Love is one of the extremely powerful feelings in the world!
The source of love is Allah itself, one of the names of Allah(SWT) is ‘Al-wadud’, the most affectionate. Allah[SWT] shows us the true meaning of affection; no one can love us the way he does. It conveys that the feeling of love is not wrong in itself but how you manifest it. For example, the love of Allah is the most beautiful thing one can experience in this world, but at the same time, a love of power can destroy nations.
Loving the right entity in the right way can make your life beautiful and others around you. Loving the wrong entity in the wrong way can destroy you and the people around you.
Marrying someone you love is not Islamically wrong. One can have feelings of affection, attraction, admiration for another individual.
It was narrated from Ibn Abbas that the Prophet [SAW] said: “There is nothing like marriage, for two who love one another.” ~[Sunan ibn Majah 1847]
This hadith indicates that love before marriage does exist. It’s not wrong to have feelings, like someone or experience love towards them and want to marry them.
As long as one does not engage in haram acts like dating, talking in private, or intercourse itself, it also indicates that there is nothing better, purest than marriage for those who love one another; if you love someone, you should marry them.
It is out of our control; the feeling of attraction comes unconsciously.
But if that feeling leads to something which defies the laws of Allah is prohibited.
If emotions show up in one’s heart and they do not act upon it wrongly, then there is no sin on them.
It is difficult to control one’s desires; it is easier said than done to control one’s desires and not act upon them.
When one’s heart pulls to go after something, resisting the feeling is difficult.
One may think that, how can I love someone without talking to them or even looking at them. You can do all those things.
If a guy wishes to propose marriage to a woman, he may speak with her and gaze at her without being alone. He should do it from a safe distance and in the presence of her father, brother, mother, or other family members. However, if he does not wish to propose marriage to her, he has no right to do so. So long as he plans on marrying her.
According to Jaabir ibn Abd-Allaah (R.A.), Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) said:
“If one among you offers marriage to a woman, he can look at her and find something that will inspire him to marry her, then let him do so” [Saheeh Abi Dawood, no. 1832, 1834]
Love that leads to haram acts and marriage based on the disobedience of Allah(SWT) will lack the blessings of our lord.
With the blessings of Allah[SWT], marriage will be tranquil.
Prophet Muhammad taught us that an ideal marriage is based on a foundation of sakinah[tranquility], Mawaddah[love], and Rahma[mercy].
When a man learns that a woman is of good character, virtuous, and knowledgeable, he may marry her. Alternatively, a woman may hear that a man is of good character, virtuous, knowledgeable, and religiously committed, and she may wish to marry him. The problem, however, is contact between the two who admired each other in ways that are not Islamically permissible, which has disastrous consequences. In this case, it is not permissible for the man to contact the woman or for the woman to contact the man and express his desire to marry her. Rather, he should inform her wali [guardian] of his desire to marry her, or she should inform her of her desire to marry him…
However, if the woman contacts the man directly, this is what causes fitnah[temptations] ~ [ibn al qayyim in rawdat al muhibbeen]
Our mother, Khadijah[R.A.], had heard of our prophet Muhammad’s integrity, honesty, and moral behavior (saw) through her servant maisarah; mother Khadijah was deeply moved and impressed by our prophet and proposed him through her closed friend. This shows that it is unnecessary to spend time with someone to love them, and dating is not required.