Redefining Happiness

بِسْمِ ٱللَّٰهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

Assalamu alaykum wa rahmatuLlahi wa barakatuhu

In the name of Allah I begin;

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So, I had a little realization this morning, I was unhappy and I was struggling to figure out why. My life isn’t perfect, no one’s is, but I am blessed, alhamdulillah, with good food, health, a home, a loving family etc.

At first I thought the reason why I wasn’t happy was because I didn’t like the way my life was going (ie not happy with Allāh’s decree for me). But as I queried myself more, I realized my problem wasn’t just my lack of contentment with Allāh’s decree, but what my definition of happiness was.

What I mean is, Allāh knows this is what’s best for me, but, I’m struggling to accept that because this is not making me happy, if so so and so had happened instead, I would have been happier (or atleast that's what i thought).

Basically, when Allāh decrees something for us that we’re not happy with, even though we know He knows best and He only decrees what is best for us, we struggle to accept that it's truly what's best for us because our definition of ‘best’ is often different from Allāh’s definition of ‘best’.

From the imaan lens, best is not what makes us happy or pleases in this dunya but what benefits us in the Akhira, what increases our rank in the Akhira (the hereafter).

Sawfiyah, this dunya is worthless to Allāh;

Jābir (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) passed through the market with people around him. He came across a dead goat with its ears cut off. He held it by (the remaining part of) one ear and said: "Who of you would like to have this for one dirham?" They said: "We do not like to have it for anything whatsoever. What shall we do with it?" Then he said: "Would you like to have it anyway?'' They said: "By Allah, had it been alive, it would be of little value because of its cut ears. How could it be worth anything when it is dead?" Thereupon he said: "By Allah, this dunya is less worthy to Allah than this is to you.''  

Sahih/Authentic. - [Muslim]

Yet it means so much to you. You need to let go of your love for this dunya to truly BE happy. Free yourself. If your happiness lies here then you’ll keep struggling with accepting Allāh’s decree because His decree will not always be what favors your dunya but what favors your akhira. Leave this dunya to the disbelievers, it’s their Jannah.

Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “The world is a prison for the believer and a paradise for the unbeliever.”

Source: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 2956

Your Jannah is in the akhira and this dunya can’t even compare!

So Happiness to you should be closeness to Allāh ﷻ, knowing Him, loving Him, pleasing Him, Trusting Him and obeying Him Subhanahu wa-ta'ala.

As a wise man once said;

"How pitiful, the worldly people! They leave this life without ever having tasted the sweetest thing in it." When asked what that was, he replied, "The love of Allah, the knowledge of Allah and the remembrance of Allah"

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JazakhaLlahu khair for reading and May Allah Bless your day.

ٱلسَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَةُ ٱللَّٰهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