Happiness – The Missing Piece

There comes a stage in our lives when, from the outside, it appears we have everything, food, shelter, family, friends. Yet inside there remains emptiness, anxiety, and unhappiness. Why is that? It is because Dunya does not truly satisfy us, but rather worshipping Allah does.  

Allah ﷻ tells us: 

وَمَنْ أَعْرَضَ عَن ذِكْرِى فَإِنَّ لَهُۥ مَعِيشَةًۭ ضَنكًۭا 

"Whoever turns away from My remembrance will live a constricted life." [20:124] 

The message is clear, if you do not remember Allah in whatever you are doing, whether it is studying, chilling with your friends or at home, then you will not be happy and content. But, if you remember Allah in everything you do, then that becomes a source of happiness and contentment.  

Allah promises by saying: 

مَنْ عَمِلَ صَـٰلِحًۭا مِّن ذَكَرٍ أَوْ أُنثَىٰ وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌۭ فَلَنُحْيِيَنَّهُۥ حَيَوٰةًۭ طَيِّبَة 

"Whoever does righteous deeds while having Iman, We will give them a good life." [16:97] 

If we want a good peaceful life, then we will find it in doing good deeds. So when we are revising, we start with Bismillah and we take a break when it is prayer time. When we are chilling with our friends, we make sure we are doing what makes Allah happy. When we are at home, we help our parents for the sake for Allah, no matter how small or big the task is. Remember, real happiness is found in our connection with Allah. 

You scroll through social media and everyone looks happy. Everyone looks successful. Everyone looks like they are living their best life. But the reality is very different. Many of those same people struggle with anxiety, stress, and loneliness. So we must ask ourselves a very important question: is true happiness actually found in acquiring more and more and more things? The answer is no.  

The Prophet ﷺ told about this by saying, "If the son of Adam had a valley of gold, he would want another; and if he had two, he would want a third… and nothing fills his mouth except the dust of the grave." [Bukhari] 

The Prophet ﷺ is telling us that in this Dunya we will always want more and more. But happiness and peace are not found in acquiring more and more wealth at the expense of worshipping Allah. How can we really find peace if we are revising and missing our prayers? How can we really find inner and long-term peace if we hurt those around us. Can we really find inner and long-term peace if we are not listening to our parents and just lazing about in life? We will find true happiness in worshipping Allah, in every aspect of our lives. Just remind yourselves, did you not find happiness and peace when you were praying Teraweeh in Ramadan? Do you not find happiness and peace when you hear nice recitation. Do you not find happiness and peace when everyone is fasting and you have Iftar together. So, there is happiness and peace in worshipping Allah.  

May Allah give us the ability to have a very good connection with Allah.  

If we truly want happiness, we must understand where it comes from and how to achieve it. 

Firstly, as mentioned before, it is found through our relationship with Allah — Salah, Qur’an, Dhikr and Dua. There is no substitute for this. No app, no distraction, no entertainment can replace this. When you place your head on the ground in Sujood, you are at your closest point to Allah. That is where stress begins to disappear. That is where anxiety reduces. That is where the heart finds peace.  

The second path to happiness is serving others. Helping people, giving charity, supporting those in need. 

The Prophet ﷺ said, "Feed the hungry and care for the orphan." [Ahmad] 

Serving others softens the heart and gives life meaning. Sometimes we feel empty because we are too focused on ourselves. But when we help others, Allah fills that emptiness with purpose and reward. When we see the suffering of the Ummah, especially in places like Gaza and Sudan, it deeply affects us. However, this feeling should move us to take actions. We can make Dua, give charity, regularly share videos on our social media to raise awareness and continue to stay aware of the issue affecting the Ummah. 

In conclusion, If happiness was found in money, then the richest people would never be depressed. If happiness was found in fame, then celebrities would never struggle. This Dunya will never give you the happiness you seek. That happiness lies in your relationship with Allah. Turn to Him, return to Him, and you will find what the Dunya can never give. 

We ask Allah ﷻ to grant us true long-term happiness through our connection to Allah, to soften our hearts, to keep us firm in our worship of Allah, and to aid our brothers and sisters around the world. Ameen.