Love, according to the Sufi mystics, is more than just a feeling or emotion; it is the very foundation and purpose of existence. God created the universe out of a desire to be known and loved, according to the Hadith Qudsi known as “Hidden Treasure,” and this knowing and loving is accomplished through the force of love. Love is the means by which we can connect with and comprehend the divine, and it is the impetus for all of our actions and endeavors.
This understanding of love takes on a deeper meaning when applied to another person. True love is more than just feeling affection or attraction for someone; it is about loving for the sake of loving itself. Love exists on its own and does not require anything else to sustain it. When we love someone, we love them not for their individual qualities or characteristics, but as a manifestation of the divine, as a reflection of the universal love that is the foundation of all existence.
This vision of love as the path to truth is beautifully expressed in the words of Sufi mystic Ibn Arabi: “I follow the Way of Love/and where Love’s caravan takes its path/there is my religion, my faith.” For the Sufis, love is the very essence of reality and the foundation of all spiritual truth. There is only one reality, according to Ibn Arabi’s doctrine, and it manifests itself in the form of the lover and the beloved. In this view, love is more than just a force that exists between two people; it is the very foundation of the universe and the means by which we can connect with and understand it.
