Profound Sanity
Dreams, are nowadays randomly filled with random people, like my brain is being shuffled constantly in order for the most important things to settle in the bottom, and the less important to come on top, then the less important, and so forth, till i find the heavy rocks in the bottom, the things that are closest to my heart, and those might include the people who are closest to my heart and my attempts to make them happy, and furthermore try to understand them more, for not to fall in the mistake of trying to make them happy the way I want them to be happy, but rather the way THEY want to feel happy..
And then again, it is clear that life is just about the pursuit of happiness, because happiness can be found in various ways, and loads and loads of forms, but what is more important is only realized by the minority of people, and it can rarely be controlled by the individual, it is a blessing from God that is. As people try all the time to follow what their instinct tells them to achieve happiness all they do is just attempt to enjoy the physical things, thinking that those are what bring happiness to the heart, which is totally wrong, although partially right, to most people. When you find a really poor individual when it comes to currency, and compare his heart with someone who is really rich, you CAN (not necessarily) find a happy poor heart versus a rich restless one.
Well, this is what most of the people say, right? But do they really BELIEVE so? I know that - according to my messenger PBUH - "Belief is what rests in the heart and is believed by the deeds" (poor translation, so please correct me if i'm wrong), so is it just a slogan we all raise to cover up for our dissatisfaction with what God has given us in the physical sense? Is it something we say and do? How do we know? Let me tell you how! When someone comes to you with a chance of a gain that does not completely satisfy God (although you believe that happiness comes from God only) and you do it, in an attempt to pursue happiness, then afterwards you find out that it only brought you a few miles away from happiness, maybe because you said something you don't completely believe in?
Maybe..
And the concept of happiness in itself cannot have a definition! What contents me is not necessarily what contents some other person, that is because people are different AND hearts are different. Some hearts can only be satisfied with things that are much bigger in magnitude than other hearts, while other hearts can be contented with just the feeling of content, without any change going on in the physical world. But let me just whisper something into your ears, God created us that way, in order to complete each other, for some people to work towards creating HUGE corporations, in order for those who are contented with routine work to seek their happiness, and for those who are only contented with creative ideas to find something to do with their lives, and for those who have the ability to lead people toward and idea to be able to, seeking what makes them happy.
Happy, eh?
Imagine if all of those are living with God, knowing that he is watching their work, needing nothing from them but to seek his satisfaction with the good job they are doing managing this earth, and trying to lead those who fall from the path of righteousness onto the correct path again, using the different resources given by God, like intelligence, wisdom, and example. That is a Utopian insight alright, but for certain times it was partially implemented, when the True word of God was the major source of happiness into the hearts of men. And only then the earth will cease to be a damned place..
Now, how content are you with what you have? and furthermore.. do you have any idea what you have? Do you know what sort of things God has given you, or are you just picking the cotton and throwing it in the burning hell like everybody else?
Are you even awake?
...
And then again, it is clear that life is just about the pursuit of happiness, because happiness can be found in various ways, and loads and loads of forms, but what is more important is only realized by the minority of people, and it can rarely be controlled by the individual, it is a blessing from God that is. As people try all the time to follow what their instinct tells them to achieve happiness all they do is just attempt to enjoy the physical things, thinking that those are what bring happiness to the heart, which is totally wrong, although partially right, to most people. When you find a really poor individual when it comes to currency, and compare his heart with someone who is really rich, you CAN (not necessarily) find a happy poor heart versus a rich restless one.
Well, this is what most of the people say, right? But do they really BELIEVE so? I know that - according to my messenger PBUH - "Belief is what rests in the heart and is believed by the deeds" (poor translation, so please correct me if i'm wrong), so is it just a slogan we all raise to cover up for our dissatisfaction with what God has given us in the physical sense? Is it something we say and do? How do we know? Let me tell you how! When someone comes to you with a chance of a gain that does not completely satisfy God (although you believe that happiness comes from God only) and you do it, in an attempt to pursue happiness, then afterwards you find out that it only brought you a few miles away from happiness, maybe because you said something you don't completely believe in?
