Mystical Love & Sufi Women

The mystical metaphysics of Love is one of the most recurring themes in Sufism, as it is in many other religious traditions.
In this collaboration with Dr. Justin Sledge and the channel ESOTERICA, we explore the Love Mystics of Islam and Christianity. Here I talk about Sufi women like Rabi'a al-Adawiyya and A'isha al-Ba'nuiyya and what role they played in the development of Islamic mysticism.
In Dr. Sledge's video, he talks about the Beguine mystics of medieval Christianity with figures like Mechtild of Magdeburg, Hadewijch & Marguerite Porete.

Sources/Further Reading:

Helminski, Camille Adams (2013). "Women of Sufism: A Hidden Treasure". Shambala Publications.

Homerin, Th. Emil (2003). "Living Love: The Mystical Writings of ‘A’ishah al-Ba‘uniyah (d. 922/1516)". University of Rochester.

Karamustafa, Ahmet T. (2007). "Sufism - the formative period". Edinburgh University Press.

Silvers, Laury (2015). "Early Pious, Mystic Sufi Women". In "The Cambridge Companion to Sufism" (Edited by Lloyd Ridgeon). Cambridge University Press.

Leonard Lewisohn (2015). Sufism's Religion of Love, From Rabi'a to Ibn 'Arabi. In "The Cambridge Companion to Sufism" (Edited by Lloyd Ridgeon). Cambridge University Press.

#Sufism #Mysticism #Love

[mahmoodabuidrees]

Her saying about worship for hell or heaven is inspired from imam Ali who said " worship out of fear of hell is a worship of the slave, if I worship you in want for heaven this is a worship of a merchant, but the true worship is out of love" I'm paraphrasing

[joanjett]

In Morocco there is still a saying that translates to "who do tou think I am? Rabia El Adawiya?" Like when you say in english I'm no saint Theresa.
"The neighbor then the house" is also a saying that is still used in popular culture.

[aqsamaryambee]

Interesting
Except that in Sufism, Ishq isn’t a sexual union or of an erotic nature, it’s a love that consumes you such that you lose personal identity as an individual and become a mirror image of the Beloved
The first lesson or ‘sabaq’ of Mystic traditions is to cleanse the Qalb of Shehwaniat or carnal desires
So ishq e Ilahi basically corresponds to Fana Fillah which essentially means destroying self for Allah or to give up self as an individual in favour of the God

[TheEsotericaChannel]

Great collaborating with you Filip - It's wonderful to share space with such great content. Your channel is such an asset to youtube and I'm proud to have worked together!

[mesuper]

A major misconception specially in the west regarding the topic of "Ishq" or "Love" in Sufism is the failure to understand that this "Ishq" for God isn't sexual or erotic, rather such ideas will be seen as sin. The "Ishq" for God ie "Ishq-e Haqeeqi" transcends the western idea of love. It's more like the love we feel for our parents but much intense, much pure ..soo strong that you'll like to be lost in it forever with no regards to your own existence (Fanaa).

[TonyTones]

Its very interesting hearing about how Sufis view the ego and love of God (7:30). Within Orthodox Christianity a very similar mindset of disregarding the ego and pouring oneself out completely for love of neighbor and God. St. Joseph the Hesychast says that " Active love without submission cannot exist. How can you love and serve if you don't submit to the others will? Every movement of active love is service."

[Bent-El-Nil]

Wonderful effort. As a Sufi and and Arabic reader who studied with passionate this area, time, masters, I commend your knowledge and objective way of sharing your knowledge...thanks for spreading love and light through your channel...

[iyadal-najjar]

Please let me comment on this great video. I went to many Suffies places and listened to their breaching for many years on top of that I am addicted to Sufi poetry. The 1st thing I want to explain is about Rabia and burning the heavens and putting out the hell. Well, this should be understood within the fourth mystic states where you love God for the sake of loving not fear or reward. These quotes are nothing more than rhetoric and poems (not sure if I used the correct word) and we understand that she or other Sufis did not mean to literary burn the heaven because of their quotes (not poems) in other books. Also, you can find this idea in many later Sufi books.

