Divine Love as First Bonding

Rabia al-Adawiyya taught that love of God precedes all other loves, establishing a model of unconditional devotion. In Birth and early bonding, this concept suggests that the caregiver's capacity to love without expectation of return—mirroring divine love—creates secure attachment. When parents or guardians approach infants with pure devotion rather than projection of needs, they offer a psychological sanctuary. This early experience of being loved for one's existence alone, not accomplishments, forms the template for belonging. Rabia's radical reorientation toward love as its own purpose, rather than means to reward, invites caregivers to examine whether bonding is contaminated by ego or rooted in genuine presence. The infant receives this quality of attention as safety, mirroring back the capacity to trust and receive love.