Love is something that is yet to get its precise definition . No doubt, philosophers have defined love. But everyone defined it in their own way . In other words, what they felt about it , they decorated it in that way. Like Socrates states that, “Love is the consciousness of a need for a good not yet acquired or possessed", while Phaedrus says “Love is a mighty god, and wonderful among gods and men, but especially wonderful in his birth. Similarly, each of the philosophers definition of love is different from the other .

Thus , an inclusive definition of love is yet to be arrived at.
Love is an essence of life . If i am not mistaken , i guess it's only and only love that brings a lover out from deep darkness towards the lofty peaks of light. The existence of universe in itself is testimony to the power of love. The birth of feelings in human beings is itself the manifestation of love. Love is abstract in nature . It is not the name of anything and cannot be achieved by ones toil . It is not something like art ,as some modern researchers pretend, that can be cultivated by regular practice. It's the blessing only chosen ones are showered with.
Love is the root of faith. Where there is love there is faith. They are intertwined. Any one pretending to be faithful without having love in his heart is a mere hypocrite. Its love that differentiates a believer from the disbeliever. Its love that gives relief to the Abu Jahal despite being staunch opposer of Prophet Muhammad (SAW). There is one of a tradition of our beloved prophet Muhammad (SAW) ;

The Prophet(SAW ) reiterated the words three times thereby impressing the significance of love.
Love is something that makes the lover yearn every moment the presence of beloved . Love is yearning communion. Love in itself is inclusive. Love cannot be dual. One filled with love sees every where his beloved rather in everything. Love is humanity. Because one filled with love sees in every human his beloved. Love turns days into nights and nights into days. Love does not see a desert or a garden. He finds his solace in communion with his beloved, he does not see the place of communion. In fact ,love frees one from the boundaries of the world and hereafter . A lover is free from time and space. Love is beyond stubbornness. Love means to sacrifice ones will over the will of the beloved. Mere longing communion without ready to sacrifice the will turns out to be called lust, where lust has no place anywhere in the sphere of love.
Every soul has his own degree of love. Just like no two things in this universe are alike. Similarly , every soul differs in its degree of love from the other. Love can be affection or infatuation . Affection and infatuation are two different things . And infatuation without affection is not possible except in chosen cases. By Alama Iqbal the former is the prerequisite of the later. Affection belongs to the general people while infatuation belongs to the special one's. Affection is found in every honest and just muslim but infatuation only in the hearts of chosen ones .
Infatuation is infinite affection. Affection is the love caused by the perception of qualities while infatuation is caused by the observation ; of creator behind those qualities . However, it's not every ones cup of tea to cross the stage of affection. To cross the stage, it requires the blessings of Allah. And those who cross this stage virtually become Allah's chosen ones while those who remain there and are not blessed by the Allah fall victim of evil. Thus, we can say love without Allah's will leads to hell while the love blessed by his willingness leads to Jannah rather the lovers are blessed with the communion of Allah. Therefore, one should always implore Allah to be blessed with the love that will get his consent rather than the love leading to his wrath.
On the day of judgment ,the degree of one's closeness to Allah will be determined on these factors. The more one loves , the more closer he will be and the more pleasure and gout he will attain . This state of love can be achieved by emptying ones heart from everything else than Allah . By Imam e Ghazali this is the precondition . This first step is like sowing the seeds of Allahs love in the field of heart . After sprouting, these seeds give rise to the tree of cognition and learning which is the main purpose of ones life . The virtues are like the guardians of this field .May Allah help us reach this state and held us close like chosen ones…Ameen!
Last but not least, love is such a thing which if written on papers of the whole world with the ink of the whole universe , still then one will fall short of words. To conclude , I would love to say Love is God and God is love.

Author holds PG in physics from Kashmir University
Email:---------syedsabahat1@gmail.com