Parables of the lovers: the hermeneutics of divine love in medieval Islamic mysticism

Abstract

Through a hermeneutic analysis of medieval Islamic texts, the thesis examines the development of ideas about Divine love––its ontological origin, nature, and telos––in Sufism, with a focus on the teachings of four luminaries within the mystical tradition: Abu Hamid al-Ghazali (d. 505/1111), Ahmad al-Ghazali (d. 520/1126), Ibn ‘Arabi (d. 638/1240), and Jalal al-Din Rumi (d. 672/1273). It begins with a brief study of the development in the philosophy of love in Sufi thought up to the classical period in which these four figures lived. Love is shown to be central to the mystical path, even though its precise nature, as evidenced in the writings of these mystics, was interpreted with some differences. The thesis explores some of these varying nuances through a microanalytic, comparative study of their writings. It is shown that Rumi and Ahmad al-Ghazali inclined towards a more intoxicated approach, evidenced in the language of love, as found in their poetry, while Abu Hamid’s inclination was towards a more sober practice. Ibn ‘Arabi adopted a middle ground between the other writers, advocating an approach which lay in between the extremes of sobriety and intoxication. In the end, however, common motifs, ideas, and themes, outweighed the differences in their philosophies of love.