Chapter VI: Love, Longing, Contentment
(16) Hazrat Haram-bin Hasan said: When a believer recognises his God, he loves Him. When he loves Him, he advances towards Him. When he feels the taste of advancing towards Him, he does not look to the world with the eye of attachment and to the next world with the eye of pleasure. That keeps him sad in this world and gives him joy in the next world.
(17) There is written in a certain religious scripture : £> My servant, by My oath, My duty to you is to love you. So yourduty is to love Me.
(18) Ihya-bin-M uaz said : Love of God even to the measure of a mustard seed is dearer to me than divine services for seventy years without love. -u
248 LOVE AND ATTACHMENT Vol-IV
(19) Hazrat Ihya-bin-Muaz said : O God, I am a lover. I wish to live with Thee. Every lover wants to live with his beloved. So how can I keep away from Thee?
WHAT IS LOVE AND ITS CAUSES ?
1. First basis of love. Without acquaintance and under- standing, love does not take form, as man does not love one with whom he is not acquainted. For this reason, he does not love a lifeless thing, rather he can love one who has got life and understanding. There are three classes of wisdom or understanding. (1) Mind likes a thing congenial to nature. (2)
Mind hates a thing opposed to nature. (3) Mind hates what is injurious and pains giving. So love means attraction of mind to what is tasteful and pleasure giving. When it is strong and firm, there is deep love.