Rizwan Khan, Missionary, USA
For a long time, I wondered what the basic difference is between our generation and the generation of the Companionsra of Prophet Muhammadsa. They were Muslims, and we are Muslims. What made them so different from us, of such a different standard? If I could only figure this out, I could focus on trying to develop that one characteristic in myself. Then I came across a sentence of Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra. Describing the Companionsra, he said, “Those people had a temperament of love (‘ishqiyya rang), but today’s youth possess merely a philosophical temperament.” (Khutbat-e-Mahmood, Vol. 3, p. 334)
This sentence caught my eye because I have a philosophical temperament. I knew this because, as I read it, I immediately understood what a philosophical temperament (falsafiyana rang) was. But what is a temperament of love (‘ishqiyya rang)? If I wanted to develop it in myself, I’d have to first understand what it is.
A temperament of love (‘ishqiyya rang)
One way to understand the difference between philosophy and love is through love stories. We all understand what an experience of love is because we’ve all enjoyed love stories. Explaining this, Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra said,
“The truth is that if we set aside belief and disbelief, love in its purest form is itself a religion, regardless of who it is attributed to. Nowadays, novels are read all over the world, and most of them are stories of love and romance. For example, in our country, the story of Yusuf and Zulaikha is well known and is read with great interest. Similarly, stories of Laila and Majnun are eagerly listened to. But who was Majnun? He was just a Bedouin from Arabia, and Laila was an Arab woman who might have been of an even lower status than our household maids. Yet, because Majnun fell in love with her, the entire world reads the story of Laila and Majnun with great enthusiasm. From a philosophical perspective, there is nothing extraordinary about it. A philosopher once described the reality of love as, ‘What is the story of Yusuf and Zulaikha? Nothing more than a woman being infatuated with a man.’ However, regardless of how it is analysed in a philosophical sense, romantic books are liked everywhere and are purchased with great enthusiasm. […] Love is such a beautiful thing that even when it is with insignificant beings, it is still lovely. Now, if this love is with God, you can imagine how beautiful it would be.” (Taluq Billah, Anwar-ul-Ulum, Vol. 23, p. 157-158)
In the West, we’ve all heard the story of Romeo and Juliet. From a philosophical perspective, it’s a complete waste of time. A boy and a girl fall in love, then commit suicide over a misunderstanding. So, what is the point of this story? What is it about love stories that makes us enjoy them and keep coming back to them? What makes a love story work?
The genre of tragedies
For millennia, the same three-step formula has repeated itself in love stories.
1. Two people fall in love
2. They go through difficulties because of their love
3. They overcome the difficulties and live happily ever after
However, the reality is that it’s not a three-step formula at all. It’s only a two-step formula. The third step of happily ever after is completely unnecessary. A story can be just as effective, and sometimes more effective, without a “happily ever after”. In storytelling, it is known as “the genre of tragedy”. Many of the greatest love stories were tragedies with no “happily ever after”, and we repeat them and enjoy them nonetheless.
The reason we don’t need a “happily ever after” is because that’s not where the crux of love is. It’s not really the reason we enjoy love stories. What we need from a love story is to be moved by characters who gave up everything for someone else. We want to feel the yearning of wanting someone so much that we cannot live without them. If a story can make us feel what it feels like to withstand unbearable difficulties for love, we will enjoy it.
That pain is so valuable that people pay money to feel it. Novels and movies are a form of escapism where we become emotional and even cry when reading or watching. In fact, this is the experience we’re looking for. When we look at it from a philosophical perspective, it makes no sense that someone would pay money to experience something that will make them cry. But that’s exactly what they’re paying for. If a novel or movie fails to move us to tears, it is not an effective story. When we read or watch a love story, we do so with the expectation that it will make us feel the pain of the characters as if it were our own. A story that fails to fulfil that desire is a bad story, no matter how happy its ending, and a story that succeeds in fulfilling that desire is a good story, no matter how tragic its ending.
Love is essentially wanting someone so badly that we cannot live without them, and being ready to give up everything for them. It takes courage to make ourselves vulnerable enough to open our hearts to actually loving someone. A person who is in touch with this desire has a temperament of love. If it is directed towards God, they can succeed in spirituality. However, a person who has lost touch with this desire gravitates towards a philosophical temperament and tends to fail in spirituality. Illustrating this, the Promised Messiahas narrated the story of a saint who, whenever someone came to give bai‘at to him out of devotion, would first ask whether they had ever been in love. If the person said yes, the elder would ask them to narrate their experience of love. If the person recounted their struggles and their perseverance in love, the saint would accept their bai‘at. However, if the person said they had fallen in love but renounced it due to fear of insults or hardships, the elder would refuse to accept their bai‘at.
