Ali Hammuda – Happiness – The buzzword of the 21st century

			Is happiness the correct objective of a Muslim in the life of this world because happiness has
become the buzzword of the 21st century modern man, Wherever you look, wherever you read whatever
TEDx video you want to watch, everyone's talking about the same thing top tips to leading a happier
life. The most viewed videos online, whether short clips or long lectures or podcasts, they are
usually people interviewees, scholars, leadership managers, influencers, scholars in positive
psychology, they're all talking about the same thing, how to be a happier person, yet I have found
in almost all of this research, very few of them will dare to ask the awkward question to address
		

			the elephant in the room. What is the awkward question? Does this world even offer happiness? Is it
right to even search for happiness in the world as we know it today? And if the answer is no, what's
the alternative? Surely the alternative is misery and depression. As a Muslim, we also asked the
same question should we be pursuing happiness in the life of this world? Furthermore, does this
world offer happiness as we understand it defined in Western literature today? Well, when you look
into the Book of Allah, here's where it gets interesting. First of all, how does Allah Allah Allah,
Allah, Allah who speak about the life of this world, you said, yeah, you have Insano in NACA CAD
		

			Johan in Arabic CAD Hanford malarkey. Oh man, you are restlessly toiling towards your node and you
will meet him according to the book of Allah. This world is a home of restlessness, labor and toil.
And hola gender Juliana who said Lukka Calakmul. In Santa Fe gathered We have created man in toil.
So that is how Allah speaks about this world toil, labor, restlessness, hardship, and on top of
that, you don't find the words to hide the happiness mentioned at all in the Quran, interesting only
in one context, and that is the context of gender. Allah Jalla Jalla who said Lata Qalamoun have
soon in that he is me, he on the Day of Judgment, people will come and no one will speak only with
		

			the permission of Allah for Birmingham shatta Eun, or say I read, some will be miserable, and some
will be happy for another Latina, Shaco surfing Nadella whom he has a hero who was here, he asked
for those who are miserable, they will be thrown into *, and they will be sighing and gasping in
pain. And then Allah says later on one man levena So I do think Jannetty and as for those who are
destined to be happy, they will be in Ghana. So the only time happiness is mentioned in the Quran is
in which context, Jana, that in of itself is a powerful and profound message to humanity, that the
happiness of perfection that people are pursuing is not offered by this world. It is only an
		

			offering that can be found in Jannah. So bearing in mind how the Quran speaks about dunya hardship,
toil, labor, and bearing in mind how Sahar their happiness is only ever mentioned in Jannah. Does
this mean that life today does not offer any joy? Now we're going to focus on the details because
our religion is massively practical and incredibly realistic. And the messenger sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam said, as Al Hakim narrates in his most draconian authority of Saudi Arabia workers that the
Prophet Muhammad Ali who salatu salam said our own meanness Minister, that there are four
characteristics that contribute to happiness look, ALMA to Sonya, righteous wife, while my scandal
		

			was a spacious home with Mr. Cabuya honey, a comfortable vehicle while John was silent and a
righteous neighbor. These things contribute to happiness. And then he said, what what Autobahn Mina
Shekhawat there are four things that bring about misery Almara to sue an evil wife, one Miss Canada,
yet a small house, one markable Sue, and a uncomfortable vehicle was jailed was sue an evil
neighbor. So yes, there are things that bring about joy in the life of this world. But look at the
Hadith, it is very specific, it said Mina sad, that contribute to happiness, they can add to your
happiness. So if these things they just add to my happiness, they just contribute to overall
		

			happiness whereas the foundation of happiness in the life of this world, where are the sources of
the happiness you say, I want to get to the root of it all I want to find the spring the fountain of
happiness in dunya where do I find it? Allah Jen La Jolla and who has given you a very clear recipe
for those who are searching for it in the book of Allah in Surah, two national chapter of the Bs in
the clearest in the most unequivocal in the most unambiguous of words, Allah Almighty said manga
amela Sani ha whoever works good deeds means they're carrying our own thoughts whether male or
female, that's condition number one and has an ad good deed condition number two, what who I mean
		

			whilst having Eman whilst being a person of faith, what is the outcome equals failure? No here no
		

			heard and we will cause them to live a good life. Then Allah says what energy is the unknown at your
home, we ask any American or young alone and we will give them their reward in full in the hereafter
because of what they used to do. So that is the equation praying and benefiting from an Islamic
talk, whoever does good deeds plus a man having faith in Allah that you preserve, equals you lead
the good life and notice how Allah does not say we will give him happiness. He did not say
Fernando's either, who we will give him Sahar, that happiness in the life of this world. He didn't
say that he said, We will give him a good life you see, as common as it is to use this word
		

			happiness today, even the non Muslims now are losing interest in that word, and they're saying it's
a little bit overused. And in fact, we should be searching for something a little bit more realistic
than happiness. And one of those scholars is a man called Martin Seligman, Professor Seligman. He is
the founder of a science called Positive Psychology. Positive psychology is that branch of
psychology that focuses on the study of happiness. So he's a reference, he's an authority in the
field. And he said, I these are his words, I actually detest the word happiness. And I believe that
it is so overused by people today, it's been rendered meaningless. And then what he essentially
		

			says, and I find this massively interesting, he says, happiness is just a feeling like any other
feeling that goes up and down many times a day, he says, happiness is just a mood, when something
good happens to you during your day, you're happy. And when something bad happens, you're miserable.
It doesn't mean you are a happy person in life or a miserable person in life. It goes up and down
many times in life. 10s of times, you have a nice, lush, warm meal in front of you, you're happy,
you go hungry that day, you're sad, it doesn't mean you are a happy person in life, or you are a
miserable person in life. It just goes up and down many times in life, it's a mood like any other
		

			moods. So he said, We need to think of terms that are deeper than happiness to describe the well
being of a human being. Do you understand what I'm saying? We need to coin a term that factors in
the ups and downs in life. And he speaks in his research about flourishing meaning, despite the
booms and busts of your everyday genuinely speaking, your flourishing he said that's more realistic
of a pursuit to search for flourishing, not happiness. In other parts of his writings, he speaks
about well being so despite the booms and busts of your everyday struggles you're having fight with
your wife or struggle with your husband and caches a little bit low, whatever it may be, generally
		

			speaking, you're well, generally speaking, you are well, he said, well being and in the third part
of his research, guess what other word he uses to describe what we should be searching for, instead
of happiness, the good life, he said, we should be looking for the good life and that is what Allah
promises when he said whoever works good deeds, whether male or female whilst having Iman then we
will cause them to live a good life.