Majmu' al-Fatawa - Ibn Taimiya - (11/394)

He was asked:

About a man who loves a scholar: when they meet and then part, the man experiences something akin to fainting because of their separation. Yet when the scholar is occupied and pays him no attention, he does not experience this state. Does this arise from the man who feels this love, or from the scholar’s influence?

He answered:

Praise be to Allah. Its cause lies in both of them. It is like water: when a thirsty person drinks it, he experiences pleasure and refreshment, caused both by his thirst and by the coolness of the water. Likewise, when fire catches in cotton, the effect is due both to the fire and to the cotton.

When a scholar gives a student his attention, the student experiences pleasure, delight, and joy because of the scholar’s attentiveness and interest. Such is the state of one who loves in relation to the beloved. And Allah knows best.

سُئِلَ: عَنْ رَجُلٍ يُحِبُّ رَجُلًا عَالِمًا. فَإِذَا الْتَقَيَا ثُمَّ افْتَرَقَا حَصَلَ لِذَلِكَ الرَّجُلِ شِبْهُ الْغَشْيِ مِنْ أَجْلِ الِافْتِرَاقِ. وَإِذَا كَانَ الرَّجُلُ الْعَالِمُ مَشْغُولًا بِحَيْثُ لَا يَلْتَفِتُ إلَيْهِ لَمْ يَحْصُلْ لَهُ هَذَا الْحَالُ. فَهَلْ هَذَا مِنْ الرَّجُلِ الْمُحِبِّ؟ . أَمْ هُوَ تَأْثِيرُ الرَّجُلِ الْعَالِمِ؟ فَأَجَابَ: الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ، سَبَبُهُ مِنْ هَذَا وَمِنْ هَذَا مِثْلُ الْمَاءِ إذَا شَرِبَهُ الْعَطْشَانُ حَصَلَ لَهُ لَذَّةٌ وَطِيبٌ وَسَبَبُهَا عَطَشُهُ وَبَرْدُ الْمَاءِ وَكَذَلِكَ النَّارُ إذَا وَقَعَتْ فِي الْقُطْنِ سَبَبُهُ مِنْهَا وَمِنْ الْقُطْنِ. وَالْعَالِمُ الْمُقْبِلُ عَلَى الطَّالِبِ يَحْصُلُ لَهُ لَذَّةٌ وَطِيبٌ وَسُرُورٌ بِسَبَبِ إقْبَالِ هَذَا وَتَوَجُّهِهِ وَهَذَا حَالُ الْمُحِبِّ مَعَ الْمَحْبُوبِ وَاَللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ.