Al-Daylami's Treatise on Mystical Love (Journal of Arabic and Islamic Studies Monogragh Series)

The Earliest Major Islamic Treatise On Mystical Love, This Work Reflects A Moderate Version Of The Ecstatic Mysticism Of The Sufi Martyr Al-hallaj. Writing Around 1000 C.e., The Author Summarises The Views Of Lexicographers, Belletrists, Philosophers, Physicians, Theologians, And Mystics On Love, Providing Much Information That Would Otherwise Have Been Lost. In Setting Forth His Own Opinions, He Relies Heavily On Erotic Poetry With Accompanying Frame Stories From The Umayyad And Early Abbasid Periods, Sufi Biography, The Lives Of The Prophets, And Personal Information.--jacket. I. On The Chapters Of The Book -- Ii. May The Word 'ishq Be Applied To Love For God And From God? -- Iii. Preliminary Considerations -- Iv. On The Word Love, Its Derivation, And Its Meanings -- V. On The Origin And Beginning Of Love And Eros -- Vi. On The Essence And Quiddity Of Love -- Vii. On The Diverse Views People Hold About Love -- Viii. On The Description And Character Of Eros -- Ix. On Praiseworthy Love -- X. On Those Who Disparaged Love For Some Cause -- Xi. On The Effects Of Love [and Eros] And Their Signs And Symptoms -- Xii. On The Signs Of Love, Including The Sayings Of Unimpeachable Spiritual Authorities Among The Mystics And The Righteous -- Xiii. On The Classification Of Love According To Our Opinion -- Xiv. On The Signs Of God's Love For Man -- Xv. On The Explanation Of The Signs Of Man's Love For God -- Xvi. On The Signs [of The Love] Of Those Who Love One Another In God -- Xvii. On The Love Of The Elite Among Believers -- Xviii. On The Love Of The Commonality Of Muslims -- Xix. On The Love Of All Other Animate Beings -- Xx. On The Meaning Of The Word Shahid -- Xxi. On The Definition Of The Perfection Of Love -- Xxii. On Those Who Died Of Natural Love -- Xxiii. On Those Who Killed Themselves For Love -- Xxiv. On The Death Of Divine Lovers. Abū ʻl-Ḥasan ʻalī B. Muḥammad Al-daylamī ; Translated By Joseph Norment Bell And Hassan Mahmood Abdul Latif Al Shafie. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Translated From The Arabic. The earliest major Islamic treatise on mystical love, this work reflects a moderate version of the ecstatic mysticism of the Sufi martyr al-Hallaj. Writing around 1000 C.E., the author summarizes the views of lexicographers, belletrists, philosophers, physicians, theologians, and mystics on love, providing much information that would otherwise have been lost. In setting forth his own opinions he relies heavily on erotic poetry with accompanying frame stories from the Umayyad and early Abbasid periods, Sufi biography, the lives of the prophets, and personal information.