Love’s Unifying Power
On the spiritual path (seyr-i süluk), when a servant purifies his heart from all transient loves and fills it only with the love of Allah, his perspective on the universe changes completely. He no longer sees things in pieces or as opposites, but through an absolute view of Unity (birlik). Gaylani (q.s.) describes this unifying power of love as follows: “Love unites everything… It shows the beneficial and harmful from a single front. The heart that carries love is constantly in a state of vecd [ecstasy] and new revelations.” For a heart burning in the fire of Love for Allah (Aşkullah), illness and health, wealth and poverty are equalized; for they are all gifts coming from the Beloved (Allah).
The Light That Recedes as One Approaches (Moses’s Fire)
One of the most mysterious aspects of divine love is that as a servant draws closer to his Lord, his longing (iştiyak) for Him increases even more. While worldly loves lead to satiety and boredom upon attainment, the journey towards union with Truth is endless. “The light Moses the prophet saw was like this. As Moses (A.S.) saw it and drew near, it receded… The heart is the same. It sees that light of nearness and advances toward it. With every step he takes towards it, it escapes further away.” In the presence of an absolute and infinite Beauty (Cemal), the servant’s heart encounters a new manifestation each moment and continues to progress in a state of endless wonder (dehşet) without reaching fulfillment.
The Seeker Becoming the Sought
At the peak of the love journey, the servant’s personal will, desires, and even the claim of “I am seeking” vanish. When true attraction (İlahi çekim – Divine Attraction) comes into play, the feeling of separation between the seeker and the sought is replaced by absolute unity. “Steps reach their limit. Things begin to change. Then the seeker becomes the sought. The goal itself becomes the goal.” In this exalted station, the servant is drawn not by his own power, but directly by Allah’s grace and attraction. While the servant seeks Him, the truth emerges that it is actually Allah who desires him and draws him to Himself.