3 Keys To Leading a Happy Life

Verily, your Lord is full of Grace for mankind, yet most of them do not give thanks. — Qur’an 27[An-Naml]:73

The existence of mankind on earth is nothing but a trial. As emotional beings, man was created with moods. He gets up time and down time, happiness and sadness, anger and fear. These are just but a few. Of them all, happiness is the most sought after and the most elusive. We often delude ourselves into thinking: happiness is about a good job, nice ride, a wife and kids. We get the job and then happiness shifts ground for a ride. After the ride comes, a wife is the next indicator. When we fail to procreate, we feel we are incomplete. And the cycle continues within a materialistic want that will never guarantee happiness. There are people who have these and more, yet they remain depressed and unhappy for a larger part of their lives. This tells that happiness is a mindset thing and nothing secures it except the personal willpower to react positively in whatever situation we find ourselves.

It is very difficult to remain in a state of happiness twenty-four hours a week. So how do we deal with finding happiness in all ramifications or at least balancing it? Research shows that happiness is best attained through reaction to certain situations. Our lives revolve around events and actions, and our emotions are defined by these situations. Read on to learn three simple behavioral ways to live a happier life.

Gratitude when blessed

We are all blessed one way or the other — the magnitude only differs. No matter how minute the blessing may be, we can count it and be thankful. Gratitude is a fruit of great cultivation, the more you give thanks, the happier you become. Thankfulness only gives birth to more blessings. That’s why God said:

And (remember) when your Lord proclaimed: “If you give thanks (by accepting Faith and worshiping none but Allah), I will give you more (of My Blessings), but if you are thankless (i.e.disbelievers), verily! My Punishment is indeed severe.” — Qur’an 14[Ibrahim]:7

So when you’re blessed, do not feel contempt. Humble yourself with gratitude and this will only increase you in bounty from your Lord. Do not proclaim success to yourself, appreciate those who supported you in achieving it. Appreciating people recycles love and brings back happiness to us. Here are three simple ways of expressing gratitude to experience happiness:

• Realizing in your heart that there are many things to be grateful for: health, provision, security…
• Enchanting words of gratitude every time you remember these favors. e.g. Subhanallah wa bihamdih subhanallahil adheem!
• Using these blessings to seek the pleasure of the Bountiful Lord.

Ibn Rajab reported: A man said to Abu Ad-Darda, “Advise me.” Abu Ad-Darda said, “Remember Allah the Exalted when you are happy and He will remember you during adversity. Call upon Allah during your joyful days that perhaps He will respond to you during your days of hardship.”

Patience when afflicted with calamity

Of all virtues, I think patience seem to be the hardest of all. As hard as it is, it appears to be the most beautiful virtue as well. For patience solves a whole lot of problems — if only you give it time. We worry a lot when faced with challenges and with all sincerity worry changes nothing. Always remember that patience leads to happiness, especially when extolled at first instance.

Abu Umamah reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Allah the Exalted says: O son of Adam, if you are patient and restrained at the first moment of trauma, then I would not be satisfied with any reward for you less than Paradise.” — [Sunan Ibn Mājah]

Here are three simple ways of exploiting patience in return for happiness:

• Controlling yourself from harboring bad thoughts that lead to consequential actions.
• Do not complain incessantly but keep faith that God does as He wills and He Alone is the best disposer of affairs.
• Preserving your limbs from indulging in acts that leads to the disobedience of the Supreme Creator.

Repenting after erring

Ibn Mas’ud, may Allah be pleased with him, said, “Sin is what disturbs the heart. There is not a glimpse of it but that Satan has ambition for it.” This is very true. As humans, we are sinners by default but the best of sinners are those who repent.

I recently met a young man who smokes, drinks and fornicates — though, he’s non-Muslim. I asked him why he does all these ugly acts. His response was: “to ease stress, relax and take away depression. Unfortunately at the end of the day, I don’t feel happy in anyway”. I was surprised he confirmed those things don’t bring happiness.

Never will you find happiness in negating God’s injunctions. However, there’s a surety to happiness which is sincere repentance. If you repent truly from the bottom of your heart, you’d find hope in earning God’s forgiveness and mercy. This in itself is the secret code to happiness. If your Lord is pleased with you, you’re better off even if the whole world frowns at you.

Here are three simple ways to find happiness through repentance:

• Feel remorseful in your heart for the sins you have committed. And have hope in earning your Lord’s forgiveness.
• Desist from indulging in sins with a firm commitment never to return back to the sinful way.
• Moist your tongue with the words of repentance — astaghfirullah wa atuubu ileihi.

Abu Umamah reported: A man asked the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, “What is faith?” The Prophet said, “If you are happy with your good deeds and saddened by your evil deeds, then you are a believer.” The man said, “O Messenger of Allah, what is sin?” The Prophet said, “If something waivers in your soul, then you should leave it.” [Ahmad]

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