Don't Be Sad! Be Happy!

By The Hope Seeker

Don't Be Sad is an absolute must-read for all people. It is full of practical advice on how to replace sadness with happiness. The author shines a light on why happiness is so elusive for many of us and shows you where to find your greatest joy. The author wrote this book for anyone who is sea

• Language: English
• Publisher: Al-Azhar (Cairo, Egypt)
• Release date: Jan 2, 1980
• ISBN: 9781643544939

Book preview

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IN THE NAME OF

Allah

THE ALL-COMPASSIONATE, ALL-MERCIFUL

Zakhrafa

Don't Be Sad! Be Happy!

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the Publisher.

I have no money,

no resources, no hopes.

I am the happiest man alive.

They are not long, the weeping and the laughter,

Love and desire and hate:

I think they have no portion in us after

We pass the gate.

They are not long, the days of wine and roses:

>Out of a misty dream

Our path emerges for a while, then closes

Within a dream.

The speaker refers to these blissful and peaceful moments of life as the days of wine and roses. Like all things in life, these splendid periods do not last half as long as we would like — the implication being that we should enjoy them while we can.

About this Book

This book is about finding personal happiness. The author shines a light on why happiness is so elusive for many of us and shows you where to find your greatest joy. al-Aededan originally wrote this book and Imam and Dr. Al-Qarne summarized it further and added his invaluable comments. This book was written for anyone who is searching for happiness or who is living through pain and grief or who has been afflicted with a hardship that results in sadness and restless nights. For the cure, we have filled the pages of this book with prescriptions taken from various sources – God’s Holy Books, poetry, poignant anecdotes, parables, and true stories.

Introduction

All praise is for God, the Almighty. May He send peace and blessings on the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, on his family, and on his Companions. I sincerely hope that readers will benefit from this book. To be happy, content and at peace is not only the goal of God's revelation, it is also, naturally, fundamental to human nature. By Divine Will, we are hardwired to seek happiness. It is in our genetic structure, and our very DNA propels us to pursue what is typically the often elusive state of happiness.

In seeking happiness, the fundamental error we make is that we often seek satisfaction in the wrong place. Instead of looking within to what truly provides satisfaction, contentment and happiness, modern materialism has misled us into thinking and believing that happiness, safety and security are to be found in the material world, in things and others, in worldly wealth and extrinsic attainment.

Happiness here, and now, and can only be experienced in this perfect, divine moment.

To learn how to make God happy, to learn how to be happy, learn to tune in to the perfection of the present moment, here, now.

Remember, there are no ordinary moments. Each moment is a willful act of creation by the Creator. Each moment is a divine miracle willfully and intentionally created by God. And so, not a single breath should to be taken for granted, to be allowed to pass without gratitude.

God says: remember Me, I will remember you. Give thanks to Me, and reject not faith.

The most meritorious and beneficial of all actions is to fill each moment with remembrance, with consciousness, presence, awareness and gratitude. This then is the path to enlightenment, to awakening from the transitory world of form and temporal illusion.

Happiness is essentially attained by being happy, pleased, at peace and surrendered to Divine Will as it manifests in this moment. What better experience and expression of Islam can there be?

How to Make God Happy: Leave Your Self

O my Lord, do not leave me in the hands of my self for even the blink of an eye.

The true path of happiness is the path of selflessness. All suffering results from selfishness, from self, from a psychological position in which me and my needs and wants are preeminent and primary.

Yet true happiness is in providing happiness, joy and love to others. Love is but Unity, for in love, we transcend separation, and come to know God in the only way possible for a human being, through the light of God in the heart and soul of another.

It is precisely for this reason that God provided human messengers, prophets and enlightened teachers in their lineage, so that the rest of us can come to know God in truth.

God has said, Neither the heavens nor the earth can contain Me, save the heart of a believer.

We must remember that God, the Creator of all that is, the Eternal Lord of all creation, is utterly independent of any need whatsoever, and that all of our acts of piety and devotion in reality do nothing for Him. Worship has been prescribed purely for our benefit.

