to something else, such as love, hatred, will, aversion, power, and other attributes. Love is a positively existing attribute connected with the beloved. Love is thus the subject of a relation, meaning that the relation is an attribute attaching to it—not that love itself is the relation. There is therefore a distinction between a relation and an attribute involving a relation.

It is the relation itself that is said to have no positive existence.

He continued:

“As for an attribute involving a relation, it may have positive existence, as love does.”

Ibn al-Murahhal said:

“Love has no positive existence, because love is a relation, and relations have no positive existence.”

Shaykh Taqī al-Dīn said:

“The claim that love, hatred, will, and aversion have no positive existence is self-evidently false. It contradicts the consensus of rational people. Moreover, this is the position held by some of the Muʿtazilah regarding Allah’s will: they claimed that it is a negative attribute, meaning that He is neither overpowered nor coerced. People have unanimously rejected this position as false.

“As for a created being’s will, love, and hatred, we know of no rational person who has said that they have no positive existence.”

Nevertheless, Ibn al-Murahhal persisted in maintaining that love (hubb)—the heart’s inclination toward the beloved—has no positive existence.

He also said:

“Love (mahabbah) has positive existence.”