1 Introduction
The ḤanbalÄ« Sufi scholar Ê¿Abd al-QÄdir al-JÄ«lÄnÄ« (d. 561/1166) argues in his works, Futūḥ al-Ghayb (âRevelations of the Unseenâ) and al-Fatḥ al-RabbÄnÄ« (âThe Sublime Revelationâ), that a Sufi may enjoy certain worldly pleasures after struggling through various stages of asceticism (zuhd). This chapter discusses the scriptural foundation of this idea and how al-JÄ«lÄnÄ« avoided the contradiction between the enjoyment of worldly pleasures and Sufi ethics, which is based on âself-purification.â We will analyse ḥadÄ«th al-taḥbÄ«b that translates as âI was made to love (ḥubbiba ilayya) from your world women and perfume, and I found the coolness of my eyes (qurratu Ê¿aynÄ«) in performing the prayer,â and compare al-JÄ«lÄnÄ«âs interpretation with that of other scholars in pre and post JÄ«lÄnÄ« era.
Some ascetics and Sufis believed that marriage and family life are hindrances to achieving excellence in the path of AllÄh, as evident from different quotations recorded in Sufi and zuhd literature. However, the majority refuted this idea pointing to the life of the Prophet and his encouragement for marital life. At the same time, the former opinion highlights the Prophetâs foresight of later generations becoming worse overtime, and in such a time, it will be better for a person to live isolated from people.1 Likewise, some scholars found two key terms in the ḥadÄ«th, âḥubbibaâ and âdunyÄâ problematic, hence necessitating explanation. How could the Prophet say that he loves things from this world (dunyÄ), whilst he has described it as a damned place elsewhere. Abstaining from the dunyÄ has often been regarded as the fundamental principle of asceticism and Sufism. These contradictions have triggered various interpretations and have sometimes placed the Sufis in a defensive mode.
Furthermore, some have criticised Sufis for enjoying worldly pleasures, and even al-JÄ«lÄnÄ« himself had faced such criticism.2 By intertwining ḥadÄ«th with Sufi perspectives, al-JilÄnÄ« responded to this criticism and apparent contradictions. At the same time, he tried to establish that the Sufi concepts of fanÄʾ and baqÄʾ, which refer to the developed form of asceticism, are not contradictory to the QurʾÄn and Sunna as some may have claimed. Indeed, the ḥadÄ«th mentioned above is a piece of excellent scriptural evidence to substantiate his stance.
2 Takhrīj and the Form of the Ḥadīth
The ḥadÄ«th was recorded on the authority of Anas b. MÄlik (d. 93/712) from the beginning of the third/ninth century in different sources, including those which were arranged according to themes and narrators such as Sunans and Musnads. Yet, among the six canonical ones, only al-NasÄʾī (d. 303/915) recorded it in his compendium.3 Al-ḤÄkim al-NaysÄbÅ«rÄ« (d. 405/1014) recorded it in his Mustadrak and evaluated it as authentic by the standard of Muslim, though the latter did not record it in his work. Nevertheless, the great ḥadÄ«th scholar and verifier, Ibn Ḥajar al-Ê¿AsqalÄnÄ« (d. 852/1448), treated it as a considerable one (ḥasan) (Ibn Ḥajar al-Ê¿AsqalÄnÄ« 1995, 3:249).
In the primary thematic sources of ḥadÄ«th, the ḥadÄ«th of taḥbÄ«b has been cited to highlight various issues including the status of á¹£alÄt (prayer) in Islam as found in Muḥammad b. Naá¹£r al-MarwazÄ«âs (d. 294/906) TaÊ¿áºÄ«m Qadr al-á¹¢alÄt (âThe Aggrandisement of the Status of Prayerâ) (al-MarwazÄ« 1986, 1:331). Al-MarwazÄ« stated that á¹£alÄt is the most significant act of worship in the eyes of AllÄh; thus, He made it dearer to His dearest servant. It is also recorded as an encouragement towards marriage in the book of NikÄḥ (âMarriageâ), in AbÅ« Ê¿AwÄnaâs (d. 316/928) Mustakhraj (âThe Extractedâ) and al-BayḥaqÄ«âs (d. 458/1066) al-Sunan al-KubrÄ (âThe Great Sunnasâ).4 Unlike the latter, the former gave quite a long title for his chapter to project the ḥadÄ«th as an instruction by the Prophet to all Muslims to marry more than one wife whenever possible, to bring forth more good people into their community. For al-NasÄʾī, the ḥadÄ«th instructs men to observe fair treatment of women. Therefore, he included it in the chapter of KitÄb Ê¿Ishrat al-NisÄʾ (âKind Treatment of Womenâ) under the subheading of BÄb Ḥubb al-NisÄʾ (âLoving Women/Wivesâ).
On the other hand, the part of the ḥadÄ«th regarding fragrance has been the concern of other ḥadÄ«th compilers such as Ê¿Abd al-RazzÄq (d. 211/827) and AbÅ« l-Shaykh (d. 369/979) (al-Aá¹£bahÄnÄ« 1998, 2:58). The former presented it in a chapter titled BÄb al-Marʾa Tuá¹£allÄ« wa-Laysa fÄ« RaqabatihÄ QilÄda wa-Taá¹ayyub al-RijÄl (âA Woman Prays without a Necklace on Her Neck and Perfume of Menâ) in his Muá¹£annaf (âThe Topically Arrangedâ), whereas the latter employed it in a chapter titled BÄb Dhikr Maḥabbatihi lil-Ṭībi wa-Taá¹ayyubihi bihi (âThe Mention of the Prophetâs Love for Perfumesâ). Quite intriguingly, Ibn AbÄ« Ê¿Äá¹£im (d.287/900) in his collection on asceticism alluded to the fact that wives and perfumes could not be considered as something against asceticism. His chapter is titled BÄb Ḥubbiba ilayya min DunyÄkum al-NisÄʾ wa-l-Ṭīb (âWives and Perfumes are Made Dearer to Me [the Prophet]â) (Ibn AbÄ« Ê¿Äá¹£im 1988, 1:119). The ḥadÄ«th was also recorded in the Musnad (âThe Supportedâ) of Aḥmad b. Ḥanbal (d. 241/855) and al-MuÊ¿jam al-Awsaá¹ (âThe Middle Sized MuÊ¿jamâ) of al-ṬabarÄnÄ« (d. 360/971) on the authority of Anas b. MÄlik (Aḥmad b. Ḥanbal 2001, 19:305; al-ṬabarÄnÄ« 1995, 5:241).
