Where Does the Believer Find His Happiness?
Answered by Shaykh ‘Abd al-Rahman al-Kharsa
Question
Where does the believer find his happiness?
Answer
Praise be to Allah.
Happiness is a word that is light on the tongue and dear to every human heart, and it is the pursuit of every person in this worldly life, striving to achieve it in their lives. However, many people think that happiness lies in wealth and riches, and some imagine happiness to be having a luxurious house and an expensive car. Others believe that happiness is in having many children and grandchildren, or having a prestigious position in society, or attaining the highest positions, and some think it is in marrying a woman of beauty and charm… People have different desires for what they love.
يا خادم الجسم كم تشقى بخدمته
أتطلب الربح مما فيه خُسران
أقبل على الروح فاستكمل فضائلها
فأنت بالروح لا بالجسم إنسان
O servant of the body, how much you toil in its service,
Seeking profit in what is inherently loss.
Turn to the soul and perfect its virtues,
For you are human by the soul, not the body.
Indeed, these worldly pleasures are fleeting. Those who live for them or seek to increase them without seeking anything else will not taste true happiness and will have no share in the Hereafter. Happiness is not in the wealth that a person accumulates. Otherwise, Qarun would have been happy, and it is not seeking ministry or a position. Otherwise, Haman, the minister of Pharaoh, would have been happy.
True Happiness
Rather, true happiness lies in obedience to Allah (Most High), closeness to Him, love for Him, and in abundantly remembering Him. Allah (Most High) says,
“Whoever does good, whether male or female, and is a believer, We will surely bless them with a good life, and We will certainly reward them according to the best of their deeds.” [Quran, 16:97]
“Whoever follows My guidance will neither go astray (in this life) nor suffer (in the next).” [Quran, 20:123]
The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said,
“Women and perfume have been made dear to me, but my comfort has been provided in prayer.” [Ahmad; Nasa’i]
The sweetest of pleasures, the greatest of happiness, and the highest of beloved experiences is when a person stands before his Lord, conversing with Him, praising Him, and drawing closer to Him. Indeed, prayer is the delight of those in love, as informed by the leader of messengers and the seal of the prophets. One of the people of knowledge said:
جنة القرب منك أجمل من
جنة عدن وحُورها والأرائك
The paradise of being close to You is more beautiful than
the Garden of Eden, its Houris, and its couches.
Hatim al-Asam was asked, “How do you pray?” He replied, “When the time for prayer comes, I perform ablution thoroughly, then I approach the place of prayer with tranquility and dignity, imagining the Ka‘ba between my eyebrows, the Sirat (bridge) under my feet, Paradise to my right, Hellfire to my left, the Angel of Death above my head, and the gaze of Allah upon me. I stand between fear and hope; I proclaim ‘Allahu Akbar’ with conviction, recite the Quran slowly with tajwid, bow with humility, prostrate with submission, follow it with sincerity as much as I can, and conclude with salam.” [Ghazali, Ihya’]
Ibrahim ibn Adham, Allah be pleased with him, said: If the kings and the sons of kings knew the joy and bliss we experience, they would fight us for it with swords.
May Allah make us and you among those who are happy in both worlds, who find joy here in worship and servitude, and there in closeness and witnessing, for He is the Generous Giver.
[Shaykh] ‘Abd al-Rahman al-Kharsa
Shaykh Abdul Rahman al-Kharsa is a Syrian scholar, born in Damascus in 1971. He obtained his degree in the Arabic Language from the University of Damascus. He received his Islamic education from some of the most prominent scholars of Sham, including Shaykh Abdul Rahman al-Shaghouri, Shaykh Taj al-Din al-Kittani, Shaykh Muhammad Karim Rajeh, Shaykh Bashir al-Bari, Shaykh Ibrahim al-Hindi, Shaykh Hisham al-Salahi, among others.
He memorized the Holy Quran and studied the ten Qira‘at (recitations) through the paths of the Shatibiyya and Durra under Shaykh Muhammad Haytham Minini and Shaykh Abu al-Hasan al-Kurdi.
Shaykh al-Kharsa has taught at Al-Azhar University in the Beqaa Valley, Lebanon. He established Quranic centers in several areas in Lebanon and manages a Quranic center in Istanbul, where he is involved in Quran memorization programs and delivers public and private lessons.
He teaches in the Ijaza system at Dar al-Fuqaha in Turkey. His work also includes scholarly research, particularly in verifying texts within the Hanafi school. Notably, he has done the tahqiq of renowned works such as “Tanwir al-Absar” and “Jami‘ al-Bihar” by Imam al-Tumurtashi. May Allah preserve him and continue to make his efforts fruitful.
