Love in Sufism: From Rabia to Ibn al-Farid

Love in Sufism investigates the significance of divine love in the Islamic tradition, with particular reference to Sufism. Although Sufis are considered the forerunners of writing on the subject of divine love, there is a relative paucity of literature regarding the details of their conceptions of love. Love in Sufism by Suleyman Derin should be considered as one of the first instances in its field that covers the thoughts of a wide number of Sufi figures writing in Arabic. Suleyman Derin not only provides us with a comprehensive account of the Sufi paradigms of love presented by Rabia, Hallaj, al-Ghazali, Ibn Arabi and Ibn al-Farid with an analysis of the specific motives of each particular paradigm but also provides insight into the social and historical context of their milieu. This book addresses both scholars and general readers of Sufism alike.