Sikander Hashmi – The Path to Happiness KMA Friday Message
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AI: Transcript ©
Respected elders,
dear brothers and sisters,
my young friends,
I would like you to think of a
time
when you were very happy.
Perhaps it was
when you got married
or your children got married, perhaps it was
the birth of a child.
Maybe a new home or a new car.
A new toy.
A new object.
Maybe it was graduation
or an award that you received, some sort
of recognition.
Maybe a promotion
or a raise.
Maybe it was a trip that you went
on.
And you think
of moments of happiness, whatever they may be.
And you ask yourself,
how long did that happiness last?
Most chances are that it lasted for some
time,
perhaps a few days,
maybe a few weeks or months,
perhaps a few hours,
and then it died out.
And then you moved on from that moment
of happiness.
Because you see my brothers and sisters,
true
permanent happiness,
True, genuine,
permanent happiness
is only possible in the hereafter.
Only in Jannah will the believers have true
and permanent,
everlasting happiness.
As Allah
tells us in the Quran,
And as for those
who are destined to joy
on the day of judgment,
they will be in Jannah
staying there forever.
So that will be
the destination
of true happiness
and true joy,
which is everlasting
and will last
forever and forever.
This world, on the other hand,
is a place
of trials,
a place of tribulations,
a place
of ups and downs, happiness,
and sadness as well.
So 100%
happiness,
100%
of the time is not possible here.
Just so that we have realistic expectations.
100%
happiness, 100% of the time is not going
to happen in this dunya.
That is something which is reserved for
Jannah.
However,
however, that does not mean
that our life here
has to be miserable
or that it is supposed to be miserable.
It does not mean that.
So when we think about happiness, happiness can
be broken down into a few parts.
So number 1,
the things that make us happy
that
we cannot control.
The things that make us happy,
that we cannot control.
The things that make us happy,
that
we can control to some extent,
and
what makes us happy. K? So the things
that make us happy that we can't control,
the things that make us happy that we
can control to some extent,
and what are the things that make us
happy, and that is something that we can
control.
Now research tells us
that there is a link between
our genes
and happiness.
So about 40%
of differences between people
in their well-being.
Those differences are accounted for by genetic differences.
So about 40%
of things that make a person happier
compared
to others
are things that are genetic.
Essentially,
they have been decided already by Allah
These are, for example, human characteristics.
A person's attitude, personality,
their body, how their mind works, you know,
their
level of chemicals and hormones in their brain,
their looks, and so on and so forth.
The things which
you can't really change,
k, unless there's, like, serious intervention.
Okay. So 40%
of it is natural is genetics.
60%, approximately,
are based on environmental factors.
The things around us over which we do
have some level of control
or involvement.
And even those are ultimately
decided by Allah
they're determined by Allah
So for example, a risk.
Right? You'll say your sustenance is something that
you have to go out and work for.
But at the end of the day, we
know that Allah
has determined it already.
Or illnesses
that Allah
has written or accidents
and things like that.
Now according to psychologists,
what most people
don't realize
is that once our basic needs are met,
our physiological and our and, physiological needs and
safety
has been met because these are basic needs,
and our bills have been paid,
then our happiness does not increase very much
based on material wealth.
So once the basic needs are taken care
of,
after that,
accumulation of wealth doesn't actually increase in happiness.
Although most people seem to think that that
is true, although it is not.
We learn from the
that
there are some basic ingredients,
basic elements
for happiness
in this worldly life.
Basic elements, basic needs that need to be
met in a reasonable manner.
Who relates from
the that he said,
said that 4 things
4 things are part of happiness.
A righteous
spouse,
a righteous wife, but also for a woman,
a righteous husband. So a righteous spouse,
a spacious dwelling,
a reasonably spacious dwelling, place to live,
a good neighbor, a righteous neighbor,
and a comfortable amount. Meaning,
a comfortable, reliable means of transportation.
You know, of course,
was not a person of extravagance by any
means as we learn as we see from
his lifestyle.
So we can understand that what he is
referring to is
things which are needed
and which reasonably
fulfill a person's needs.
Now once the basic needs are met in
a reasonable manner,
then the accumulation of wealth,
accumulation of objects,
or fame, and all these things that people
desire generally in the world.
They don't actually increase over overall happiness.
Because all of those things, wealth,
and having a lot of things,
and being famous,
they all come with worries as well.
A person who has a lot of things,
a lot of money, or is very famous,
it's not like they're free now.
It's not like they don't have any worries.
In fact, they probably have even more worries
than someone who has
less, or someone who doesn't have as much.
So, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala also my brothers
and sisters gives us
a formula
for a happy life.
Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala gives us
a very succinct, very
concise
formula for happiness,
for a happy
life.
That whoever does good,
whoever does good, good actions, good deeds.
Whether male or female
and is a believer.
Allah says, we will surely bless them with
a good life.
And when we read the of what is
mentioned, what is referred to, what is understood
as
you find different
commentaries.
Right?
Contentment,
happiness,
having
risk.
All of these things are explained as being
the meaning of
so the formula that Allah
has given us
is good deeds
while in a state of belief. Meaning, good
deeds plus belief
will lead to a blessed, a happy
life. Now, the good deeds and I will
explain to you how how this can manifest
itself. Because sometimes you think, okay, so what
is this? What are these two things have
to do with having a good life? Okay.
