Assalamu'alaikum=)

Name: شيخ نبيل (Shaik Nabil)

Orthodox Islam - Ahlu Sunnah Wal Jama'ah (People of the Sunnah and Congregation)

School of Orthodox Theology (Aqeedah) :Ash'ari School of Theological Thought

School of Orthodox Jurisprudent (Fiqh) :Shafi'e School of Jurisprudential Thoughts

"Blessed is He in Whose hand is the Sovereignty, and He is able to do all things; Who hath created life and death that He may try you, which of you is best in conduct; and He is the Mighty, the Forgiving." Al-Qur'anul Kareem 67:1-2

O God bless our Master Muhammad (pbuh) who opened what had been closed, and who is the Seal of what had gone before, he who makes the Truth Victorious by the Truth, the guide to thy straight path, and bless his household as is the due of his immense position and grandeur.-Salatul Fatih

True Love

Assalamu'alaikum WR WB

Dear brothers and sisters, I pray that you are all in the highest state of faith and health, and Insya'Allah, your minds and hearts are full of love for Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta 'alaa. I have to admit. I am facing a dilemma. A problem my small heart is facing. Heartbroken or disappointed i am? Wallahu'alam bisawab. But after what had happened, I embarked on a 'journey' to find the answers to my problem. Love is the most overrated word in the world but as muslims, how do we face this? For those who might probably have fallen in love with a fellow insan, how do you face this? How to ensure your love will not affect your iman negatively? And most importantly, how do we ensure that we dont end up disappointed and lose our faith to Allah?

Alhamdulillah, I came across a book, "La Tahzan" which is Dont Be Sad if translated to English, written by Shaykh Dr. 'Aaidh ibn Abdullah al-Qarni, a Saudi Islamic Muslim scholar, author, and activist. With Allah's permission, I managed to find the answers to my disappointment or the sadness I am facing from this book. To find the answer to What is TRUE Love? I shall use some parts of the book for this post.

According to the book:

Question: How to find true Love and Happiness?
Answer: To find true happiness, you must be from those who love Allah. The most prosperous person is the one whose mission in life is to achieve the love of Allah, a love that Allah refers to in this verse:
"Allah will bring a people whom He will love and they will love Him..." (Qur'an 5:54)

Question: Scenarios of Love. Which category do you wish to belong in?
Answer: The story of Majnoon's love for Laila is well known. His extreme love for her killed him; whereas for Qaroon (Korah), it it was the love of wealth: and for Fir'aun (Pharaoh), it was the love of position and power. On the other hand, there is Hamza, Ja’afar and Hanzala (may Allah be pleased with them all), who all died for their love of Allah and His Messenger. Vast is the distance that separates these three noble companions in their love — and those believers who are like them — from the rest. So, where do you consider yourself in? Only you and Allah knows.

Question: What are the dangers of love?
Answer: Ardent Love. Beware of falling in love with appearances; such love is beset with anxiety and perpetual misery. It is a blessing for a Muslim that he stays away from messages found in lyrics and music, messages about ardent love, unrequited love, or separation from one’s object of love.

lbn al-Qayyim expounded on this topic in his book The Disease and the Cure. He mentioned a number of factors that contribute to one falling hopelessly and uncontrollably in love. Among them are the following:

1) An empty heart that is bereft of love for Allah, remembrance of Him, and fear of Him.
2) Allowing one’s eyes to wander and stare. The eye is a scout that can bring back misery to the heart.

[Tell the believing men to lower their gaze (from looking at forbidden things)...(Qur an 24: 30)]

A look is an arrow from the arrows of the Devil. An Arab poet said:

“When you allow your eyes to wander ahead as a scout,
Looking at all eyes and stares will then follow,
Seeing that which you are not capable of embracing completely,
While not being patient for getting something partially."

3) Being negligent in worship especially in remembrance, supplication, and prayer.

Question: What is the cure for Ardent Love?
Answer:
1) Strive to improve your worship by being more sincere — and invoke Allah to cure you.
2) Lower your gaze.
3) Travel away from the object of your passion (your human love interest).
4) Keep yourself busy in doing good deeds.

In Conclusion, Love is not what media potrays it to be. That is wrong. Love is related to faith (Iman) which relates to your status as a muslim. The lessons that i've learnt, when facing the problem or dilemma of Love you have to hold on to these principles - Honesty, Obedience, Trust, Sincerity and Patience. (Jujur, Taat, Yakin, Ikhlas dan Sabar) and Insya'Allah Allah will guide you but I'll always remind myself of this quote, "In order to love someone, you have to love yourself. In order to love yourself, you have to LOVE ALLAH" =)

Jakallahu Khairan. Barakallahufeek. =)
-شيخ نبيل

6:08 PM ·