For some, عشق represents sensual, earthly love, a passion that binds the heart to the physical world. For others, it transcends the material realm, embodying a selfless, burning love for the Divine—a yearning that consumes the soul in its pursuit of higher connection. A single word, yet a boundless world of passion. This is ‘Ishq’

Beyond sensual love and Divine love, Ishq has other meanings:

1. Intense Passion or Devotion: Beyond romantic or spiritual contexts, ‘Ishq’ can also describe a profound passion or devotion to something, such as art, beauty, or a higher purpose.

2. Self-Sacrificial Love: In many Persian and Urdu literary traditions, ‘Ishq’ is depicted as a love so deep it often leads to suffering or self-sacrifice, symbolising the lover’s complete annihilation in the pursuit of union with the beloved or with God.

3. Love as Transformation: In mystical interpretations, ‘Ishq’ represents love as a transformative force, one that purifies the soul and elevates it to higher levels of awareness and connection.