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Chapter VI: Love, Longing, Contentment

There appear other signs also as a result of ecstacy. His mind dances with joy and it is impossible to keep it concealed. Once Jun-nun Misri went to one of his friends who used to mention often about love. He saw him in a certain disaster and said: He who feels the pangs of disaster does not love Him. He said: Rather I say that he who does not gather his fortune from his disaster does not love Him. Jun-nun said: I say that he who discloses his love does not love Him. The man said: Then I sought forgiveness of God and turned to Him.

Question. Love is the last of the spiritual stages. To disclose it is to disclose good . What is the harm in disclosing it?

Answer.Know, O readers, that love is good and to disclose it is also good. It becomes bad to disclose it when there is claim of

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love and consequent pride in it. It is the duty of the lover to keep his love secret and not disclose it in deeds and words. The object of a lover is only to enquire about his Beloved. There is in Injil: When you make a gift, make it in such a way that your left hand does not know what your right hand does In lieu thereof, He who sees the matter will give you openly. When you fast, wash your face, oil your head, so that nobody knows it except your Lord. But when there is overflow of love and it goes beyond one's control, he is not to be blamed for disclosing it.

Source: Imam Al-Ghazali, Ihya Ulum al-Din (Revival of the Islamic Sciences)
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