A Semantic Study Of The Notion Of Love: The Case Of Ibn Atta-illah Al-sakandari

Abstract

This study focuses mainly on two aspects: Ibn Atta-illah’s notion of love as well as semantics as a methodological tool. In fact, both aspects are equally important to the central goal of this study. It is highly important at the start to establish the suitability of the semantic approach to the study of Sufism in general and Ibn Atta’s notion of love in specific. In my opinion, there is a real benefit in approaching this topic from this specific angle. By applying the semantic method, this study seeks to reach the following: uncovering the various aspects and levels of Ibn Atta’s notion of love; spotting, analyzing, and understanding the central terms that shape Ibn Atta’s view of love; unraveling the extent of progress from bottom to top in such terms, and how such progress affected the notion of love. Through digging out the network of semantic relations in the text, this study revealed three semantic levels in Ibn Atta’s notion of love. More importantly, the study discovered the dynamic movement of some terms that rises from the bottom up. It was proved that Ibn Atta’s view of love could be understood from the general semantic field by means of its interaction with other Sufi terms