The pain of separation, the struggle for perfection

An imperfect soul – striving for unification

 

No matter how close a true lover is to his beloved, he is never close enough. Whilst this pain continues, the lover continues to prepare himself for his beloved. Trying all that is possible to perfect himself... In order to be accepted by his beloved. In fact, the only definition of perfection for the lover is the beloved. Hence, the struggle for perfection is nothing but a striving for unification from an imperfect soul . The lover will be satisfied with any tribulation - as long as it is not accompanied with distance from his beloved... As Ibn Al-Farid once said in one of his collection of poems (Diwan):

"Punish with whatever thou like, other than distance from you"

 

True love shall be tested – by its endurance of pain

The sweetness of love, when true – makes the worst pain – bearable

 

For those whose love is only lip-service, they will be exposed before the sunset of love as the intense sun's heat becomes unbearable. They will complain of being hurt, confused, uncertain - and eventually their hypocrisy will be laid bare when they decide that the pain is too much to bear. However, true lovers will never complain about their pain, as they are oblivious to it. They are so focussed on the sweetness of yearning and striving towards their beloved, that pain will either be bearable or normalised. Those already extinct in love will no longer feel the pain as they are overwhelmed by the sweetness of gazing at their beloved or harbouring the emotions they harbour for their beloved. These people no longer perceive themselves and as such everything that emanates from the beloved is beautiful and sweet. On the Day of Judgement, we are told that faces will be brightened, glowing and gleaming - because of the reflection of looking at their Lord.  Those faces are bright and glowing in this world as they are unable to divert their gaze away from their Lord and His remembrance.

"Men that neither trade nor commerce can divert from the remembrance of Allah..."