The True Happiness For Mind, Body and Soul In Islam Bilingual Edition English Germany Standar Version - Jannah Firdaus Mediapro (best ereader for pc .txt) 📗

need close ones" that involve understanding and caring.  Allah, the Exalted, says:  

"Worship God and join none with Him in worship, and do good to parents, kinsfolk, orphans, the poor, the neighbour who is near of kin, the neighbour who is a stranger, the companion by your side, the wayfarer (you meet), and those whom your right hands possess. Verily, God does not like those who are proud and boastful." (Quran 4:36)

Prophet Muhammad said, "Among the things that bring happiness to a believer in this life are a righteous neighbour, a spacious house and a good steed."  Islam places great emphasis on the solidarity of families, neighbourhoods and the wider community.

5.     Say thank you like you mean it.

People who keep gratitude journals on a weekly basis are healthier, more optimistic, and more likely to make progress toward achieving personal goals, according to author Robert Emmons.

At the core of the teachings of Islam is the idea that to be happy or content we must be grateful to God, not just for what we perceive to be blessings but for all circumstances.  Whatever condition we find ourselves in we are grateful and sure that it is good for us as long as we are following the teachings of God.  God said:

"Therefore, remember Me (God) and I will remember you, and be grateful to Me (for My countless Favours on you) and never be ungrateful to Me." (Quran 2:152)

And (remember) when God proclaimed: ‘If you are grateful I will give you more (of My Blessings); but if you are ungrateful verily, My punishment is indeed severe.’ (Quran 14:7)

6.     Give it away, give it away now!

Make altruism, and giving in charity, part of your life, and be resolute about it.  Researcher Stephen Post says helping a neighbour, volunteering, or donating goods and services results in a "helper’s high," and you get more health benefits than you would from exercise or quitting smoking.

Islam encourages people to be generous towards family, friends, neighbours, strangers and even enemies.  This is mentioned repeatedly throughout the Quran and the authentic traditions of Prophet Muhammad.

"Say: "Truly, my Lord blesses the provision for whom He wills of His slaves, and also restricts it for him, and whatsoever you spend of anything (in God’s Cause), He will replace it.   And He is the Best of providers." (Quran 34:39)

The people came to the Prophet Muhammad, and asked, "If someone has nothing to give, what will he do?"  He said, "He should work with his hands and benefit himself and also give in charity (from what he earns)."  The people further asked, "If he cannot find even that?"  He replied, "He should help the needy who appeal for help."  Then the people asked, "If he cannot do that?"  He replied, "Then he should perform good deeds and keep away from evil deeds and this will be regarded as a charitable deed."

7.     Put money low on your list of priorities.

People who put money high on their priority list are more at risk for depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem, according to researchers Tim Kasser and Richard Ryan.  God’s messenger said, "Be happy, and hope for what will please you.  By God, I am not afraid that you will be poor, but I fear that worldly wealth will be bestowed upon you as it was bestowed upon those who lived before you.  So you will compete amongst yourselves for it, as they competed for it and it will destroy you as it did them."

Happiness is not only intense joy, it also involves contentment.  In the next article we will examine the role of happiness in Islam and discover that following the commandments of God is the path to righteousness, contentment and happiness.

True Happiness is Found in Sincere Worship

Islam is the religion that is more than a religion; it is the religion that is a complete way of life.  Nothing is too small or too big to be covered by the teachings of Islam.  Rejoice and be happy, remain positive and be at peace. This is what Islam teaches us, through the Quran and the authentic teachings of Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him.  Every single one of God’s commandments aims to bring happiness to the individual.  This applies in all aspects of life, worship, economics, and society.

“Whoever works righteousness - whether male or female - while he (or she) is a true believer verily, to him We will give a good life (in this world with respect, contentment and lawful provision), and We shall pay them certainly a reward in proportion to the best of what they used to do (i.e.  Paradise in the Hereafter).” (Quran 16:97)

As most of us have come to realise, happiness is that ethereal quality that encompasses contentment and peacefulness; it is the soft joy that causes our lips, faces and hearts to smile.   It is determined by faith in God and obedience to Him. Thus happiness embodies the peace security and submission that is Islam.  The injunctions and regulations of Islam reinforce the happiness that comes from knowing God and they help to guarantee humankind’s happiness during life in this world.  However, Islam also emphasizes that the life of this world is nothing more than a means of attaining the Hereafter.  By following the guidelines of Islam it is possible to be happy while awaiting our eternal happiness.

Sometimes, in order to achieve happiness, people attempt to follow complicated paths; they fail to see the easier path that is Islam.  Happiness can be found in the solace that comes from being upon the truth.   It can be achieved by sincere worship, hastening to do virtuous, noble and beautiful deeds, and by performing acts of kindness or giving charity.  These things all have the potential to make us happy, every day, under any circumstances.  Even giving the smallest charity, in order to please God, can bring a smile to your face and a feeling of joy to your heart.

“And the likeness of those who spend their wealth seeking God’s pleasure while they are sure and certain that God will reward them (for their spending in His Cause), is the likeness of a garden on a height; heavy rain falls on it and it doubles its yield of harvest.  And if it does not receive heavy rain, light rain suffices it.” (Quran 2:265)

Prophet Muhammad said, “Indeed amazing are the affairs of a believer!  They are all for his benefit. If he is granted ease then he is thankful, and this is good for him.   And if he is afflicted with a hardship, he perseveres, and this is good for him.”  The nature of the human condition means that amongst the happiness there may be great sorrow and within the pain and despair there may be great joy.  A believer will accept God’s decree for him and lead a happy life free from total despair or unbearable pain.

