Re: Love or Lust?
May peace conquer all of your hearts and lives,
The wise answers that many have given in this thread have lead to a true understanding of the manifest distinction between unholy lust and true love. While others have given very elementary definitions.
I think that love at first site is not true and genuine love for the character and personality of that respective person, but is conceived only by the outward appearance of that person, that is to say the superficial appearance and representation of that person. Rather than falling in love with the actual person, they fall head over heals for wanting that person based upon the shallowness of their outward look. This is called enticement and incitement, the very false feelings of our hearts which lead us into falling prey to our passions and worldly desires, but only if we allow them to. The human mind coupled by the strong emotions of the heart can persuade and convince a person that he is in love merely by settling his eyes upon another. It is too evident that in this situation only the sensation of sight is pleased, which clearly means that the overwhelming sentiments that arise are only in response to the captivation and infatuation of the eyes, which is not true and sincere love, but is a blind lust, whose deliverance lies only in disciplining the eyes themselves from not gazing at people of the opposite sex.
The apparent feelings that arise solely due to the appeasement of the eyes, are false and are dangerous and can lead to poison. They say that the eyes are the windows to the consciousness, and so the eyes can be deceiving to the heart and can be contrary to the truth of the matter, as we all know. You can easily convince yourself that you are in love by just settling your eyes upon the figure or pretty face of someone of the opposite sex, but in reality it is only a transitory faze which is quickly retracted upon someone whose physical appearance is more illustrious and handsome. Is this love, switching your gaze from person to person, always finding someone who looks more appealing, someone who’s more perfect than the last? Remember that there shall always exist someone whose outward good looks will excel that of whom you believe appears perfect.
The truth is that that honest, sincere love, whose experience can only be found in the love of God Almighty alone, and which is felt for the purpose of pleasing God the Exalted cannot be found merely by finding someone whose outward beauty seems to excel others. The thought of love at first sight was perceived by those who consider only the physical actions of love, and are enthralled only by the physical features and are not attracted to the person because of their heart and mind, the more important things which was the basis of true love from the beginning.
No one can see God, He is Invisible, but it is from His words and actions of Compassion and Mercy that we are all enslaved into His service. True love exists only for Allah, and if any one else is worthy of love other than Allah it is the Holy Prophet Muhammad Mustafaa (saw), all other love is felt and adopted for the sake of God Himself, and indeed our love for the Holy Prophet (saw) is also felt due to his being the Messnger of Allah, the Prophet of Islam, and the Seal of the Prophets.
Love for or in favor of the opposite sex is a love which is experienced sometimes by compatibility, sometimes by personality or character, but is always truly experienced by knowing the person inside and out, not only outwardly. Love which is based upon that satisfaction of the sight alone is not complete and comprehensive, but is shallow and false, because one day those looks will disappear and/or one day you will find another whose beauty will excel theirs, to the effect that you will dishonor your avowed love which you had given to your previous sweetheart and will seek to fulfill your desire of lust and passion with the one who looks more attractive, and your heart will continue to deceive you, unwilling to settle down, until you realize that love not in the appeasement of your eyes but in the deepest chamber of your heart, the depths of which cares not for the metaphysical but for the high degree of sincerity, loyalty, devoutness, understanding, affiliation, and sacrifice.
So stop trying to equate love with lust whereas one is the machination of Satan and the other is the very intent by which God the Glorious created mankind and the whole of the Universe.
Allah bless you all.