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This content has been automatically translated. View original in Arabic
Imam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him, used to say: "There is a paradise in this world; whoever does not enter it will not enter the paradise of the hereafter." And Imam Ibrahim bin Adham, may Allah have mercy on him, used to say: "If the kings and the sons of kings knew the happiness we have, they would flog us for it."
But Doctor, happiness... I mean, for example, someone who is constantly engaged in worship, praise be to Allah, has been doing so for some time. Prayer is an essential part of his life as a Muslim; he cannot do without it at all, and he performs many voluntary prayers, praise be to Allah. But Doctor, the question here is: for example, someone does not feel the happiness that he... he wants to feel the taste of life. I mean, for example, many scholars say that a Muslim is happier than a non-Muslim. Even though, for example, one may be angry, and beside him, a Christian in a chemistry or physics class, sitting and joking, and there is calmness. This topic honestly bothers one a lot.
How old are you, Alaa? 16 years old. Ah, you entered the program even though we talked up to 15. How did you register? How did you enter while you are 16? I registered, but the link came to my email. Okay, in any case, welcome, Alaa.
Now, the issue of happiness. So Alaa tells us that we expect that when someone prays and draws near to Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, he will be happier than those who are heedless of Allah, or those who are not Muslims at all, those who disbelieved in Allah and associated partners with Him. But sometimes we do not find that.
The answer to this is more than one thing. First of all: what is the definition of happiness? And what is the definition of the good life? Note that the Quran promises the believers the good life. This is what it says about it, about bliss. The good life is that a person is content and at ease, he has no anxiety, that he is patient in adversity, grateful in prosperity. There are acts of the heart such as intimacy with Allah, longing for Allah, contentment with divine decree. He is in a state of steadfastness in his heart, rejoicing in joys and grieving in sorrows. This is a good life.
Some people, when they hear happiness or a good life, imagine a state of overwhelming joy and bliss, and this is not necessarily the good life. Sometimes you may see some wrongdoers actually singing, listening to songs, dancing, doing forbidden things, engaging in forbidden relationships, and he may be joyful at that time. But this is not a good life, especially since if he is deprived of the things that please him, he will collapse psychologically. Therefore, he is on the edge of a cliff, he does not have tranquility, he does not have serenity, he does not have contentment in adversity, patience in adversity, and gratitude in prosperity. Therefore, this is not a good life.
He will be in a state of anxiety. "And whoever turns away from My remembrance will have a constricted life." Never be deceived. You may find that someone in the youth stage is cheerful, laughing, and relaxed, etc., but wait until he is exposed to a disease, until he is told: "You have cancer," "You have, for example, paralysis or the beginning of paralysis will afflict you," "You have muscle weakness," "You have this and that and that." The relapse will be very quick, you will find him plummeting directly. Therefore, do not be deceived by the laughter of those who are heedless and neglectful of Allah.
Sometimes you find that someone among them raises his voice with laughter, meaning you find him, for example, as a student not studying, as an employee not doing his job, as a business owner not taking the means to succeed in his business or work. In social relations, he cannot establish relationships appropriately with people, and he is quick to anger and disgust with them, he does not try to make friends, he does not bear the insults of his friends and thus loses his friends quickly. And at the same time, you find him not listening to songs, not watching series, reading the Quran, going to the mosque, and thinking that he is now a religious person and obedient to Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, and I expect that Allah will make me happy in my life. No, no, happiness also has its causes, you have to take its means.
Therefore, a person who was deficient in taking the means and performing his functional roles in life, whether a student or a worker, and also social relations, he should expect to have a kind of sadness and a kind of depression. Because taking the means and succeeding in what you confront in life, success in your work, this is part of your religion, part of your faith. But we sometimes limit religion to a certain corner: we do not hear anything, we do not see anything, we do not do anything. Faith is not only, as we say, purification and sweetening. You get rid of the forbidden and replace it with good deeds.
For example, many young people consider themselves religious, but they do not read, do not educate themselves, and do not learn from their religion what fills their hearts, do not memorize the Quran, do not contemplate the Quran sufficiently. Therefore, a kind of emptiness is left in them. Their hearts were occupied with forbidden things, then they were purified from them, removed for the sake of Allah, the Exalted, but then they did not fill this emptiness. It is expected that they will feel a kind of boredom, a kind of coldness.
Establish a project, I will take the means to the utmost, and be gentle and kind with others, keen on guiding people and merciful to them, and establish social relations, and read in his religion, educate himself, learn the Quran and the Sunnah, and contemplate the Quran. No, no, his life must be good even if he is exposed to trials.
So this is a summary of my answer that first, we are promised as believers the good life if we obey Allah. And obedience to Allah is not just not hearing anything, not seeing anything, not doing anything. No, you have to fill this void with many forms of worship that fill the void of your heart. And secondly, do not be deceived by what you see of the happiness of others who are non-Muslims or disobedient Muslims who are completely heedless of Allah, for this is not the good life, this is temporary happiness threatened. Okay, Alaa?
Doctor, and I reiterate the topic of taking the means. I tell people sometimes I am honestly annoyed when I see some students write on the exam paper: "In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate." Is that reasonable? Is that reasonable? Do you know why? This student skips lectures, when he is in the lecture, he is daydreaming, ask him a question, he does not answer, he does not study. And he comes on the day of the exam and writes: "In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate," and expects that this will make him pass the exam. No, no, no, this is negligence. Negligence and you sin for your negligence. If you are wasting your days and nights and your parents' money, and in the end, you are not taking the means and expect that because you are a respected and good person that Allah will help you, this is reliance on fate.
Our Prophet, peace be upon him, was a leader who took the means, and he is the prophet supported by his Lord. Therefore, we must understand religion and understand the obedience of Allah in a balanced and precise manner if we want the good life.