Happiness - "The state of being happy".
Happy - "Feeling or showing pleasure or contentment".
With this definition in mind, would you consider yourself happy and content?
INSPIRATION
I recently came across a video by Mohamed Zeyara, a humanitarian activist and public speaker.In it, he talked about his interview of a young orphan. He asked the orphan, "What is the most difficult part of your day?" to which he replied, "Nothing". Confused Mohamed asked the question, "What is the most difficult part about living in an orphanage?" to which the boy replied "Nothing, I don't have any problems". Shocked, Mohamed continued the interview with, "If you had one wish and it would be granted, what would it be?" to which the boy replied, "I would like a Qur'an, the book of the Qur'an, because over here they don't have the physical book Qur'an".
ARE WE HAPPY?
This video got me thinking of the desires of the youth living in developed countries and seeking happiness. When we think about happiness, we constantly desire for more, "If I pass this exam, I will be happy. If I get these shoes, I will be happy. When I get married, I will be happy". But is this what happiness is?
With the definition above it is clear that happiness is current and not dependent on what you have. Are you happy despite what you have and don't have? Those objects shouldn't be your ladder for happiness, and trust me, they never will be! You can't expect to keep getting things and eventually reaching happiness. If this were at all the case, the richest people in the world and the celebrities we see on television would all be happy. They have the money to buy anything they desire, but are they happy? The answer is clear the majority is not. This is why many rely on drugs and alcohol, cosmetic surgery and more, in order to reach a state of happiness. Despite all of this, a lot of them get trapped in a downward spiral and never truly reach a state of happiness. Now look at the less wealthy, those who have the bare minimum, are they happy? It's shocking to think, but many are. They don't have everything, and they barely have the basic necessities to get by, but they are happy. Now ask yourself, "Am I happy"?
HOW DO WE ACHIEVE HAPPINESS?
If no amount of things will make us happier, what will?
- Be Grateful: It is said in the Holy Qur'an, "Be grateful to Allah for whoso is grateful, is grateful for the good of his own soul" [31:3]. I remember my mother constantly saying the following phrase to me while growing up, "Stop comparing yourself to the people who have more than you, compare yourself to those who have less than you". It's amazing how such a simple reminder made me a more grateful person. The number of times I have heard, "Why can't I have _____, so-and-so has one?!" But when do we ever hear, "Maybe I don't need ______, there's people without it who are doing just fine". From this point on, promise yourself that you will no longer allow the materialistic possessions of others take away your happiness, because "Comparison is the thief of joy" - Theodore Roosevelt.
- Spiritual Happiness: "It is they who follow guidance from their Lord, and it is they who shall prosper" [Holy Qur'an: 31:6]. Worldly satisfaction is nothing compared to spiritual happiness. The Holy Qur'an is full of instructions on living a life that will please Allah and ultimately grant us Heaven on Earth. Develop a relationship with Allah, only then will you be able to live to please Him and no one else. In a world where everything and everyone is constantly changing, we can never truly be happy. There will always be new things to spend our money on, and we will always want them. That's the power of marketing and the electronic world we live in. But only with Allah can we find true happiness.
- Self Purification: No one is perfect. But with this said, we should try to make ourselves better each and every day. We should get rid of all the negative thinking that leads to unhappiness: greed, jealousy, pride, arrogance, envy, and revenge. Instead, we should adapt the qualities of love, justice, patience, and sympathy. Read and understand the Qur'an, read Islamic books, and gain knowledge. Without knowing what is acceptable in Islam and what pleases God, it will be harder to adapt these good qualities and live by them.
With all this said, think of your life from the eyes of the orphan. If asked the question, "What is the most difficult part of your day?" I'm sure many of us would say: going to school, going to work, waking up early, etc. But it's a blessing to not only be alive in the morning, but also to have a bed to wake up in, or job/school to go to. Yet, I'm sure none of us would ever be able to reply to the question with "nothing". What about if we were asked, "If you had one wish, what would it be?" what would your answer be? I'm sure many would say: having a house, a car, paying off debt, having a good job, etc. all of which is nothing but mere materialistic desire. Once you have that one thing, you would always want more. Don't get me wrong, it's not bad to want things, but once you start associating happiness with objects, you can't expect yourself to be happy for very long.
We're blessed to have a Qur'an in our homes, many Qur'an's for some. That, to this child, means the world. We are the owners of this child's dream. Yet so many of us don't even take the time to open the Qur'an, instead it rests on the shelves in our homes gathering dust. Open the Qur'an, read it, and understand it. Through the Qur'an you can attain happiness, not through the things you think will make you happier.
If there's one thing you take away from this post, I hope it's this: don't place your happiness within temporary objects, and never forget about those who are less fortunate than you.
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1 comments
Yes, Only Islam is the only source of happyness for both of Worldly and after life.
ReplyDeleteThanks for such a post...