People talk about how happy (or unhappy) they are feeling all the

time, but are unable to define it. Happiness is a positive emotional state that is

subjectively defined by each person. As per the Webster’s Third International

Dictionary, “happiness is a state of wellbeing characterized by relative

permanence, by dominantly agreeable emotion ranging in value from mere

contentment to deep and intense joy in living and by a natural desire for its

continuation.”

In the context of psychology, “happiness” has been cited as a

psychological state and an overriding goal of human behaviour. Watson (1980)

stated that no quest claims a larger following than happiness. According to him,

the essentials of happiness for most people are among the stable elements of

life (friends, work, nature).

There are two popular definitions of happiness:

1. Happiness as a warm puppy definition: According to this definition,

happiness is just about anything a person could imagine. Happiness may

be a ‘good job’, ‘being loved’ etc. Happiness according to this popular

definition is just about anything, anyone, anywhere might think of as

making themselves happy.

2. The second popular definition states that happiness is satisfaction,

contentment, fulfilment etc. Infact, happiness is a part of a special

category of mental experiences that include such positive things such as

joy, pleasure, satisfaction etc. Some researchers have attempted to

measure cognitive – reflective side associated with quality of life.

Happiness occurs in various ways and it is often seen as a reflection of

satisfaction with life. Whether people perceive many pleasant things,

engage in interesting activities are satisfied with their life in general

contribute to happiness.

There are certain aspects of happiness, which need to be

mentioned:-

Stability: Longitudinal investigations have shown that people

tend to stick to their happiness judgements once formed.

However, happiness judgements are not necessarily stable

through time.

Definiteness: Only when people decide whether to judge their life

favourably or not, the concept of happiness applies. Therefore,

happiness judgements can vary in definiteness.

Time emphasis: Happiness is an evaluation of ‘life as a whole’.

The judgement may cover not only the present, but also on the

past or anticipate the future.

Consciousness: Happiness is a state of consciousness and it

denotes what the person ‘really’ believes.

Appropriateness: The degree to which the subjective evaluation

fits with the given standards of good life is also a variable aspect

of happiness.

Agryle, Martin and Crossland (1989) believed that happiness is composed

of three related components: positive affect (pleasant moods and emotions),

absence of negative affect (unpleasant moods and emotions) and satisfaction

with life as a whole. Positive affect is commonly divided into joy, pride,

affection, ecstasy whereas negative affect is separated with guilt, anger,

depression, stress etc. Hall (1996) asked people what they think are the most

important source of satisfaction in their lives and found that most often

mentioned domains were family, home life, money, living standards, social

relationships, social values, housing, work and health.

CONCEPT OF HAPPINESS IN ISLAM

Happiness is a feeling that resides in the heart. It is characterized

by peace of mind, tranquillity, a sense of wellbeing, and a relaxed disposition. It

comes as a result of proper behaviour, both inward and outward and is inspired

by strong faith. Allah’s Messenger (Peace be upon him) said, “True enrichment

does not come through possessing a lot of wealth, but true enrichment is the

enrichment of the soul.”

It is the nature of every person to seek happiness. One of the most

elusive objective of every human being is ‘happiness’. The Noble Qur’an reveals

the secret of attaining perfect happiness in this life and forever. We learn from

the Qur’an that happiness is the exclusive quality of the soul. Thus, a body that

attains all the material successes it longs for – money, power, fame etc may not

always belong to a happy person. From an Islamic viewpoint, happiness is not

restricted to material prosperity, though material reasons make up some elements

of happiness. The material aspect is merely a means, but not an end in itself. The

main focus in attaining happiness is on non-material concerns. Happiness

depends totally on the degree of growth and development attained by the soul.

The Qur’an provides a detailed route towards perfect happiness for both body

and soul, both in this world and in the eternal Hereafter. Allah (SWT) has said:

“Whoever does good whether male or female and he is a believer, We will most

certainly make him live a happy life, and We will most certainly give them their

reward for the best of what they did.” (Qur’an, 16:97)

Islam comes with a complete way of life. It provides rules and

procedures to prepare a person for life in both this world and the next. Islam

ensures a person’s wellbeing in this world as well as in the life to come. Allah’s

Messenger (Peace be upon him) said, “Among the things that can bring

happiness to the son of Adam are a pious wife, a good home and a good means

of transport.”

