Mafātīḥ al-ghuyūb (keys to the unseen) are of two kinds: those that belong to the Truth (al-Ḥaqq, i.e., God) and those that belong to creation. That which belongs to the Truth is to know that the jawhar-i fard (the atom of individuality) is composed of essence (dhāt). That is, the essence of the human being corresponds to the aspects (wujūh) of the All-Merciful (al-Raḥmān). Without doubt, thought is one of these aspects. It, too, is among the keys to the unseen. Yet it is a light (nūr). Where is this radiant light that leads to the acquisition of the keys to the unseen? Consider the creation of the heavens and the earth; it is not found in these. These are subtle and exceedingly hidden indications. When a person begins to ascend in the forms of thought and reaches the summit of this matter, spiritual forms descend into the realm of sensation, and hidden matters manifest in a manner beyond comparison. They ascend to the heavens and converse with the celestial spheres in various tongues. (Insān, II, 24)
Maḥabba (sign of love; people of love; murāqaba of love; shārib)
Maḥabba (from Rābiʿa): By His might, I do not worship You because I desire Your Paradise. Paradise is not that for which I have spent my life striving to attain.
She was asked, "What do you say about maḥabba?" She replied: There is no barrier between the lover and the Beloved. The lover speaks from longing and describes his delight. The one who tastes knows, but the one who describes cannot be described. In His presence you are absent, in His existence you move with love, in His witnessing you are absent, with your sobriety you reach your intoxication, through Him you fill your emptiness, and with the joy that comes from Him you grieve—how can you describe such a thing?
Awe (hayba) renders a person mute and unable to speak; ḥayra (bewilderment) prevents the fearful from revealing anything; ghayra (protective jealousy) prevents the eyes from seeing others. Dread (dehsha) binds the intellects and prevents speech; there is always a constant dehsha, inseparable bewilderment, astonished hearts, hidden secrets, and ailing bodies... and maḥabba, with its mighty sovereignty, rules over the hearts.
The state (ḥāl) of maḥabba is that the servant loves Allah by looking with his eyes at the blessings Allah has given him, with his heart at Allah's nearness, grace, protection, and aid to him, and by considering that Allah, through the reality (ḥaqīqa) of his faith (iman) and certainty (yaqīn), bestows grace (ʿināya) and guidance (hudā) and ihsan (spiritual excellence) upon him, and loves him.
The people of maḥabba (ahl al-maḥabba) are of three degrees: The first degree is the maḥabba of the common people: this love arises from Allah's bounty and ihsan towards them... The second degree of maḥabba arises from the heart's contemplation of Allah's majesty, richness, knowledge, and power. This type of maḥabba is that of the truthful (ṣādiqūn) and the realized (muḥaqqiqūn). Its condition and particularity is as Abū Ḥusayn Nūrī explained: When asked what maḥabba is, he replied: Maḥabba is to tear away veils and become privy to secrets.
When Ibrāhīm Ḥawwās was asked, he said: It is the annihilation of wills and the burning away of all human attributes and needs...
The third degree of maḥabba is that of the gnostics (ʿārifūn) and the ṣiddīqūn (the utterly truthful). Their love arises from recognizing Allah's love (ḥubb) as eternal and without cause, and contemplating it as such. They love Allah in this way, without cause. (Lumaʿ, 86)
Khuḷla (intimate friendship) is that which enters the heart. Maḥabba, however, is that which is in the depth of the heart, its very core. It is called maḥabba because it erases everything else from the heart. For this reason, the beloved (ḥabīb) is preferred over the intimate friend (khalīl). (Lumaʿ, 155)
Junayd said: Maḥabba is the inclination of the heart. The meaning of this is: maḥabba is the natural, unforced inclination of the servant's heart towards Allah Most High and that which pertains to Allah.
Another said: Maḥabba is conformity (muwāfaqa). Its meaning is: maḥabba is to obey Allah in what He commands, to avoid what He forbids, and to show contentment (riḍā) with His decree and judgment.
Muḥammad ʿAlī Kattānī said: Maḥabba is to prefer the Beloved (Allah Most High).
Another said: Maḥabba is to prefer what you love for the sake of the One you love (Allah). Abū ʿAbd Allāh Nabbājī said: Love for creation brings pleasure, but love for the Creator annihilates. Annihilation (maḥw) means that no delight remains in you, that there is no motive (ʿilla, cause or purpose) for your love, and that your love does not subsist by means of a motive.
Sahl al-Tustarī said: Whoever loves Allah, his life is Allah's life. The lover has no life of his own. The meaning of 'his life is Allah's life' is that his life becomes beautiful. For the lover delights in everything that comes from the Beloved, whether good or bad. The meaning of 'he has no life of his own' is that the lover seeks union with the Beloved and fears separation from Him, so his life becomes bitter.
One of the great ones said: Maḥabba is delight. The Truth (al-Ḥaqq) does not find delight in maḥabba. For where there is reality (ḥaqīqa), there is awe (dehsha) and bewilderment (ḥayra). Thus, the servant's love for Allah is a reverence that unlocks secrets. It is not permissible to show such reverence to any other than Him. Allah's love for His servant is to make him so devoted to Himself that he loves none other. (Taʿarruf, 79)
Maḥabba is one of the highest spiritual stations (maqām) of the gnostics (ʿārifūn). Maḥabba is Allah's preference for His sincere servants. Through it, the utmost virtue is attained. (Qūt, TI, 50)
Junayd said: Maḥabba itself is the heart's drawing near to Allah with light and joy. (Qūt, TI, 60)
Riḍā (contentment) is the station (maqām) of maʿrifa (gnosis) that comes after maḥabba. The state of the Beloved is to rely on His state. Maḥabba is among the most noble stations. Above it is only the station of khuḷla (intimate friendship). The station of khuḷla is a special station of maʿrifa, which is to be familiar with the secrets of the unseen. Thus, the servant, in accordance with Allah's unchanging will and knowledge, is given what He wills.