So,
good deeds, of course, refers to the deeds
which are pleasing to Allah
And good deeds are also good for our
mind and our soul. They're not just good
generally because Allah loves them because, of course,
that's the most important thing. But they're also
good for us, for our mind and our
body,
our soul.
So, for example, if the good deeds are
acts of worship,
whether it's or
recitation
of Quran as an example.
If they're done with mindfulness, if they're done
with presence,
these acts of worship will help calm us
down.
They will give us inner peace.
They will reduce they will help reduce our
anxiety.
They will help us release
stress.
You
know, forces
us to move.
It forces us to get out of bed.
It forces us to exercise especially if you
come to the Masjid. You know, you're driving,
you're walking, you're moving around.
All of these things are actually good for
us physically and mentally as well.
The routine for prayer for salah, especially in
Jamaa.
The daily.
No. Studies have shown
that daily routines
have far reaching mental health benefits.
Having a routine is actually very healthy and
very important.
Benefits from alleviating bipolar disorder,
preventing substance abuse,
to managing the symptoms of other mental disorders.
Right? So having a routine, the fact that
we have a routine and a schedule to
follow, especially with salah.
But as our tradition teaches us, as our
pious predecessors had, and
the had a schedule for
as the prophet taught. Morning
evening things to recite, things to do at
different times of the day. These are all
good, not just spiritually, but for our mental
health as well.
When we do general acts of goodness towards
others, they will help us feel good.
Because giving, right, when we do good to
others, we're giving of something, whether you're giving
charity of wealth, whether you're giving your time,
your energy, your,
you know, your your, intelligence, whatever it is
that you're sharing, giving
is proven to increase neurochemicals
in the brain,
such as oxytoxin,
oxytocin
and dopamine.
Oxytocin is typically linked
to
warm
and fuzzy feelings.
The feeling of The good feeling we get
inside of our hearts.
And shown in some research to lower stress
and anxiety.
Right? When you give, this is what happens
in your brain.
Dopamine is particularly particularly known as being the
happy hormone.
It is responsible for
experiencing
happiness. So when we give, right, when we
do good,
when we give especially,
these are the reactions that happen inside of
our brain which lead us to feel better
as well. So this is
regarding the good actions. Now, Allah subhanahu wa
ta'ala also says,
So not just
do good actions and you will have a
good life,
but do good actions
while in a state of belief, while being
a believer
will lead you to having a good life.
Now when a person has proper belief,
it results
in being able to regulate negative thoughts.
How?
Because having perfect belief means that we have
contentment with the decree of Allah
Whether it is the commands or the prohibitions
of Allah
or Allah's decisions
about how we have been created and the
things that happened to us that are not
in our control.
Having contentment and acceptance
of the Qadr of Allah
That comes with having perfect faith.
Trust in Allah
So without we are not constantly drowning in
anxiety and worries about the future, having faith
and trust in Allah
That comes with having perfect faith.
Having good hopes in Allah
All of these help
make a believer happier,
whatever the circumstances may be.
These beliefs are not there simply to help
us during the good times,
but they are essential. They are critical
to helping the believers survive and make it
through hardships and challenges
as well. And when they're not there,
life becomes even
more difficult. Challenges become
more difficult. Whereas, when these things, these beliefs
are there,
even in the midst of hardship and struggle
and difficulty,
a believer can find happiness,
and a believer can find contentment.
And finally, my brothers and sisters, our attitude
towards happiness
and having reasonable expectations of happiness,
lowering our expectations
of what makes us happy, being reasonable in
those expectations,
learning to enjoy the little things,
and to see the ordinary blessings as being
huge.
Rasulullah
has instructed has given us
this hopeful, positive attitude
that that whoever amongst you wakes up
secure in his
property. Healthy in his body
and has food for the day.
Three things. Wakes up secure in his property,
healthy in his body,
and he has food for the day. It
is as if he were given the entire
world.
It is as if he was given
the entire world. Now a person may think
I have only
sustenance for one day.
And I'm secured today. I don't know what's
gonna happen tomorrow. And I'm healthy today. I
don't know what's gonna happen tomorrow. But Rasulullah
tells us that in that moment, you should
feel like Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala has given
you the entire world.
Alright? This is the positive
attitude that
has taught us to be grateful
for all the little blessings that we think
are little, but in fact, they are huge.
We ask Allah
to fulfill all of our needs in the
best way possible. We ask Allah
to protect us from all evils and harms.
We ask Allah
to grant us happiness and contentment in this
world and especially in the next.
We have a request for dua. Sister, Rabia
Qureshi's parents,
are not doing well. Her mother has, is
battling pneumonia in a serious condition. Her father
is suffering
from serious, memory loss. So we ask Allah
to ask, Allah
for ease for them, to cure them and
all of those who are ill.
Oh, Allah, please grant your mercy. Oh, Allah,
please cure all of our brothers and sisters,
our loved ones, our relatives who are
ill. Oh, Allah, please grant ease. Oh, Allah,
please grant
and grant a complete and speedy recovery to
them all.