Four ways of achieving happiness (ISLAM)

By Abdullahi Jamaa
It is yet another day, another routine for you and another boring work. You feel horrible and resentful both at home and workplace. You are stressed, worried and disorganized. Sometimes, you feel mercy for yourself in endless thoughts about what is happening to your life.

You missed a lot of your targets, you failed several attempts to rescue your situation and nothing is forthcoming except increasing levels of depression. You are running your world like a headless chicken- directionless. You are apparently lost for good.

You are not happy most of the time, you lack self-confidence, discipline and dedication. You engage in sinful acts such as backbiting, unlawful relationship and spreading rumours through social media. Your sins may be bigger than yourself, you know it but you either neglect it or you don’t know what to do all together.

If you will live like this, you will certainly lead a horrible life, a meaningless one, one that you will always regret about how you wasted your time and money, about how you engaged in an endless dating spree cheating ladies or men, about how you missed your religious duties.

Would you like to overcome this kind of rough life?

First remember that Allah is oft-forgiving however big your sins are, the door for repentance is always open, wide open. Allah is calling on you to seek help and guidance. HE is telling you to come and run towards HIM so that you can chart a new roadmap for yourself.

Allah says in the Glorious Qur’an “ And when My servants ask you, [O Muhammad], concerning Me – indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me. So let them respond to Me [by obedience] and believe in Me that they may be [rightly] guided” 2:186

You can recollect yourself, develop and emerge a winner both in this world and in the hereafter. LIFE is too short to joke around and with increasing number of lifestyle diseases there is a lot to worry about when it comes to not only your general life but also to your personal health.

Many people are working rigorously on their personal health, but their soul and spirit died when they were twenty years old.  The soul is an integral part of our life system and so it requires systematic and continuous nourishment.

The soul is the reason why you feel listless and depressed. So with the HELP of Allah, why can’t I give you a solution that will help you to overcome your worldly worries? That will help you work tirelessly about your Aqerah.

Here is a daily challenge for you to change yourself from a worried and depressed person to a happier and responsible Muslim. When I started doing these religious actions, I felt invigorated, deeply happy and more productive in life. I got no more worries about diseases and death, In fact, I got more relaxed and composed, more esteemed and meaningful. Try and watch what happens to your life.

1. Thank Allah daily

In life there are things we take for granted: the health, the food, the time, the money and much more? Thanking Allah for his countless blessing is one sure guaranteed way to bring happiness to your life. In fact it blesses and increases your health, wealth and time.

Allah says in the Quran: “If you are grateful, I will add more (favours) unto you” So Allah is promising the person who thanks Him an increase in goodness and blessings, and Allah never breaks His promises.

Activity: Raise your hands up in the morning and evening to thank Allah for the favours. Do this for about 10 minutes every session invoking Allah’s names and attributes.

2. Two sessions of daily Dua

Dua is a form of worship, in fact, our Holy Prophet (PBUH) said it as the best form of worship. When we make Dua in front of Almighty ALLAH for our needs and wants not only our Dua is being answered but we will be rewarded for worshiping also. While making Dua we accept the power and authority of ALLAH and our weakness in front of HIM. With Dua we can never fail; without it, we can never succeed. A person can never become arrogant or proud when he makes Dua; it is a logical result of true worship.

Activity: Apart from Duas done after prayer. Do a routine 15 minute morning and evening Dua. Asking Allah for everything that you can. Do it sincerely and emotionally.

3. Strengthen your five daily prayers with Nafl (Voluntary prayers)

Prayer (salat) is one of the five pillars of Islam and one of the most important parts of the human life. As Muslims we say our mandatory prayers five times a day. Besides these formal obligatory prayers, a person can get extra benefits by saying many kinds of voluntary prayers. These are called nafl (optional) prayers.

Although a person won’t be punished for not saying voluntary prayers, but through voluntary prayers a person receives additional rewards and through these prayers (s)he gets closer to Allah.

Activity: Make sure you are in the mosque at least 10 to 15 minutes before prayers to perform your Nafl prayers. Make sure you stay behind for few minutes to perform Baadiyah.

4. Do a lot of daily Thikr ( Remembrance )

Without a doubt, the tranquility and rest of a person depends on his heart and his body reassures such fact while his heart finds tranquility and rest in the remembrance of Allah (SWT). Allah (SWT) says:

“Verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest.” (Ar-Rad 13:28).

In the remembrance of Allah (SWT) the heart of a Muslim find comfort. Those who remember Allah (SWT) will draw closer to Him, receive His countless and everlasting Mercy, Favors and bounties, the angels will pray for their forgiveness. Therefore, the blessed ones are those who will draw nearer to their Lord and the wicked ones are those will keep away from remembering Him. The benefits of remembrance includes:

1. Remembering Allah (SWT) expels the Devil, weakens his plots and removes his whisperings from the heart of a Muslim.
2. In the remembering Allah (SWT) lies His satisfaction.
3. It wipes out the worries and sadness from one’s heart.
4. Remembering Allah (SWT) eases the way of achieving daily livelihood.
5. It brings dignity, delightfulness and radiance to the life of a Muslim.
6. It causes the love of Allah (SWT), which is the spirit of Islam and the leading ethics of the religion, the basic of happiness and salvation. Allah (SWT) has made for everything a reason and the main reason for obtaining His love is to remember Him continuously. Those who desire to gain such love should remember Him forever.
7. Allah (SWT) remembers those who remember Him. As he mention in His Holy Book: “Therefore remember Me (by praying, glorifying, etc.). I will remember you,” (Al-Baqarah 2:152). Such prestige and dignity is enough for a Muslim to be proud of and it shows the greatness of this act.
8. Those who remember Allah (SWT) sakinah (the feelings of calmness, tranquility and happiness) will descend on their heart.

Activity: Do a round of daily thikr at home and at your place of work.  Include istagfaars and Salawatul Rasuul.