The story of two lovers
The Promised Messiahas narrated that one day, two men came to the saint wishing to give bai‘at. As per his custom, he asked them both if they had ever been in love.
One of them said, “Yes, I once fell in love with a woman. Initially, everything was easy and I could meet her freely. But when her family and relatives discovered our meetings, they forbade me from seeing her and warned that they would treat me harshly if I persisted. After some time, I tried again, but they insulted and beat me severely. Feeling humiliated and distressed, I abandoned my love and never even mentioned her name again.”
When he finished telling his story, the saint turned to the other person and asked if he, too, had ever been in love, and if so, to share his story. The man said:
“One day, I was passing by the palace of a Maharaja when my gaze was drawn upwards. There, on the grand balcony, I caught sight of a breathtakingly beautiful woman, her flowing hair cascading around her. The moment my eyes met her face, I was instantly captivated. Overwhelmed with passion, I set up camp right beneath the palace walls, unable to leave the place where I had first seen her.
“For the first few days, no one took notice of my presence. But gradually, people began to talk about the man who had taken up residence outside the palace. Some speculated that I was a stranded traveller, others believed I was an intoxicated wanderer, and others assumed I was a mystic, lost in divine love. But the keen-eyed among them saw that I had fallen hopelessly in love with the princess who occasionally appeared on the palace balcony.
“Eventually, the authorities took notice. The police arrived, commanding me to leave, saying that it was inappropriate for me to loiter outside the royal residence. But I neither responded nor moved. They forcibly removed me from the premises. However, under the cover of night, I returned to my spot beneath the palace. This back-and-forth continued for several days. Each time the police dragged me away, I would return by nightfall.
“By now, my love for her was not just the talk of the town, it had reached the royal palace itself. Even the princess’s family members discussed it. Some pitied me, acknowledging the sincerity of my love. Others warned that love, though a noble emotion, brings disgrace in the eyes of the world. The princess’s parents suggested that if I could be reasoned with, I should be gently persuaded to leave.
“When I learned that the princess would visit the temple during the night, I devised a plan. I decided to befriend the temple priest so that, through him, I might find a way to meet her. Disguising myself as a Hindu devotee, I approached the temple priest and requested permission to perform the night’s rituals in his place. The priest, seeing my apparent devotion, agreed.
“The princess arrived with her maids, and I greeted them as per the priest’s instructions. They entered one by one, and when she approached, I finally revealed my identity. With tearful eyes, I confessed, ‘I am the one who has no beloved in this world but you. I am the one whose love for you has become the subject of whispers in every home. I am the one who endured humiliation, exile, and slander for the sake of your love. I am the one who disguised himself as a temple servant just to see you tonight.’
“Overcome with emotion, the princess wept and replied, ‘Tonight, your journey of love ends, and mine begins. Just as you have taken on the guise of a Hindu devotee for me, I will embrace your faith for you. I will become a Muslim.’ With those words, we had to part ways with tearful eyes and heavy hearts.
“Upon her return, the princess confided in her mother, ‘Mother, my love story is no longer a secret. Just as that Muslim man has endured shame and hardship for me, I have resolved to be his and his alone. If you love me, if you care for my happiness, speak to my father and arrange our marriage. Otherwise, I may be left with no choice but to take my own life.’
“The queen was struck with shock and realised the gravity of the situation. She conveyed her daughter’s thoughts to the Maharaja at an appropriate time and in suitable words. The Maharaja had only one daughter, whom he had raised with great love and luxury. Hearing such unpleasant thoughts about his daughter from her mother deeply affected him.
“When the Maharaja sought advice from his ministers, opinions varied. Some suggested that the Muslim man should be executed. Others proposed imprisoning him. Some believed that the princess should be strictly restrained through force. Others said that since the princess was a Hindu while the man was a Muslim, their union was unbearable due to religious differences. Others revealed that they had heard the princess had converted to Islam. Upon investigating the matter, it was confirmed that the princess had indeed embraced Islam. This revelation enraged the assembly, and they expressed their deep displeasure, lamenting that she had committed a grievous act. The Maharaja, upon learning of his daughter’s conversion, became greatly disturbed and deeply upset. Troubled by this predicament, he asked for a more suitable course of action. The ministers requested time to deliberate.
