Mankind is kept in a constant state of trying to understand and achieve happiness. Friends, love, family, success, recognition, material escapes, and sensual pleasures are among the avenues that humanity has explored in its quest to attain this elusive phenomenon. But what exactly is happiness, and how can we even, achieve it, if at all?
The ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle coined the term 'eudaimonia' to define 'happiness'. According to Aristotle, eudaimonia involves not only reason but also the practical application of reason to achieve excellence or 'arete'. He famously stated, “We are what we repeatedly do; excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.”
In the 97th verse of Surah An-Nahl (The Bee), Allah tells us:
مَنْ عَمِلَ صَالِحًا مِّن ذَكَرٍ أَوْ أُنثَىٰ وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ فَلَنُحْيِيَنَّهُ حَيَاةً طَيِّبَةً ۖ وَلَنَجْزِيَنَّهُمْ أَجْرَهُم بِأَحْسَنِ مَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ
To whoever, male or female, does good deeds and has faith, We shall give a good life and reward them according to the best of their actions. (16: 97)
So, it appears straightforward: all we have to do is to believe, do good, and Allah will reward with a fulfilling based on our deeds. However, a dilemma arises: why does it feel that this concept seem to elude us, even when we believe we are doing right? Why do many experience persistent unhappiness?
This quandary is due to our adversary, Satan, also known as Shaitan. He perpetually attempts to misguide us and disrupt our equilibrium -the righteous path that messengers were sent to guide us along.
In Surah An-Nisa, verse 120, Allah exposes Shaitan’s tactics:
يَعِدُهُمْ وَيُمَنِّيهِمْ وَمَا يَعِدُهُمُ الشَّيْطَانُ إِلَّا غُرُورًا؛
Satan only makes them ˹false˺ promises and deludes them with ˹empty˺ hopes. Truly Satan promises them nothing but delusion. (4:120)
Thus, as soon as we attain a sense of contentment through achievements- be it material gains, intellectual accomplishments, or life or overcoming hardships- Shaitan sets to work, aiming to deceive us, disrupt our equilibrium, and draw us away from our state of balance and inner goodness (fitra) through deceit and temptations. Instead of turning back to Allah (the straightway) and expressing gratitude, recognizing that He has granted us the opportunity (tawfiq) to do good and enjoy His blessings, which would lead to happiness, this gratitude transforms into greed, ego, pride, and any other negative trait associated with accomplishment. These are the false deities, the “ungods,” warned about by Allah, to which we might turn to in moments of vulnerability and deception.
But when He granted their descendants good offspring, they associated false gods in what He has given them. Exalted is Allah above what they associate ˹with Him˺! (7:190)
Consequently, humankind remains perpetually ensnared in a dichotomy between what their fitra (inner voice), guiding them in feelings, thoughts, and actions, and the voices incited by the enemy of truth and goodness. This results in being misaligned, unbalanced, and distancing oneself from the sole true source of goodness- Allah . How then can we resolve this dichotomy, fated to be face with Shaitan’s ever-present attempt to divert us from our equilibrium, the straight path?
We redirect to pleasing Allah whenever these deceptions infiltrate our minds. What actions, though, pleases Allah?
"Indeed Allah loves those who are constantly repentant and loves those who purify themselves" The Quran 2:222
Purification takes on many forms, paralleling the various strategies of Shaitain's deceptions: seeking refuge from accursed Shaitan, affirming and witnessing the sole existence of the One True God (Allah), avoiding actions that would taint our body, mind, and heart by maintaining a state of ritual and spiritual purity (wudhu), acknowledging our mistakes, rectifying them, and continuing with righteous deeds. Allah assures that good deeds erase misdeeds and replace them with goodness.
The convergence of Islam and Aristotle’s teachings on happiness becomes evident-they both emphasize that it’s not the mere act itself that is excellent or brings happiness, but the habit and the continual process of being aware of ones thoughts, acknowledging imperfections, redirecting one’s thoughts towards Allah, abstaining from evil, and returning to the straight path.
Allah further instructs,
“O believers! Seek comfort in patience and prayer. Allah is truly with those who are patient.” (2:153)
This implies recognizing our inherent imperfection and inevitable deviations, but with Allah's assistance, patience, and prayer, we can always find our way back. Allah, in His compassion, has endowed us with tools to structure our lives in a way that fosters excellence through habitual practices.
