It is easy to find happiness that lasts for a short time. For example, I found temporary happiness in:
- watching my favourite drama/movie
- reading a book
- spending time with my friends
- being with my family members
- having a vacation/day off
But once I returned back to my usual state of not doing all those things, I feel lonely, and sad.
I know that it's easy to find happiness that is temporary. I somehow understand the feeling of people who resorted towards drinking alcohol or taking drugs. They have this hollow inside them. They need something to fill up the emptiness. They usually have problems, and they tried to distract themselves from thinking about these problems by temporarily numbing their minds by many routes of escapism.
After the transient state of happiness went away, they got frustrated. They continued the same cycles of abusing themselves with alcohol and drugs (sometimes, women) as a desperate attempt to seek the happiness that they had once felt, to find the happiness that had abruptly left them.
I have this belief that everything every single person does eventually leads to the same goal: to obtain happiness.
A person works hard to get money because he believes that when he has more money, he will be happier.
A woman tried her best to beautify her appearance because she believes that when she is beautiful, everyone will like her.
And the list goes on.
What can we do to achieve an eternal happiness? Happiness that will continue to exist inside us, of which we can carry everywhere we go regardless of what is happening in our surrounding? It is not easy to maintain a state of happiness in this world, that is never ending with its series of trials and tribulations.
First of all, we must understand that happiness does not exist in worldly things. Stop getting too attached to things or people we classified as our sources of happiness. I do not mean to be pessimistic but, worldly things will ultimately stay in this world. They are temporary, just like this world. They give temporary happiness. They will leave us someday. It's not wrong to say that your family is one of the reasons for you being happy. But like I said, they will leave you someday, or you, leaving them.
Secondly and most crucially, we must have this belief that only Allah has the key towards happiness. Even when you are in your lowest of iman and in desperate need for help, bear in mind that only by returning to Allah will you achieve your happiness again. Why is that so? Allah is the As-Salaam. The Source of Peace. "… Only in the remembrance of Allah can the heart find peace." (Qur'an, 13:28)
So cry your heart out. Open your heart towards Allah. Let Him hear your pleas. He is the As-Sami, the Hearer of All. Just have this faith that no matter where you are, He is always there by your side. He is your Guardian (al-Muhaymin), your protector, someone you could rely on. All these time you had forgotten Him, He is always there, He is your Friend who is always protecting you (Al-Wadud). You were not aware of His presence, as your heart is so heavily tainted with sins. But trust me, once you decided to return to Him, the shroud of sins that had once acts as a barrier between you and your Loving creator will be lifted, and you will finally realize that He is always there all this while. He had never forsaken you.
Continue to build your relationship with Allah. Don't let anything sever this ties. When you realized that you had moved to the wrong side of the path, steer yourself back towards Him. Like a loving mother, He will always be there to embrace you and guide you to the right path, no matter how sinful you think you are.
Repeat these steps. And again, most importantly,wherever you are, whatever situation you are in, remember that Allah is always with you. Bring Him inside your heart everywhere you go (metaphorically speaking of course).
Only then will you find the eternal happiness that you had always coveted.
Asmaa- al Husna is really great. You could learn a lot of things about Allah just by reading about the meaning behind His 99 beautiful names. And you could find comfort from those names, knowing that you have someone who is so powerful for you to rely on.
