*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