These practices stand as the pillars of Islam- the five daily prayers, at a minimum, cleanse our hearts from the corrosive influences of Shaitan's schemes; charity helps us express gratitude for our acquired material wealth; jihad maintains vigilance and pushes us Allah; fasting combines physical discipline with the purification of actions, mind, and heart; and Hajj serves as a reminder (if the means are available) that our final goal is Allah.
However, even if we flawlessly perform our rituals, they can become lifeless motions. Thus, the Holy Quran, the teachings of the Holy prophet (pbuhh), and the guidance of his Holy Household (as) function as nourishment for our minds and hearts, replenishing them when our equilibrium of happiness is disturbed.
Reciting the Quran nurtures our hearts, aligning them with truth. As Imam Zaynul Abideen (as) noted, “Hearing is the gateway through which various concepts reach the heart.” (A divine perspective of rights, Imam Zaynul Abideen (as) Page 90). Reading the Quran replenishes our minds with reminders of Allah’s oneness, the importance of following the Prophet (pbuhh), reflecting on mortality, and staying true to the righteous path. It also presents instances of the consequences faced by those who succumbed to Shaitan’s temptations, alongside examples of those who prevailed- Prophets (as) and virtuous individuals like Lady Maryam, the mother of Prophet Isa (as), Asiya, the wife of Firoun and Yusuf (as). Despite confronting numerous external obstacles, Yusuf (as) exemplified patience and chastity, ultimately emerging as a true victor.
The Holy Prophet (pbuhh) teaches us morality through the laws of all actions in our lives, ensuring our hearts remain untainted while interacting with society, facilitating a state of utmost happiness. The Ahle Bayt (as) carry on this ethical legacy, guiding us to navigate society’s challenges while keeping our hearts pure, until the reappearance of the living Imam (atfs), when he will elevate the entire world to a heightened state.
In conclusion, aligning with the moderate and true path, persistently striving to achieve Allah's pleasure with all our faculties, allows us to rediscover happiness, even in the face of Shaitan's snares.
Lady Zainab (SA) is an icon of purity, bravery, and steadfastness.Though she lived 14 centuries ago, her personality and teachings continue to guide men and women till now/to this day. She is the fruit of the tree of Prophethood nourished by Imamat. Lady Zainab (SA), the daughter of Imam Ali (As), has several attributes and titles associated with her, such as Al-Aqilah the noblewoman, Al-Aalimah or the knowledgeable woman and Aminatu-al-Allah, the faithful of Allah (SWT).
She belonged to a holy lineage; her mother was Lady Fatimah al-Zahra (SA), - the daughter of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH & HP) - and was actually a reflection of her father in the worship of Allah, piety, self-discipline, virtues, clemency, veneration, and the other features of perfection thus her father named her the chief of the women of the worlds and such a great mother nurtured Lady Zainab.
Lady Zainab’s father, Imam Ali (AS) honoured as the representative, successor and heir to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HP) was given remarkable titles like ‘the chief of the prophets’ successors’, ‘leader of the pious ones’ and ‘the head of the worshippers’ by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HP) himself. With innumerable merits and unrivalled sacrifices for Islam he was recognised and reputed as the most knowledgeable, the most magnanimous, the most generous, the most abstinent, the most trustworthy, the best worshipper, the most faithful, and above all, the most pious and the bravest of all Muslims. In other words, he was the best Muslim after the Holy Prophet Muhammad. (PBUH&HP).
Lady Zainab (SA), hence, was born into the most pious family and raised under the care of the best human beings therefore she learnt many things that composed her perfect personality from the etiquettes of her parents and her brothers. Since early life, she was marvellous in her intellect and wisdom and had learnt the Holy Quran by heart as well as the Prophet’s sayings regarding Islamic laws, rules of education and principles of ethics.
Throughout her life she faced one tribulation after another, but emerged strong and victorious in all her trials. She then witnessed the martyrdom of her mother, father and brothers - Imam Hasan and Imam Hussain (AS) - and in Karbala where all male members of her family were brutally martyred including her own sons Awn and Muhammad, and all the women folk were taken into captivity. But despite all these vicissitudes she always remained a source of strength and a caretaker for the survivors of the tragedy of Karbala and the flagbearer of the message of this great event. She is the epitome of selflessness and perseverance, the embodiment of patience and courage in the face of oppressors and the personification of knowledge and purity. Despite all the hardships she endured in Karbala she decided to preserve and propagate the true message of Karbala While her bravery, eloquence, courage, asceticism, chastity and caring nature towards the survivors of the tragedy of Karbala has been and still is unparalleled in history.
The Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HP) says, “Whoever tries to fulfil the needs of a sick person, whether they fulfil it or not, they will be cleansed of their sins like the day they were born.”[1] In another tradition, he has said, “Whoever looks after the sick for an entire day, Allah (SWT) will raise them up with Prophet Abraham.”[2] If we would take only these two traditions into consideration, we can understand the greatness of Lady Zainab (SA) who cared for Imam Sajjad (AS) and all the children and women who had got sick or were injured after what happened in Karbala. Therefore, taking inspiration from her, the 5th of Jamadi-Al-Awwal which is her birthday is celebrated as the Nurses’ Day in the Islamic calendar.
References:
- Kitab Man La Yahzarul Faqih, V.4, Pg.16
- Sawab ul Aamal, Pg. 341
- https://www.al-islam.org/lady-zaynab-badr-shahin/life-lady-zaynab
- https://www.al-islam.org/victory-truth-life-zaynab-bint-ali-muna-haeri-bilgrami
The debates and discussions regarding the relationship between ethics and economy in Islam are one of the most controversial and never-ending ones in the history of economics. To have a brief grasp of this issue, let’s take a look at some of the arguments and what Islam thinks of this relationship.
Many of the modern economists believe that economic issues, just like other materialistic ones, are only governed by specific natural and scientific rules that can be examined through empirical evaluations [1]. Accordingly, since ethical and moral matters cannot be understood through scientific ways of assessment and are not empirical, then they cannot be in any way related to the science of economy and business.
While it is true that both the economy and natural sciences are based on the principle of causality, the nature of this relationship entirely differs in each one of them. That is, cause and effect work for natural phenomena in a deterministic way, while in the case of the economy, one party -human beings- in this relationship is capable of choosing based on his/her own free will [2].
In other words, in economic issues, this law of causality appears in an indeterministic way, since human beings are born naturally to be independent and free to choose. So, here comes the issue of ethics through which human values would be defined, and their choice would be directed.
Moreover, the other reason that some economists believe in the separation of economy and ethics roots back in their worldview, that is their view of human being and their relationship with the world and their Creator.
This opinion is mainly based on the humanistic and philosophical principles of capitalistic societies such as Deism, Humanism, Individualism, and Utilitarianism, all of which exclude God and spiritual matters and regard human beings and his desires as the sole purpose of life. On the other hand, according to the Islamic worldview, God is the center and pivot of the universe in which human beings are His successors [3].
Consequently, the whole of nature with all its resources is given to humankind as a kind of loan which he can only use for a specific period. Furthermore, Islam considers two aspects of human beings: one spiritual and the other material, both sides of him/her should be taken into account in all his/her activities, including business. As a result, he is bound to execute financial affairs concerning ethical and moral principles.
According to the Holy Quran, a person who observes moral and ethical principles in his financial affairs would develop some characteristics in his life regarding materialistic issues, such as
1. Being observant of other people’s economic interests and sometimes preferring their interests over his/her own [4],
2. Not being dependent on his/her wealth, only using it with the intention of God’s satisfaction and serving the people in need [5],
3. Showing self-restraint and patience when facing difficulties, not losing his/her control at the time of prosperity, and avoiding extravagance and ostentation [6],
4. Having foresight and deep insight into the way he/she earns and spends money [7].
To conclude, an economic system without moral principles will have no result other than causing injustice and dissatisfaction both for each individual and the society in which he/she lives. Ethical issues, specifically of Islamic kind, should be salient in all aspects of the economy -e.g., production, distribution, spending, etc.- for the people in society to reach a desirable environment for lawful and satisfactory business and trading [8].
References:
- Tafazzoli, Freydoon. Tarikhe Aghayede Eghtesadi (A History of Economic Ideologies). 1st ed. Tehran, Nei Publication
- for more information about Islam’s idea regarding human beings willpower see the Holy Quran: 18:29, 76:3 and 13:11.
- 1:30
- 59:9
- 1:265, 51:19
- 11:10-11
- 35: 29-30
- Iravani, Javad. Akhlaghe Eghtesadi Az Didgahe Quran va Hadith. Majaleye Takhasosie Elahiat va Hughugh 14, 1383. P 90-100.