RLS 280: IslamHasib Hossain Murata4 / 24 / 2000Islam and LoveLove is an important aspect of Islam. In the Sufi Path of Love, written by Rumi, Love is the central theme. Rumi speaks alot about love and its branches and ramifications. According to Rumi, Love ddominateds most of the Sufi way of life. In a translation of Sufi Path of Love written by William C. Chittuck, Sufi says: "No matter what I say to explain and elucidate Love, shame overcomes me when I come to Love itself.Love cannot be contained within our speaking or listening/ Love is an ocean whose depths cannot be plumbed.... Love cannot be found in erudition and science, books and pages. Whatever is duscussed by people- That is not the way of lovers.Whatever you have said or heard is the shell; The kernel of Love is a mystery that cannot be divulged."Chittuck's translation of this is that Love cannot be explained in words but that it must be felt to be understood. There is not possible way that you can tell someone what love is or write it down to someone so the person may understand. To Rumi, If love isn't felt, then the person will not truly know what love is. To understand the Islamic conception of Love, you must know the Koran's defenition of the term. The Prophet Muhammad once said, "God is beautiful, and He loves beauty." It can be also defined like this: "If something is beautiful, it is worthy of love." In the Vision Of Islam, it says that that whenever God is said to love something, the object of his love are human beings but his love aren't for all human beings. His love is for those who do things and have traits that are beautiful. Some verses in the Koran that prove this are:"Do what is beautiful! Surely God loves those who do what is beautiful."" Whoso fulfills his covenant and is wary of God- surely God loves the god-wary.""Truly God loves those who repent, and He loves those who cleanse themselves."" Trust in God. God loves those who have trust...