Yet what is greater than seeking that which is for our benefit? Seeking the benefit of others.

This is the true and humble path to God, and protects a human being from the self-righteousness, pride and arrogance that can arise otherwise.

Verily, God will say to a slave of His when He will be taking account of him on the Day of Judgement, O son of Adam, I was hungry and you did not feed me.

He will answer, How could I feed Thee? You are the Lord of the Worlds!

The Almighty will say, "Did you not know that my slave so and so, who is the son of so and so, felt hunger and you did not feed him. Alas, had you fed him you would have found its reward with Me.

O son of Adam, I was thirsty and you gave Me nothing to drink.

He will reply, How could I give Thee drink? You are the Lord of the worlds!

At which point the Almighty will say, "Did you not know that my slave so and so, the son of so and so, felt thirsty and you did not give him drink. Alas, if you had given him, you would have found its reward with me.

O son of Adam, I became sick and you did not visit Me.

He will answer, How can I visit Thee? You are the Lord of the worlds!

The Almighty will then say, Did you not know that my slave so and so, the son of so and so, became sick and you did not visit him. Alas, had you visited him, you would have found Me with him.

How to make God happy? Be happy.

How to be happy? Forget for a moment about your own personal happiness. Help others be happy. Serve others, humanity, the creation of God.

Again, the path to truth and success is, not surprisingly, counterintuitive. Yet this is the Way.

When you lose all sense of self the bonds of a thousand chains will vanish. Lose yourself completely, return to the root of the root of your own soul.

You were not created to suffer. And God is not selling Paradise in the afterlife with suffering, misery and unhappiness in this life.

Yet suffering serves a valuable purpose, one that is designed, ultimately, to lead to happiness and the transcendence of suffering.

Suffering lets you know that you are out of alignment with divine will. Suffering is indicative of that fact that you are still experiencing the symptoms of the self, of ego-mind, and that there is work to be done to become purified of the self that leads to and continually creates unhappiness. Suffering is but the result of error, and of a mistaken sense of self.

Although some may insist otherwise, Islam does not advocate belief in an angry god that must be appeased with human suffering and sacrifice. Such an idea is idolatry perhaps at its worst, for in believing and advocating such a concept of God, we are in reality projecting our own egoism unto the Divine, our own human faults and primitive qualities, our own anger, fear and frustration, creating a mental idol of God, utterly inadequate of His true beauty, light, love and incomprehensible mercy.

Suffering, or hell, is but a result of our actions and our choices. Yet hell is not God’s will for humanity. Divine Will for humanity is precisely the opposite. Can there be any doubt that God wants for His creation other than happiness, health, wellness and peace — Paradise? Is this not the very reason He Almighty sent prophets and messengers to humanity? Have they ever called to anything other than goodness and peace, to Paradise, to Heaven Eternal?

Religion was sent for but one reason: To lead humanity to happiness, joy, peace, strength, health and wellness, to lead mankind and each individual to ultimate and absolute success, to Truth.

In Islam, the verses in the azhan, the Call to Prayer, Come to Prayer, Come to Prayer. Come to Success, Come to Success. All of Islam is but for this.

This day have I perfected your Way for you, completed My favor upon you, and have chosen for you Islam, Surrender, as your Path. — Surah Al-Ma’ida (Holy Quran Quotes, 5:3)

Yet commonly, we are seeking happiness in the wrong places. In things. In material security. And this is hopeless. As much as we try, Nature continually seeks to and will eventually destroy all that we build. All forms will fade and fall. Yet that which is Eternal, the Divine Presence of God, shall never fade. And true happiness is in transcending the self and re-uniting individual consciousness with Source, the Lord of Heavens and Earth.

Eternally remains but the Face of thy Lord, full of Majesty, Bounty and Honor. — Surah ar-Rahman (Holy Quran, 55:27)

How to Make God Happy : Eternal Presence

Make God Happy by Cultivating Joy in Others

If you do not find God in the next person you meet, it is a waste of time looking for Him any further.