Though the scholars have no serious disagreement on the authenticity of the ḥadÄ«th, they have different opinions regarding its textual form. The most significant amongst such debates is the one concerning the number âthreeâ (thalÄth) found in some versions of the ḥadÄ«th, i.e., âthree things from your dunyÄ are made dear to me.â While scholars like Ibn FÅ«rak (d. 406/1015), al-KalÄbÄdhÄ« (d. 380/990) and al-GhazÄlÄ« (d. 505/1111) have tried to justify it, others like Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya (d. 751/1350) have argued that it is not part of the original ḥadÄ«th; instead, it was later added into the text.5 According to Ibn Ḥajar al-Ê¿AsqalÄnÄ« and others, the addition âthreeâ was not found in any primary sources of the ḥadÄ«th. It was only found in some non-ḥadÄ«th expertsâ works such as IḥyÄʾ Ê¿UlÅ«m al-DÄ«n (âThe Revival of Religious Sciencesâ) of al-GhazÄlÄ« and al-KashshÄf (âThe Revealerâ) of al-ZamakhsharÄ« (al-SakhÄwÄ« 1985, 1:292).
Finally, another genre that could be said to have also pursued the debate on the literal form of the ḥadÄ«th is the genre of al-aḥÄdÄ«th al-mushtahira (viral ḥadÄ«th). Some of the works of this genre include al-MaqÄá¹£id al-Ḥasana (âThe Good Purposesâ) of al-SakhÄwÄ« (al-SakhÄwÄ« 1985, 1:292) and Kashf al-KhafÄʾ (âUncovering the Hiddenâ) of al-Ê¿AjlÅ«nÄ« (d. 1162/1749) (al-Ê¿AjlÅ«nÄ« 2000, 1:391â393). The authors validated the ḥadÄ«th by referring to various narrations and additions found in different reports. However, both affirmed that the addition of the words âthree thingsâ was not found in any narrations recorded in the primary sources. For them, this addition affects the meaning of the ḥadÄ«th because prayer should not be qualified as one of the worldly matters. Nevertheless, al-Ê¿AjlÅ«nÄ«, a later contributor to this genre, did not object to the views of those who report and interpret the âthree things.â He attempted to justify that the third of the three things could have been omitted from the narration. It could be retrieved from a version reported by Aḥmad b. Ḥanbal on the authority of Ê¿Äʾisha (d. 58/678), which reads, âHe likes three things from this world: women, perfumes, and food. He gained two but not the third. He got women and perfumes but not the foodâ (al-Ê¿AjlÅ«nÄ« 2000, 1:391â393).
3 Ḥadīth of Taḥbīb: Interpretations in Ḥadīth Commentaries
In the pre-JÄ«lÄnÄ« era, Sufis and people of zuhd were the individuals most interested in this ḥadÄ«th. After al-JÄ«lÄnÄ«, the ḥadÄ«th of taḥbÄ«b can be said to have gained wider attention. The main reason could be the increasing scholarly engagements with the Sunan of al-NasÄʾī. Another secondary source of the ḥadÄ«th, which has also attracted numerous great exegetes to advance worthful discussions about its meaning, is al-ShifÄ (âThe Healingâ) of al-QÄá¸Ä« Ê¿IyÄḠ(d. 544/1149). The ḥadÄ«th was considered as a part of the shamÄʾil (qualities and attributes) of the Prophet, particularly concerning his marital life. Continuous discussion on the ḥadÄ«th within this genre could be appreciated from al-MawÄhib al-Ladunniyya (âThe Divine Providencesâ) of al-Qasá¹allÄnÄ« (d. 686/1287). On the other hand, scholars of jurisprudence deduced rulings on fragrance from the ḥadÄ«th. Due to the multidimensional nature of its interpretation, debates surrounding the ḥadÄ«th will be tackled in several sections as follows.
4 Zuhd and Marriage: Conflict or Harmony?
The most critical point with regards to this debate is that, as far as the available sources are concerned, no scholar has connected this ḥadÄ«th with the concepts of fanÄʾ and baqÄʾ prior to al-JÄ«lÄnÄ«. A contemporary scholar of al-JÄ«lÄnÄ«, al-QÄá¸Ä« Ê¿IyÄá¸, did discuss this ḥadÄ«th, however with an attempt to suit the ḥadÄ«th to the notion of zuhd (al-QÄá¸Ä« Ê¿IyÄḠ1987, 1:19â46). He averred that married life does not contradict with the practice of zuhd by citing the examples of married Prophets. Although there were unmarried Prophets, according to him, the ones who got married and fulfilled their family duties are deemed higher in status. Al-QÄá¸Ä« Ê¿IyÄḠperceived the ḥadÄ«th as a general promotion for marriage whereas al-JÄ«lÄnÄ« undoubtedly proclaimed that nikÄḥ is prohibited for a murÄ«d, and in terms of murÄd, he has no choice but to follow what has been determined by God.
Al-QÄá¸Ä« Ê¿IyÄá¸âs appropriation of this ḥadÄ«th to zuhd was a response to those who thought that marriage is a hindrance on the path towards AllÄh. In QÅ«á¹ al-QulÅ«b (âThe Nourishment of the Heartsâ) of AbÅ« ṬÄlib al-MakkÄ« (d. 386/996) and IḥyÄ Ê¿UlÅ«m al-DÄ«n of al-GhazÄlÄ«, imÄm Aḥmad was quoted as saying that he had debated a group of scholars regarding Ḥasan al-Baá¹£rÄ«âs (d. 110/728) claim that âif AllÄh wishes khayr (goodness) for a person He will not occupy him with family and wealthâ (al-MakkÄ« 2005, 2, 413). The well-known Sufi contemporary to Aḥmad, Bishr al-ḤÄfÄ« (d. 227/841) was not married, and when he was asked about it, he replied that he preferred to be engaged with obligatory deeds to the supererogatory ones (al-GhazÄlÄ« n.d., 2:23). The great Sufi literature, such as the two mentioned above, discusses both views that encourage or discourage marriage in detail and provide many traditions in support of both arguments.
As mentioned earlier, Ibn AbÄ« Ê¿Äá¹£im argues that wives and perfumes could not be considered as something against asceticism. Yet, other works on asceticism included a section on BÄb man Kariha al-MÄla wa-l-Walad (âDisinterest in Offspring and Wealthâ) in which some ascetics were reported to ask AllÄh to be free from offspring and wealth. Astonishingly, when those ascetics wish to pray against anyone, they will pray that AllÄh increase the personâs wealth and children, so that he will be burdened with them (Ibn al-JarrÄḥ 1984, 415â417).
On another note, the MÄlikÄ« scholar Ibn al-Ê¿ArabÄ« (d. 543/1148) attempted reconciliation by exploiting the change of condition across generations. Marriage was not a hindrance in the path of AllÄh for the early generation. However, in later times, some scholars and ascetics found that the world had become more challenging, and people became compelled to commit prohibited acts to earn their livelihood and provide for their families. Therefore, the scholars and ascetics rejected family life and preferred seclusion (Ê¿uzla). Ibn al-Ê¿ArabÄ« viewed this stance as a strong position since the Messenger of AllÄh had said: âThe best possession of a Muslim will be a herd of sheep with which he retires to the top of a mountain or places where rain is expected to fall (pastures), in order to safeguard his faith from tribulation.â6 However, he made it clear that there is no monasticism in Islam as found in Christianity, and one is not supposed to immerse in worship and avoid all worldly matters, including the family. The scholars who seem to favour a life similar to monasticism were actually referring to extraordinary circumstances due to the widespread of crisis (Ibn al-Ê¿ArabÄ« 2003, 3:144).
