Love

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Zaid Alsalami, Shaykh Dr Zaid Alsalami is an Iraqi born scholar, raised in Australia. He obtained a BA from Al-Mustafa University, Qom, and an MA from the Islamic College in London. He also obtained a PhD from... Answered 2 years ago

Bismihi ta'ala

It is not a sin for a couple to stay married and their marriage be loveless. Marriage is one thing, and love is another. However, a loveless marriage and a cold relationship is not ideal at all. It does affect both sides, and the household as well. Both husband and wife my strive to do something about their feelings towards each other and find ways of re-igniting their love towards each other. It is not healthy at all for them to stay loveless, and it will create a lot of toxicity between them. 

In any case, from a fiqhi perspective, if the wife chooses to stay in the relationship under such circumstances, it is not a sin.

And Allah knows best. 

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Amina Inloes, Amina Inloes is originally from the US and has a PhD in Islamic Studies from the University of Exeter on Shi'a hadith. She is the program leader for the MA Islamic Studies program at the... Answer updated 2 years ago

I can't quite figure out the Arabic text of these quotations in English, in order to discuss them, so it would be helpful if you could write the exact texts in Arabic, or give a reference.

The closest narrations that come to mind are:
* It is narrated that the best form of ibadah is love for the Ahl al-Bayt (A). 
* There is a narration in the Sunni books that a man who is bodily injured by someone (such as in a fight) and forgives that has offered a form of charity to the person who injured him. 

Anyway, there are a lot of hadith attributed to the Prophet (S) saying "the best form of worship is..." and "the best form of charity is...", and sometimes different things are mentioned.

From this, one gets the sense that the intent behind the text is often to say that "this is a good thing to do" and encourage people to do it, not that there is a hierarchy of different types of charity or worship, and only one of them is at the top.

(Except in a case where the text is very clear that this is the absolute best thing to do and specifies that it really is meant to be better than anything else.) 

Of course, there are many hadith encouraging charity (whether it be material assistance, or other forms of generosity such as kindness or assistance), forgiveness, and love (apart from love towards the vicious or enemies of God). 

(Note that someone else may recognize what texts are being discussed here and have a better answer!)

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This requires a special understanding and cognition of the reality and continuous presence and grace of God in our lives and the nature of our connection with Him as well as our utter dependence on Him.

You may find useful to watch this recently concluded series of lectures by Sh. Javad Shomali.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QYGGxWb_Cg

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Sayyed Mohammad Al-Musawi, Sayyed Mohammad al-Musawi is originally from Iraq and heads up the World Ahlul Bayt Islamic League in London. Other than being involved in various humanitarian projects, he frequently responds to... Answered 2 years ago

Muslim woman is not allowed to marry non Muslim man under any circumstance until and unless he becomes a Muslim.

 We are allowed to pray to Allah for non Muslim to be guided and to see and follow the true religion of Islam.

Wassalam.

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Sayyed Mohammad Al-Musawi, Sayyed Mohammad al-Musawi is originally from Iraq and heads up the World Ahlul Bayt Islamic League in London. Other than being involved in various humanitarian projects, he frequently responds to... Answered 3 years ago

Istekhara is seeking guidance from Allah (SWT) in any matter which is permissible in principle and we are unable to decide about it.

If you have already decided an action, there is no point in Istekhara after you have decided.

'Loving something does not mean that it is good for us. Millions of people suffered a lot from things which they loved sometime then discovered later that love was based on mirage not facts. Sensible persons do not rely on love only but on intellect and factual reasons. If you are not sure whether your love is based on facts or emotions, you can go for Istekhara to be guided.

Wassalam.

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Rebecca Masterton, Dr Rebecca Masterton graduated with a BA in Japanese Language and Literature; an MA in Comparative East Asian and African Literature and a PhD in Islamic literature of West Africa. She has been... Answered 3 years ago

Did your husband get into the marriage willingly or unwillingly? If he was pressured into the marriage and was not naturally inclined towards it, then this will have a major impact on whether he wants to show love and affection. Also, what was his upbringing? Was he raised in a household that does not show love or affection? Was he neglected emotionally as a child? Also, what are his family's ideas on marriage? Is it just a formality where everybody plays their role? Is your marriage based upon friendship? I.e. are both of you friends and allies? Do you have conversations with each other? Are you from different cultures and have different understandings about Islam? Have you spoken to him about how you notice that he does not demonstrate love or affection, and asked him why that is? 

