It is not possible for a person to be happy in the true sense so long as he does not live by the religion. This is because for a person to be happy, first of all his conscience needs to be at ease. In other words, there should not be anything to cause him distress, confuse him or to make him feel remorse. Ease of conscience can be attained only in one way, which is to live by the religion. Conscience is under the control of Allah, and always commands a person to believe in Allah, to fulfil the requirements of religion and to act in compliance with the morals of the Qur’an. For that reason, it is not possible for an irreligious person, who has been struggling against this command of his conscience all through his life, to be happy. Allah has revealed that man can attain ease of heart and true peace only by having faith in Allah:
Those who believe and whose hearts find peace in the remembrance of Allah. Only in the remembrance of Allah can the heart find peace. (Surat ar-Ra‘d: 28)
What is the true nature of the life of this world?
One of the most serious, but largely unacknowledged, misconceptions is the supposition that the life of this world is the only real life. In fact, the world is a temporary place created by Allah to test man. What is real is the life after death. Therefore, everything that charms people and preoccupies them in the fleeting and short-lived existence of this world is an “enjoyment of delusion”. As stated in a verse, Allah warns people against this deception, reminding them that the real, beautiful abode is in the presence of Allah:
To mankind the objects of worldly appetites are painted in glowing colours: women and children, and heaped-up mounds of gold and silver, and horses with fine markings, and livestock and fertile farmland. All that is merely the enjoyment of the life of this world. Far better is the return to Allah. (Surah al ‘Imran, 14)
As this verse reveals, valuable ornaments, assets, goods, profitable businesses, beautiful and wealthy spouses, healthy children and fine houses are all values that tie people to this world.
One must not forget that all these things are given by Allah as blessings, and that they are only temporary. As is revealed in a number of verses, the truly beautiful place to arrive at is the home of the Hereafter.
A person must use the blessings given to him in order to prepare for the Hereafter. People who act in the awareness of that important fact are never beguiled by the baubles of this world.