The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) advised to continually smile, for a smile is charity. Charity is to share of the bounty, the goodness, the light and presence of God.

By smiling to your brother or sister, your fellow human being, you are literally sharing the light of God with another. And you will see that beautiful light reflected back to you, for what you give of goodness always returns, often manifold. This is the cultivation of abundance, the attraction of divine providence, and the cultivation of prosperity consciousness.

Seek happiness in simplicity. Happiness is attained and experienced always in the simplicity of this precise moment, and what enables you to appreciate that. Be it a cup of tea, a walk in nature, holding the hand of your beloved, or a moment of meditation, seek to appreciate the Eternal in this moment, and allow creation to serve its true purpose, namely, to lead you back to the Hidden Source.

Be continually cognizant of the fact that the material world is but illusion, and follow the trail inward to the soul of things rather than their physical appearance and manifestation. In this way, you advance your consciousness to freedom and liberation from the world of form, life, and come to develop a real and authentic awareness and relationship with the Creator.

Happiness the Duty of a Believer

It is the duty of a believer to be happy, for being happy is being in alignment with divine will. If an individual is unhappy, complaining and miserable, he or she is in error, and in a state of resistance to what is rather than an internal state of surrender.

It is the duty of life to overcome us and bring us to despair, hopelessness and unhappiness. Yet the Way of the Spiritual Warrior is to stand firm in faith and keep his or heart and soul alive in joy in the Divine Presence of God.

Happiness, like sadness, is contagious. We do not help anyone with suffering and sympathy, and engaging in such only reinforces victimhood, a psychology based in subservience to external circumstances, dunya, and far removed from the Islamic ideal of liberty, freedom, and pure and total dependence upon the Divine. Remember, independence for humanity is the goal of Islam, and this is only attained through in-dependence, i.e. dependence within.

Spirituality is designed to lead to such freedom and independence, and the practice of Islamic Meditation is invaluable in cultivating a healthy mind and spirit liberated from form, connected to Divine Source, and free from fear, suffering and unhappiness.

While sympathy reinforces suffering and a victim-mindset, empathy holds a space for another’s suffering, but provides an opportunity for them to awaken and to rise. Through empathy, clear and prescient presence, and providing a clear example for what is possible, happiness, you become an anchor and a lifeline for others.

It is especially important for parents to cultivate personal happiness, a state of peace and presence, for our children inherit not what we want for them, but what we have for them. They learn from and ultimately inherit our states, our psychology, our errors. The greatest thing parents can do to ensure the ultimate happiness of their children is to personally cultivate peace and joy in their own beings.

It is for this reason that the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, Paradise is found at the feet of the mother.

How to Make God Happy : Preserve Innocence. We are our children’s first and foremost teachers, and it is our level of spiritual development, our state of Islam, our happiness or its opposite, that our children literally learn from us. We can best preserve their purity, their innocence, their perfection and beauty, by taking personal responsibility with regards to our own states of being, our own thoughts and emotions, our own choices, by doing the work necessary to cultivate personal happiness, for it is this our children will learn and take from us.

No child is born but in a state of purity and innocence, and it is their parents that change them. As animals produce their offspring healthy, do you see anything defective?

So set thy purpose for religion inclining towards truth. Preserve the pure nature of Allah, in which He hath created human beings. No change should there be in the creation of Allah. That is the correct religion, yet most among mankind understand not. — Surah ar-Rum (Holy Quran, 30:30)

Believe in Happiness and in Simplicity

God is not concerned with what you believe, except in that what you believe either leads you to Truth, Reality, and thus to happiness, or away from it.

The foundation of joy, peace and prosperity is the statement that There is no god but God, the One and Only. This is the foundation for a life of independence, for all suffering is the result of being victim to external circumstances, people and things, being a slave to this life rather than an honored servant and deputy of the Divine.

