Removing The Doubts: Hubb or `Ishq, which is the right word?

بـسـم الله والحـمـد لله والـصلاة والـسـلام عــلى رسـول الله، وبـعـد

They, the heretic Soofees, claim to love Allaah تعالى and His Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم; and the word they use is: `Ishq (عِشق) which literally means “romance”.

They say: “we are `aashiq alrasool” (عاشق الرسول).

Nowhere in the Qur’aan or the Sunnah has this word `Ishq been used while referring to Allaah تعالى or His Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم.

The word used in the Qur’aan and the Sunnah is Hubb (حُب).

Evidence from the Qur’aan:

﴿وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَن يَتَّخِذُ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ أَندَادًا يُحِبُّونَهُمْ كَحُبِّ اللَّهِ وَالَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ أَشَدُّ حُبًّا لِلَّهِ وَلَوْ يَرَى الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُواْ إِذْ يَرَوْنَ الْعَذَابَ أَنَّ الْقُوَّةَ لِلَّهِ جَمِيعًا وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ شَدِيدُ الْعَذَابِ ﴾

{And of mankind are some who take (for worship) others besides Allaah as rivals (to Allaah). They love them as they love Allaah. But those who believe love Allaah more (than anything else). If only, those who do wrong could see, when they will see the torment, that all power belongs to Allaah and that Allaah is severe in punishment.} [Surah al-Baqarah (2): 165]

﴿قُلْ إِن كُنتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ اللَّهَ فَاتَّبِعُونِى يُحْبِبْكُمُ اللَّهُ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ وَاللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ ﴾

{Say (O Muhammad to mankind): “If you (really) love Allaah, then follow me (i.e. Muhammad), Allaah will love you and forgive you your sins. And Allaah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.”} [Surah aal-`Imraan (3): 31]

Evidence from the Sunnah:

عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ، أَن رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ: " فَوَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ، لَا يُؤْمِنُ أَحَدُكُمْ حَتَّى أَكُونَ أَحَبَّ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ وَالِدِهِ وَوَلَدِهِ "

Narrated Abu Hurairah رضي الله عنه: The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “By Him in Whose Hands my life is, none of you will have faith till he loves me more than his father and his children.” [Saheeh al-Bukhaaree (13)]

  

عَنْ أَنَسٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ: " ثَلَاثٌ مَنْ كُنَّ فِيهِ وَجَدَ حَلَاوَةَ الْإِيمَانِ، أَنْ يَكُونَ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَحَبَّ إِلَيْهِ مِمَّا سِوَاهُمَا، وَأَنْ يُحِبَّ الْمَرْءَ لَا يُحِبُّهُ إِلَّا لِلَّهِ، وَأَنْ يَكْرَهَ أَنْ يَعُودَ فِي الْكُفْرِ كَمَا يَكْرَهُ أَنْ يُقْذَفَ فِي النَّارِ "

Narrated Anas رضي الله عنه: The Prophet said: “Whoever possesses the following three qualities will have the sweetness (delight) of faith: The one to whom Allah and His Apostle becomes dearer than anything else. Who loves a person and he loves him only for Allah's sake. Who hates to revert to Atheism (disbelief) as he hates to be thrown into the fire.” [Saheeh al-Bukhaaree (15) and Saheeh Muslim (63)]

The Ahaadeeth with the word Hubb are many, but there is not a single Hadeeth which attributes the word `Ishq or its derivatives to Allaah or His Messenger.

Ibn al-Mandhoor in his lexicon “Lisaan al-`Arab” described the word “`Ishq” as:

“`Ishq: excessive love; and it is said: it is an amazing love which a lover has for his beloved, which can either be chaste or driven by lust (licentiousness). It is love for something/someone which the person does not want to let go of. And that is why it is said about the lover: the lover who follows his desires.

Al-A`shee said: I have nothing to do with the one who is insane nor do I have to do anything with the one who is passionately in love (i.e. there is no difference between an insane person and the one who is in love).

Abu al-`Abbaas Ahmad bin Yahyaa was asked about Hubb and `Ishq, which of the two are more honorable? He said: Hubb is more honorable, because in `Ishq, there is excessiveness.

And the lover is called as `Aashiq (عاشق) because he/she wither’s away due of the excessive following of his/her desire, like how a green tree, after being knocked down, fades to yellow.”

--end of quote.

So the one who claims to have `Ishq is the `Aashiq, and the Ma`shooq is Allaah and His Messenger. Free is Allaah from what they attribute to Him.

Even the pagans, the idol worshipers, did not use the word `Ishq while referring love for their “gods”.

The word `Ishq is such an ignoble word that no sensible person would attribute it towards his mother, sister or daughter by saying: “I am in `Ishq with my mother”, etc.

Even in our elementary schools the words which are taught are:

أحِــبُّ أمِّـي

I love my mother.

أحِــبُّ أبـي

I love my father.

The Golden principle of the Soofees:

In their defense, you’ll see these heretic Soofees coming out and making another bold but false statement, not ashamed of attributing lies to Allaah and His Messenger. Whenever they have an issue and no evidence from the Qur’aan or the Sunnah to support their claim, they will simply say: `Ilm (knowledge) is of two types: al-Dhahiree (that which is apparent) and the general mass know it; and al-Baatin (that which is hidden) which only people in their Soofee hierarchy can know and understand. Inshaa-Allaah, this false accusation will be discussed separately.

اللهم ارنا الحق حقا وارزقنا اتباعة وارنا الباطل باطلا وارزقنا اجتنابه

O Allaah! Make us see the truth as truth and aid us in following it; and make us see the falsehood as falsehood and aid us in avoiding it.

وصلى اللهم وسلم وبارك على نبينا محمد