By, Bachar Bakour
Happiness is perhaps the most universal human pursuit, yet it remains one of the most elusive and misunderstood. Across cultures and throughout history, people have sought to define what happiness is, how it can be achieved, and why it so often seems just out of reach. Is happiness found in material wealth and worldly success, or does it lie in something deeper and more enduring? This question has occupied philosophers, theologians, and ordinary individuals alike, giving rise to diverse and often conflicting answers. In exploring the nature of happiness, we must confront a fundamental paradox: why do some who possess everything appear utterly miserable, while others with very little radiate genuine contentment? This inquiry leads us to examine not only the external conditions of happiness but also its inner dimensions—those spiritual and psychological resources that enable human beings to find peace and meaning even in the midst of hardship.
The Paradox of Material Success
So varied and diverse are the opinions on what constitutes happiness, what creates it, and what ensures its permanence. In a life marked by evil, sadness, anxiety, and hardship, how can happiness possibly be attained? How can one summon a genuine smile while in the depths of distress? What, ultimately, is the key to happiness?
For many, the answer lies within the realm of material possessions: wealth, money, self-indulgence, fame, and the like. According to this view, happiness is merely a composite of these carnal elements, to the exclusion of anything tending toward spiritual growth. The problem with this approach, however, is starkly illustrated by observable reality: a significant number of celebrities and tycoons from various sectors of society have ended their lives by suicide or attempted to do so. Why? Why has a look of misery and inward dissatisfaction persistently haunted them? Why has a chill of apprehension and anxiety consistently found expression in their words and writings? Why are their souls filled with vague and persistent fears?
In retrospect, it becomes clear that despite having everything at their disposal, such individuals led only pseudo-happy lives—lives of mere sensuality and indulgence that ultimately produced increasing agony, chronic depression, and despair. Seeking to escape this deadly dull existence, many have willingly or unwillingly turned to drugs and alcohol in pursuit of solace, only to transform their lives into a living hell. For some, a final and decisive choice is made to put an end to untold misery.
In striking contrast, we have all encountered or heard about people who, despite outward circumstances of great agitation and turmoil, live with inner peace and security, enjoying life to the fullest. How do such people manage to sow seeds of bliss at others’ doors? How have they succeeded in dispelling the cloud of misery hanging over them? What is the magic bullet or antidote they possess?
Essential Elements of Authentic Happiness
1-Contentment
Human beings are innately driven to amass as much wealth and property as possible, even to their own detriment. Propelled by overwhelming desire, they stretch their eyes and hands toward others’ possessions. The solution to this predicament may be found in two pieces of advice from the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him): Whoever wakes up in the morning with security in his dwelling, health in his body, and food for his day, it is as if the entire world has been given to him.” And he also said: Look at those who are inferior to you [in terms of material possessions] and do not look at those who are superior to you, for this is more likely to prevent you from despising the blessings God has bestowed upon you.”
2-Helping Others
Extending help to your brother, partner, friend, neighbour, or even a stranger is among the surest ways to fill your heart with joy. Occupy yourself with social activities that promote the general well-being of society. Before seeking a smile on your own face, help place one on the faces of others. The more you share in the anxieties and concerns of your fellow humans, the more you tend to forget your own troubles or alleviate their effects. In this regard, several prophetic sayings are instructive: “He is not a true believer who sleeps with a full stomach while his neighbour goes hungry”
3-Prayer
A mother’s lap is the safest shelter for a fearful child. Similarly, God is the ultimate refuge from all that might harm us. “I seek refuge with God from Satan, the accursed” is a phrase frequently repeated by Muslims. God, the Merciful, is always ready to help, protect, guide, and deliver His servants from evil: “When My servants ask you concerning Me, indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me. So let them respond to Me and believe in Me, that they may be rightly guided.” (Qur’an 2:186). This verse fills a believer’s heart with love, confidence, and utter reassurance. In this atmosphere of friendliness and compassion, God—who has no need for anyone—directs believers to respond to Him and believe in Him, hoping that this will guide them to wisdom and righteousness. When one responds to God’s call, one must be confident that God will answer one’s prayers. However, one should not hasten God’s response, for He alone decides the most appropriate time to answer.
The Prophet elaborated on when and how prayers are answered: “God does not turn away empty-handed a servant who raises his hands in supplication.”
4-Practice Patience
Patience (ṣabr in Arabic) is one of the most exalted virtues in the Islamic tradition, and it serves as a foundational element in the pursuit of genuine happiness. Far from being a passive resignation to fate, patience is an active, dynamic quality that enables a person to endure hardships with dignity, maintain faith during trials, and persevere in obedience to God despite difficulties.
The Quran repeatedly emphasises the importance of patience and links it to divine love and support. God declares:
“O you who have believed, seek help through patience and prayer. Indeed, God is with the patient.” (Qur’an 2:153)
This verse establishes patience not merely as a personal quality but as a means of accessing divine assistance. When a believer exercises patience, they are promised God’s presence and support—a profound source of comfort and strength.
The Quran distinguishes patience as a virtue that receives rewards without measure:
“Indeed, the patient will be given their reward without account.” (Qur’an 39:10)
Scholars interpret this to mean that while other good deeds receive rewards proportional to the act itself, patience is rewarded with boundless divine generosity—a reflection of its supreme value in God’s sight.
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) further illuminated the transformative power of patience:
“Strange is the affair of the believer. Verily, all of his affairs are good for him. If something good happens to him, he is grateful and that is good for him. If something harmful happens to him, he is patient and that is good for him. And this is only for the believer.”
This teaching reveals that patience transforms even adversity into an opportunity for spiritual growth and divine reward. The believer who patiently endures hardship is not merely surviving difficulty but actively accumulating eternal blessings.
Patience is not an innate quality that one either possesses or lacks; rather, it is a skill that can be developed through practice and intention. The Prophet advised:
“And know that victory comes with patience, relief with distress, and ease with difficulty.”
This statement offers hope and perspective. It teaches that patience is not endless suffering but a bridge to relief—that difficulty, when patiently endured, inevitably gives way to ease. This understanding itself becomes a source of comfort during trials.
To sum up, the quest for happiness, when rightly understood, is not a pursuit of external pleasures but an inward journey toward contentment, purpose, and connection with the Divine. While cultivating the virtues and practices outlined above, we may discover that true happiness is not found in having more, but in being more—more grateful, more compassionate, more patient, and more mindful of the presence and mercy of God in every moment of our lives.***
Dr Bachar Bakour is an Associate Professor from AbdulHamid AbuSulayman Kulliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences (AHAS KIRKHS), IIUM.