Happiness, from an Islamic perspective occurs on two levels:

1. Wordly happiness: Islam lays down a number of rules and regulations to

guarantee man’s happiness during his wordly life, which is his first life.

At the same time, Islam emphasizes that the life of this world is nothing

more than a means of attaining the Hereafter, which is the true life we all

must strive to attain. Allah says, “Little are the enjoyments of this life of

this world as compared to the Hereafter.”

2. Eternal happiness: This true and longlasting happiness depends on the

righteousness of the individual in his wordly life. Allah (SWT) says, “For

those who do good in this world, there is good, and the abode of the

Hereafter will be better; and excellent indeed will be the abode of the

pious.”

Islam gives man a sense of belonging which is one of the basic

psychological needs of man. A Muslim is urged to perform prayers

collectively. Pilgrimage is also a collective practice. These practices help man

to grow socially and to feel that he belongs to a particular group.

BARRIERS TO REAL HAPPINESS

1. Disbelief in Allah and lack of true faith: Since the true faith fills the heart

with comfort, security, reassurance and contentment, and makes man feel

that he has a strong relationship with the Almighty Allah, who alone is the

Creator of man and everything visible and invisible and knows best what

achieves man’s happiness and wellbeing. Therefore, one of the biggest

barriers to real happiness both in this world and the Hereafter is the

rejection of Allah’s true religion (i.e. Islam). Those who lack correct belief

and faith and stray from the right path will suffer from spiritual void and

deprive themselves from real salvation and mercy.

2. Sin and Crime: Man has not yet realised the consequences of sin. Sins and

crimes are the real barriers to happiness. Therefore, a criminal is always

more unhappy than his victim.

3. Envy and Jealousy: Envy and jealousy are sources of dissatisfaction for

people. Therefore, we are advised in the Holy Qur’an to seek refuge in

Allah “from the mischief of the envious one as he practices

envy…”(Chapter 113 of the Holy Qur’an). Both envy and jealousy, when

translated into action, leads to the destruction of happiness and deprive

people of the good things they enjoy. The best refuge from evil is trust in

Allah along with the purity of heart.

4. Ill will: True believers are described in the Holy Qur’an as saying when

they pray to Allah: “And leave not, in our hearts, rancor (or sense of injury)

against those who have believed.”(Qur’an, 10:59). Ill will is contrary to

happiness; it belongs to a different domain of human feelings. It is like a

virus that kills the sentiments and kindness in man.

5. Anger: Anger denotes displeasure and hostility. It is one of the biggest

threats that spoil one’s happiness. Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him)

stressed the importance of self restraint when he advised one of his

companions, “Do not be overpowered by anger.”

6. Injustice: Injustice, no doubt will bring ruin to everybody who practices it.

This has been proven by many examples that served as warnings and

lessons to humanity to shun this dangerous vice and maintain justice and

equality. It has been stated in a verse from the Holy Qur’an, “And how

many populations did I give respite, which were given to wrong doing? In

the end, I punished them. To Me is the destination (of all).” (Qur’an, 22:48).

7. Fear of wordly power: Fear of other than Allah is the cause of humility,

insecurity and unhappiness. Whereas, fear of Allah produces in man lofty

ideals and drives him to develop sound conduct and excellent moral

behaviour. It frees him from all fetters of human bondage and safeguards

his dignity and freedom of will. Allah says in the Holy Qur’an: “It is only

the Satan that suggests to you the fear of his votaries: be you not afraid of

them, but fear me, if you are true believers.” (Qur’an, 3:175)

8. Pessimism: Pessimism is synonymous with misery and trouble. It often

leads to depression. A pessimistic person would hold back enjoying his

normal life or achieving his objectives. Therefore, the Messenger of Allah

(Peace be upon him) promoted and liked optimism but discouraged and

disliked pessimism. A pessimist, due to his defeating attitude, faces several

troubles and difficulties.

9. Suspicion: Allah (SWT) states in the Holy Qur’an, “O ye who believe!

Shun suspicion as much (as possible): for suspicion in some cases is a

sin..”(Qur’an, 49:12).

Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) also says, “Shun suspicion,

because suspicion is the biggest lie” (Narrated by Imam Bukhari and Muslim).

No society pervaded by suspicion and mistrust can prosper or lead a collective

life of happiness.

