Concept of Love from Rūzbahān Baqlī s Viewpoint

Love has a significant place in the mysticism of Rūzbahān Baqlī– the prominent mystic of the 12th century. Dealing with the concept of love is the continuation of a tradition that dates back to the early generations of Sufis. This tradition noticeably has been reflected in Rūzbahān’s works, especially in his Abhar al-‘Āshiqīn. In fact, he constructed his mystical path on the basis of love. He believed that love has flowed down into the whole chain of beings, from the highest level to the lowest one. From his point of view, love is one of the God’s attributes. Since God’s attributes are inseparable from His essence, and the essence of God is ineffable, so love is ineffable too. Therefore, only love could describe itself. Love has no limitations; so, only love can transform the relationship between the Creator and the creature into a relationship between the lover and the Beloved. Rūzbahān considers human being as a manifestation of God’s beauty. He admires physical beauty and goodness as an essential element for falling in love and so he believes in an eternal relation between goodness and love. He considers earthy love as a motivating factor for attaining the divine love. By presenting different categories of love, he shows the way to go through this path.