Ramadan 1445 AH — Day 13: Expressing Love
“When one of you loves his brother, let him tell him, for he will find that he feels the same way.” — Baihaqi
Love is a universal language that even the deaf can hear and the blind can see its signs. We all love to be loved and feel loved. However, we live in a world where expressing love is now deemed as a weakness. Especially, in the masculine space many of us never heard the word I love you from our fathers. So we sometimes find it difficult to transfer that expression to our wives and children.
If you ask some men, when was the last time you told your wife I love you, you’d be surprised it’s probably before they got married. This isn’t limited to our time alone, men have always found it difficult to express love. Imagine this scenario that occurred during the time of the Prophet ﷺ:
Abu Huraira reported: Al-Aqra’ ibn Habis saw the Prophet ﷺ, kissing his grandson Al-Hasan. He said, “I have ten children and I do not kiss any of them.” The Prophet said, “Verily, whoever does not show mercy will not receive mercy.” — Bukhari and Muslim
And when it comes to his wives, the prophet ﷺ never held back expressing his love. He loved Khadijah so much that even after her demise, he still honored her friends and relatives. One day `A’ishah mentioned Khadijah’s name in a way that made the Prophet upset. He told `A’ishah without mincing words, “I have been granted her love by Allah”.
Allah’s Apostle ﷺ had unreserved love for his companions as well. Everyone of them thought that he loved them uniquely because he paid attention adequately to their needs. He disliked for them to be discomforted and as such they felt his genuine care. Amr bin Al-As felt this closeness and love until a point where he had to question the prophet ﷺ:
‘Amr ibn al-‘As reported: I said, “Which person is most beloved to you?” The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Aisha.” I said, “I mean among men.” The Prophet said, “Her father.” I said, “Then who?” The Prophet said, “Umar ibn al-Khattab,” and the Prophet mentioned other men. — Saheeh Bukhari and Muslim
He ﷺ once told Muadh ibn Jabal: Oh Muadh, by Allah, I love You!
And whenever his daughter Fatimah came to a gathering where he was sitting, Allah’s Apostle ﷺ will stand up, kiss her forehead and ask her to take his seat. This is pure masculinity at it’s peak.
Action Points
- Henceforth, make it a norm to express love to your loved ones starting with your parents, spouses, siblings and children.
- Find a friend or companion whom you sincerely love for the sake of Allah and express your love to them in clear words. Remember, those who love each other for Allah’s sake will be under His shade.
- Eschew cultural anomalies that claim this practice is a form of weakness. As evidenced above, this is a sunnah therefore let’s revive it.
That’s it for today, take action on this Daily Revival and if you missed yesterday’s episode, you can find it here. I ask Allah to make it easy for you and me. Amin!
Yaumus Sabt 13th Ramadan 1445 AH // Saturday 23rd March 2024.
- If you’d like to support a charitable cause this Ramadan, donate to Rafeeqee Foundation
- You may join my WhatsApp Broadcast channel called “Islamic Reminders” where you can find some more beneficial stuff.
- Finally, I made a practical video on how to crush your Ramadan goals using two non-conventional methodologies. You’ll find it on Pure Masculinity Podcast, don’t forget to subscribe.
