Answer
In this counseling answer:
Falling in one-sided love is too difficult. In this case, the counselor advises the questioner that It is important that amongst her love for this man she approach this potential marriage appropriately in line with Islamic principles. Therefore, if she chose to try and pursue a marriage to him then perhaps she could do so via her brother since he is already good friend with him and so is well placed to approach the issue with him.
Wa alaikum asalaam wa rahmatulahi wa barakatuh dear sister,
You have done the right thing to come forward and seek advice on the matter before jumping right in, especially due to the potential consequences that could occur as a result of the family relations that exist in this dilemma also.
You asked Allah to assist you in this situation and it seems that He heard your prayer and answered you immediately. Do continue in the first instance to continue to rely on Allah to guide you to make the best decisions.
Don’t give up on seeking Allah’s guidance. I would, therefore, recommend that you make istikhara and ask Allah to guide you so that you can be confident that the actions you choose to take are what is best for you and most pleasing to Allah.
It is important that amongst your love for this man you approach this potential marriage appropriately in line with Islamic principles. Therefore, if you chose to try and pursue a marriage to him then perhaps you could do so via your brother since he is already good friends with him and so is well placed to approach the issue with him. Perhaps he could even talk to him more casually before hand to see if he can subtly find out his own thoughts on marriage.
Masha Allah, you are behaving responsibly in your desire to not upset family relations and are therefore open to considering your options carefully to ensure the best outcome. A way that you could approach this to make things more clear to you is to write out the possible options you can take and identify the benefits and weaknesses of each approach.
Also, take the time to consider the worst possible consequences if you were to take each option. Writing them down like this gives you the opportunity to visually compare all your options and consider them each in depth. What you can also do then is to put this list away and come back to it again in a day or 2s time and see if you feel the same about these options.
If anything has changed, add this to your list also. Continue like this for some time until you are absolutely sure about what you want to do then you can be confident that you have taken your time to consider your options and have been certain about your response for long enough that you don’t felt you will change your mind. In the meantime, continue to make istikhara and Allah will guide you as your consider your options.
May Allah guide you to.make the decision that is best for you and your family and most pleasing to Him. May He grant you a spouse that will be the coolness of your eyes and will bring you happiness in this life and the next.
***
Disclaimer: The conceptualization and recommendations stated in this response are very general and purely based on the limited information that was provided in the question. In no event shall AboutIslam, it’s volunteers, writers, scholars, counselors, or employees be held liable for any direct, indirect, exemplary, punitive, consequential or other damages whatsoever that may arise through your decision or action in the use of the services which our website provides.