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Zoheir Ali Esmail, Shaykh Zoheir Ali Esmail has a Bsc in Accounting and Finance from the LSE in London, and an MA in Islamic Studies from Middlesex University. He studied Arabic at Damascus University and holds a PhD... Answered 3 years ago

Bismillah

Thank you for your question. To love Allah is to prefer Him to all else in your life and to be attached to him more than your attachment to other things. Love is a connection that matters to you and as such the love of God can be compared to other types of love. Indeed, Allah compares His love to other types of love in the Qur'an (see 9:24 for example). We are naturally in love with God, but that is sometimes confused by our attachments to other types of love. To develop the love of God, some sacrifice is required. The ordinances of our religion help develop that love and among those ordinances is reflecting on the bounties that Allah has bestowed on us, both continually and at various points in our life. It is natural to love those who are good to us, then what about He who is the source of every good in our lives?

May you always be successful

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Sayyed Mohammad Al-Musawi, Sayyed Mohammad al-Musawi is originally from Iraq and heads up the World Ahlul Bayt Islamic League in London. Other than being involved in various humanitarian projects, he frequently responds to... Answered 3 years ago

Allah, The Most Merciful, Most Compassionate, created us to shower on us His Mercy and bounties. He is showering on us countless bounties and protecting us from countless harms. His Sympathy on us is more than ten times of the sympathy of the mother on her child acceding to Hadeeth.

He wants us to appreciate and thank Him for His bounties so that He grants us more bounties. لئن  شكرتم لأزيدنكم

We are required to admit and confess our sins and seek forgiveness so that He foregives us.

Wassalam.

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Zoheir Ali Esmail, Shaykh Zoheir Ali Esmail has a Bsc in Accounting and Finance from the LSE in London, and an MA in Islamic Studies from Middlesex University. He studied Arabic at Damascus University and holds a PhD... Answered 3 years ago

Bismillah

Thank you for your question. As long as the marriage contract was pronounced correctly with all of its conditions and the divorce was also performed correctly the marriage is valid even if this was not the most ethical path.

May you always be successful.

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Zoheir Ali Esmail, Shaykh Zoheir Ali Esmail has a Bsc in Accounting and Finance from the LSE in London, and an MA in Islamic Studies from Middlesex University. He studied Arabic at Damascus University and holds a PhD... Answered 3 years ago

Bismillah

Thank you for your question. The heart is a battleground for two types of love. Love of God and love of the world. In order to remove the love of the world from the heart, the heart has to be filled with the love of God and this is the main purpose of self-purification and refinement and is the crux of spirituality in Islam. In one narration Imam al-Sadiq (as) says: "Is religion other than love." 

It is achieved through battling the ego, with knowledge, faith and action. Through knowing the self and not succumbing to the desires of the lower self. By remaining patient in trials and tribulations and increasing one's hope and closeness to God. By realizing all of the ideals of Islam, its ethics and its practices.

May you always be successful

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Seyed Ali Shobayri, Seyed Ali Shobayri is of mixed Iranian and Scottish descent who found the path of the Ahlul Bayt (a) by his own research. He holds a BA in Islamic Studies from Middlesex University through the... Answer updated 4 years ago

Bismillah, 

Asalamu Alaykom, 

You may say this if you are both mahram to each other. Being Halal to each other is established by reading the nikah or a mutah formula with the correct conditions. After this, sharing affectionate words is permitted. 

May Allah grant you success 

Sayyed Mohammad Al-Musawi, Sayyed Mohammad al-Musawi is originally from Iraq and heads up the World Ahlul Bayt Islamic League in London. Other than being involved in various humanitarian projects, he frequently responds to... Answered 4 years ago

No, it is not allowed to tell your fiance: I love you, simply because there is no religious frame (Aqd) between you like Nikah or Mut'ah. Your fiance remains non Mahram to you until you have such Aqd recited between you with its conditions like the permission of the father of virgin girl.

Wassalam.