*Update: The following lyrics are from a deleted version of the song “Part of Your World”.
“What would I give if I could live outta these waters?
What would I pay to spend a day holding your hand?
I’d give my life
I’d sell my soul
‘Cause I can feel I’ll never be whole
But I can see
I’ll never be
Part of your world”
~The Little Mermaid
[dropcap]W[/dropcap]hat great lyrics for a children’s movie; selling one’s soul, never being whole- all in the name of ‘love.’ Really? Geez, Ariel. Get a grip.
Unfortunately, many of us grew up listening to these Disney songs and the messages they teach. As a society, we have been led to believe that we cannot attain true happiness until we find ‘the one.’ The person who will supposedly complete us, fill our world with rainbows and butterflies, and make life worth living.
In reality, there is something missing in our lives. But many fail to realize that this void cannot be filled by a significant other. We have been on an elusive chase for that which does not exist in physical form.
While a romanticized notion of ‘the one’ may not exist, the truth of The Most Perfect One does.
You see, within His glorious 99 names, Allah swt refers to Himself as ‘Al Wahid’. Literal translation? The One. He is the Unique, forever One and never will there be a partner to Him. The One who is eternal and shall remain forever.
What causes people to feel a sense of emptiness, that something is missing? Within each of our hearts lies a void; a hole which we often attempt to fill through social media, the distractions of a material world, or through the game of love.
The social media culture thrives off of people’s excessive need for validation. The obsession with ‘how many likes did I get’ is indicative of deep self-esteem and insecurity issues within our communities. The fixation with materialism is never satiated and translates into an unfulfilling, never ending cycle.
Then there are those who attempt to use love to fill themselves. The object of their affection becomes the revered center of their universe. They forget that people come and go, while Allah is the only One that truly remains forever. The danger of placing another human on a pedestal of perfection is that a partner gets assigned to Allah within the heart which ultimately becomes manifested through ones thoughts and actions.
When our thoughts are consumed with a person, our every move is dictated by what pleases or displeases the person. Our life revolves around a fictitious god and we are unknowingly worshiping the creation rather than the Creator. The void becomes even emptier than it was before.
As Ibn ul Qayyim eloquently states,
“Truly in the heart there is a void that can not be removed except with the company of Allah. And in it there is a sadness that can not be removed except with the happiness of knowing Allah and being true to Him. And in it there is an emptiness that cannot be filled except with love for Him and by turning to Him and always remembering Him. And if a person were given all of the world and what is in it, it would not fill this emptiness.”
Our imperfections make us long for someone to be our ‘better half,’ someone who will provide us with all the characteristics we wish we had. Allah, however, is the only one who can truly complete us, for He is the only one who embodies all of the qualities that each human being intrinsically craves, such as love, appreciation, and mercy.
Do not think that He is indifferent to your struggle. Allah swt said about His servant, “When he comes towards Me walking, I go towards him running” (Sahih Bukhari). Allah wants to welcome you with open arms.
Making Allah the sun to your earth is extremely attainable:
1. Learn more about Him. How can you love what you don’t know?
2. Think about Him. Obsessively. Relate everything in your life back to Allah. Each thing you do, wonder what He would think of it. Each experience you undergo, reflect on what He intended by it and how He would want you to act.
3. Talk to Him. In your car, on your way to class. Silently or out loud. It’s okay if people think you’re crazy.
Stop looking for The One; you’ve already found Him. Now allow yourself to fall in love with Him.
Featured photo: “Love Sweet Love Rainbow Heart Candies,” © 2009 D. Sharon Pruitt, used under a Creative Commons Attribution license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en
Masha’Allah, really love it <3 <3
Loved it!
You hit it right on the spot Layla, JazzakiAllahu Khayran for putting this into words!
Salam Sister Layla. I can’t thank you enough for writing this article. Many of my conversations with other sisters revolve around the concept of love, guys and marriage. Although we are all becoming educated and moving into fulfilling careers, we do not feel complete. Your article has helped me realize that a guy, marriage and babies will fill my time but not the void in my heart that is reserved for Allah. Jazaki Allahu khairan for your logical analysis of ‘the One.’
Jazakum Allaku Khayran such a great reminder for us all.
Great article mA!!
