Lecture explains ‘love in Islam’

Why can’t Muslims date? If they can’t date, then how do they marry? Where is the love in Islam? 

Layla Aysheh, president of Sisters United Muslim Association (SUMA) and a senior majoring in public health, said these are questions she receives frequently and questions SUMA will try to clear misconceptions of at its Valentine’s Day event, “Love in Islam.”

“Hopefully this event gets a lot of these unanswered questions answered,” Aysheh said. “I know that a lot of my non-Muslim friends ask me things like ‘Do you have a boyfriend?’ and I have to explain to them that I don’t because my religion doesn’t allow me to date,” Aysheh said. “They don’t understand how I am supposed to get married and stuff like that.” 

The event will focus on three key points of love: love between husband and wife, love for the Prophet Muhammad and love for Islam. The event begins today at 2 p.m. in room 3707 of the Marshall Student Center (MSC).

Aysheh said SUMA began hosting the “Love in Islam” discussion three years ago, but this time the organization will move from a stand outside to a full-fledged event inside of the MSC. 

“Usually, in the past, we would just have a table outside of the Marshall Center with some mini-games and stuff, but this is the first year we are able to do an actual event and hopefully the message will reach more people,” Aysheh said.

The event will include guest speaker Hassan Sultan, a professor from the Universal Academy of Florida, an Islamic school on Orient Road. Sultan will speak on the concept of love in Islam, quoting the Quran and the Prophet Muhammad about love for Islam and others.

Roshdyna Ahmad, a junior majoring in biomedical sciences, will also perform a spoken word poem about “love between husband and wife” and “love for Muhammad.” 

Hiba Gohar, a volunteer coordinator for SUMA and a senior majoring in chemistry, said she hopes more non-Muslim students will attend the event.

“We really want more non-Muslim students to be able to come to the event, because a lot of the Muslim students are already going to know the information,” Gohar said. “We want more students from the general body to come and be informed.”