Scroll through any young Muslim’s phone today, and you’ll find images, playlists, and highlight reels dedicated to someone they admire, an athlete, a rapper, a footballer, a streamer. We live in a culture built around fandom. We study our favourite celebrities’ routines, quote their interviews, buy what they wear, and try to walk a little as they walk.
There’s nothing wrong with admiration. The question is: who deserves ours the most?
What “Loving the Prophet” Actually Means
In Islam, hubb al-Nabi (love of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ) isn’t just a warm feeling you’re supposed to have somewhere in your heart. It’s meant to be active, the kind of love that shapes how you act, not just how you feel.
The Prophet ﷺ himself said that none of us truly believes until he is dearer to us than our own children, our parents, and all of humanity combined. That’s a serious statement. It’s not asking us to like him the way we like a public figure. It’s asking us to let his character reorganise our priorities.
Loving him practically looks like:
- Learning his story: Not just the miracles, but the patience he showed with people who mocked and hurt him, the mercy he showed enemies who later became his friends.
- Following his example (the Sunnah): Small things like honesty in a transaction, gentleness with family, kindness to animals, and generosity even when you have little.
- Sending salawat: Asking Allah to send blessings and peace upon him, something the Quran itself instructs believers to do.
- Defending his honour: By living in a way that reflects well on what he taught.
The Celebrity Comparison – And Why It’s Useful
Here’s the interesting part: celebrity culture isn’t the enemy of this conversation. It’s actually a useful mirror.
Think about Khabib Nurmagomedov, arguably the most dominant fighter of his era, retiring undefeated at 29–0. What made Khabib different from most sports icons wasn’t just his skill in the cage. Everyone watching knew exactly where his real loyalty lay. He prayed before fights. He credited his success to his faith and his father. He walked away from millions of dollars in future earnings because he’d promised his mother he’d retire after his father passed away. He kept his word. Khabib became globally famous, and used that fame as a platform to point back to something greater than himself.
Or look at Muhammad Ali, who changed his name and risked his career and freedom refusing to fight in a war he believed was unjust, saying his allegiance was to his faith first.
Or Mohamed Salah, whose sujood (prostration) celebrations after scoring for Liverpool have been watched by millions who don’t share his religion and who has spoken about wanting his faith, not just his football, to represent something to fans.
These aren’t perfect people, and Islam doesn’t ask us to put any human being, however admirable, on the pedestal reserved for the Prophet ﷺ. But their example shows something important: you can be excellent at what you do in this world, and still let your deepest loyalty point somewhere higher.
That’s actually the whole point of loving the Prophet ﷺ. It’s not about turning away from ambition, sport, art, or achievement. It’s about making sure that whatever platform you’re given, big or small, reflects the person whose character you’re trying to embody.
A Love That Competes With Nothing, and Everything
The difference between loving the Prophet ﷺ and loving a celebrity is this: celebrities come and go, trends fade, and the people we idolise are human, they’ll disappoint us eventually, because everyone does. But the Prophet ﷺ set a standard of mercy, patience, honesty, and humility that doesn’t expire. It’s not about parasocial obsession; it’s about apprenticeship. You don’t just watch his life; you try to live something of it.
So next time you find yourself admiring someone’s discipline, humility in victory, or generosity behind the scenes, Khabib walking away from his belt with tears for his father, Salah quietly funding hospitals and schools back home, let it point you somewhere. Those are reflections. The original light they’re reflecting has been available to all of us for over 1,400 years, in the life of one man whom young Muslims today are still trying, imperfectly and sincerely, to love a little better.
“We sent you, Messenger, as a kindness for all the worlds” (21:107).
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