The tenth/seventeenth century scholar al-GhazzÄ« (d. 1061/1651) also quoted this ḥadÄ«th to change the perception of people who manipulated the sayings of early scholars to discourage marriage, and to depict it as an act contradictory to asceticism. He treated all these statements as conditional; when a marriage diverts a personâs attention from obeying AllÄh and from abiding by His rules, then it is a hindrance in the path of worshipping AllÄh. Any comforts with wives and fragrance in this world could not be treated generally as blameworthy. However, he did not provide explanation on how they deviate man from the straight path and how a person can overcome them (al-GhazzÄ« 2011, 1:184).
A pro-SalafÄ« contemporary interpreter, Ê¿Abd al-RaḥmÄn NÄá¹£ir al-BarrÄk (b. 1933â1934) used this ḥadÄ«th to criticise Ibn Rajab al-ḤanbalÄ«âs (d. 795/1392) position on Kalimat al-IkhlÄá¹£ (âThe Word of Devotionâ). Ibn Rajab stated that âthe Ê¿ÄrifÅ«n have no engagements other than what they have with their Lord and no concerns about something other than Him â¦â According al-BarrÄk, it is nothing but an utterance of some extreme ascetics who transcended the limits with a wrong ijtihÄd due to their ignorance. Al-BarrÄk criticised this position on the ground that it contradicts the ḥadÄ«th of taḥbÄ«b. He finds no issue in engaging with family, children, and other lawful comforts. However, unlike his predecessors, he resorts to criticising Ibn Rajab instead of offering a reconciling interpretation (al-BarrÄk 2014, 110).
5 Material World: Love or Curse?
In his commentary, al-QÄá¸Ä« Ê¿IyÄḠhad given attention to the apparent contradiction between this ḥadÄ«th and the Islamic concept of cursing the material world (dunyÄ), since this ḥadÄ«th treats three things among worldly matters and depicts the dunyÄ as the loved one. Therefore, he noted that the Prophet did not see women and perfume as his worldly matters, but he used the words âyour worldly matters.â This was concluded from the addition found in some versions, i.e., the phrase ḥubbiba ilayya min dunyÄkum, which means some of your worldly matters that have been made dear to me.7 According to al-QÄá¸Ä« Ê¿IyÄá¸, the Prophet perceived these matters as his Äkhira (the Hereafter) affairs since a Muslim can convert any worldly matter to that of the Hereafter by having the right niyya (insight). Nevertheless, a question remains due to this interpretation â it leaves no specific reason to the mention of only these two things since all worldly matters share the same potential of convertibility.
Other interpretations offered to solve this contradiction are those by al-KalÄbÄdhÄ« and al-GhazÄlÄ«. Al-KalÄbÄdhÄ« opines that the article âminâ in the ḥadÄ«th could be given the meaning of âfÄ«â which then indicates that women, fragrance, and prayer are the three things made dear to the Prophet during his life in this world (ḥubbiba ilayya wa-anÄ fÄ« l-dunyÄ), but they are not part of this world. Unlike later ḥadÄ«th scholars, he treated the word three as a part of the ḥadÄ«th and tried to answer two questions simultaneously: firstly, how can the Prophet love something that is a part of this world? and secondly, how can prayers be attributed as a part of this material world? Hence, these non-worldly affairs are made dear in this world while he was here. He further elaborated that this ḥadÄ«th indicates a very high stage of Ê¿ubÅ«diyya (worship) achieved by the Prophet. Prayer is the most elegant form of glorification (taÊ¿áºÄ«m) of AllÄh, and this ḥadÄ«th implies that the Prophet had attained it. The other two matters, women and fragrance, represent excellent interaction with the creations of AllÄh, which should be done by fulfilling their due rights as well as being kind and generous towards them. He further added that fragrance is amongst the rights of the angels, and the Prophet was applying it to fulfil their rights. Indeed, the Prophet himself is the most beautiful fragrance in this world and he does not need any fragrance (al-KalÄbÄdhÄ« 1999, 25). In short, al-KalÄbÄdhÄ« attempted to establish that the love mentioned in this ḥadÄ«th was not a mere love of comforts in the material world, rather it was part of achieving the finest form of Ê¿ubÅ«diyya and excellent dealing with others.
Al-GhazÄlÄ« also viewed this ḥadÄ«th as apparently contradicting with the basic principles of asceticism and Sufism, discussing it in the book of Dhamm al-DunyÄ (âCondemnation of the Worldlyâ). He argued that the things found in the dunyÄ are of mainly three categories, the first of which are the things that will go to the next world, such as oneâs knowledge and actions. By knowledge he means the recognition of God, His attributes, His actions and His sovereignty over heaven and earth, and by actions, the actions done for the sake of God. To him, though it is part of the dunyÄ, it is not blameworthy but praiseworthy. To substantiate his position, he cited the ḥadÄ«th of taḥbÄ«b. Even though prayer is classified with the dunyÄ, it is an action done in the dunyÄ for the Äkhira. Consequently, actions related to marriage and using fragrance, although mentioned as part of the dunyÄ, do not fall into the category of a blameworthy dunyÄ (al-GhazÄlÄ« n.d., 23).
6 Jurisprudential Perspective
In dealing with the ḥadÄ«th of taḥbÄ«b, most of the scholars of jurisprudence focused on the subject of fragrance. The MÄlikÄ« Ibn al-Ê¿ArabÄ« referenced this ḥadÄ«th in his interpretation of al-Muwaá¹á¹aʾ (âThe Well-Trodden Pathâ), titled KitÄb al-Qabas (âThe Book of Allusionâ), to explain away other ḥadÄ«th that claimed the Prophet applied perfumes during ḥajj whilst it is considered a prohibition to do so during such ritual. Ibn al-Ê¿ArabÄ« grouped different opinions of scholars into four, the first of which is that applying perfumes while performing ḥajj and Ê¿umra is an exclusive right (khuṣūṣiyya) of the Prophet. It is allowed exclusively to him because it was specifically made dear to him by AllÄh. Ibn al-Ê¿ArabÄ« further observed that the Prophet was given some privileges regarding whatever was made dear to him. In terms of prayer, it was obligatory for him to pray at night whilst it was only supererogatory for others. Likewise, he was allowed to marry more than four wives, as well as conduct his marriages without the presence of guardians and witnesses. Therefore, according to Ibn al-Ê¿ArabÄ«, it is not strange to have a special privilege for the Prophet in applying perfume during pilgrimage (Ibn al-Ê¿ArabÄ« 1992, 1:553). Ibn al-Ê¿ArabÄ« also discussed this ḥadÄ«th in his commentary on JÄmiÊ¿ al-TirmidhÄ« (âThe Compilation of al-TirmidhÄ«â) explaining that the Prophet never rejected perfume when it was offered to him because he needed it and at the same time, it was made dear to him, combining need and love here. It is possible in his case to reject things other than perfume if there is any reason to do so (Ibn al-Ê¿ArabÄ« n.d., 10:236). Obviously, the Prophet does not need fragrance since he himself is fragrant, therefore, by âneed,â Ibn al-Ê¿ArabÄ« might have intended his need to fulfill the rights of angels as mentioned above.