“When the Maharaja informed the queen about the ministers’ counsel, and the princess learned of it through her mother, she became deeply despondent. Overcome by the unbearable agony of her love, she climbed to the rooftop and, in a frenzy of passion, threw herself down. Soon, word spread throughout the city that the princess had fallen from the palace and died, ending her love story forever.
“When I heard of her death, I rushed to confirm the news. I lamented that she had sacrificed herself. Heartbroken, I resolved to seek nearness to the same Divine Beloved to Whom my princess had returned. Wandering in search of spiritual guidance, I eventually reached you and have narrated my story of love.’
The saint, after listening to both accounts, remarked that his order was founded on the principles of the prophets of God, emphasising spiritual purification. He explained that those who strive for the cause of Islam often face intense opposition. Such struggles not only purify the soul but also deepen spiritual wisdom, leading to divine revelations and inner enlightenment. Whenever someone sought to pledge allegiance to his order, he would first inquire whether they had ever been in love. He believed that those who had endured hardship for the sake of loving someone demonstrated the resilience necessary to truly love God.
The saint declared that among the two lovers, only the princess’s lover was worthy of initiation into his order. Having endured opposition in his pursuit of love, he had exhibited the endurance required for spiritual striving. The other, being weak-willed and unable to uphold his love, was deemed unsuitable for the mission. (Hayat-e-Qudsi, pp. 418-428)
Two people can commit the same sin, but the way each does it reveals a hidden quality in one of them and a hidden flaw in the other. Since people would come to this saint repenting of their past sins, he would understand their character through the way they had sinned.
Two flames
A “temperament of love” is something we have all been familiar with at some point in our lives. For example, before marriage, in some way or another, we were always in a mindset of courtship. We felt we might find our soulmate today. Young people are more ready, or vulnerable, to give up everything for someone. This is why they are more susceptible to falling head-over-heels in love on any day. Even if someone hasn’t felt this feeling in years, they never forget it. The Promised Messiahas described the connection between a husband and wife, saying:
“Often, a love akin to passion develops between them. Who can hold back tears when recalling the time of this affection developing? This is the very bond that, after spending just a few weeks apart, after all is suddenly missed.” (Seerat Hazrat Amma Jan, p. 124)
This excitement in love is necessary for our spiritual life. If that flame of excitement and passion is directed to finding Allah, our spirituality thrives. If that flame goes out, then our spirituality starts to die with it. Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra explained:
“One flame is the flame of spiritual love, which aims to keep a person’s heart burning until they establish a connection with The Perfect Being, i.e., God Almighty. This is the flame of divine love. The second flame is the flame of worldly love, which ensures that a person can love their spouse, so that the human race continues and the lovers of God continue to be born in the world. At the time of marriage, since the flame of worldly love is about to cool down after fulfilling its purpose, there is a fear that the second flame, the flame of divine love, might also become cold.” (Khutbat-e-Mahmood, Vol. 3, p. 228)
An important question we have to ask ourselves is, is that flame alive in our hearts, or have our hearts slowly gone cold? Do we feel the tingling excitement of anticipation that we could meet our love today? That is how a teenager feels in courtship, and that is how a believer feels in Salat.
When people fail in finding their love, they sometimes lose hope in love altogether. You’ll hear some people scoff when love is mentioned, or say that love is a myth. Similarly, people who fail in making a connection with Allah sometimes lose hope in meeting Allah altogether. You’ll hear some people scoff when prayer is mentioned, or say that connecting with Allah is a myth. These expressions of despair are two sides of the same coin. What they’re really saying is that they failed to find their love. Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra said:
“Often, people leave this world without finding their soulmate. They keep complaining that there is no loyalty in the world. Their statement is incorrect. In reality, the truth is that they couldn’t find their match. They can say that they didn’t find loyalty in this world, but they can’t say that loyalty doesn’t exist at all. The fact is that they just didn’t find the partner who was meant for them.” (Khutbat-e-Mahmood, Vol. 3, p. 334)
You usually will not hear such statements from young people because they are full of hope. Such statements are generally said by people who are older and have succumbed under the weight of their disappointments. They have slowly been defeated by their setbacks until the flame of love has gone out in their hearts.
