ABSTRACT

In the previous chapter it was said that the affliction that the lover experiences is due to his false belief. Here Ghazzāli recognizes an exception to this and states that sometimes the affliction and the cruelty of the beloved are, paradoxically, due to her mercy and concern for him. She wants to fulfil his desire for union, so she inflicts suffering on him. (See also chapters 16, 17, 54 and 59.)