A friend of mine recently asked me for a book recommendation on "self-love." We often hear this term, especially on social media. But what does it actually mean?



Self-love means loving oneself and accepting one's weaknesses and strengths. When someone is able to love themselves, they will feel happy and confident. This is the key to achieving true happiness.


There are many benefits of self-love. Firstly, we will feel satisfied with our lives. We don't need to force ourselves to meet other people's expectations. We will also feel happy with our weaknesses and strengths.


Secondly, self-love helps us avoid mental disorders such as depression, stress, and anxiety. We will not be crushed when we see other people who are more successful than us. We also will not compare ourselves to others negatively.


Thirdly, self-love helps us live a healthy life physically and mentally. We will pay more attention to bodily needs such as eating healthy food, drinking enough water, getting enough sleep, and exercising. We will also pay attention to spiritual needs such as being grateful, spending time alone, practicing mindfulness, forgiving and being proud of our confidence.


So, self-love is not just a popular term on social media. It is a way to love and accept ourselves, so that we can live a happy and healthy life.


Maqashid al-Shari'ah is about the goals of Islamic law that humans must follow to achieve happiness in this world and the hereafter. The main concept of maqashid al-Shari'ah is to realize goodness and avoid harm. There are five main objectives in maqashid al-Shari'ah, which are to maintain religion, life, intellect, progeny, and property.


Self-love is very important because it can help a person find inner peace. By loving oneself, a person can find happiness that suits themself without comparing themselves to others. Self-love can also keep a person from mental disorders such as stress and depression, which can affect a person's mental health. Maintaining mental health is an important goal in maqashid al-Shari'ah.


According to Islam, mental health is a state of mind that is always calm, safe, peaceful, and always seeks peace. In this context, self-love can help a person achieve better mental health. By loving oneself, a person can avoid bad actions and improve their mental condition. Therefore, self-love is something that is very important in Islam.


Everyone will definitely experience problems in their lives. However, we must realize that we are not alone and there are still many people who experience the same or even more difficult situations than us. A lecture once said that we will feel the pinnacle of happiness when we can be grateful for what we already have. We must be grateful for every blessing that Allah has given us, because nothing is in vain. Sometimes we don't realize the blessings that are given because they are obscured by our own egos.


We must always be optimistic that every problem we face is a process towards a better direction. Like the proverb, after rain comes the rainbow, or as said by R.A. Kartini, after darkness comes the light. We must also remember that Allah will not give trials that exceed our capability. In addition, there are still many things in this world that we should be grateful for, such as having friends, family, and jobs. We must be grateful for the happiness that has been given, because not everyone can feel the same thing.