The seven stages of love in Urdu, a concept originating from Sufi tradition, are: Dilkashi (attraction), Uns (attachment/infatuation), Ishq (love), Akidat (trust/reverence), Ibadat (worship), Junoon (madness), and Maut (death of ego). This progression illustrates a deep, spiritual journey from initial attraction to a state of complete oneness with the beloved or the divine.
Different Sufi orders phrase them slightly differently, but the essence remains the same.
The Seven Stages of Love – One Version
Dilkashi (دل کشی): Attraction, the initial spark.
Uns (اُن): Attachment or infatuation, a deeper level of interest.
Ishq (عشق): Love, a more profound emotion.
Akidat (عقیدت): Trust or reverence, where one begins to have faith in the other.
Ibadat (عبادت): Worship, where the beloved becomes a central focus of one’s devotion.
Junoon (جنون): Madness or passion, an intense, all-consuming feeling.
Maut (موت): Death, which represents the annihilation of the ego, selfishness, and pride in favor of oneness with the beloved.
The Seven Stages of Love in Sufism – Second Version
Here are the Seven Stages of Love in Sufism (also called the Seven Valleys or maqāmāt-e-ishq):
1. Hub (حُبّ) — Attraction / Infatuation
The journey begins with an irresistible pull toward the Divine.
The seeker’s heart is stirred; longing awakens.
This is the spark that ignites the whole path.
2. ‘Ishq (عِشق) — Intense Love / Passion
Love deepens into overwhelming intensity.
The seeker feels consumed by longing—joyful, painful, ecstatic.
‘Ishq is fire: it burns illusions, ego, and separation.
3. Ishq-e-Majazi to Ishq-e-Haqiqi — From Human Love to Divine Love
The lover realizes that worldly love (majāzī) is merely a mirror of the Real (haqīqī).
This is the stage of profound shift:
“What I sought in the finite was always the Infinite.”
4. Sabr (صبر) — Patience in Love
The seeker now endures trials, delays, silence, and absence.
Love becomes purification through suffering.
Patience strengthens the soul and stabilizes the flame of longing.
5. Tawakkul (توکّل) — Trust and Surrender
The lover relinquishes control.
One trusts the Beloved’s will completely.
Duality dissolves slowly:
“I move because He moves me. I love because He is the Love.”
6. Ridā (رِضا) — Contentment in Union and Separation
A serene acceptance flowers.
Whether the Beloved appears or hides, the lover remains inwardly at peace.
Love becomes unconditional, without expectation.
7. Fana wa Baqa (فناء و بقاء) — Annihilation & Abiding in the Beloved
The final stage.
The self dissolves in the Divine (fanā).
Then one “returns” to the world abiding in God (baqā).
This is the state of the Sufi saints—embodiments of love, compassion, and unity.
Short Summary The Seven Stages trace the transformation of love from a human, emotional longing to the total dissolution of the ego in the Divine.
The path begins with desire, burns through passion, purifies in patience and surrender, and ends in spiritual annihilation and abiding union.
7 Stages Of Love Explained By Priya Malik I Pyaar Vs Ishq
(Longer Version: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7FbI309LgqNA5DjuKQFqqa?si=b76f3c601b604d6d&nd=1&dlsi=b348dd3c40ce4902)
Know Thyself 