Is it a sin to fall in love?

Dear Brother / Sister,

Falling in love is not a sin. According to a hadith, it is stated that someone who fell in love with a woman and died concealing his love without telling anyone about it is considered to be a martyr. As you know, love is not emotional, out of the soul, but it is the name for the excessive affection out of the heart. For this reason, falling in love is not something one can control. It is religiously permissible that you think of her or that thoughts about her come to your mind. However, it is wrong to love her so much as to sacrifice blessed things. You stated your thought about her and asked for her permission to marry her. We believe that there is no use in insisting on it if she has refused your proposal because then it seems she has made her choice. We cannot foresee what will be good for us. There is a possibility of regretting the things that we are craving. So, it is the best to pray for the things that will be good for us and to maintain patience if we do not get what we want.

Maryam’s (Mary’s) mother had expected a baby boy. Yet, Allah gave her a girl and she was so upset about it. If we could ask her now whether she would prefer “dozens of boys or only one girl, Maryam”, she would have surely chosen Maryam because her daughter became the mother of a prophet.

So, this is how we had better act. 

Questions on Islam