Wonderfully written advice! Thank you!
Love it! Such a good reminder! Good job Layla,mashAllah! <3
Are those supposed to be the real little mermaid lyrics? because I know those by heart and that’s definitely not what it says…
“what would I pay, to *spend a day, warm on the sand*”
Look at this trove, treasures untold, how many wonders can one cavern hold.
*out of the sea, wish I could be*, part of your world.
I’m pretty sure those are the real lyrics. no soul-selling.
Beautifully written Layla! Looking forward to reading more of your articles inshaAllah!
Beautiful mA
Allahu Akbar! I am so impressed by how well-written this article is and am touched by its beautiful message. Thank you for reminding us of how we’re cheating ourselves with filling a void with the materials of this world and also, reminding us of how we can cure our weak hearts. I loved it! You have no idea just proud I am of you, Layla. Mashallah wal Alhamdullilah
Cannot wait to read more!
“Stop looking for The One; you’ve already found Him. Now allow yourself to fall in love with Him.”
Yes!
Lena, I’ve always lovedd Little Mermaid so I happen to know that although these lyrics didn’t make it into the final version of the movie, the song and the lyrics are still available online. It’s an accurate depiction of Disney movies and their stories of girls falling in love with guys whose names they don’t even know.
Jazaks for the article!
Your “Little Mermaid” lyrics are not accurate at all. No soul-selling is mentioned in the actual song. Next time you want a good attention-getter, double check its accuracy before using it because that just decreases your credibility in everything else you write about, Layla.
Maysa and Lena, though these lyrics did not make it to the final version of the song (a fact that is now noted at the beginning of the article), the message is still implicitly present in the movie as viewers later see Ariel give up her voice, her family and her home to be with the Prince.
Layla, wow. Wow. Wow. This article is on point!!! I really love it, and I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for writing this article. It helped me so much, I feel like it came at the right time and it was something I really needed to read/hear. May Allah swt bless you with everything your heart desires In this life and the next… and can you please write more articles? You’re good at what you do mA. I can’t wait to read your next piece!!
Maysa and Lena, both missed the point.
This article is NOT about the “lyrics”, it is about the message.
I frequently see how people try to avoid the message by attacking the “messanger”.
I do not care if these “lyrics” are “accurate” or not, I care about the “message” the article sends.
This reminds me with a story about a teacher telling her students of how important the upcoming State-Wide exam is, and that it will be adminstrated by a special seven-member board. One student asked; “do you know how many of them are males and how many are females”?
Please listen to the message and try to learn from it, or just save your comments and move on!
You should study well because
MashAllah. May your words resonate with many, inshAllah, and guide us to a more whole and fulfilling relationship with our creator.
I agree, for the most part. We were created to worship Allah, so we can never be truly fulfilled unless we fulfill that role.
However, we were also designed to be with a mate – it’s a genetic and emotional imperative. We cannot realize our full potential alone. There are important aspects of our spirituality and personal development that only come into being when we deal with the challenge of sharing our lives with someone. And it’s pointless to deny this reality.
One minor nitpick: it’s best to stay away from expressions like “Geez”. We would not use any other Prophet’s name as an exclamation, and we should not do it with Jesus (pbuh).
You touched on some very important points that are seemingly obvious, yet so difficult to turn into reality. Thank you for shining light on what most of us only have in the back of our minds.. I like that you have action steps at the end of the article. Jazak Allahu Khair
Great article mashAllah!!! Loved it and can’t wait to read more of your articles!!!
Such an amazing article Masha2Allah!!
It reflects how deep your vision is, and it is such a unique way of thinking that a lot of people don’t have.
Layla! you just have offered the best solution for a problem that a great percentage of people face…
I totally agree with Ziad J, there is nothing in this article to do with credibility, this article is about Layla’s point of view about an issue. This article isn’t about the lyrics of a song which some sisters here focused on, and turned it to become a discussion about what the (true) song says!
Jazaki Allah kul khair sister Layla, and looking forward to reading more great articles from you.
This was an amazing and well-written article. mashallah
Subhannallah
I really enjoyed reading this once again for the 3rd time.
Jazakallahu khair layla and may Allah use your writting as a means to reach hearts all over the world.
can’t wait for the next piece inshallah.