali argues that most people love God in a distorted or conditional way — loving Him because of His gifts, His protection, or their fear of His punishment — but that the true mahabbah of the spiritual elite is love of God for Himself alone, independent of what He gives or withholds. This unconditional love is the destination the entire Ihya exists to help the reader reach.
As understood in the classical tradition of Imam al-Ghazali and the scholars of his school.
How the scholars use Mahabbah.
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"And he said, “O Allah, save me from the trials of this world and the afflictions of the Hereafter.” In summary, if love for happiness in the Hereafter is not contradictory to the love of God, then love for safety, health, sufficiency, and honor in this world cannot contradict the love of God. This world and the Hereafter are two states, one closer than the other."
— Imam al-Ghazali, Book 15: Friendship and Brotherhood
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"A noble benefit: the Prophet joined together the fear of God and beauty of character, because the fear of God sets right what lies between the servant and his Lord, while beauty of character sets right what lies between him and God's creation. So the fear of God brings him the love of God, and beauty of character calls people to love him. A Noble Benefit: A Bridge Crossed in Two Steps A Principle: The Immense Power of the Testimony at Death one step away from his own self, and one step away from creation. So he sets his own self aside and counts it as nothing in his dealings with people, and he sets people aside and counts them as nothing in what lies between him and God."
— Ibn al-Qayyim, al-Fawāʾid — Points of Benefit, Volume One
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"This recognition is an affinity, while unfamiliarity is a disparity. This concept also explains the love of God, which is not based on physical resemblance but on hidden meanings. Some of these meanings can be discussed in books, while others remain veiled until discovered by those who embark on the spiritual journey. What can be mentioned is the closeness of a servant to God through emulating divine attributes and adopting praiseworthy traits such as knowledge, goodness, benevolence, kindness, spreading good, mercy towards creation, advising them, guiding them to the truth, and restraining them from falsehood."
— Imam al-Ghazali, Book 36: The Book of Love, Longing, Intimacy, and Contentment
Appears in
1 book in the library
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