Maybe..
And the concept of happiness in itself cannot have a definition! What contents me is not necessarily what contents some other person, that is because people are different AND hearts are different. Some hearts can only be satisfied with things that are much bigger in magnitude than other hearts, while other hearts can be contented with just the feeling of content, without any change going on in the physical world. But let me just whisper something into your ears, God created us that way, in order to complete each other, for some people to work towards creating HUGE corporations, in order for those who are contented with routine work to seek their happiness, and for those who are only contented with creative ideas to find something to do with their lives, and for those who have the ability to lead people toward and idea to be able to, seeking what makes them happy.
Happy, eh?
Imagine if all of those are living with God, knowing that he is watching their work, needing nothing from them but to seek his satisfaction with the good job they are doing managing this earth, and trying to lead those who fall from the path of righteousness onto the correct path again, using the different resources given by God, like intelligence, wisdom, and example. That is a Utopian insight alright, but for certain times it was partially implemented, when the True word of God was the major source of happiness into the hearts of men. And only then the earth will cease to be a damned place..
Now, how content are you with what you have? and furthermore.. do you have any idea what you have? Do you know what sort of things God has given you, or are you just picking the cotton and throwing it in the burning hell like everybody else?
Are you even awake?
...
Comments
Allah swt tells us what means: I have only created Jinns and men, that they may serve Me.
That is the purpose of life, not the pursuit of happiness. Now I feel compelled to correct you as regarding happiness vs. contentment. Allah swt also tells us what means: "Those who believe, and whose hearts find satisfaction in the remembrance of Allah: for without doubt in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find satisfaction." Satisfaction is not happiness. In fact, happiness is merely an idea that for disbelievers exists in the world, and for believers exists in the next world.
Buddhists seek to attain enlightenment, which is a state like happiness that is not fazed by external affairs. But a Muslim is between two states--hope, and fear. Happiness is to neglect to fear Allah swt--none of us are assured Paradise, so happiness should not be a pursuit in this world, but in the next.
Moreover, there is a hadith I think which says the two "dominant ones" are the stomach, and genitals. They are how are bodies sense satisfaction--namely, satiety of nutritious appetite, and satiety of sexual appetite. The only problem is, they are never, ever, satisfied. Remember the hadith, that the stomach of the son of Adam is not filled by anything but dust? Dust is what fills it in the grave.
So the pursuit of happiness in this world is in a way disbelief. The pursuit for a believer is, instead, the pleasure of Allah swt. In a hadith Qudsi Allah tells us the best gift in Paradise is his favor, that he will never be displeased with a person. So that may be the aim.
But pursuing happiness in this world is fulfilling an urge to satisfy ones bodily or baseless instincts--to eat, and to procreate. Why does Allah swt say all the acts of worship are for men except for fasting--that is only for Him?
Seeking the pleasure of Allah is not the same as seeking the pleasure of this world.
Now gratitude is something altogether different, which you didn't mention at all but which I think you actually intended. Gratitude is shukr, that is part of good character and it is part of faith. To be grateful for what we have because it is from Allah swt.
The pursuit of worldly happiness is, by definition, the opposite of gratitude because it declares "NOT ENOUGH!" when confronted with what one already possesses. To pursue happiness is to desire more--the opposite of contentment, the opposite of gratitude.
So don't seek happiness, you'll never get it, and the search will only lead you through a maze of dunya. Nor can you seek contentment or gratitude. You can't buy it at the store and nobody can give it to you. Again, it is a decision to appreciate what you have with no respect to what others have.
I am content with my mother and my father because they are the parents Allah swt chose for me, for example.
So is someone happy with his job selling alcohol (which is haram?) Does he say I'm happy with this job because Allah gave it to me? I don't think it makes any sense to say God gave you something which he declared forbidden. So if you're losing ground, finding yourself losing contentment, then you need only refer to the ayat which I already quoted above.
Verily in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest.
Thanks for reading.
