I Thought Loving the Prophet ﷺ Too Much Was Dangerous… Until I Realized This

Discover the powerful lesson I learned about loving the Prophet ﷺ and how it brought me closer to Allah.

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The Sunnah That Heals the Heart

The other night, as I was preparing for bed, I found myself brushing off the covers—not out of habit, but with a conscious intention to follow the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ. It was such a simple act, yet something about it felt different. In that moment, a deep sense of love washed over me. Love for the Prophet ﷺ. Love for the One who sent him. Love for the way Islam isn’t just a set of rules, but a way of living that nourishes the heart.

For the past few weeks, I’ve been following a challenge: 30 Days of Following the Sunnah. Not just observing from a distance, but actively doing. Living it. Embodying it. And it has changed me.

I’ve increased my salawat, sending peace and blessings upon the Prophet ﷺ throughout my day. I’ve contemplated (taddabur) of the powerful ayah where Allah Himself, along with His angels, sends salawat upon the Prophet ﷺ:

I’ve been reading The Sirah of the Prophetﷺ: A Contemporary and Original Analysis by Yasir Qadhi, diving deeper into the life of the manﷺ whom Allah chose as the final messenger. And I’ve been contemplating—what does it truly mean to love the Prophet ﷺ?

The Fear of Loving Too Much

Coming from a Christian background, where Jesus (peace be upon him) was revered as God, I used to fear that if I increased my love for the Prophet ﷺ, I might unknowingly fall into shirk. The thought of crossing that line terrified me. May Allah keep us steadfast. Ameen.

But as I immersed myself in his ﷺ life, his ﷺ Sunnah, and the Qur’anic command to obey him, ﷺ something shifted.

Allah says in the Quran:

24:54

قُلْ أَطِيعُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُوا۟ ٱلرَّسُولَ ۖ فَإِن تَوَلَّوْا۟ فَإِنَّمَا عَلَيْهِ مَا حُمِّلَ وَعَلَيْكُم مَّا حُمِّلْتُمْ ۖ وَإِنتُطِيعُوهُ تَهْتَدُوا۟ ۚ وَمَا عَلَى ٱلرَّسُولِ إِلَّا ٱلْبَلَـٰغُ ٱلْمُبِينُ ٥٤

Say, “Obey Allah and obey the Messenger. But if you turn away, then he is only responsible for his duty[1] and you are responsible for yours.[2] And if you obey him, you will be ˹rightly˺ guided. The Messenger’s duty is only to deliver ˹the message˺ clearly.”

— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, The Clear Quran

Footnotes:

[1] The Prophet’s only duty is to deliver the message.

[2] Their only duty is to obey the Prophet (ﷺ) by submitting to Allah.

I began to realize that loving the Prophet ﷺ doesn’t detract from loving Allah—it deepens it.

The more I learned about him ﷺ, the more I understood the immense mercy of Allah in sending the Prophet ﷺ to us. Allah could have given us the Qur’an alone, and we would have had to navigate its meanings on our own. But instead, He sent a living example—the best of creation ﷺ —to embody its teachings.

The Prophet Mohammad ﷺ walked among his ﷺ people, showing them how to pray, how to speak with kindness, how to navigate hardships, how to purify their hearts. He ﷺ showed them how to love Allah with sincerity and how to seek Allah’s love in return.

And then it hit me:

Loving the Prophet ﷺ is not a distraction from loving Allah. It is a pathway to loving Allah.

The Healing Power of Salawat

Before this challenge, my salawat was sporadic, something I did here and there without much thought. But now, it has become a daily habit, and I’ve realized something I never understood before:

Salawat is du’a. I know duhh but it hadn’t dawned of me because my fear of shirk was blinding me!

“Allahumma… Oh Allah…”

Every time I send salawat, I am speaking directly to Allah. I am not just sending peace upon the Prophet ﷺ—I am asking Allah to elevate him, ﷺ to bless him, to grant him the highest station. And in return, Allah showers me with blessings, as the Prophet ﷺ said:

“Whoever sends blessings upon me once, Allah will send blessings upon him ten times.” (Muslim)

It’s no wonder my heart feels lighter. The weight I didn’t even know I was carrying has started to lift. Despite the uncertainty I face, despite the hardships, there is a newfound tranquility in my heart.

Because in remembering the Prophet ﷺ, I am remembering Allah.

Allah’s Greatest Gift to Us

Photo by Jawad Jawahir on Unsplash

The Qur’an tells us:

“This is the Book about which there is no doubt, a guidance for those conscious of Allah.” (2:2)

Allah didn’t leave us wandering in confusion. He sent down the Qur’an and a Messenger and Prophet ﷺ to teach us how to live it. And Allah didn’t just send any Messenger ﷺ. He saved the best for last.

33:21

لَّقَدْ كَانَ لَكُمْ فِى رَسُولِ ٱللَّهِ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌۭ لِّمَن كَانَ يَرْجُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَٱلْيَوْمَ ٱلْـَٔاخِرَ وَذَكَرَ ٱللَّهَكَثِيرًۭا ٢١

Indeed, in the Messenger of Allah you have an excellent example for whoever has hope in Allah and the Last Day, and remembers Allah often.

— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, The Clear Quran

When I think about this, I am overwhelmed with gratitude. The Prophet ﷺ is not just a figure of the past—his Sunnah is alive, his guidance is relevant, his example is timeless. And through him ﷺ, Allah has shown us a path of mercy, light, and unwavering faith.

The more I send salawat, the more I feel connected to him ﷺ . And the more I feel connected to him, the more I feel connected to Allah.

This challenge has transformed my heart. It has reminded me that following the Sunnah is not just about external actions—it is a source of deep, spiritual healing. It lifts the soul. It lightens the heart. It fills life with barakah.

And so, I keep going. With every salawat. With every Sunnah revived. With every moment spent in love and remembrance.

Alhamdulillah for this beautiful deen. Alhamdulillah for this beautiful Prophet ﷺ.

May Allah increase us in love for His messenger and through that, increase us in love for Him. Ameen.

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Much love 💕

Nour Cauveren

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