IFAO

In Medieval Arabic literature, passionate chaste love (al-ḥubb al-‘udhrî) becomes a very common topic in prose since the 2nd/8th century when authors started to write books dealing exclusively with this topic. None of these love treatises has ever been censured before Mughultây’s (d. 762/1361) al-Wâdih al-mubîn fî dhikr man ustushhida min al-muhibbîn (The Clear and Eloquent in Speaking of Those Lovers Who became Martyrs) which was forbidden in Mameluk Cairo and burnt on the market place. Exploring Mughultây’s theory of profane love and comparing the content of the Wâdih with others love treatises, this paper tries to understand the reason for its interdiction.