7 Taḥbīb as a Sublime Quality of the Prophet
As seen above, some jurists and Sufis have considered this ḥadÄ«th as addressing a specific privilege of the Prophet. While al-KalÄbÄdhÄ« treated it as an indication of the most excellent form of human being reserved for the Prophet, Ibn al-Ê¿ArabÄ« treated it as a reason for a concession to marrying more than four wives and applying perfumes during pilgrimage. Likewise, this ḥadÄ«th has been much discussed as part of the Prophetâs shamÄʾil (sublime qualities of the Prophet). Al-SuyÅ«á¹Ä« (d. 911/1505), in his commentary on Sunan al-NasÄʾī (âThe Traditions of al-NasÄʾīâ), investigates the wisdom behind the taḥbÄ«b from two different angles. On the one hand, it is a balÄʾ (hardship from God) because world matters have been made dear to a person whereas he needs to dedicate his love solely to God. Therefore, life has become the most challenging task for him. On the other hand, when the enemy of the Prophet accused him as being a sÄḥir (sorcerer), or a poet who was oblivious to ordinary life, he became concerned with worldly matters to refute their claims. In that sense, it is not a hardship, but rather a mercy from God (al-SuyÅ«á¹Ä« 1986, 61â63).
Al-SindÄ« (d. 170/787) added that the divine wisdom behind the Prophetâs love towards women was educational. His wives could convey many lessons from his private affairs to the coming generations. As for the perfume, it was the dearest thing to the angels and as a prophet who dealt with angels, he was using it to please them. Al-SindÄ« infers that his ḥubb was not a mere love of worldly matters, but by doing so, he was fulfilling some noble objectives. However, the coolness of the eyes is located in the Prophetâs conversation with God during his prayers. It conveys the idea that if a worldly pleasure hinders the love towards God, it is not a praiseworthy thing. It is only laudable when it enhances the love towards God (al-SindÄ« 1986, 61â62).
On another part, most of the interpreters of MishkÄt al-Maá¹£Äbīḥ (âThe Niche of Lampsâ) such Ê¿Abd al-Ḥaqq al-DihlawÄ« (d. 1052/1642) and Ê¿AlÄ« l-QÄrÄ« (d. 1014/1606) also elaborated on the meaning of the ḥadÄ«th. They have given some attention to the word âḥubbibaâ as it denotes that the love did not originate from the Prophetâs nature or self, but that AllÄh compelled him to be so as a mercy for mankind (al-DihlawÄ« 2014, 8:480; Ê¿AlÄ« l-QÄrÄ« 2002, 8:3294). Though both of them were seen as coming from Sufi backgrounds, they did not relate taḥbÄ«b with the Sufi concepts of baqÄʾ and fanÄʾ as found with al-JÄ«lÄnÄ«.
In Nuzhat al-MajÄlis wa-Muntakhab al-NafÄʾis (âUnwinding Councils and Precious Selectionsâ), al-á¹¢affÅ«rÄ« (d. 894/1489) narrated a background story, without any isnÄd, to offer context for the ḥadÄ«th. It says that when the Prophet mentioned this ḥadÄ«th, AbÅ« Bakr (d. 13/634), Ê¿Umar (d. 23/644), Ê¿UthmÄn (d. 35/656) and Ê¿AlÄ« (d. 40/661) responded one after another by citing the things that were made dear to them. AbÅ« Bakr said that he was made to love three things from this world â to sit in front of the Prophet, to recite á¹£alawÄt (prayers) upon him and to spend his wealth for him. Thereupon Ê¿Umar said: âI was made to love three things from this world; commanding good, forbidding evil, and establishing the ḥudÅ«d (the prescribed punishments).â Then Ê¿UthmÄn responded that he was made to love feeding the hungry, spreading salÄm (peace greeting), and praying at night while people are sleeping. Finally, Ê¿AlÄ« said: âI was made to love three things from this world; fighting with the sword, fasting in summer and serving guests.â Then the angel Gabriel informed the Prophet about things that he was made to love, saying: âI was made to love descending upon Prophets, carrying the message to Messengers, and praising AllÄh the Lord of the Worlds.â Then AllÄh informed the Prophet about the three things that He likes most: a tongue that always recites dhikr, a thankful heart and a body that is patient during hardship (al-á¹¢affÅ«rÄ« 1867, 1:52â53). Al-á¹¢affÅ«rÄ« commented that when this ḥadÄ«th reached the four eponymous founders of the legal madhÄhib (legal schools), AbÅ« ḤanÄ«fa (d. 150/767) was reported to say: âI was made to love acquiring knowledge throughout the nights, avoiding self-praise and arrogance, and having a heart that avoids the love of dunyÄ.â MÄlik (d. 179/796) also related the three things that were made dear to him: being a neighbour to the Prophetâs grave, attachment with his soil, and paying respect to his relatives (ahl al-bayt). Al-ShÄfiÊ¿Ä« (d. 204/820) said that he was made to love dealing with people with compassion, avoiding things that lead to pretentiousness, and following the way of taá¹£awwuf. Aḥmad responded that he was made to love following the Prophet in his sayings, seeking Godâs blessings with his lights, and embarking on the path of his examples (al-á¹¢affÅ«rÄ« 1867, 1:52â53). Indeed, al-á¹¢affÅ«rÄ«âs extended story includes many of the major early Islamic figures, truly providing a lesson of âthreeâ important loveable actions for later generations.
This long narration was repeated with some variations in al-Qasá¹allÄnÄ«âs al-MawÄhib al-Laduniyya and al-Ê¿AjlÅ«nÄ«âs Kashf al-KhafÄʾ. Though the authenticity is questionable, this provides another unique understanding of the ḥadÄ«th. It indicates that the things made dearer to people could be of anything apart from women and perfume. In a sense, it is congruent with al-JÄ«lÄnÄ«âs concept of taḥbÄ«b where certain worldly pleasures are made dearer to specific individuals (al-Ê¿AjlÅ«nÄ« 2000, 1:391â393; al-Qasá¹allÄnÄ« n.d., 2:221).
8 Theosophical Perspective
It is not surprising to find that the one who treated this ḥadÄ«th from a theosophical perspective was the renowned Sufi luminary MuḥyÄ« l-DÄ«n Ibn al-Ê¿ArabÄ«. He interpreted this ḥadÄ«th in Fuṣūṣ al-Ḥikam (âBezels of Wisdomâ) appropriating it to a theosophical system called by others as âthe unity of beingâ (waḥdat al-wujÅ«d). Starting with Adam, each of the 27 chapters of Fuṣūṣ is dedicated to a Prophet mentioned in the QurʾÄn. The chapters are based on a specific QurʾÄnic verse or Prophetic ḥadÄ«th that describes the characteristics of the respective Prophet. The final chapter is dedicated to the last Prophet Muḥammad, and its entire discussion is based on the ḥadÄ«th of taḥbÄ«b.