I believe the word erotic came from the translator, not the poems themselves. As an Arabic who is addicted to poems, I have never considered any love word to do anything with sex. I mean, they can be used for both chastite love or erotic love. I went back to different dictionaries to make sure I am correct and found the same thing. The word ishq can be used for both types of love. translating it into erotic love is wrong and I am 100% that the great figures and pillars of Sufism never meant it as erotic.

Finally, Sufis do not consider their relationship with God as wives or husbands rather they explain it in these terms because of two reasons. The 1st no language has the correct vocabulary to explain the mystic state they are in even Arabic with its 30+ words for love with different states and levels for it. The other reason is to make it easier for common people to understand their feeling since the most known and perfect love relationship we have is with our partners so using this concept the Sufis try to explain their mystic state to commoners.

[moby]

When sufis say Ishq, I don’t believe they say it in a sexual or erotic way. The word may sound that way though. But anyone who understands the intricacies of Sufi poetry will know this.

Well done on your research though. Very commendable. Well done.

[IfLifeIsALeaf]

I love what I know of Rabi'a. I'm not sure how accurate it is, but one of my first awareness of her was in a work by Idrias Shah, where she is quoted as saying "What is all this talk of knocking and opening? The door has never been closed."

[funda]

Love with god is actually mentioned in Quran itself that Momineen love god the most. In surah baqrah.
Also "visal" is term used to denot union with almighty or peer but is not sexual at all. Also never is God referred to or implied as a hidden women. God is consider dominant in love just like husband is.
Amma Rabia Bassari is one of the Great saints 'may god Grant her jannat' but she isnt the one to identify love as the relationship between God and ppl.Quran o Hadees are Filled with its references.

[abrarahmadraza]

Not one thing you quoted amounts to sexual intimacy, the intimacy, the "ishq" that is talked about is, the love so intense that you want nothing in return not even paradise, don't correlate things, when there is no similarity.

[ElleBelle]

These women are an inspiration for all women

[rabbil]

I stumbled upon your channel randomly and I must say your channel is amazing. Great and accurate detail about the topic, good pronunciation, and feeding my hunger for curiosity amazingly.

[mouhamedseck]

A wonderful woman that the world of Sufism will never forget. May God be pleased with her !

[whatamievendoing]

There's a distinction between love of creation and love of God, these are different kinds of love. Love of creation, which can manifest as love of another woman or man, is viewed as inferior and is called Ishq-e Majāzi. Love of God on the other hand is called Ishq-e Haqīqi which literally translates to "the real love", this kind of love is viewed as authentic and transcendent. While the metaphor of lust is used to illustrate the more authentic love of God, this authentic love isn't sexual in nature.

[THOREAU]

Using "erotic" and "sexuality" ( the way it is used in the western world) in intetperting Sufi litleture is highly misleading, Particularly when you translate Ishq as "erotic " there are thousands of times that this word has been used where it has nothing to do with humanity, let alone sexuality- e.g. 5th section- poem 165 of Musnavi Mulawi (Rumi) دور گردونها ز موج عشق دان
گر نبودی عشق بفسردی جهان

کی جمادی محو گشتی در نبات

کی فدای روح گشتی نامیات

Here Mulavi ( Rumi) says without ishq( what you translate "erotism" ) motion of universe will cease to exist...

[UniversoulLady]

The resonating content mixed with the unintentional ASMR. This video gets 5 stars from me... ✨🙏

[corvus_king]

Brings back good memories when I was researching the Mysticism and Love of Julian of Norwich and Rumi for my senior paper in university. I putted a bit from Rabi'a and other Sufi masters.

[Nomad_Wanderer]

Love has no religion no belief system no boundaries it knows only the beloved!