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Page:Al-Ghazzali - Some Religious and Moral Teachings of Al-Ghazzali (1921).djvu/157

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THE LOVE OF GOD AND ITS SIGNS

in using the word love for God, no such meaning is possible as it implies imperfection. God's love towards men is the love of His own work, Someone read the following verse of the Quran: "He loves them and they love him" in front of Shaikh Abu Said of Mohanna, who interpreted it saying: "He loves Himself because he alone exists. Surely an author who likes himself; his love is limited to his self. God's love means the lifting the veil from the heart of His servant, so that he might gaze at Him. It also means drawing him close to Himself. Let us give an illustration. A king permits some of his slaves to approach his presence, not because he requires them but because the slaves possess or are acquiring certain qualities which are worthy of being displayed before the royal presence. This privilege, this lifting of the veil, brings us nearer to the conception of God's love. But it must be remembered that approaching the divine presence should entirely exclude