According to Ibn al-Ê¿ArabÄ«, all things are reflections of a unique and unified Absolute Reality, God. Some things are a greater manifestation compared to others, such as the Prophets amongst other creatures and Prophet Muḥammad amongst other Prophets â he is the highest manifestation. He also believed that a woman is the one who completes a manâs recognition of the divine, and a manâs witnessing of God in a woman is the most excellent witnessing. After quoting the first part of the ḥadÄ«th, âthree things from your dunyÄ are made dear to me,â Ibn al-Ê¿ArabÄ« said that among the three, AllÄh started with women even before prayer due to this state (BÄlÄ« ZÄdah 2002, 312â313). Unlike other interpreters, he gave much attention to the order stated in the ḥadÄ«th. To him, knowing a woman is part of knowing oneâs self since she is an excellent manifestation of the oneness of being. Only those who achieve that knowledge can reach the core of prayer, which is a part of knowing God. Whoever knows himself knows his Lord. According to him:
When man witnesses AllÄh in women, his witnessing is in the passive; when he witnesses Him in himself, regarding the appearance of woman from Him, he witnesses Him in the active. When he witnesses Him from himself without the presence of any from him, his witnessing is in the passive directly from AllÄh without any intermediary. So, his witnessing of AllÄh in the woman is the most complete and perfect because he witnesses AllÄh inasmuch as He is both active and passive. For this reason, the Prophet, may AllÄh bless him and grant him peace, loved women.
Ibn ʿArabī 2014, 128
According to his interpretation, the love of women is not a matter of worldly pleasure; instead, it is a medium for acquiring the ultimate knowledge about God, which is called maʿrifa (gnosis). He further argued that every subject yearns for its origin. Man yearns for his Lord8 because He created man in His image by blowing His rūḥ (spirit). God loves him, who is in His image. Likewise, He makes loveable to man the woman whom He extracted for him from him and who appeared in His image. When a man loves a woman, he desires their union, and the best way to achieve it is through marriage. Ibn al-ʿArabī states:
When a man loves a woman, he seeks union with her, that is to say the most complete union possible in love, and there is in the elemental sphere no greater union than that between the sexes. It is [precisely] because such desire pervades all his parts that man is commanded to perform the major ablution. Thus, the purification is total, just as his annihilation in her was total at the moment of consummation. God is jealous of his servant that he should find pleasure in any but Him, so He purifies him by the ablution, so that he might once again behold Him in the one in whom he was annihilated, since it is none other than He Whom he sees in her.
Ibn ʿArabī 2014, 128
In terms of the fragrance (á¹Ä«b), the Prophet mentioned it after women because women are the best perfume. They have fragrance in their form (takwÄ«n) itself, and the best perfume is the embracement of the well-beloved (Ibn Ê¿ArabÄ« 2014, 128).
Ultimately, within the domain of ḥadÄ«th literature, the association of taḥbÄ«b with the concepts of fanÄʾ and baqÄʾ was only found in the writings of Ê¿Abd al-Raʾūf al-MunÄwÄ« (d. 1031/1622), an Ottoman scholar from Cairo. He was known for his works on the early history of Islam and the history of Sufism in Egypt, and he was also a disciple of al-ShaÊ¿rÄnÄ« (d. 973/1565). In his seminal work, FayḠal-QadÄ«r (âRevelation of the Omnipotentâ), al-MunÄwÄ« mentions that some scholars have related taḥbÄ«b with fanÄʾ and baqÄʾ and, to them, the ḥadÄ«th refers to a state after fanÄʾ. When an aspirant annihilates in God without having any personal intention and desire, God places some worldly matters in his mind. Yet, al-MunÄwÄ« did not mention al-JÄ«lÄnÄ« by name. Nevertheless, it is after al-MunÄwÄ« that this concept found extensive elaboration in ḥadÄ«th interpretive discourse (al-MunÄwÄ« 1937, 3:371).
9 ḤadÄ«th al-TaḥbÄ«b in al-JÄ«lÄnÄ«âs Works
The ḥadÄ«th of taḥbÄ«b was mentioned two times in al-Fatḥ al-RabbÄnÄ« and once in Futūḥ al-Ghayb.9 In al-Fatḥ, the ḥadÄ«th has been quoted as: âI was made to love from your world women and perfume, and the delight of my eyes has always been in the prayer.â In some latest editions of al-Fatḥ, there is an addition of the words âthree things,â i.e., âI was made to love three things from your world;â however, they were absent in the earliest one. The addition was also found in the early editions of Futūḥ al-Ghayb. This addition has caught the attention of many ḥadÄ«th scholars since it raises some questions as explained above.
The apparent meaning that an ordinary reader gets from the ḥadÄ«th is that the Prophet likes perfumes and women, yet he still found real happiness whilst performing prayers. Qurrat al-Ê¿ayn (literally, the coolness of the eyes) is an Arabic metaphor for enjoyment as the tears become cold when a person becomes extremely happy (Ibn ManáºÅ«r 1993, 12:582).
In the seventh discourse on âpatienceâ in al-Fatḥ al-RabbÄnÄ«, a lecture that al-JÄ«lÄnÄ« delivered in his ribÄá¹ (Sufi lodge) on 17 ShawwÄl 545 (13 February 1151), he elaborated on the ḥadÄ«th of taḥbÄ«b uttering the following:
Hate all things and love the creator of all things. Then if He makes you love one of the things you have hated, you may do so in safety, because He is the one giving rise to the love, not you. This is why the Prophet, AllÄh bless him and give him peace, said: âI have been made to love three things: perfume, women, and the coolness of my eyes (chief comfort) is in the prayer.â He was made to love them after disliking, forsaking, renouncing, and shunning them. You must now rid your heart of everything aside from Him until He makes you love whatever part thereof, He will.
Ê¿Abd al-QÄdir al-JÄ«lÄnÄ« 1992, trans. Holland, 61
Again, in his speech on ârenouncing worldly affairsâ on 19 DhÅ« l-Ḥijja 545 (15 April 1151), he quoted the same ḥadÄ«th saying:
When a person is sincere (á¹£Ädiq) in his asceticism, his allotted shares (of worldly things) come to him. He receives them and uses them to clothe himself outwardly, while his heart is filled with abstemiousness toward them and other such things. This is why our Prophet Muḥammad, AllÄh bless him and give him peace, was more ascetic than Jesus, blessings and peace be upon him, and the other Prophets, blessings and peace be upon them, although he did say: âI have been made to love three things belonging to this world of yours: perfume, women and my chief comfort is given in prayer.â
He loved all these, despite his abstemiousness towards them and other things, because they were part of his allotted share, of which his Lord, almighty and Glorious is He, had foreknowledge. So, he accepted them in fulfilment of the (Lordâs) commandment. Carrying out that commandment is obedience, so whoever receives his allotted shares in this manner is in a state of obedience, even if he is fully involved in this world.
