Expression of Love for Religious Personalities

By Dr. Zafar Darik Qasmi, New Age Islam 30 September 2025 Abstract: Love for religious personalities strengthens faith, morality, and social harmony. Throughout history, such figures have guided humanity towards justice, compassion, and service to God. True love is not mere emotion but demands obedience to their teachings. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the greatest example, whose life embodies mercy, justice, and brotherhood. Expressing love for him is both a spiritual and social duty. However, love must remain balanced, avoiding exaggeration. In today’s materialistic world, reviving this love by following their examples is essential for personal success, peace, and the moral progress of society. Main Points: 1. True love means obedience, not just emotional or verbal claims. 2. Religious figures guide humanity towards justice, compassion, and morality. 3. Prophet Muhammad’s life embodies mercy, forgiveness, and human brotherhood. 4. Expressing love promotes tolerance, peace, and respect among communities. 5. Balanced love avoids exaggeration, focusing on God’s pleasure. ----- The system of the universe and the stability of social behaviour and values are fundamentally dependent on love and affection. A society is considered honourable and respectable only when its people treat each other with kindness and love. Indeed, love is a noble act. Just as a person shows affection towards their relatives and family, so too does every follower of a religion naturally love and revere the great personalities of their faith. It is essential that one remains sincere and loyal to their religion. Love and devotion to religious personalities and their teachings shape life on righteous and virtuous lines, because the path of salvation and success shown by them, when followed, transforms a person into one who is moral and principled. Thus, love is not merely an emotion but a vital quality which must be adopted to ensure social well-being and national harmony, protecting mankind from the ways that lead to loss and failure. Human history bears witness that in every era there have appeared noble personalities whose conduct, speech, actions, and sacrifices brought light to humanity. These personalities were not confined to one region or tribe but served as guiding lights for all humankind. The world’s religions speak of such figures whose purpose in life was to lead people towards righteousness, morality, justice, and servitude to God. Their lives were filled with sincerity, selflessness, and sacrifice, which inclined people towards recognising God and serving humanity. For this reason, love for religious personalities is a natural sentiment that arises in human hearts. Religious figures are granted superiority over ordinary people because they are chosen servants of God. There is no contradiction between their words and deeds. The values they teach are the very values they themselves practise. Free from worldly greed and personal interest, they dedicate themselves solely to the welfare of humanity. Loving such figures is, in truth, love for the values they embody through their actions. And these values play a fundamental role in the welfare of society. Thus, love for religious personalities is not simply an emotional attachment, but an integral part of faith itself. For instance, in Islamic teachings, love for the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is declared a condition for the perfection of faith. Likewise, love for other prophets, saints, and righteous individuals illuminates the heart and brings peace to the soul. This love distances a person from worldly temptations and elevates them spiritually. It is also true that mere verbal love is not sufficient; real love demands obedience. When a person accepts a religious personality as their guide, they must also act upon their teachings. This obedience is the means through which love takes practical form. For example, if someone claims to love the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) but neglects his Sunnah (traditions), such a claim remains incomplete. Love for religious personalities not only provides spiritual comfort but also becomes a source of success in worldly life. Whoever adopts the moral standards of these noble figures earns respect in society and develops patience, tolerance, forbearance, and generosity. In this way, they become a source of goodness not only for themselves but for the entire community. History also shows that societies which embraced love for religious personalities and lived by their teachings became prosperous and just. On the other hand, those societies which abandoned these teachings fell into chaos and decline. Thus, love for religious figures not only reforms individuals but also ensures social harmony and collective peace. It must also be emphasised that love for religious personalities should be balanced. Islam, along with other religions, teaches that love must not be exaggerated to the point of shirk (associating partners with God) or extremism. True love is that which is solely for the sake of God’s pleasure, without raising a personality to the level of divinity. Today’s world is plagued by materialism, selfishness, and moral decline. In such circumstances, renewing love for religious personalities and adopting their model is the greatest need of the time. Reading about their lives, reflecting on their teachings, and spreading their message can help rectify social corruption. It is especially important to introduce the younger generation to this love so that they make their life choices in the light of these teachings. Love for religious figures is the foundation of faith, morality, and humanity. This love saves a person from misguidance, grants them spiritual peace, and makes them successful in every sphere of life. When the love of these noble figures takes root in the heart, a person naturally turns towards goodness and away from evil. Hence, it may rightly be said that love for religious personalities is not merely an emotional bond but the true secret of success in life. In this context, it seems appropriate to say that expressing love and devotion to the Messenger of Allah, Muhammad (peace be upon him), is legally and morally justified in every sense. The pure life and character of the Prophet convey a message that encompasses social welfare, human brotherhood, justice, and peace. Love for the Prophet (peace be upon him) is the very soul of faith and the foundation of Islam. The Qur’an clearly declares: “If you love Allah, then follow me; Allah will love you.” This verse makes it clear that love for the Prophet is not merely an emotional attachment, but an essential part of the perfection of faith. The blessed personality of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the greatest blessing for humanity. His mercy, compassion, justice, forgiveness, and sublime character are a beacon of guidance for people of every era. He brought the light of faith, knowledge, and brotherhood to an ignorant and divided society. This is why the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) loved the Prophet more than their lives, wealth, and children. Their love demanded obedience and adherence, and that is the true sign of genuine love. Even today, if Muslims desire success in their personal and collective lives, they must not only profess love for the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) but also adopt his character and Sunnah. This love is the true mark of faith and the path to salvation. It must also be said here that in Kanpur, after the appearance of signboards and slogans reading “I Love Muhammad (peace be upon him)”, the behaviour of government agencies clearly reflected bias. The fundamental question is: how has expressing love for any religious personality suddenly become unconstitutional? The Constitution of India grants followers of every faith the freedom to practise and express the traditions and teachings of their religion. Another important point is that whether it concerns the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) or any revered figure of another faith, if people express love for them, no one should object. Such sentiments actually promote tolerance, peace, and mutual respect in society, and this is the true identity of our beloved homeland. Yet, the way the Muslim community is being deliberately harassed today is damaging to the secular and democratic spirit of India, and this matter requires serious reflection. On the other hand, Muslims themselves must also reflect: is expressing love for the Prophet (peace be upon him) limited to putting up signboards and chanting slogans in the streets? The true demand of love for the Prophet is that we practically bring his model into our lives and sincerely strive to convey his message to the world. Shouting slogans or hanging signboards is not the path of wisdom. Therefore, both we and our leadership need to engage in thoughtful reflection. The essence lies in the character and actions of the Prophet (peace be upon him). It is essential for all humankind to shape their lives in accordance with his model. ------ Dr. Zafar Darik Qasmi is an author and a New Age Islam Regular Columnist. URL: https://www.newageislam.com/spiritual-meditations/love-religious-personalities/d/137044 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism