The Language of the Heart

Introduction

In our last reflection, we explored the hidden meanings of Lā ilāha illallāh, that it is not only belief, but belonging. It declares that the One we worship is also the One we love. Yet this opens a deeper question: what kind of love is that?

The Arabs, masters of eloquence, did not use a single word for love. They mapped its terrain across fourteen degrees, each one deeper, heavier, and more consuming than the last. To understand these degrees is to glimpse how our hearts were designed to love Allah (swt).

The First Spark: Hawā

The journey begins with hawā, a passing attraction, a pull of the eyes more than the heart. It is light and fleeting, like a spark that flashes and fades. Many loves in this world begin here, stirred by beauty or novelty, but they rarely last.

When Love Begins to Ache: Wijd and Shawq

Then comes wijd when love begins to ache with longing. You remember, hope, and yearn. Soon it deepens into shawq, a love that grows heavy in the chest when distance stands between hearts. The Qur’an honors this tenderness in the stories of prophets who yearned not just for people, but for their Lord.

When Prophet Mūsā (as) said,

That was shawq, the ache of nearness sought but not yet granted.

Love That Shows on the Face: ‘Ishq

‘Ishq is the kind of love you try to hide but cannot. It betrays you in your expression, your tone, your silence. The scholars of the heart warned that ‘ishq can elevate or destroy, it depends on its direction. When poured toward creation, it enslaves; when directed to the Creator, it liberates.

The Love That Humbles: Tatayyum

Then comes tatayyum, a love that humbles you completely. You no longer imagine life apart from the one you love. Every breath, every decision, revolves around that beloved. When the believer reaches tatayyum with Allah, obedience becomes sweetness, and servitude becomes freedom.

The Dangerous Edge: Al-Yahm

At the far edge lies al-yahm, a love that consumes until reason dissolves. The Arabs described it as a camel gone mad in the desert, wandering in thirst, seeking water that isn’t there. It takes a few steps one way, then another, lost in obsession.

This is love without balance, a self-annihilation that mistakes need for nearness. When love detaches from the Real (al-Haqq), it becomes destruction disguised as devotion.

The Purest Love: Al-Walah

And just before that final collapse lies al-walah, the most beautiful and healthy form of love. Al-walah is love so pure and overwhelming that even in pain, you feel no pain. Even when the world empties around you, this love fills you. It satisfies every hunger and heals every ache.

It is the kind of love that becomes nourishment for the soul. The Arabs said al-walah is the highest degree of love a human being can feel without losing themselves.

When Allah (swt) calls Himself Ilāh, He is not only saying, “I am the One to be worshiped.” He is saying: “I am the One who loves you with the purest love and the One worthy of being loved in return with that same fullness.”

The Mirror of Divine Love

Al-walah mirrors the love that Allah has for His creation. To glimpse it, think of a mother holding her newborn after labor. After enduring the greatest pain a human can bear, she cradles her child and smiles. Her body still aches, but her heart overflows with a love that silences every nerve.

That is al-walah. That is the closest we come to understanding Allah’s love for us, a love that overwhelms, forgives, and fills every emptiness until the soul rests.

The Prophet ﷺ said:

Every act of mercy in this world, every heartbeat of love between parent and child, friend and friend, servant and Lord, is only a faint reflection of the Divine love that never ends.

Applying This Teaching to Our Lives

1. Recite “Lā ilāha illallāh” with Presence

   • Let your heart feel the belonging in it. Repeat it slowly during dhikr, allowing your breath and heart rate to align.

   • Neuroscience link: rhythmic repetition calms the amygdala, reducing anxiety and heightening awareness.

2. Reflect on Divine Mercy Each Morning

   • Begin your day by recalling one blessing and saying Alhamdulillah. Gratitude deepens attachment to Allah and rewires the brain toward joy.

3. Serve with Love, Not Obligation

   • Every act of service toward family, community, or strangers is a chance to express tatayyum. Service with love transforms duty into devotion.

4. Practice Emotional Tawakkul

   • When hurt by people, remind yourself: their love is borrowed from the Source. This reframes heartbreak as a call to return to the Origin of love.

5. Engage in Silent Worship

   • Sit in stillness after prayer, allowing the heart to taste al-walah, the tranquility that comes when love needs no words.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What are the 14 degrees of love in Arabic?
They range from hawā (attraction) to al-walah (pure love) and al-yahm (madness of love). Each reflects a stage of deepening attachment.

2. Is ‘ishq allowed in Islam?
Scholars differentiate between ‘ishq for creation (which may lead to harm) and ‘ishq for Allah (which elevates). The key is direction and purity.

3. How does divine love differ from human love?
Divine love is unconditional, eternal, and selfless. Human love often contains need or attachment; Allah’s love is pure giving.

4. Can we ever fully love Allah?
We can strive toward it through dhikr, prayer, and obedience. Perfect love belongs only to Allah, but sincere effort brings nearness.

5. Why does understanding love matter in Islam?
Because love fuels worship. Without love, religion becomes routine; with love, every act becomes light.

Footnotes

1. Davidson, R. J. & Kabat-Zinn, J. (2003). Alterations in Brain and Immune Function Produced by Mindfulness Meditation. Psychosomatic Medicine.

2. Emmons, R. A., & McCullough, M. E. (2003). Counting Blessings Versus Burdens. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.

3. Fredrickson, B. L. (2013). Love 2.0: How Our Supreme Emotion Affects Everything We Feel, Think, Do, and Become. Penguin Press.