Ê¿Abd al-QÄdir al-JÄ«lÄnÄ« 1992, trans. Holland, 178
In the two quotes above, al-JÄ«lÄnÄ« did not connect the ḥadÄ«th to the concepts of fanÄʾ and baqÄʾ, two well-known concepts in Sufism. However, in Futūḥ al-Ghayb, the ḥadÄ«th was discussed in the sixth discourse on al-fanÄʾ Ê¿an al-khalq (vanishing from the creature). Apart from this, two other stages of fanÄʾ were explained here: vanishing from desires, and vanishing from oneâs own will, together with the signs of each stage. For the first, a person should completely avoid all social contact with people to free his mind from desiring what they possess (al-JÄ«lÄnÄ« 1973, 14). For the second, it is a sign to discard all efforts for, and contact, with worldly means in acquiring any benefits and avoiding any harms. Al-JÄ«lÄnÄ« explained it as:
to not move oneself in oneâs own interest and to not rely on oneself in matters concerning oneself and to not protect oneself nor help oneself, instead, leave the entire things to God; because He had the charge of it in the beginning, so will have it till the end, just as the charge rested on Him, when you were hidden in the womb (of your mother) as also when you were being suckled as a baby in the cradle.
al-JÄ«lÄnÄ« 1973, 14
The sign of vanishing from oneâs will is to maintain the passivity of the organs of his body and the calmness of his heart at the time of the manifestation of the will and act of God, without entertaining any resolve or having any desire. This passivity is not unique to taḥbÄ«b, rather it is discussed with the highest level of almost all other Sufi concepts, for example, riá¸Ä (satisfaction) (Khalil 2014, 378). At this moment, one will not have any feeling of internal need nor any purpose, God will be his only objective (al-JÄ«lÄnÄ« n.d., trans. Ahmad, 31â32).
Passing these three stages, an aspirant will reach into a phase called baqÄʾ (subsistence). Al-JÄ«lÄnÄ« explains the ultimate stage, baqÄʾ, an aspirant reaches by passing through the above-mentioned three different levels:
After this experience, you will never remain broken down. Neither any sensual desire nor any will remain in you like a broken vessel that retains neither any water nor any dreg. And you will be devoid of all human actions so that your inner self will accept nothing but the will of God. At this stage, miracles and supernatural things will be ascribed to you. These things will be seen as if proceeding from you when in fact they will be acts of God and His will.
Thus, you will be admitted to the company of those whose hearts have been smashed and their animal passions have vanished. Hence, they have been inspired by the Divine will and new desires of daily existence. It is about this stage that the Holy Prophet PBUH, says: âThree things have been made dearer to me â¦â
al-JÄ«lÄnÄ« n.d., trans Ahmad, 31â32
In his work, al-Ghunya li-ṬÄlibÄ« ṬarÄ«q al-Ḥaqq (âRichness for the Seeker of the Truthâ), al-JÄ«lÄnÄ« does not reference the ḥadÄ«th neither to encourage marital life nor to promote the use of perfumes as many early and later scholars had done. Unlike his two works mentioned above, al-Ghunya focuses on human faith and actions in day-to-day affairs, including the etiquette of marriage. While readers would expect to find the ḥadÄ«th in the work, with the scholar exploiting its popular sense of promoting marital life and perfuming, this was not the case. Al-JÄ«lÄnÄ«âs neglect of the ḥadÄ«th in al-Ghunya while having given detailed discussion in the other two works supports the perception that he did not give any attention to its apparent and popular meaning.
10 Al-JÄ«lÄnÄ«âs Interpretation of the ḤadÄ«th and TaḥbÄ«b
In his interpretation of the ḥadÄ«th, al-JÄ«lÄnÄ« focuses on the word âḥubbibaâ which means made to love. Given this passive form, a reader would become curious about the actor who influences the Prophet. Who made those things dearer to him? There are four possible answers; he is either controlled by his own passion, by his hawÄ (desire), by Satan, or by God. For Muslims, the first three are impossible in the case of the Prophet, for a prophet could not be a person who is driven by his desire, passion, or Satan. The basics of Islamic teachings emphasise disobeying satanic inspirations; therefore, it could not be expected from a prophet. The only remaining possibility is God, the Almighty. If that is the case, further clarification is much needed.
Although some scholars have tried to elaborate on the word ḥubbiba, they confine this ḥadÄ«th to the life of the Prophet, as can be learned from the aforementioned discussions of the pre- and post-JÄ«lÄnÄ« interpretations. However, al-JÄ«lÄnÄ« generalised taḥbÄ«b by describing it as a stage in a Sufiâs life, which contributes a significant addition in the ḥadÄ«th interpretive discourse and Sufi tradition. He says: â⦠Thus you will be admitted to the company of those whose hearts have been smashed and their animal passions have vanished.â Hence, they have been inspired by the Divine will and new desires of daily existence. It is about this stage that the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings of AllÄh be upon him, says âThree things have been made dearer to me â¦â (al-JÄ«lÄnÄ« n.d., trans. Ahmad, 31â32). That means a Sufi may be made to enjoy certain worldly pleasures after struggling through various stages of asceticism (zuhd) to eventually end up in the ultimate goal, fanÄʾ. At this stage, God will make him long for some worldly comforts according to His will â and this can be concluded as an act of taḥbÄ«b.
Al-JÄ«lÄnÄ« applies this concept even to marriage, which is generally perceived as an act of Sunna by the majority of scholars. It indicates that if an act is not an obligatory one, it would be subjected to this theory as well. That is very clear from the application of this concept in his own life. Nevertheless, in his commentary on al-JÄ«lÄnÄ«âs Futūḥ al-Ghayb, Ibn Taymiyya (d. 728/1328) attempted to reconcile this theory, and the concept of fanÄʾ in general, with the principles of SharÄ«Ê¿a by reducing them to worldly affairs usually treated as merely permissible (mubÄḥ) and not as praiseworthy in Islam. For Ibn Taymiyya, something which is praiseworthy should not be forbidden, even according to the path of Sufism. However, this could be regarded as a bend of al-JÄ«lÄnÄ«âs thought, as it does not bode well with what al-JÄ«lÄnÄ« himself had proposed and explained, or how he applied it in his own life (Ibn Taymiyya n.d., 31).
11 The Exemplification of the Concept in al-JÄ«lÄnÄ«âs Personal Life
Al-JÄ«lÄnÄ« seems to have believed that he had reached the prime stage of Sufism, fanÄʾ, wherein a Sufi will experience taḥbÄ«b in his life. A perfect example for this is his own marriage life. Although Islam encourages marriage, as in various QurʾÄnic verses and Prophetic ḥadÄ«ths, a Sufiâs understanding of marriage is quite different from that of the layman. When al-JÄ«lÄnÄ« was asked about marriage, he answered â after giving a brief remark on its jurisprudential aspect â that, from a Sufi perspective, marriage is prohibited for a murÄ«d, a person who strives in the path of God and has not achieved his goal. In terms of a murÄd, a person who has reached the prime stage of Sufism, AllÄh will engage him either with marriage or with something else, and he need not bother about it (al-JÄ«lÄnÄ« 1988, 345).