We must remember that God, the Lord of Creation, is utterly independent and transcendent of any need whatsoever, including our acts of piety and our intellectual belief systems.

I have created jinn and men but that they may serve Me. No sustenance do I require of them nor do I require that they should feed Me. For it is Allah Who provides sustenance, the Lord of Power, the Steadfast. — Surah adh-Dhariyat (Qur’an, 51:56-58)

The benefit of prayer is that it leads us to happiness, security, stability, to joy, awareness and awakening. What you believe (thoughts and ideas) is less important than that you do believe. Belief is a spiritual state rather than a ideological position, and such thought-forms are ultimately mental idols, only creating continuing separation among human beings.

There is but only one belief that truly matters, and that is the universal belief in One God, the foundation of all spiritual development.

Whoever dies knowing and affirming, bearing witness that there is no god but God, shall enter Paradise.

Everything else can quickly lead to unnecessary complexity and confusion, and highly complicated belief systems ultimately but serve the purpose of ego. We cannot know God through the mind, and beliefs do not lead to belief, but can in fact prevent true belief, for beliefs are mind-dependent whereas belief is heart-dependent.

An imbalanced dependence upon a litany of catechisms only traps one in mind, and it is advisable to avoid spiritual paths or associations that are heavily dependent upon belief structures and systems, organizations that focus primarily on justifying their position or authority through complex and highly selective belief systems.

The path to God is not through the mind, but rather, through the heart. Typically, the mind is under the reigns of the ego, except when we are led by the heart and soul, in which case the mind is then in the service of the spirit.

Again, nothing we do or believe does the least for God. Worship is purely for our benefit.

The essence of belief is but the Oneness of God. All error, and thus all suffering, comes from not understanding and not building upon this primary foundation.

God has said, I am to My servants as they expect Me to be. I am with them when they mention Me. If they remember Me by themselves, I remember them by Myself. And if they remember Me in an assembly, I remember them in a greater assembly. If they draw near unto Me a hand’s length, I draw near unto them an arm’s length. And if they come to Me walking, I go to them running.

God wants your joy. Your success. Your happiness.

The only thing ever in the way is… You.

Gratitude is the essence of faith, the Way, and is indicative of the highest form of surrender.

The truly grateful, is grateful even for trials and tribulations:

1) Because he or she knows they lead to self-purificaiton, and that all suffering is but a symptom of self, ego, nafs.

2) Because they are truly happy and independent of external circumstances, so in-dependent, so present, that fear and pain cannot taint their souls, for these things exist but in past and future, and cannot be in the present moment.

Lo! Verily upon the friends of God, there is no fear, nor do they grieve. — Surah Yunus (Holy Quran, 10:62)

Ingratitude is in essence disbelief, and it shares the same root word as does the word for unbelief, kufr.

In short, if you want to make God happy with you, be happy. And remember the the true path to happiness is in selflessness, in being free from the prison of self.

How to Make Go Happy by Cultivating Personal Joy: 5 Simple Suggestions

1. Purify Your Paradigm - Accept and affirm the truth. Realize and remember that God wants your happiness, joy, success and prosperity. He wants your success.

2. Be Grateful - Consciously practice gratitude. As a simple suggestion, after offering each of your five daily prayers, as you begin to make dua, supplication, begin first with mentioning five things you are grateful for. You will be amazed at how much we take for granted.

3. Smile - It is said, When you smile, the Universe will smile back at you. This is the Way of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and by smiling, you re-affirm to yourself truth and goodness, true belief in God. The simple act of smiling also spreads joy, love and light to others, and attracts back to you these very things that you give to others.

4. Serve Others - Spread joy. Spread love. Spread goodness. It all comes back to you. But do not do to receive. Simply do for the sake of doing. Because it is the right thing to do.

None of you truly believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.

Selflessness leads to happiness. Selfishness leads to suffering. And this is why modern materialistic individualism, despite greater abundance and prosperity than ever before, has led to the greatest epidemic of fear, unhappiness, depression, despondency and hopelessness the world has ever known.