Islam has the answer to all the problems that afflict humankind, and knowing this leads to happiness, because it allows us to look beyond the need for self-gratification, and the need to acquire possessions.    Following the teaching of Islam and striving to please God is a constant reminder that this life is but a transient pause on the way to life everlasting.   

“But whosoever turns away from My Reminder (i.e.  neither believes in this Qur’an nor acts on its teachings) verily, for him is a life of hardship, and We shall raise him up blind on the Day of Resurrection.” (Quran 20: 124)

God says in the Quran, “Verily!  I am Allah!  None has the right to be worshipped but I, so worship Me.”  (20:14).  The key to happiness is knowing and worshipping God. When one worships and remembers the Creator as He should be worshipped and remembered,  happiness can be observed all around us, at any given moment and even on the darkest night.  It is there in the smile of a child, in the touch of a comforting hand, in the rain on parched earth, or in the smell of spring.  These things can make our hearts truly happy because they are manifestations of God’s mercy and love.  Happiness can be found in worship.

To find true happiness we must seek to know God, especially through His names and attributes.  Seeking beneficial knowledge brings happiness.  The angels flutter their wings and keep records of those who seek knowledge; the mere thought of this brings a smile of happiness to the face of a believer.  Our righteous predecessors understood the inherent happiness and joy to be found in striving to be close to God.

Outstanding Islamic scholar Ibn Taymiyyah, may God have mercy on him, once said, “I once became ill and the physician told me that reading and giving talks on knowledge would only exacerbate my condition.  I told him that I could not abandon these pursuits.  I asked him whether the body becomes stronger and sickness is repelled if the soul feels happy and joyful.  He replied in the affirmative, so I said my soul finds joy, comfort and strength in knowledge”.

Perfect happiness will only be available to us if we spend life everlasting in Paradise.  It is only there that we will find total peace, tranquillity and security.  It is only there that we will be free of the fear, anxiety and pain that are part of the human condition.  However the guidelines provided by Islam allow us, imperfect humans, to seek happiness in this world.  The key to being happy in this world and the next is seeking the pleasure of God, and worshipping Him, without associating partners with Him.

And of them there are some who say: “Our Lord! Give us in this world that which is good and in the Hereafter that which is good, and save us from the torment of the Fire!” (Quran 2:201)

The True Happiness In Islam Germany Edition

Die Konzepte des Glücks

Auch wenn Glück vielleicht eines der wichtigsten Dinge im Leben ist, kann die Wissenschaft noch nicht viel darüber erklären.   Das Konzept selbst ist schwer fassbar.   Ist es eine Idee, eine Emotion, eine Tugend, eine Philosophie, ein Ideal oder ist es nur in den Genen programmiert?   Es gibt noch keine vereinbarte Definition dafür   Heutzutage scheint jeder Glück zu verkaufen - Drogendealer, Pharmaunternehmen, Hollywood, Spielzeugfirmen, Selbsthilfegurus und natürlich Disney, der Schöpfer des glücklichsten Ortes der Welt.   Kann man Glück wirklich kaufen?   Erreicht man Glück, indem man Vergnügen maximiert, Ruhm und Reichtum verdient oder ein Leben in unbegrenzter Freizeit führt?   In der Artikelserie wird kurz auf die Entwicklung des Glücks im westlichen Denken eingegangen, gefolgt vom gegenwärtigen kulturellen Verständnis im Westen.   Abschließend werden die Bedeutung und einige Mittel zur Erlangung des Glücks im Islam erörtert.

Evolution des Glücks im westlichen Denken

Die christliche Idee des Glücks beruhte auf einem berichteten Spruch von Jesus,

"... jetzt ist deine Zeit der Trauer, ich werde dich wiedersehen und dich freuen, und niemand wird dir deine Freude nehmen" (Johannes 16:22)

Die christliche Idee des Glücks wurde im Laufe der Jahrhunderte entwickelt und beruhte wiederum auf einer Theologie der Sünde, die, wie der heilige Augustinus in der Stadt Gottes erklärte, aufgrund der ursprünglichen Übertretung von Adam und Eva im Garten Eden lehrte, wahres Glück sei "in unserem gegenwärtigen Leben unerreichbar".

Im Jahr 1776 hielt Thomas Jefferson, der ein gutes Jahrhundert der Reflexion über dieses Thema in Europa und Amerika zusammenfasste, das "Streben nach Glück" für eine "selbstverständliche" Wahrheit.   Zu diesem Zeitpunkt war die Wahrheit des Glücks so oft und so selbstsicher verkündet worden, dass sie für viele kaum Beweise brauchte.   Es war, wie Jefferson sagte, selbstverständlich.   Das "größte Glück für die größte Zahl" zu sichern, war zum moralischen Imperativ des Jahrhunderts geworden.   Aber wie "selbstverständlich" war das Streben nach Glück?   War es tatsächlich so offensichtlich, dass Glück unser natürlich beabsichtigtes Ziel war?   Die Christen gestanden, dass die Menschen während ihrer irdischen Pilgerreise nach Glück strebten, blieben jedoch skeptisch, was ihre Erreichung anbelangt.   An anderer Stelle war Jefferson selbst pessimistisch, ob die Verfolgungsjagd jemals zu einem befriedigenden Abschluss kommen würde.   "Das vollkommene Glück ... war nie von der Gottheit als Los einer seiner Kreaturen vorgesehen", schrieb er 1763 und fügte nüchtern hinzu, dass sich sogar "die Glücklichsten auf unserer Reise durch das Leben häufig treffen" mit Katastrophen und Unglücken, die uns sehr treffen können. "   Um unseren Geist gegen diese Angriffe zu "stärken", schloss er, "sollte eine der wichtigsten Studien und Bemühungen unseres Lebens sein."

Während Boethius im fünften Jahrhundert behaupten konnte, "Gott ist das Glück selbst ",   von der