A Muslim’s Guide to Self Love: Recognising Your Value

Welcome to the first part of A Muslim’s Guide to Self-Love, a three-part series dedicated to exploring self-love, self-worth and personal growth through an Islamic lens.

We’re constantly hearing about self-love…“Love yourself,” “Be yourself,” “You’re enough!” But beneath these catchphrases, what does it truly mean to love yourself?

Self-love isn’t about glossy Instagram quotes or the perfect self-care routine, it’s a quiet, profound journey of embracing your flaws, honouring your worth, and growing through every twist and turn life offers, all while being kind to yourself.

Self love is the culmination of compassion, respect and growth. Compassion is showing yourself kindness, even when you make mistakes. Respect is protecting your peace, recognising your worth, and valuing yourself more than the need to please others. Growth is the ongoing journey of learning, healing, and evolving through all of life's challenges.

What are the Benefits of Self Love?

Self-love is important because it forms the foundation for a healthy relationship with yourself and others. Practicing self-love brings numerous benefits, including improved mental health, stronger relationships, and increased confidence.

It fosters personal growth, emotional balance, and better decision-making by helping us align with our values. Self-love also enables us to set healthy boundaries, build resilience, and become more empathetic and compassionate toward others.

Ultimately, it empowers us to live a more fulfilling, authentic life, creating a positive impact both personally and in our relationships.

Self-love can often feel like an abstract concept, something we’re encouraged to embrace but might struggle to fully understand.

In Islam, however, self-love takes on a deeper meaning, intertwined with our relationship with Allah and the values of humility, growth, and gratitude.

So, what does self-love in Islam look like?

How can we use its teachings to guide us in cultivating a love for ourselves that is balanced, grounded, and spiritually enriching?

Let’s explore how the Islamic perspective can help us nurture true self-love along our journey.

Compassion: Recognising Your Value and Treating Yourself with Kindness

Recognising our value and treating ourselves with kindness is essential for developing self-love because it helps us to bounce back from mistakes instead of viewing them as failures. When we understand our worth, we can approach setbacks with a mindset of growth rather than self-blame.

Self-kindness allows us to treat mistakes as learning opportunities, not as reasons to quit or feel defeated. This compassionate approach helps us to build resilience by forgiving ourselves, reflecting on the experience, and moving forward with greater wisdom and strength.

By embracing our imperfections and viewing challenges as part of our journey, we nurture a deeper sense of self-love that encourages continual growth, forgiveness, and improvement.

However, true self-love isn’t just about how we see ourselves; it’s about how Allah sees us.

Allah, in His infinite wisdom, has created each of us with dignity, with worth, and with a purpose. He reminds us in the Qur’an:

لَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ فِىٓ أَحْسَنِ تَقْوِيمٍۢ

“Indeed, We created humans in the best form” [Qur'an 95:4].

This divine affirmation is a reminder that our existence is not accidental, nor are we defined by our flaws. To love oneself is to honour Allah’s creation, to treat oneself with the same gentleness and mercy that we extend to others. Valuing ourselves is a way of appreciating the divine gift of life, and the purpose we have been created for.

وَلَقَدْ كَرَّمْنَا بَنِىٓ ءَادَمَ وَحَمَلْنَـٰهُمْ فِى ٱلْبَرِّ وَٱلْبَحْرِ وَرَزَقْنَـٰهُم مِّنَ ٱلطَّيِّبَـٰتِ وَفَضَّلْنَـٰهُمْ عَلَىٰ كَثِيرٍۢ مِّمَّنْ خَلَقْنَا تَفْضِيلًۭا

“Indeed, We have honoured the children of Adam, carried them on land and sea, granted them good and lawful provisions, and privileged them far above many of Our creatures” [Quran 17:70].

This verse reminds us that Allah has honoured us as humans, granting us provision and a special status above much of His creation. If Allah Himself, the Lord of all worlds, has bestowed such value upon us, how can we see ourselves as anything less?

To love and value ourselves is not arrogance*, but an acknowledgment of Allah’s divine favour. Recognising our worth encourages gratitude, self-respect, and the motivation to live with purpose and kindness, reflecting the honour Allah has given us.

Yet, in our humanness, we stumble. We make mistakes, we carry regrets, we sometimes struggle to forgive ourselves. But Islam, in its boundless mercy, does not demand perfection, it calls us to redemption.

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:

“All the sons of Adam are sinners, but the best of sinners are those who repent often” (Tirmidhi).

True self-love in Islam is not about denying our shortcomings, nor is it about harsh self-condemnation. It is about acknowledging our imperfections while knowing that Allah’s mercy is greater than any mistake we could make.

To love oneself is to seek growth, to turn to Allah with humility, and to embrace the beauty of continual renewal. In this, we find the balance between self-compassion and self-improvement, between accepting who we are and striving to become better.

Treating ourselves with kindness through the journey of growth is essential. Self-hatred or berating ourselves serves no purpose other than to make us miserable.

We will inevitably stumble, but what truly matters is recognising our mistakes, seeking forgiveness, and making our way back to Allah with sincerity and the intention to do better.

*This topic is discussed in another part of the series!