But i think you totally missed the point of mine, or there is some sort of huge misunderstanding of the intentions of my post and the audience intended as well, maybe because i am thinking with a certain culture and u are thinking with another..
So thank you again for clarifying your thoughts and the meanings you wish to bring forward, and maybe linguistically i was meaning: "being content" or "satisfied" by mentioning 'happiness', as when Allah said : "they do not fear nor they grieve" in Paradise, i thought what is the opposite of grief, and Happiness came into my mind, since i have been taught that the word happy means the opposite of the meaning of sad since i was an infant..
but anyway, that takes us in a whirl of endless debate that i don't wish to participate in.
And the conclusion : U are thinking one way while i am thinking another, and we both have a point..
Cheers
I disagree.
Life is not about the pursuit of happiness. Being happy or sad is not a distinction which can be attached to the purpose of life. Life is about the pursuit of Allah's pleasure, not ours. If we wanted happiness we would be disbelievers and love and lust for the world.
Then you said: but what is more important [than happiness] is only realized by the minority of people, and it can rarely be controlled by the individual, it is a blessing from God that is.
Well without a noun there it's hard to figure out what you mean. Only a minority of people realize something which they can rarely control, and which is a blessing from God. I can't agree or disagree, just rearrange so the sentence stops looking like the solar system with words swimming in orbit.
Then you said: When someone comes to you with a chance of a gain that does not completely satisfy God (although you believe that happiness comes from God only) and you do it, in an attempt to pursue happiness, then afterwards you find out that it only brought you a few miles away from happiness, maybe because you said something you don't completely believe in?
To assume that God gives happiness and sadness comes from within is somewhat fallacious reasoning in my mind (i.e., wrong.) So if you do something that rebels against God, it can make you happy in the world, maybe--but remember that never would you be satisfied. (Not you, specifically.) But if you rebel and feel bad about, that is the blessing of faith, and awareness of faith. So what did you do? Did you lie?
To be content and to be happy are not the same thing. Contentment is to say subhanallah, alhamdulillah, no matter what happens. Happiness is alhamdulillah for the good and... well, for the bad? Something not so nice. Happiness then is a selfish characteristic, ego-pleasing when things go well and critical of everyone else when things go ill. But contentment is benign, contentment is the sabr/shukr of a believer who constantly remembers his Lord, who can say alhamdulillah even when he isn't "happy."
The "pursuit of happiness" is a nearly modern ideal motivated by materialism and pride, and the combination thereof: envy.
But let's not confuse hearts with stomachs and genitals. The heart may be content with Allah, the heart can remember Allah, and thus find contentment or satisfaction. Not exactly happiness. On the other hand, the stomach and genitals can pursue happiness and... they will not be filled except by dust.
So if I didn't catch your meaning then I ask you politely to clarify it. A string of words together does not make a coherent sentence--that requires grammar and specific order, and occasionally some punctuation that implies more than just a breath. Communication is key. For the message to not be lost, it's vessel (your sentence structure) must not leak!
well i agree with what u are saying, and cannot hide my inexplainable irritation as well, honestly, so don't ask me why!
Life is about the pursuit of happiness, is what i meant and i still stand for it, and this is what it is for the majority of people, believers or non-believers, as per the meaning of happiness inside my head and my own understanding of what happiness is.
When i am saying that i am a happy Muslim, and a happy believer, that means that my faith, and my satisfaction with whatever Allah chooses for me, is what is making me happy, and from my place i see people doing nasty things in their pursuit of their own perception of the meaning of happiness, and i find myself - alhamdulillah - happy with what i have, and what i want to have even if i don't get it..
So the debate here is about the meaning of the word "Happiness" itself, well i am not expert in the linguistic features of the English language not i want to be, so this is gonna be a one man show, from your side here, so if u wanna tutor me about English then go ahead, but please not in this very window. What i wrote was from my own understanding of what "Happy" means, which is clearly not the same as yours..
And anyway, now we are waaaaay off course..
Over 'n' Out!
Cheers
Al-Rad 28