Ways to a Happy Life – Faith & Righteousness
Bismillah.
In the last post, we touched the various causes that make one happy. In this one, I’ll be sharing with you the greatest cause of happiness. It is an awesome combo, which is: faith (eman) + righteous deeds
Allah promises that whoever combines faith and righteous deeds will get a good life and reward in this world and the next.
The evidence for this is in the Quran:
مَنْ عَمِلَ صَالِحًا مِّن ذَكَرٍ أَوْ أُنثَىٰ وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ فَلَنُحْيِيَنَّهُ حَيَاةً طَيِّبَةً ۖ وَلَنَجْزِيَنَّهُمْ أَجْرَهُم بِأَحْسَنِ مَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ
Whoever does righteousness, whether male or female, while he is a believer – We will surely cause him to live a good life, and We will surely give them their reward [in the Hereafter] according to the best of what they used to do. [An-Nahl 97]
The reason for this reward in the dunya and akhirah is pretty clear, it is because true faith has the following effects:
- it brings the fruit of righteous deeds
- it reforms the hearts
- it reforms the moral character (akhlaq)
- it reforms this world
- it reforms the hereafter
Moreover, based on that true faith, the believers have some principles which they apply whenever something good or bad befalls them. Following is the application of those principles
When They Receive Good
True believers welcome favourable and pleasurable things by
- accepting them
- being grateful for them
- using them in beneficial ways
They hope for the favours to remain and be blessed more and they hope to get reward in return for their being grateful for them.
Due to this attitude of theirs on receiving something good, what do they get in return?
Since they use those favours upon them in beneficial ways, so Allah puts pleasure in them and the goodness (khayr) and blessing (barakah) that comes as a fruit of them outweighs the original favours.
When They Receive Bad
When nuisances, disadvantages or sorrow befalls the true believers, they react in either of the following ways:
- they resist or fight it off, if they can
- they lighten or reduce it, if they can
- if they’re totally helpless, they do patience beautifully
Due to the above, they learn the skill of beneficial resistance i.e. their stamina is built, they gain experience and strength and by being patient they hope for reward. So their problems fade or become light and are replaced by happiness and good hopes and longing for reward and Allah’s favour.
Summary in a Single Narration
The above two situations that a believer goes through are summarized perfectly in a narration of the Prophet Muhammad sallallaahu ‘alaihi wassalam:
“Strange is the case of a believer, there is good for him in everything, and this is only for the believer. If a blessing reaches him, he is grateful to Allah which is good for him, and if an adversity reaches him, he is patient which is good for him.” [Muslim, Kitab-uz-Zuhd 7500]
Therefore, the believer’s blessings and fruits are increased manifold whenever something good or bad comes his way.
So you’ll see two kinds of people who, when they receive something (good or bad), react very differently. And that difference is according to their level of faith and righteous deeds.
This man who has both true faith and righteous deeds, he is grateful and patient and so happiness and pleasure is sent to him and his sorrow declines, constriction of his heart is lessened, his miserable life changes and he gets a good life in this world.
Wassalam,
Hajrah. :)
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