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The question

What is the difference between al-ḥubb (love) and al-ʿishq (passionate love), and does the phenomenon of the harmony and acquaintance of souls exist, and are there people who understand it?

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Source: FtawySummarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 20261 min readAlso available in العربية
The answer

Love is the inclination of the heart towards the beloved. It has categories: praiseworthy and blameworthy. As for passionate love (ishq), it is an excess in love and a higher degree of it. Regarding the acquaintance of souls, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, informed us: "Souls are like recruited soldiers; those of them who recognize one another get along, and those who do not recognize one another diverge." And a person knowing what another wants without words, if that person is among the righteous, then it is a form of sagacity (firasah) that some believers whose souls have been purified attain. It is a light that Allah casts into the heart of His servant, by which he distinguishes between truth and falsehood.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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