AHL AL-‘ASHQ -  اهل العشق

 

Literally: Ahl is a man's family. A household. A kindred. Friends. People. A nation. A man's family and descendants.  A wife. The people of a place, condition, profession, religion or quality. A person or thing closely related to some particular thing mentioned.

Literally: ‘Ashq is a being or becoming passionately enamoured. Love. Passion. Ecstatic love toward Allah.

Ahl Al-‘Ashq: The people of ‘ashq. The people who tied themselves to Allah with an elevated, deep love. The people who have ecstatic love towards Allah (‘Azza wa jalla).

 

In one noble hadith arrived that اِنَّ اللهَ خَلَقَ اْلاِنْسَانَ عَلٰى صُورَةِ الرَّحْمٰنِ1 [As he said (asm)]. Some of the people of tarîqah have interpreted this hadith in a strange way inappropriate to the aqâid of îmân. Among them, some people of ‘ashq even considered man's ma’nawî face to be a form of Ar-Rahmân. Since the people of tarîqah are mostly in sakr2 and people of ‘ashq are mostly in istighraq3 and confused, they are perhaps excusable in their understanding which is contrary to the haqiqah. But those in their senses cannot accept by mind their meanings which are contrary to the fundamentals of aqâid. If they do, they are in error.  

Indeed, the Most Pure and Holy Essence of Allah (Dhât Al-Aqdas), Who administers the whole universe with an order like a palace or house and easily spins the stars like particles and causes them to travel with hikmah and employs particles like orderly officials, has no sharik, similar, opposite or equal. So according to the mystery of لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَىْءٌ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْبَصِيرُ4 , He also has no form, similar, peer or like. But according to the mystery of وَلَهُ الْمَثَلُ اْلاَعْلٰى فِى السَّمٰوَاتِ وَاْلاَرْضِ وَهُوَ اْلعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ5 , His shuûn, attributes and names can be looked at through parable and comparison. It means that there are parables and comparisons in regard to His shuûn.

One of the many aims of the above-mentioned Noble Hadith is this: man is in a form that completely displays the Name Rahmân. Yes, as we explained before, it means that just as the Name Rahmân, which manifests from the rays of a thousand and one Names, is seen on the face of the universe; the Name Rahmân, which manifests through the infinite manifestations of Allah's absolute rubûbiyyah, is shown on the face of the universe, so He also shows the complete manifestation of the Name Rahmân on man's comprehensive form like the face of the earth and the face of the universe but in a small measure.

Also, it is a sign: the indication of the places of manifestation like living beings and man, which are the proofs and mirrors of the Rahmânurrahîm One, to Al-Wâjib Al-Wujûd One is so certain, clear and obvious that just as in order to indicate the brightness of the mirror and clarity of its indication, it is said to a shining mirror, which holds the image and reflection of the sun: "That mirror is the sun", so in order to indicate the clarity of his indication and his perfect connection, it has been said and is said: "The form of Ar-Rahmân present in man". As a consequence of this mystery, the non-extreme ones amongst the ahl al-wahdah al-wujûd6 said: لاَ مَوْجُودَ اِلاَّ هُوَ7 as a title of the clarity of this indication and perfection of this connection.

The Second Station of the Fourteenth Flash-Fifth Mystery