The above two Sufi terminologies (fanÄʾ and taḥbÄ«b), indicate two different stages in Sufism. However, once a Sufi reaches the paramount, he has no choice to wish something for himself. Instead, AllÄh will wish for him something and make him love it, and he will wholeheartedly accept it. After getting married in his forties, al-JÄ«lÄnÄ« was addressed with several questions concerning his marriage. He then answered: âI waited for consent from the Prophet until he suggested [to] me to do so [the Prophet appeared to him in a dream]. Then I married four wives. Therefore, they never became a hindrance in my spiritual pathâ (al-SuhrawardÄ« 1971, 1:343). The marriage, thus, was instructed. One could also notice from al-JÄ«lÄnÄ«âs response that he considered the Prophetâs instruction through dreams as one of the signs of taḥbÄ«b.
Another exemplification of taḥbīb theory in his life were his own lectures in which he says:
AllÄhâs destiny made me sit here although I did not wish to do it. O pupils, I have spoken out, but you are running away and not practising! My name in other countries is akhras (dumb, mute). I used to pretend to be crazy, dumb, or unable to speak Arabic, but it was not correct for me. Destiny brought me out here to you. I was in the underground storage bins when it pulled me out and made me sit on the lecture seat.
al-JÄ«lÄnÄ« 1992, trans. Holland, 398; al-JÄ«lÄnÄ« 1988, 235
Similar expressions about him being exposed can be found in many places in his two major works, al-Fatḥ and Futūḥ. This association with people has been justified as wujÅ«d (existence) after fanÄʾ (annihilation). It is also represented by other terminologies such as basá¹ (expansion) after qabḠ(contraction), and jamÊ¿ (gathering) after tafriqa (separation), and á¹£aḥw (sobriety) after sukr (intoxication) (al-JÄ«lÄnÄ« 1988, 213, 173, 364).
How does AllÄh make a person who reached that stage love worldly affairs and how do we know whether God or others caused that inclination? These are questions that arise from the points mentioned above. As previously mentioned, sometimes the Prophet comes in a dream and gives direction to symbolise taḥbÄ«b. A similar experience was reported to occur to the early Sufi, AbÅ« l-QÄsim al-Junayd (d. 297/910) (al-JÄ«lÄnÄ« 1988, 356). Interestingly, al-JÄ«lÄnÄ« himself was confronted with these questions as related in the sixty-first discourse in al-Fatḥ al-RabbÄnÄ«. Al-JÄ«lÄnÄ«âs reply was:
How to explain to you what notions are? Your notions come from the devil (shayá¹Än), natural impulses (á¹abÊ¿), the passion (hawÄ) and this world. Your interest (hamm) and concern are whatever is more important to you (ahammaka). Your notions correspond in kind to your interest while it is active. A notion (khÄá¹ir) inspired by the Lord of Truth (Almighty and Glorious is He) comes only to the heart, free from anything apart from Him. He said: AllÄh forbid that we should seize anyone except him with whom we found our property (Q 12:79). If AllÄh and His remembrance (dhikr) are present with you, your heart will certainly be filled with His nearness, and the notions suggested by the devil, the passions and this world will all avoid your company. There is a kind of notion belonging to this world and a notion belonging to the Hereafter. There is a notion belonging to the angels, and a notion belonging to the lower self (nafs), and a notion belonging to the heart. There is also a notion belonging to the Lord of Truth (Almighty and glorious is He). If you reject the notion of the lower self, the notion of the passions, the devilâs notion and the notion of the world, the notion of the Hereafter will come to you. Then you will receive the angelâs notion, then finally the notion of the Lord of Turth (Almighty and Glorious is He). This is the ultimate stage.
al-JÄ«lÄnÄ« 1992, trans. Holland, 417
He further says:
When your heart is sound, it will pause to ask each notion as it arises: What kind of notion are you? From what source do you come? So, they will tell him in return: âI am the notion of such and such. I am a true notion from the Truth (khÄá¹ir ḥaqq min al-ḥaqq). I am a loving counsellor; the Lord of Truth (Almighty and Glorious is He) loves you so love you too. I am ambassador (safÄ«r). I am the portion of the spiritual state (ḥÄl) of the prophethood (nubuwwa).â
O young man! You must devote your attention to real knowledge (maÊ¿rifa) of AllÄh (Almighty and glorious is He), for it is the root of all that is good. If you are constant in obedience to Him, He will grant you real knowledge of Himself.
al-JÄ«lÄnÄ« 1992, trans. Holland, 418
From his lengthy explanation, it can be understood that, at a particular stage, a person will be able to differentiate between notions, whether they come from God or others. However, it is difficult to explain the form of each notion to someone who has not attained such a status. For those who have attained it, the forms are not at all relevant to them, since they can identify the notions without prior knowledge of the forms.
12 TaḥbÄ«b and the Concepts of FanÄʾ and BaqÄʾ
The state of taḥbÄ«b is a stage after fanÄʾ, and it can be perceived as a stage associated with baqÄʾ, the ultimate goal of an aspirant. FanÄʾ indicates the notion of âdying metaphorically before the real death,â which represents a breaking down of the individual ego and a recognition of the fundamental unity of God, creation, and the individual self. Individuals who have entered this enlightened state obtain awareness of the intrinsic unity (tawḥīd) between AllÄh and all that exists, including the individualâs mind. It is coupled conceptually with baqÄʾ, subsistence, the state of pure consciousness and abidance in God (see fanÄʾ and baqÄʾ in Murata 2018).
In Futūḥ al-Ghayb, al-JÄ«lÄnÄ« related taḥbÄ«b with the concept of fanÄʾ, whereas, in two other places in al-Fatḥ al-RabbÄnÄ«, he connected it with two different ideas. In one of them it is related to asceticism, as explained in the first part of this chapter. According to al-JÄ«lÄnÄ«, zuhd is the way to achieve fanÄʾ, and that is also apprehended when the statements in Futūḥ and Fath are considered together. While he talks about zuhd in Futūḥ, al-JÄ«lÄnÄ« uses the term fanÄʾ; he says âifna Ê¿an al-khalq,â that means to abstain from the creatures. The state represents the beginning of the ultimate fanÄʾ. Zuhd is fanÄʾ Ê¿an (abstain from), but the real fanÄʾ is fanÄʾ fÄ«, annihilation or dissolution in God. After fanÄʾ from people, an aspirant should go forward to fanÄʾ from desires, then, fanÄʾ from his own will. Eventually, he will acquire fanÄʾ in God.
The other context wherein this ḥadÄ«th was quoted in Fatḥ is where it was related to á¹£abr (patience) or being content with qaá¸Äʾ (divine decree) and qadar (fate). In this regard, al-JÄ«lÄnÄ« says: âHate all things and love the Creator of all things. Then, if He makes you love one of the things you have hated â¦â To hate things calls for zuhd, and only by going through different stages of zuhd, one can reach fanÄʾ in AllÄh and subsequently the stage of taḥbÄ«b.
