Three types of enjoyment in the world— Ibn Taymiyyah

There are three types of enjoyment in the world.

 

The first type is physical enjoyment, such as eating, and sexual relations. These are the things that the body can experience by way of its senses such as food and clothing etc.

 

The second type is presumed enjoyment; this type comes from what one imagines and presumes of oneself or others. For example, the enjoyment one derives from being praised, venerated, and obeyed. These things are indeed enjoyable and beloved to a person, just as consuming bad food or not being able to eat and drink is harmful. Losing honor and status is painful to a person like someone who has no food or drinks, and blame and ridicule are painful like eating and drinking something harmful.

 

The things that are eaten or enjoyed sexually are tangible things that are attained by the body, and they bring enjoyment with their presence and pain with their absence. As for the honor, then this is something that is present in the soul, but the soul must be suitable and befitting of that. That is only attained if the person loves to be honorable and places importance in that; then this will lead to enjoyment and happiness. When a person loves and venerates honor, then that will be recognized by the people and they will praise him, accept him, follow him, and venerate him due to what they witness from his character.

 

The third type is that which a person knows with his heart, mind, and soul, such as enjoyment of remembering Allah, knowing Him, and knowing His rights upon the slaves. The person is pained by ignorance, which is either minor ignorance, which is the absence of speech and remembrance, or it is compound ignorance, which is false beliefs. They are pained in the same way that a body is pained by a lack of nourishment or by eating of something harmful.

 

The soul is also hurt by a lack of nourishment, and its nourishment is found by accepting people and honoring them. A person’s soul can be damaged by seeking nourishment from something that is harmful, such as opposing people and slandering them. Likewise, the heart is pained by lack of nourishment, which is knowledge and remembrance of Allah, and also by seeking nourishment by seeking something harmful such as corrupt belief system.

 

These are the three pleasures: tangible pleasures, presumed pleasures, and mental pleasures.

 

[The Principles of love and desires by Ibn Taymiyyah, p. 82-83]