Leaving our philosophical temperament behind
The purpose of this flame is to make us feel like we need to find Allah the Almighty, to feel the need more intensely than wanting to find our soulmate. It doesn’t let us live without Him. It makes us need Him so much that we want to give up everything for Him. This is essentially what is conveyed in the words lā ilāha illa-llāh, which means, “I have no desire, and I have no beloved, and I have none I worship, and I have none I obey, and I have no purpose except Allah.” (Anwar-ul-Quran, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 9, p. 419 and Ruedad Jalsa Dua, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 15, p. 618) Without this flame and without a “temperament of love”, we are not capable of truly wanting Him. As long as we think only philosophically, we cannot even comprehend the fact that we can have Him. Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra said:
“Keep this in mind, Allah does not grant Himself to one who is not a lover. He grants Himself to only those who are deeply immersed in His love. Indeed, He is the King, and man is a humble servant, but true love erases the distinction between the exalted and the lowly. I have expressed this idea in one of my couplets:
طریق عشق میں اے دل سیادت کیا غلامی کیا
محبت خادم و آقا کو اک حلقہ میں لائی ہے
‘In the path of love, O heart, what is leadership or servitude? Love has brought servant and master into a single circle.’
“Where love exists, there is no question of high or low. Such distinctions arise only where love is absent. However, where true love exists, all differences vanish. In worldly matters, some people are called kings, but when they fall in love with a poor and unassuming woman, they elevate her to the status of a queen, making her ruler over nobles and elites. Similarly, when a person fosters love for Allah in their heart and loses themselves in His love, Allah erases the distinction between Creator and creation and unites with them.
“So, turn to Allah with love. Love is not merely standing up and offering prayers; rather, love is when your prayers are infused with passion. Love is when your recitation of the Quran is filled with love, and your fasting is driven by love. Among you, not just dozens but hundreds have experienced Allah’s presence, seen visions, and received revelations. They achieved this status because they approached Allah with hearts overflowing with love, and Allah met them. In contrast, those who approach with a philosophical mindset return empty-handed.
“Where philosophical reasoning dominates, questions of status persist on who is greater and who is lesser. But where love prevails, such distinctions no longer matter. Thus, anyone who approaches Allah with a philosophical outlook will find the hierarchy of ranks intact. However, those who approach with the color of love will be granted Allah despite Him being the Creator and Master.” (Khutbat-e-Mahmood, 6 December 1935, pp. 783-785)
What made the Companions so different from us?
Coming back to the question I asked at the beginning: what made the Companionsra so different from us? The Companionsra only became Companionsra because they already had a temperament of love. It gave them the sight to see the Holy Prophetsa when others were blind to him. They were addressed in the verse:
قُلۡ اِنۡ کُنۡتُمۡ تُحِبُّوۡنَ اللّٰہَ فَاتَّبِعُوۡنِیۡ یُحۡبِبۡکُمُ اللّٰہُ
“Say, ‘If you love Allah, follow me: then will Allah love you.” (Surah aal-e-Imran, Ch.3: V.32)
When everyone else was debating religion merely philosophically, they were desperately searching for someone who could simply lead them to their Allah. When they found that prophet of Allah, they recognised the truth just by seeing his face and fell in love with him immediately. This recognition is described in a revelation of the Promised Messiahas:
عشقِ الٰہی وسّے مُنہ پر ولیاں ایہہ نشانی
“A saint is recognised by the shining of Divine love on his face.” (Tadhkirah, p. 390)
They followed him out of love, not philosophically, and the result was that Allah loved them. This is why the generation of Companionsra of the Holy Prophetsa and the Promised Messiahas is largely characterised as having a temperament of love, and they ended up being loved by Allah.
So, the question is, what can we do now that we no longer live in the era of a prophet of God? The answer is that we have Khilafat, which is a reflection of prophethood. There are countless people today who follow the Khalifa simply because they are desperately searching for someone who can lead them to a living relationship with their Allah. They recognised the truth of the Khalifa by the shining of Divine love on his face, and they fell in love with him. Such people gather around the Khalifa of Allah because they have a temperament of love. They form a unique group of believers not seen anywhere else in the world today. We should try to be one of these people. They are a reflection of the Sahaba, and they end up being loved by Allah.
If we want to be like the Companionsra, and if we want to find Allah, we have to leave behind our philosophical approach when searching for Allah the Almighty. We have to learn to love Allah unconditionally from our hearts. Our relationship with Allah should be a love story.
Hazrat Musleh-e-Maudra said:
“As long as philosophical thoughts dominate you, you will not achieve success. Philosophical arguments are only for taking one out of disbelief, but belief requires passion and love.” (Allah ta’ala ke raastay mein takaleef, Anwar-ul-Ulum, Vol. 13, p. 12)
“In short, religion is the name of love. If there is no love, then philosophical thoughts cannot console us. It is not the mind that silences us or gives us peace, but the heart.” (Ibid., p. 5)
“So increase your love, create a burning passion and pain in your heart. This is my first advice, this is my middle advice, and this is my final advice.” (Ibid., p. 12)