10. Arrogance: An arrogant person leads a life of misery, even though he treats

other people rudely and boastfully without due regard to established norms

of moral conduct. He oppresses them or scorns at them but he is definitely

haunted with guilty conscience which make his life miserable.

“Turn not thy cheek in scorn towards folk, nor walk with pertness in the

land. Lo! Allah loveth not each braggart boaster” (Qur’an, 31:18).

Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) gave his advice in this regard

when he said:, “On the day of Judgement Allah will not look towards him who

trails his lower garment out of pride.” (Bukhari and Muslim).

11. Alcohol and Drug addiction: Many people are of the view that happiness

can be attained through alcohol or drug addiction. Therefore, they resort to

drugs escaping thereby from the troubles and worries of life. Drugs may for

some time make a person forget his worries; but in fact lead to

disintegration and destruction.

WAYS TO ATTAIN HAPPINESS

Islam is a religion of peace and every single law of Islam aims at

bringing happiness to the individual.

Belief in Allah: When a person believes in Allah, this belief gives him a

strong feeling of security, which is a basic psychological need. It gives

the believer a strong support in critical moments and gives him

continuous hope against all hopes of despair. A true believer will enjoy

a tranquil heart, a peaceful soul, and will not be full of worry and

anxiety over life. He will be pleased with whatever Allah has ordained

for him, thankful for all the good things in his life and be patient with

misfortunes. The submission of a believer to Allah gives him peace of

mind because he believes that his life has a meaning and a purpose that

he must strive to achieve.

“And whosoever follows My guidance, on them shall be no fear nor

shall they grieve.” (Qur’an, 2:38)

“Truly, in remembering Allah do hearts find rest.” (Qur’an, 13:28)

A person who believes in Allah tends to be more ethically responsible. It

makes a person feel that he is being observed by Allah everytime and

everywhere. This feeling makes a person try to be as uncorrupted and far

from sin as possible.

Belief in the Life after death and the day of Judgement: A Muslim

believes in life after death. This belief gives the person a feeling of

satisfaction with the justice of Allah. Allah is fair; everyone is

responsible for his actions. This responsibility makes everybody watch

over his own deeds.

Goodness and kindness to others: Man is a social being who needs to

interact with other beings of his own kind. It is not possible for him to

exist independently of others. Interacting with others is unavoidable and

people differ greatly from one another. Thus, it is unavoidable that

displeasing things will happen between people that can cause them

distress and worry. For this reason, Islam emphasizes morality and

development of moral character.

Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) said, “All creatures are

dependents of Allah, and the most favoured among them by Allah is the

one who is most helpful to his dependents.” (Narrated by Tabarani, Abu

Naeem and Bayhaqi)

The tendency towards kindness emanates from human relations, for

man’s delight depends on the happiness of others and vice versa, and

this reciprocity provides happiness for both the individual and society as

a whole.

Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) said:

“Every Muslim should do an act of charity”.

“Suppose he couldn’t afford that?” people said,

“Let him work with his hands and give out charity,” he answered.

“Suppose he couldn’t afford it?” they said.

“Let him help the grieved and needy,” he answered.

“Suppose he couldn’t afford it?” they said.

“Let him do good and avoid evil, it is an act of charity for

him.”(Narrated by Imam Bukhari)

”O ye who believe! Cancel not your charity by reminders of your

generosity or by injury,”(Quran, 2:264)

Renunciation of too long term hopes and grieves of the past: Many

people spend most of their time worrying about their future life and

regretting past mishaps. A good solution to this source of worries is to live

within the limits of today. This does not mean to neglect the future and stop

planning for it, nor does it mean to forget failure to draw lessons from past

experiences. It aims at ridding our mind of obsession with futile cares that

lead us only to stress and frustration. What helps men to get rid of worries is

complete trust in Allah (SWT). This kind of trust fills one with great peace

of mind and contentment along with the realization that everything is within

the power of Allah and drives one to be more optimistic about life.

Contentment is the secret to happiness in life.

Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) says, “Whosoever begins the day

feeling family security and good health; and possessing provision for his

day is as though he possessed the whole world.” (Al-Tirmidhi)

“And for him who fears Allah (and observes his duty to Allah), He (ever)

prepares a way out, and He provides for him (sources) he never could

expect. And whoever puts his trust in Allah, He will suffice him. For Allah

will surely accomplish his purpose. Verily for all things has Allah appointed

a due proportion.” (Qur’an, 65:02-03)

“Whoever follows my guidance, will not loose his way nor fall into misery.

