Peace and Blessing,

Bismi’llah ar-Rahman, ar-Rahim

In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate.

How can we really love ourselves? Love ourselves in the real deep way?

The Master Shaykh writes, “When you love your brothers and sisters, when you give everything to your brothers and sisters, when you see the face of God in your brothers and sisters and leave everything outside…When you do this , then you begin to listen to What God wants from you.”

So often many people have difficulty feeling love for themselves. They think they are bad. They believe they are a sinner and can never live up to God’s expectation for them.

How can we move past these beliefs? The answer doesn’t lie in trying to change ourselves, to change our thinking. (Yes, of course we need to change what we are doing, but what I am suggesting is a different focus.)

The real wisdom says that to love yourself, first love your brother and sister. Not your real brother and sister but the humanity. Love the humanity.

The Holy Prophet, saws, has said, “None of you truly believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.” This Hadith, teaching from Muhammad, saws, is on the foundations of Islam.

The Shaykh says, “When you do this, the you begin to listen to what God wants from you.”

God wants you to act, to intend to do good, and then to show love. If we can show love, give love to our sisters and brothers then we begin to move down the Path of God. We are starting to walk the Path of Love. And if we do this then God will pull us closer. The light of His love will open. The love will begin to fill our hearts and then we will begin to love ourselves.

Here we are not the doer. We can’t love ourselves because all love comes from God. Allah loves us first then we love ourselves. And the way to Allah’s door is by surrender. Give up needing for yourself. This is what is meant by leaving everything outside.

Take the focus of your life off yourself and place it on your Lord. When you turn wholeheartedly to God, then the love for yourself comes easily. it is natural.

You won’t have to do anything. All you have to do is to love others and let go.

salams