Yet Islam and the Way of the Spiritual Warrior is to remain grounded, centered and rooted in Be-ing, in the Divine Presence, and thus in-dependent, independent of dunya embracing only what is necessary for this moment and thus living free and unencumbered.

5. Meditate Daily - Still the mind, and take back control of your self. Fulfill your divine purpose. Transcend the self, the ego-mind. Learn to fight the battle within. Overcome your one true enemy. Yourself. This the true and real jihad.

Recall the story of Ali at the Battle of Khandaq, when he disarmed his opponent, Amr Abdawud, who then instead of surrendering, instead spit into Ali’s noble face. Rather than slay his opponent, Ali instead sheathed his blade and stepped away.

After the battle, he was asked why he attempted to spare the life of Amr who had fought to kill him and the believers. Ali replied that initially he was fighting for the sake of Truth, but when Amr spit on him, he became angry, and could no longer fight for his heart had become tainted with anger, which then taints all action with impurity and wrong intention.

In truth, to overcome the self is the ultimate victory. And this is what is required for both your happiness and the pleasure of the Divine. To your divine success.

Lo! Verily, We have given thee a supreme victory. — Surah al-Fath (Holy Quran, 48:1)

Now I present to you a synopsis of this book.

I wrote this book for anyone who is living through pain and grief or who has been afflicted with a hardship that results in sadness and restless nights. For the cure, I have filled the pages of this book with prescriptions taken from various sources – the Qur’an, the Sunnah, poetry, poignant anecdotes, parables, and true stories.

This book says the following: Rejoice and be happy; remain positive and at peace. Indeed it says this as well: Live life as it should be lived – wholesomely, happily, and productively. This book diagnoses the mistakes we make that go against the intrinsic logic that we – as human beings – have been endowed with (but which we tend to forget when we do not follow correct guidance), whether those mistakes are in our thinking or in our dealings.

This book forbids you from persisting in ways that conflict with the realities of life and with what Allah, the Exalted, the All-Powerful, has preordained. It calls you not from without, but from within, from what your soul already knows – that you should trust and develop your talents, and forget the troubles and vicissitudes of life, while concentrating on the positive and the desirable destination towards which a positive attitude leads.

There are some important issues regarding this book that I now want to clarify:

1. A reminder of Allah’s mercy and forgiveness, sincere faith in Him, belief in preordainment and decree, a life that is lived within the boundaries of today, and a reminder of Allah’s countless favors – these are some of the more important themes of this book.

2. With its ideas and cures, this book strives to help banish worry, sadness, grief, sense of failure, and hopelessness.

3. I gleaned whatever I found to be pertinent to the topic of the book from these sources: Verses of the Qur’an, sayings of the Prophet (bpuh), stories, parables, poems, and sayings of the wise. This book is no mere sermon, idle exercise in thought, or invitation to a political ideology. Rather, this book is an earnest invitation to your happiness.

4. This book is not only for Muslims; rather, it is suitable for all readers. While writing it, I took into consideration feelings and emotions that are common to everyone. Nevertheless, I wrote it based on the true religion (whether or not we deviate from it) that is intrinsic to us all.

5. You will find sayings of Eastern and Western writers and philosophers. I do not think I should be held blameworthy because of that, for wisdom is the goal of every believer; wherever one finds it, one is most deserving of it.

6. I did not add any footnotes to the book, thus making it easier for the reader to peruse without interruption. The source of a quote is mentioned within the text of the book.

7. Imitating those before me (Islamic writers from centuries ago), I did not mention page or volume numbers of sources, deeming this (approach) to be more beneficial for this particular book. Sometimes I directly quoted a passage; other times I summarized its main idea.

8. I did not organize this book according to chapters; rather, I varied the content, inserting topics that might not be directly related to the ones before or after them. I moved quickly from one topic to another, sometimes returning to a previous topic in order to make the perusal of this book more enjoyable.

