113 love is all one kind and its description is that it is the desire for the beloved and the hatred of being at odds with him and the desire to exchange love for him. people have estimated that it differs because of the difference in purposes and purposes differ because of the difference in desires and their increase weakness and decline. so love is for god almighty and in him and for agreement on some demands and for the father and the son and the kinship and the friend and the ruler and for the pleasures of the bed and the benefactor and the hoped for and the beloved. all of this is one kind and its types differed as i have described to you according to the degree of desire for what is attained . therefore the faces of love differ. we have seen someone die of grief for his son just as a lover dies of grief for his beloved. we have been informed of someone who gasped from fear of god almighty and his love and died. we find a person jealous of his ruler and his friend just as he is jealous of his bed and just as a lover is jealous of his beloved. the lowest desires of love from the one you love are favor from him elevation with him and closeness to him if you do not desire more. this is the ultimate desire of those who love god almighty. then the desire increases for company then for conversation and support. these are the desires of a person for his authority his friend and his relatives. the utmost desires of the lover from the one he loves are to mix with the members if he hopes for that. therefore we find the lover excessively loving even in his bed.
١١٣ المحبة كلها جنس واحد، ورسمها أنها الرغبة في المحبوب وكراهة منافرته والرغبة في المقارضة منه بالمحبة. وانما قدر الناس أنها تختلف من أجل اختلاف الأغراض فيها، وانما اختلفت الأغراض من أجل اختلاف الأطماع وتزايدها وضعفها وانحسامها، فتكون المحبة لله عز وجل وفيه، وللاتفاق على بعض المطالب، وللأب والابن والقرابة والصديق والسلطان، ولذات الفراش، والمحسن، والمأمول، والمعشوق، فهذا كله جنس واحد اختلفت أنواعه كما وصفت لك على قدر الطمع فيما ينال ، فلذلك اختلفت وجوه المحبة. وقد رأينا من مات أسفا على ولده كما يموت العاشق أسفا على معشوقه. وبلغنا عمن شهق من خوف الله تعالى ومحبته فمات. ونجد المرء يغار على سلطانه وعلى صديقه كما يغار على ذات فراشه وكما يغار العاشق على معشوقه. فأدنى أطماع المحبة، ممن تحب، الحظوة منه والرفعة لديه والزلفة عنده اذا لم تظمع في أكثر، وهذه غاية أطماع المحبين لله تعالى ثم يزيد الطمع في المجالسة ثم في المحادثة والمؤازرة. وهذه أطماع المرء في سلطانه وصديقه وذوي رحمه. وأقصى أطماع المحب ممن يحب المخالطة بالأعضاء اذا رجا ذلك. ولذلك نجد المحب المفرط المحبة في ذات فراشه