But whosoever turns away from My message, verily for him is a miserable

life.” (Qur’an, 20:123-124)

Being content with what we have today, embarking on utilizing the day that

we have and being grateful to Allah can lead us to happiness.

Avoid feeling of inferiority: A major source of discontent and

unhappiness is the feeling of inadequacy and incapability. The most

effective solution to such a source of uneasiness and suffering is to forget

about people with higher standard of living; for if we compare ourselves

with such people, we would certainly feel miserable. We can find solace

when we discover that we are endowed with more blessings of Allah than

many others.

Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) said, “Look at those inferior to

you, and do not look at those superior to you. Thereby, you would be able

to appreciate better the benevolence of Allah bestowed upon you.”(Narrated

by Imam Bukhari and Muslim).

Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) said: “When any one of you

happens to see one on whom Allah has bestowed more riches and a finer

physique, he should look at one who is inferior to him (in this respect).”

(Narrated by Imam Bukhari and Muslim)

“And your Lord declared publicly: If you are grateful, I will add more

favors unto you.”(Qur’an, 14:7)

Character building: One important step on the way to happiness is to

work towards harmony with oneself and with the outward world. The

achievement of such harmony requires the building up of one’s personality

so as to become compassionate, forgiving, tolerant, stable, confident,

consistent, patient, flexible and adaptable.

“To be one of those who believe and urge each other to steadfastness and

urge each other to compassion. Those are the Companions of the Right.”

(Surat – al-Balad: 17-18)

“A good action and a bad action are not the same. Repel the bad with

something better and, if there is enmity between you and someone else, he

will be like a bosom friend.” (Surat al-Fusilat:34)

We should be moderate in all that we do for a stable personality.

“And those, who, when they spend, are neither extravagant nor niggardly,

but hold a medium (way) between those (extremes).” (Qur’an, 5:88)

For ultimate happiness, one should always practice patience.

“Seek help through patient perseverance and prayers.” (Qur’an, 2:45)

Character building could be achieved by adopting the Islamic educational

system which helps one to acquire a balanced and sound personality and

adapt himself easily to other people and things around him so that he could

help create a happy environment.

Self control is another important characteristic which can help in achieving

happiness. A Muslim should fast for one month every year. This fasting

trains his will and frees him from being enslaved by his own habits. Fasting

also makes him more sympathetic with others suffering poverty or

deprivation.

Less interest in economy: Islam prohibits interest because individuals in

the same society should be partners. In the interest banking system, the

depositor requires a certain interest on his deposited money, whether the

bank faces profit or loss. The interest system is a big blow to social

solidarity. In Islam, interest is not allowed. The alternative method in Islam

is partnership, where all partners share the profit or loss in proportion of

their invested shares. This system of Islamic banking is fairer and often

more profitable to a greater number of partners.

Building of better understanding: Seeking knowledge of Islam and

removing misconceptions, superstitions and baseless worries that spoil his

tranquillity and happiness.

Repentance purifies: We should rectify our mistakes with repentance

than dwell on them and feel bad.

“O ye Believers! Turn ye all together towards Allah, that ye may attain

Bliss.”(Qur’an, 24:31)

Learning and pursuit- Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) stressed the

importance of the pursuit of knowledge as a way to eternal happiness.

“If a person follows a path for acquiring knowledge Allah will make easy

the passage to paradise for him.” (Muslim)

Pursuit of knowledge provides man with a feeling of enjoyment and

pleasure.

To form a happy social life: choose spouse, friends and companions wisely.

There is a saying - “Keep a happy man company and you will be happy”

This is true because a happy man is an optimistic and confident person who

enjoys peace and assurance, tries to transmit his optimism and cheerfulness

wherever he goes. Moreover when we have righteous companions and

friends, we acquire good qualities from them.

Strong will and self confidence are factors necessary for the attainment of

happiness. These factors can develop and direct the life of the individual

towards success and happiness. They are also essential to overcome the

hardships of life that obstruct one’s way towards the achievement of his

goals in life.

A human being is the product of the unification of the body and soul. Thus,

Islam has taken both material and spiritual needs into consideration, on the

other hand, it has laid down principles necessary for the happiness of the

individual as well as the society. All this shows that the moral teaching offered

to humanity by Islam is one that will bring peace and happiness to the world.