my question is that what is the stance of islam on love and ishq. more precisely does islam permits the love of man for woman, man for man and woman for woman. is ishq-majjazi (love other than allah or rasool) allowed in islam.
Answer:
In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
Assalaamu `alaykum waRahmatullahi Wabarakatuh
Islām not only permits, but also encourages love amongst fellow Muslims.This love could be natural, such as the love one has for his/her family.The Prophet’s صلىاللهعليهوسلمlove for his grandsons serves as an example of this type.
حدثناموسىبنإسماعيلحدثنامعتمرقالسمعتأبيحدثناأبوعثمانعنأسامةبنزيدرضياللهعنهماحدثعنالنبيصلىاللهعليهوسلمأنهكانيأخذهوالحسنفيقولاللهمأحبهمافإنيأحبهما
(صحيحالبخاري،بابذكرأسامةبنزيدرضياللهعنه)
The Prophet صلىاللهعليهوسلمused to take [Usāmah ibn Zayd] and al-Hasan and say, “O Allāh, love them, for, verily, I love them.” (Bukhārī)
Alternatively, a person’s love towards another person might not be natural, but rather due to some reasoning.In light of the following hadīth, one may understand this type of love.
حدثناسليمانبنحربحدثناحمادبنزيدعنثابتعنأنسرضياللهعنهأنرجلاسألالنبيصلىاللهعليهوسلمعنالساعةفقالمتىالساعة؟قالوماذاأعددتلهاقاللاشيءإلاأنيأحباللهورسولهصلىاللهعليهوسلمفقالأنتمعمنأحببتقالأنسفمافرحنابشيءفرحنابقولالنبيصلىاللهعليهوسلمأنتمعمنأحببتقالأنسفأناأحبالنبيصلىاللهعليهوسلموأبابكروعمروأرجوأنأكونمعهمبحبيإياهموإنلمأعملبمثلأعمالهم
(صحيحالبخاري،بابمناقبعمربنالخطاب…)
A person asked the Prophet صلىاللهعليهوسلمabout the time of resurrection.He said, “When is the time of resurrection?”[The Prophet صلىاللهعليهوسلم] said, “What have you prepared for it?”[The man] said, “Nothing, except that I love Allāh and His Messenger صلىاللهعليهوسلم.[The Prophet صلىاللهعليهوسلمreplied], “You will be with those whom you love.”Anas رضياللهعنهsaid, “I love the Prophet صلىاللهعليهوسلم, Abū Bakr, and ‘Umar, and I hope to be with them due to my love for them, even though I have not done [good deeds] similar to theirs.” (Bukhārī)
Because one desires to be with the pious on the Day of Judgment, he/she builds love for them on this basis.Thus, the pious become beloved to the person, even though there is not a natural love between them, such as that of a mother and child, for instance.Another example of this love is that of the bond between a teacher and student.Although the teacher was previously a complete stranger, he becomes extremely beloved to the student due to the student’s gaining Islāmic knowledge through him.
Out of any of these two types of love, it is permissible for a person to love another person, whether it be of the same gender (such as a father and son or two sisters) or of opposite genders (such as a husband and wife or a brother and sister).However, no one should be more beloved to a person than the Prophet صلىاللهعليهوسلم.
حدثنايعقوببنإبراهيمقالحدثناابنعليةعنعبدالعزيزبنصهيبعنأنسعنالنبيصلىاللهعليهوسلم (ح) وحدثناآدمقالحدثناشعبةعنقتادةعنأنسقالقالالنبيصلىاللهعليهوسلملايؤمنأحدكمحتىأكونأحبإليهمنوالدهوولدهوالناسأجمعين
(صحيحالبخاري،كتابالإيمان،بابحبرسولاللهصلىاللهعليهوسلممنالإيمان)
The Prophet صلىاللهعليهوسلمsaid, “None of you [truly] believes until I am more beloved to him than his parents, children, and all of mankind.” (Bukhārī)
This superseding love for the Prophet صلىاللهعليهوسلمdemands, among other rights, that we conform all of our actions, including our love for everyone (and everything) else, to be in accordance with the Sharī’ah brought by him صلىاللهعليهوسلم.
And Allah knows best
Wassalamu Alaikum
Ml. Abrar Mirza,
Student Darul Iftaa
Checked and Approved by:
Mufti Ebrahim Desai
Darul Iftaa, Madrassah In’aamiyyah