World Blog by humble servant.From studying these different perspectives, we become more appreciative of God’s teachings in the Quran.

Happiness is a very simple term which is used commonly. Even a small kid may be able to tell you the meaning of happiness. But how many of us really know the meaning of true happiness and how to attain that state? Not many! Happiness is something which is difficult to describe in words. It can only be felt. Several philosophers have given different views on this topic; however, the most dominant one is that happiness comes from within and must not be searched for in the outside world. Happiness is essential for leading a good life but unfortunately it is missing from the lives of most people these days. Different people have different ideas of happiness. Some believe that it can be found in wealth, others feel happy and content when they are in a good relationship, yet others feel elated when they are doing well professionally.

Many people think that if they have enough money to relax, they will be happy. If this was the case, then rich people would  not feel sad. But on the contrary, we see that it is the rich who seem more anxious, fearful, stressed, experience broken families and suffer from depression. Celebrities such as movie stars, singers and political leaders have hoards of money and yet the divorce rate of these people is often much higher than that for the general public.

These people live in constant fear, and hence require security all the time. They are more fearful about the safety of their children. They are also the ones more prone to theft and robbery. Many of them have so much overflow of wealth that they are constantly stressed about where to invest or hide it. They don’t know who is after their money and who they can really trust. So, we can conclude that being very rich does not mean the person is happier than the common man.

What else have people said about happiness?

Aristotle, a Greek philosopher, believed that happiness was attained by living a life of virtue (which itself was defined in a variety of ways).

In Buddhism, they believe unhappiness is caused by how people think. Buddha believed that it was important to understand the main cause of suffering, i.e., attachment to worldly things. To let go of desire or attachment would be to let go of suffering. In some ways this can be interpreted as not grieving over the past or fearing what may happen in the future.

This may explain the Buddhist teaching of dwelling in the present.

In Hinduism, depending on who you ask (as it’s a very diverse religion with a variety of beliefs), happiness can be attained by  good actions and the grace of God. Hindu philosophy considers Physical Happiness, i.e., happiness of the body. It also looks at Mental Happiness (being free from worry and anxiety) and Spiritual Happiness (attaining salvation). The aim of some Hindus is to experience supreme blissfulness as a free soul in the heaven. They recognize that the happiness in this world is temporary.

Jainism teaches its followers to walk on the path of aparigraha to achieve “Moksh” or total liberation and happiness. They are taught to detach themselves from worldly possessions. For ascetics, Jainism requires a vow of complete non-possession of any property. Such adherents must also detach themselves from emotions, likes and dislikes (including detaching oneself from one’s family).

From studying these different perspectives, we become more appreciative of

God’s teachings in the Quran. We are blessed with the understanding that Happiness is Submission to God alone.

In Submission, God has not asked us to discard all the material wealth or luxuries and nice things of life. We don’t have to give up our family and live the life of a sage. But He has just asked us to live a righteous life. If we follow this simple path which is not at all difficult, then there is nothing to fear. God guarantees this.

[5:65] If only the people of the scripture believe and lead a righteous life, we will then remit their sins, and admit them into gardens of bliss. 

In Quran God teaches us that He blesses each one of us in the manner that’s perfectly designed by Him. I have no reason to become sad because God has not blessed me with the wealth of Bill Gates or Mukesh Ambani. There is a good reason for everything.

[20:131] And do not covet what we bestowed upon any other people. Such are temporary ornaments of this life, whereby we put them to the test. What your Lord provides for you is far better, and everlasting.

God asks us to avoid becoming egoistic or boastful. God dislikes the show-offs. It’s better to be humble and charitable when God blesses us with abundance of provisions. [4:36] You shall worship GOD alone―do not associate anything with Him. You shall regard the parents, the relatives, the orphans, the poor, the related neighbor, the unrelated neighbor, the close associate, the traveling alien, and your servants. GOD does not like the arrogant showoffs.

“Happiness is Submission to God alone” is a phrase that will never become old or outdated because it is God’s promise and it’s true for all ages and for all generations. The validity of this phrase depends upon how much importance and priority we give to the submission to God alone.

Each one of us needs to take stock of our submission to God alone on a daily basis and eliminate any impurity of dependence on other than God. God promises us absolute happiness now and forever.

[10:62] Absolutely, GOD's allies have nothing to fear, nor will they grieve. [10:63] They are those who believe and lead a righteous life. [10:64] For them, joy and happiness in this world, as well as in the Hereafter. This is GOD's unchangeable law. Such is the greatest triumph.

[39:17] As for those who discard the worship of all idols, and devote themselves totally to GOD alone, they have deserved happiness. Give good news to My servants.

Our priority in this life should be to fulfil God’s expectations of us. In order to know what God expects of us, we must know our purpose here in this world. [51:56] I did not create the jinns and the humans except to worship Me alone.

It is essential to know that God made us to worship Him alone; we have to live a life that will please God. It is not just what we say, it is our actual intentions and actions to carry out His commandments. When we please God, by following His commandments consistently, then God makes everything good for us. This is a promise from God.

[24:55] GOD promises those among you who believe and lead a righteous life, that He will make them sovereigns on earth, as He did for those before them, and will establish for them the religion He has chosen for them, and will substitute peace and security for them in place of fear. All this because they worship Me alone; they never set up any idols beside Me. Those who disbelieve after this are the truly wicked.

We submitters try to live a God-centric life. We are aware about the accountability of our each and every action in the Hereafter. As a result of this awareness we try hard to reverence God by our thoughts, emotions, commemorations, meditations, etc. (in addition to our religious duties).

God cautions us in the Quran that we should avoid treating the religion as a social function for our own good. Otherwise we suffer the consequences:

[6:70] You shall disregard those who take their religion in vain, as if it is a social function, and are totally absorbed in this worldly life. Remind with this (Quran), lest a soul may suffer the consequences of its evil earnings. It has none beside GOD as a Lord and Master, nor an intercessor. If it could offer any kind of ransom, it would not be accepted. They suffer the consequences of the evil works they earn; they have incurred hellish drinks, and a painful retribution because of their disbelief.

We know that God is watching over us and knows what we are trying to do.  When pleasing God through our righteousness becomes the most important aspect of our life, God promises us that wonderful things will happen in our lives. God controls the minds and hearts of the people. He is the one who puts love, respect, and understanding between us and those around us. But we must make God our priority first, working hard to be righteous and to do things that are pleasing to Him first before all others.

Our happiness depends on how we set our goals in life. Our goal should be to worship God alone. We know that our purpose in being here is to please God. We must continuously ask ourselves what’s the most important thing in our lives and we must make God our number one priority. In return, God blesses us with happiness (10:62-64). Happiness is Submission to God alone.