Happiness: Al Sa’aada

Thursday Halaqa Notes

10/31/13

Sr. Fatenah Tailakh
MCA Santa Clara, CA

Happiness: Al Sa’aada

• Happiness is around us. But how can we make ourselves happy? 
• As Muslims, we should be happy because Allah created us and gave us Islam. We don’t need to try different things. Allah gave us this relief that we already know what we need to do. 
• It is not money that brings happiness. Even if a person has mansions and cars they could still be empty inside. In this case, a poor person could be more happy than a rich person. 
• The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Among Allah’s servants are people who are neither Prophets nor martyrs, but whom the Prophets and martyrs will deem fortunate because of their high status with Allah.” They asked: “O Messenger of Allah! Inform us of who they are.” He said: “They are people who loved each other for Allah’s sake, without being related to one another or being tied to one another by the exchange of wealth. By Allah, their faces will be luminous and they will be upon light. They will feel no fear when the people will be feeling fear and they will feel no grief when the people will be grieving.” Then he read the verse: “Behold, on the friends of Allah there shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.” [Sunan Abî Dâwûd (3527)] 
• Allah repeats 6 times in Surat al Baqara ‘fa la khawfun ‘alayhim wa la hum yahzanun - on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.’
• People who have no fear or grief - that means they are happy. And they are happy because they love others for the sake of Allah.
• So our relationships should not be based on benefit.
• If there’s something you don’t like in someone, you don’t like that thing, but you still love the person because they are Muslim. 

The key to happiness: Ridaa - contentment

• The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said, "Strange is the affair of the Mu'min (the believer), verily all his affairs are good for him. If something pleasing befalls him he thanks (Allah) and it becomes better for him. And if something harmful befalls him he is patient (Saabir) and it becomes better for him. And this is only for the Mu'’min." [Muslim] 
• Don’t look at what others have that you don’t have. Look at what you have.
• Look at your blessings and say ‘hatha min fadl Rabbi - this is by the grace of my Lord’.
• Everything Allah blesses you with is a test - to see if you will be grateful or if you will get distracted with it and forget Allah. 
• The shaytan comes and whispers to you - ‘Why didn’t she say salam to you?’ or ‘Oh what are you going to do your husband is traveling and you have to take care of all these kids by yourself.’ You are putting a black spot in front of you and you keep circling around it. 

Ways to make your own Happiness

• Don’t wait for happiness, make your own happiness with your hands.
• Let’s say a man has a car - could he benefit from it if he doesn’t know how to drive? No. If you learn how to drive the car, then you can benefit from the car. And as you get used to driving and knowing where the places are, driving becomes automatic. The same thing applies to happiness. If you don’t learn how to find happiness, then you will never be happy.

• 1 - Have good expectations from Allah 
• “Ana ‘inda thanni ‘abdi bee”. The Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said, “Allah the Most High said, ‘I am as My servant thinks (expects) I am.’ [Bukhari] 
• When you have bad expectations it’s like you’re saying to a friend ‘I don’t think you will do this for me, but can you pick up my daughter from school.’ 
• Remember, you are dealing with a Lord who is Kareem. 
• Also don’t say ‘O Allah if you do this for me then I will do good deeds for you.’ This is being stingy. 
• “Tafaa’lu bilkhayr tajidoo” - Look for good and you will find good
• “Ahsin al thun billah” - expect good from Allah.
• If you expect good, He will give you good. If you expect bad, that’s what you will find. 

• 2 - Be Optimistic. 
• Having a good perspective on life will lead to happiness. 
• Let’s say you are drinking a cup of tea and now the cup is half full. Do you keep worrying while you’re drinking ‘O it’s almost finished!’ Or do you try to enjoy the amount that is left?
• Enjoy what you have and thank Allah that you have something. 
• Some people say life is like water - no color, no taste, no smell. This is the bottom of depression. 
• Or you could look at it in another way - that water is life. 
• Water is refreshing. After fasting all day, a cup of water is the most delicious thing. Water is beautiful. Some people like to sit at the ocean - just sit and watch the water.
• When the mom is depressed or irritated, the whole house becomes depressed. 
• If you are happy, it will affect all the people around you. 
• There are some people when you see them you feel happy, because their happiness affects you. 
• Video tape yourself or take a picture of yourself when you are upset - it will help you realize how you affect others when they see you that way. 

• 3- Do good deeds
• When you fast you feel happy that you did something for Allah. 
• When you help a friend you will feel happy.

• 4- Remember that Allah is with you. 
• The one who doesn’t remember Allah will not have happiness - even if he gets rich his happiness will be short lived.
• When the Prophet (Salla Allahu ‘alaihi wassalam) was in the cave he told Abu Bakr (RadiaAllahu ‘anhu) - ‘Don’t be sad, surely, Allah is with us.’ 
• This should make you happy - because the Lord of all power is with you. 
• Truly feeling that Allah is with you is the height of Ridaa (contentment with Allah) and Tawakul (reliance on Allah).