To denote the stages of fanÄʾ, the central theme of the two books, al-JÄ«lÄnÄ« sometimes uses different words, such as inkisÄr (to be broken), and called the heart of such a person âbroken hearted.â He says:
This world belongs to one set of people, the hereafter belongs to another set of people, and the Lord of Truth (Almighty and Glorious is He) belongs to yet another set of people, namely the truly convinced believers ⦠who are grief-stricken and broken-hearted for His sake.
al-JÄ«lÄnÄ« 1992, trans. Holland, 53; al-JÄ«lÄnÄ« 1988, 37
Broken-hearted here indicates that no self-interest or intention has remained in the heart; it is broken and keeps nothing. Likewise, al-JÄ«lÄnÄ«âs statement of âal-akhdh (possess) after al-tark (renounce),â indicates that a zÄhid fears to take from this world because he fears to lose his beloved, the Almighty (al-JÄ«lÄnÄ« 1988, 362). But the one who achieved the ultimate zuhd takes from it without any fear, while gnosis emanates from Him. That appears as the meaning of his statement âal-tark zuhd wa-l-akhdh maÊ¿rifaâ (to renounce is ascetism and to possess is gnosis) (al-JÄ«lÄnÄ« 1988, 362). Whoever reaches this stage attains real happiness in this world (al-JÄ«lÄnÄ« 1988, 62).
13 Conclusion
Ê¿Abd al-QÄdir al-JÄ«lÄnÄ«, a ḤanbalÄ« Sufi scholar, can be regarded as first interpreter of the taḥbÄ«b ḥadÄ«th who blended it with two essential Sufi concepts; fanÄʾ and baqÄʾ. However, his interpretation does not attract much attention from the exegetes of ḥadÄ«th, and this was the case for five centuries, until al-MunÄwÄ« accentuated this discussion in his seminal work FayḠal-QadÄ«r. Al-JÄ«lÄnÄ«âs exposition differs from the popular understanding of the ḥadÄ«th. According to him, it could not be treated as an unconditional encouragement for marriage and perfuming, it could have pointed otherwise. Moreover, there is no point, according to him, to restrict the love mentioned in the ḥadÄ«th to only the two subjects. Instead, the ḥadÄ«th refers to a stage associated with baqÄʾ (subsistence) that an aspirant has achieved after passing through the different states of fanÄʾ (annihilation) by being persistent in asceticism. Once he achieves it, AllÄh will make him love some worldly comforts. Yet, in the case of the Prophet, women and perfumes were the things that were made dearer to him. The concept of fanÄʾ and baqÄʾ was not something new to medieval Sufism. Instead, they were already embraced by al-JÄ«lÄnÄ«âs great predecessors such as al-KharrÄz (d. 286/899) and al-Junayd. In this regard, al-JÄ«lÄnÄ«âs approach could be treated as a defensive response to those who depicted Sufis as the adversaries of the QurʾÄn and Sunna. This exploration of al-JÄ«lÄnÄ«âs idea could be appreciated as an invitation to study his attempt to substantiate other Sufi concepts with the scriptural basis, particularly the ḥadÄ«th. This study covered almost all interpretations by the exegetes of ḥadÄ«th in the pre- and post-JilÄnÄ« era. However, the influence of al-JÄ«lÄnÄ«âs new understanding of the ḥadÄ«th on Sufis themselves requires further analysis. Ultimately, the intertwinement of ḥadÄ«th and Sufism can be appreciated as a mechanism for ethical discourse as evident in the scholarship of Ê¿Abd al-QÄdir al-JÄ«lÄnÄ«.
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The ḥadÄ«th has been recorded in various corpuses including the á¹¢aḥīḥ of al-BukhÄrÄ« (see al-BukhÄrÄ« 1987, 1:15: KitÄb al-ĪmÄn (âBook of Faithâ), BÄb min al-DÄ«n al-FirÄr min al-Fitan (âChapter on Avoiding/Escaping Temptation belongs to Religionâ)). Scholars have used this ḥadÄ«th to justify celibacy (see Ibn al-Ê¿ArabÄ« 2003, 3:144).
See the questions he encountered pertaining to his marriage below.
Al-NasÄʾī 1986, 7:61: KitÄb Ê¿Ishrat al-NisÄʾ (âBook on Living with Womenâ), BÄb Ḥubb al-NisÄʾ (âChapter on the Love for Womenâ).
Al-IsfarÄyÄ«nÄ« 1998, 3:12: KitÄb al-NikÄḥ (âBook of Marriageâ), BÄb Dhikr Ḥaá¸á¸ al-NabÄ« Ê¿alÄ TazwÄ«j al-AbkÄr al-WadÅ«d al-WalÅ«d wa-Ê¿alÄ IbtighÄʾ al-Nasl fa-YukÄthir bihinna l-Umam (âChapter on the Prophetâs Encouragement of the Marriage of Amiable and Fertile Virgin Women and on Pursuing Offspring to Increase the Populationâ); al-BayhaqÄ« 2003, 7:124: KitÄb al-NikÄḥ (âBook of Marriageâ), BÄb al-Raghba fÄ« l-NikÄḥ (âChapter on Desiring Marriageâ).
See their interpretations below. For Ibn FÅ«rakâs and Ibn al-Qayyimâs justifications, see Ibn FÅ«rak 2015; Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya 1997, 238.
Al-BukhÄrÄ« 1987, 1:15: KitÄb al-ĪmÄn (âBook of Faithâ), BÄb min al-DÄ«n al-FirÄr min al-Fitan (âChapter on Avoiding/Escaping Temptation belongs to Religionâ).
The ḥadÄ«th has been recorded without the possessive pronoun âkumâ (see al-MaqdisÄ« 2000, 5:122; AbÅ« YaÊ¿lÄ l-Mawá¹£ilÄ« 1984, 6:237; Aḥmad b. Ḥanbal 2001, 21:433). So, the meaning would be âI was made to love from the world â¦â
This is based on the QurʾÄnic verse 32:9, which reads: âThen He proportioned him and breathed into him from His [created] spirit and made for you hearing and vision and hearts; little are you grateful,â and the ḥadÄ«th âThe Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him said, âAllÄh created Adam in His image â¦ââ (al-BukhÄrÄ« 1987, 5:2299: KitÄb al-IstiʾdhÄn (âBook of Asking Permissionâ), BÄb Badʾ al-SalÄm (âChapter on Commencing with the Peace Greetingâ)).
This ḥadÄ«th has been mentioned in al-Fatḥ in the seventh discourse on patience, and in the 25th discourse on ascetic detachment in the world (al-zuhd fÄ« l-dunyÄ) (al-JÄ«lÄnÄ« 1988, 44, 114). It has also been mentioned in Futūḥ in the sixth discourse on al-fanÄʾ Ê¿an al-khalq (al-JÄ«lÄnÄ« 1973, 14).