the pursuit of happyness

assalamualaikum

bismillahirrahmanirrahim,

to begin this with a question of what is happiness is not quite easy, because I feel that it is a question that cannot be entailed with a few words, it can only be felt in one's heart, as tacky as that may sound, aint that the truth? I mean I will say happiness is what and what, but they would convey nothing unless the heart feels it too, insyaAllah. and furthermore, happiness is not something that of a constant, its definitions varies according to what the heart desires, innit? and it does not just vary amongst different people, it varies within the same person across time. about 15 years ago, happiness to me was probably candy and chocolates and cartoons and now, happiness to me are... well different.

for more than a long time, I have been under the impression much of happiness lies within what is in reach meaning... what this world can offer me. be it: great education that spurs onto great career which spins more to great money which ultimately leads to great life! and of course maybe slip in a lot of family and friends and love into some of that great equation and tadaa, happiness at its best! what more can the heart desire after all that greatness maxed into such a wonderful package of love and success?

what has probably led me to this point was the lack of accuracy and vagueness in definitions of happy in the first place. in retrospective, i think my heart was insulted by me not asking and referring to it when i was busy searching for happiness. i mean it is after all what it desired and i was fooled for such a long time to ignore its whispers and instincts, instead i listened to lust and lust and lust. astaghfirullahalazim. but now one might ask, what is it that this heart desires?

"Those who believed (in the Oneness of Allah - Islamic Monotheism) and whose hearts find rest in the remembrance of Allah, verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest." (13:28)

subhanAllah :') our hearts long for this. and I've had the audacity to ignore this calling for such a long time, astaghfirullah. do we not remember that our hearts belong to who? Allah! He owns our hearts, we are borrowers and think what we have been doing to it... something that was given to us in a pure state of white, now has become a dark state of matter :'( what have we been feeding our hearts with instead of zikr and the likes of those Allah is pleased with... how would we be able to feel true happiness if we have been feeding it with so much of worldly desires? how would we be able to breach the distance between ourselves and our Creator if we want more of the world and less of the hereafter? why do we not realize that worldly happiness is ever so temporary - when will we realize that it will never be sufficient to attend our heart that is craving for the remembrance of Allah in its nature?

do I get it? do I see it? do I feel it? that happiness of the purest kind is only associated to the remembrance of my Rabb? because it's the only kind that never fades. i feel happy when i have money but money diminishes sooner or later. i feel happy when i'm with family and friends but they also disappear sooner or later. i feel happy when i get new shoes/clothes but they too depreciate sooner or later. i feel happy when i remember Allah and this is the most sure thing ever, which is that, this happiness will never diminish or disappear or depreciate.

remembrance of Allah is associated with being constantly conscious that He is watching our every move so we would be so scared to displease Him and would always try our best to do things that pleases Him. we find happiness when we pray with our hearts for the sake of Allah. we find happiness when we love our parents for the sake of Allah. we find happiness when we seek knowledge for the sake of Allah. we find happiness when we bathe, eat and sleep for the sake of Allah. this happiness is simplicity if you think about it, how every single daily routine that we have been engulfed in for most of our lives can be done in better ways by remembering Allah and intending them to please Him. subhanAllah :') islam is indeed a way of life. happiness is islam. happiness is when the heart cannot be separated from the Quran and Sunnah. happiness is to love Allah and Rasulallah SAW more than anything else. believe, believe and believe that this happiness will never fade and can only appreciate in value when taken care of greatly, insyaAllah.

so seek this happiness. ask for this happiness from none other than Allah. hold onto this happiness tight. and what's so special about this happiness, as if we need any more convincing?

"Behold verily on the friends of Allah there is no fear, nor shall they grieve" (10:62)

there is only one that we should fear always, that is Allah and there is only one that we should grieve over always- the sins that we have committed. and if we're happy because we remember Allah hence it would be easier to trust in Allah so whatever this world throws at us, why fear, why be sad? for things that are regarded as worldly? to completely hold onto the fact that Allah is sufficient for us, that's happiness. and check your heart now, what does it feel?

Narrated Abu Musa radiallahuanh: The Prophet SAW said "the example of the one who remembers (glorifies the Praises of) his Lord (Allah), in comparison to the one who does not remember (glorify the Praises of) his Lord, is that of a living creature compared to a dead one."

(Sahih Al-Bukhari 8/6407)

p.s: all that are good are completely derived from Allah and the flaws that are evident are only from my own inadequacies, sorry for such and may Allah bless us dunia Akhirat insyaAllah and if anything, i'm speaking to myself before anyone, check our hearts, check what it wants, and don't be fooled by the whispers of iblis and syaitan (14:22), and seek remembrance of Allah and please take full advantage of the upcoming Ramadhan, insyaAllah, for it is an opportunity like none other. wallahu'alam.