Loving the Creator is one of the human virtues. Although it has been the subject of some intellectual and conceptual discussions, it is a clear concept and an obvious realization from the perspective of ethics and mysticism in the science of theology. From the point of view of the experts, love is a deep affection that belongs to a beloved higher than the material world, and from the point of view of the sages, it is a common virtue, which all that existence is based on. Loving God lies unconsciously in all beings, but the conscious love only belongs to the human beings. Sages and mystics, unanimously consider love to be compatible with universal reason and in conflict with partial reason. Some theologians have denied love for God and necessarily all its inevitable results as well; since love means “will” and “will” only belongs to “phenomena”. But the people of ethics, knowledge and insight, and also other scholars have opposed this theory according to many revelation and narrative evidences and the evidence of reason for its possibility and occurrence.
Love in a person’s soul, is originated from the rational understanding of the beauty of the benefactor and the incomparable pleasure he gets from this understanding. The pleasure of benevolence, causal relationship, companionship, and above all, aestheticism in humans, are the reasons for the emergence of love. Due to the fact that all these means are present in the divine essence, the only beloved for human beings, is the pure essence.
God’s love can be obtained through two ways: knowledge and purification of the soul. Knowledge about the divine essence is possible both through the scientific and posteriori method, and also through the intuitive and the priori method.
Three factors prevent the realization of loving God: First, contamination of the heart with the love for other than God, if it is not in line with the love of God; such as love for the world, the unique example of which is “worldliness”. Because the love of the world has a negative effect on a person’s thought, behavior and manner. But the love that is subordinate to God’s love, is not inconsistent with God’s love; For this reason, Shari’a (religion) encourages the love of wives and children; and thus prophets and elders loved their pure wives and children. The second is the contamination of the soul with moral vices and the third is the contamination of organs and limbs with sin.
Love brings some inevitable results. Enthusiasm and intention are from the results of the time of separation. Fear of separation is for the age of connection. Satisfaction, is a virtue that always accompanies a sincere lover.
There are some signs for God’s love. Like the desire to meet, sacrificing for the beloved, constant remembrance of him, disinterest in others, concealment of love, intimacy with solitude, good morals and purity from sin.
God has also established a bond of love with his servants, which reason indicates its possibility and Sharia indicates its occurrence. In addition to loving all his servants, loves his selected servants in a special way.
God’s love for a servant comes from the servant’s love and obedience; love for God and His servants and obedience to God and His chosen ones. This blessing brings intention, asceticism in the world, success in obedience and good character for the insightful person.
