For many people, one of the key
challenges associated with life on earth is related to happiness. Humans are on
earth to worship Allah, that is what His creation is for but many people find it
hard to respond to the day-to-day challenges and obstacles that come their way.
In the Quran, Allah says “Allah does not burden a soul beyond that it can bear…”
(2:286). However, the challenge for many individuals is that they do not know
how to practically deal with the things that life sometimes throws at them, and
if they are fine then how do they practically enhance gratitude and
gratefulness?
In all matters, the first thing is to turn to Allah and to implement the example
of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) when it comes to gratitude and challenges. Many
Muslims take solace in the Hadith;
I am to my servant as he expects of Me, I am with him when he remembers Me. If
he remembers Me in his heart, I remember him to Myself, and if he remembers me
in an assembly, I mention him in an assembly better than his… (Bukhari and
Muslim).
But what if you haven’t remembered Allah when things have been easy? What if you
feel that life has always been tough and that Allah is just challenging you all
the time?
Remembering that ‘The world is a prison for the believer and a paradise for the
unbeliever’ (Muslim, Tirmidhi) and asking Allah to assist goes a long way to
ease the challenge faced – even if it’s just that someone is bored with life and
does not have anything exciting happening.
Then, implementing an intervention in ones life is scientifically proven to
improve well-being. Research shows that happy individuals have good feelings and
are healthier, more productive, successful, socially engaged and live a happy
marital life. People who describe themselves as spiritual or religious tend to
report slightly higher levels of well-being than the general population (Deiner
2008). And while religiosity contributes 5-7% of life satisfaction in a general
population, it contributes 15% in a Muslim population, with Muslims who practice
their faith gaining psychological comfort from their religious practice (Tiliouine
et al, 2009). This may not be a surprise to Muslims, but it is a surprise to the
majority of psychologists who tend to be atheists.
Many of the verses in the Qur’an encourage Muslims to think about life, nature,
the afterlife and how they can maintain a strong spiritual and psychological
balance. Interestingly, early Muslim scholars wrote at length in the area of
human ‘psychology’, a term that was not in existence outside of the Muslim world
at that point in history (Haque 2004).
Martin Seligman launched the positive psychology movement in 2000 with the aim
of creating a new psychology that enables humans to move from living to
flourishing. In many respects, this is a principle established in Islam over a
thousand years ago. Muslims are constantly aiming to improve the quality and
standard of their spiritual and worldly life – a Muslim has the goal of inner
happiness as their purpose in life (Qadhi, 2008).
The challenge therefore is, with everything going on, how do individuals
implement some quick action steps to improve well-being? It goes without saying
that the five pillars of Islam are positive psychology interventions and the
author has undertaken research that demonstrates how Islamic prayer, fasting and
charity improve well-being. The interventions below are a small selection of
those that exist. Try these out in no particular order and see how they bring
more gratitude to Allah, increased thankfulness for what you have and be calmer.
These work if you are a student, teacher, mother, employee, or if you run your
own multi million pound business! Have a go and discover the natural potential
you have to be happy and increase your well-being.
1. Nurture Optimism.
This strategy involves such practices as looking at the bright side and finding
the silver lining in a negative event.
A sign of a ‘mu’min’ (true believer) is that the more he/she is tested and
tried, the more he/she becomes closer to Allah with optimism and hope. Have you
ever experienced hardships in life? Do you want to know how to overcome these
hardships in a way that brings you closer to Allah?
When Imam ibn Taymiyah was put into prison he came out an even more accomplished
scholar. If you are afflicted with a misfortune, look on the bright side. If
someone hands you a glass full of squeezed lemons add a handful of sugar. “And
it may be that you dislike a thing that is good for you…” [2.216]
2. Practice acts of kindness.
Being kind to others makes you feel compassionate and capable, gives you a
greater sense of connection with others and earns you smiles, approval and
reciprocated kindness. These are all happiness boosters.
3. Avoid over thinking.
There’s a time to think about the bad stuff in your life, but it is unhealthy to
dwell on your problems excessively.
If you have problems or are
uncertain about something then there are two simple things to do; make
‘istikharah’ and trust in Allah. ‘Istikharah’ is a word which means asking Allah
to help one make a choice, meaning choosing the best of two (or more) things
where one needs to choose one of them.
If you are over thinking because of difficulties, then reflect on all the bounty
that Allah has given you, there will be someone without a job, someone without
ten sets of clothes, someone without a car. Be grateful for what you have and
make Dua, remember the shortest distance between a problem and its solution is
the distance between your knees and the floor. The one who kneels to Allah can
stand up to anything.
Remember one of the main ways to improve your well-being is to remember Allah,
so find something that you do to take care of your soul and nurture your Deen.