9. I did not mention the numbers of verses, nor did I mention the sources for the Prophet’s sayings. If a hadith is weak, I indicated that. If it is authentic or reliable, I either pointed that out or said nothing. All this has been done for the purpose of conciseness.

10. The reader will notice that some meanings and topics are repeated (though in varying style) throughout the book. This I have done on purpose, so that a given meaning may attach itself to the reader’s mind through repetition. Whoever reflects on how recurring themes are found in the Qur’an should appreciate the benefits of following this methodology.

These are ten points to keep in mind while you are reading this book. I do hope, though, that you will be just in your judgment and that your bias will be towards true and correct knowledge. Finally, this book is not written for a specific group of people; rather, it is for anyone who wants to live a happy life.

My Lord! You are the Most Compassionate, Most Merciful!

Quran 55:29

{Whosoever is in the heavens and on earth begs of Him (its needs from Him). Every day He has a matter to bring forth (such as giving honour to some, disgrace to some, life to some, death to some, etc.)!}

(Quran 55:29)

{So which of the favors of your Lord would you deny?}

Whenever you are sad, remember the favors of Allah (God) so that you might succeed. Take a quick look around you right now. He has given you so much trees, fruits, nuts, birds, oxygen, water, and much more, and yet you do not see anything. You have all that life has to offer, and yet you remain unhappy. Why?

When the winds and the seas are turbulent, the occupants of the boat cry out only to Him for mercy.

When the camel-driver and the caravan are lost in the hot desert, they cry out only to Him for direction and mercy.

When the earth trembles and rumbles, the afflicted all cry out only to Him for mercy.

When all paths and doors are shut and blocked, causing the soul and the heart to feel constricted and suffocated, they all cry out only to Him for mercy.

When all plans end in failure and all hope is lost, they all cry out only to Him for mercy.

When the earth, vast and wide though it is, is straitened for you, causing your soul to feel constricted, you cry out only to Him for mercy.

To Allah ascend all good words, your deeds, sincere supplications, tears of the innocent, and invocations of the afflicted. Hands and eyes are extended to Him in times of hardship and misfortune. The tongue chants, cries out, and mentions His name. The heart finds peace, the soul finds rest, the nerves are relaxed, and the intellect is awakened –these are all achieved when we remember Allah, the Exalted:

{Allah is very Gracious and Kind to His slaves.}

(Qur’an 42: 19)

Allah: the most beautiful names, the truest combination of letters, and the most precious words.

{Do you know of any that is similar to Him? [There is nothing like unto Him and He is the All-Hearer, the All-Seer].}

(Qur’an 19: 65)

Allah: He is thought of when absolute richness, strength, glory and wisdom come to mind.

{Whose is the kingdom this Day? [Allah Himself will reply to His question]: It is Allah’s – the one, the Irresistible!}

(Qur’an 40: 16)

Allah: He is thought of when kindness, care, relief, affection, and mercy come to mind.

{And whatever of blessings and good things you have, it is from Allah.}

(Qur’an 16: 53)

O Allah, Possessor of Majesty, Magnificence, and Might, let comfort take the place of sorrow, make happiness come after sadness, and let safety take the place of fear.

O Allah! Soothe burning hearts with the coolness of faith. O our Lord! Give peaceful slumber to the restless, and serenity to disturbed souls.

O our Lord! Guide the confused ones to your light, and those who are astray to your guidance.

O Allah! Remove evil whispers from our hearts and replace them with light, destroy falsehood with truth, and crush the evil plots of the devil with your army of angels.

O Allah! Remove from us misery, affliction, and anxiety.

We seek refuge in You from fearing anything except You, from depending upon anyone except upon You, from fully trusting anyone except You, and from invoking anyone other than You. You are the Supreme Patron and an excellent Protector.

Contemplate and be thankful

Remember the favors of Allah upon you and how they surround you from above and below – indeed, from every direction.

{And if you would count the graces of Allah, never would you be able to count them.}

(Qur’an 14: 34)

Health, safety, nourishment, clothing, air, and water – these all point to the world being yours, yet you do not realize it. You possess all that life has to offer, yet you remain ignorant.

