ভূমিকা

Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Polarization Around the Character of Ali ibn Abi Talib The Elixir Of Love The Persian poets called love the "elixir" (iksir). The alchemists believed that there existed a material in the world which they called the "elixir"[^1] or "the philosopher's stone" (kimiya) which could change one matter into another matter, and they searched after this for centuries.

It is love which makes the heart a heart, and if there is no love, there is no heart, just clay and water. Every heart that is not aflame is no heart; A frozen heart is nothing but a handful of clay. O God! Give me a breast that sets ablaze, And in that breast a heart and that heart consumed with fire. [^2] One of the effects of love is power; love is the power of glory, it makes the coward courageous. A hen will keep its wings folded by its side as long as it is alone.

It will strut about quite peaceably, looking about to find small worms to swallow. It will start at the slightest noise, and not stand its ground even in front of the weakest child. But when the same hen has chickens, love takes up its dwelling at the center of its being and its character completely changes.

The wings which were folded by its side are now lowered in a sign of preparation for defense, it assumes an aggressive posture, even the sound of its clucking becomes stronger and more courageous. Previously it fled at the possibility of danger, but now it attacks where there is that possibility, and it attacks bravely. This is love which displays the frightened hen in the form of a valiant animal. Love makes the heavy and lazy nimble and cunning, and even makes the slow-witted astute.

A boy and girl neither of whom, when they were single, found themselves thinking about anything except what was directly related to their own persons, see that they have become concerned about the fate of another being for the first time as soon as they fall in love and set up a family environment.