An Analysis of Ruzbihan Baqli’s Viewpoint Regarding to the “Chaste Love

Love” is one of the most significant concepts in Islamic Mysticism and sufism. Some Muslim mystics    belive that “Love” is the foundamental cause of the creation, based on one Divine Narration (hadith-e qodsi) that says: “I (Allah) was an unknown treasure. Thus, I liked to be known, so I have created the creatures to know me”. This term, by regarding to its meaning, was one of the controversial terms among sufis. Through the early centuries of sufism in Islam, they used this word in terrestrial love but after progressing the knowledge of sufism and mysticism, new generation of sufi scholars such as Rabe’ah Adawiyah, Ghazali and Ruzbihan Baqli used this word only in divine Love. This meaning of Love in its divine aspect developed to the concept of “Chaste Love“ which developed, in its turn, into two concept of Love: Apologetic Love and Baqli’s definition of Love. Although both of them are describing the divine Love, Baqli’s Love has a specific characteristic. In contrary to Apologetic Love, which is about transmitting human love to the divine love, Baqli’s definition of Love is about the progress of love. This article tries to consider the aspects of Chaste Love in its two divisions, Apologetic Love and Baqli’s Love, and to show their main differences.