{Do you not see that Allah has made subject to you whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth and amply bestowed upon you His favors, [both] apparent and unapparent?}

(Qur’an 31: 20)

You have at your disposal two eyes, a tongue, lips, two hands, and two legs.

{Then which of the blessings of your Lord will you both [jinns and men] deny?}

(Qur’an 55: 13)

Can you picture yourself walking without feet? Should you take it lightly that you slumber soundly while misery hinders the sleep of many? Should you forget that you fill yourself with both delicious dishes and cool water while the pleasure of good food and drink is impossible for some, due to sickness and disease? Consider the faculties of hearing and seeing with which you have been endowed. Look at your healthy skin and be grateful that you have been saved from diseases that attack it. Reflect on your powers of reasoning and remember those that suffer from mental ailments.

Would you sell your ability to hear and see for the weight of Mount Uḥud in gold, or your ability to speak in exchange for huge castles? You have been given abundant favors, yet you feign ignorance. Notwithstanding warm bread, cool water, easy sleep, and good health, you remain despondent and depressed. You think about what you do not have and are ungrateful for what you have been given. You are troubled by a loss in wealth, yet you have the key to happiness and many blessings. Contemplate and be thankful.

{And also in your ownselves [are signs], will you not then see?}

(Qur’an 51: 21)

Reflect upon yourself, your family, your friends, and the entire world that is around you.

{They recognize the grace of Allah, yet they deny it.}

(Qur’an 16: 83)

The past is gone forever

By brooding over the past and its tragedies, one exhibits a form of insanity – a kind of sickness that destroys one’s resolve to live for the present moment. Those who have a firm purpose have filed away and forgotten the occurrences of the past; they will never again see the light of the day, since they occupy a dark place in the recesses of the mind. Episodes of the past are finished; sadness cannot retrieve them, melancholy cannot make things right, and depression will never bring the past back to life. This is because the past is non­existent.

Do not live in the nightmares of former times or under the shade of what you have missed. Save yourself from the ghostly apparition of the past. Do you think you can return the sun to its place of rising, the baby to its mother’s womb, the milk to the udder, or the tears to the eye? By constantly dwelling on the past and its happenings, you place yourself in a very frightful and tragic state of mind.

Reading too much into the past is a waste of the present. When Allah mentioned the affairs of the previous nations, He, the Exalted, said:

{That was a nation who has passed away.}

(Qur’an 2: 134)

Former days are gone and done with; you benefit nothing by carrying out an autopsy over them through turning back the wheels of history.

The person who lives in the past is like someone who tries to saw sawdust. It used to be said, Do not remove the dead from their graves.

Our tragedy is that we are incapable of dealing with the present; neglecting our beautiful castles, we wail over dilapidated buildings. If all human beings and jinn try jointly to bring back the past, they would most certainly fail. Everything on the earth marches forward, preparing for a new season – and so should you.

Today is all you have

When you wake up in the morning, do not expect to see the evening – live as though today is all you have. Yesterday has passed with its good and evil, while tomorrow has not yet arrived. Your life’s span is only one day, as if you were born in it and will die at the end of it. With this attitude, you will not be caught between an obsession over the past, with all its anxieties, and the hopes of the future, with all its uncertainty. Live for today; during this day, you should pray with a wakeful heart, recite the Qur’an with understanding, and remember Allah (the Exalted) with sincerity. In this day you should be balanced in your affairs, satisfied with your allotted portion, and concerned with your appearance and health.

Organize the hours of this day, so that you make years out of minutes and months out of seconds. Seek forgiveness from your Lord, remember Him, prepare for the final parting from this world, and live today happily and at peace. Remain content with your sustenance, your spouse, your children, your work, your house and your station in life:

{So hold that which I have given you and be of the grateful.}

(Qur’an 7: 144)

Live today free from sorrow, bother, anger, jealousy, and