Pleasant livelihood is something that each human being seeks to achieve and also strive to make it possible at their workplace and home too, aiming to experience it amongst their families and friends, for a good life is the true happiness that can touch one's heart. As a result, one will achieve contentment, tranquillity and assurance of heart. In their eyes, their life will be from amongst the best of lives and they will cherish peace of mind and will be free of anxiety. The reason is that the good life encompasses all the means of comfort.
The means of achieving this aim for which everyone is striving are many. The first and greatest means of living in the best manner is belief in Allah the Almighty. He says, "and whoever believes in Allah - He will guide his heart." (At-Taghabun: 11). Whoever believes in Allah, He will expand their breast. Whoever has true faith nurtured in their heart and perfect their work, Allah the Almighty will bless them with a good life in this world and reward them with Paradise as their eternal dwelling in the Hereafter. About them, the Most Exalted says, "those who have believed and done righteous deeds - a good state is theirs and a good return." (Ar-Raad: 29).
That is to say, they will rejoice a pleasant life because they value their time so much that they occupy it with acts of obedience to their Lord. As such, they will observe their prayer regularly, finding in it their comfort, following in this in footprint of our Master and Prophet Muhammad pbuh who said, "O Bilal, call for prayer; gives us comfort with it." Indeed, with prayer and remembrance of Allah (Dhikr) the soul get tranquillity. The Most Exalted says, "unquestionably, by the remembrance of Allah hearts are assured." (Ar-Raad: 28).
In this sense, part of Allah's remembrance is to read the holy Quran. Quran recitation is one of the causes for achieving a good life, for Allah the Almighty says, "We have not sent down to you the Quran that you be distressed." (Taha: 2). Truly, Dhikr has a great effect in bringing contentment and peace of mind, as well as relieving worry and distress. So, the more verses of the Quran one recites the more serenity he will achieve. The Prophet pbuh said, "The example of a believer who recites the Qur'an and acts on it, like a citron which tastes nice and smells nice."
Brothers and sisters,
One other fundamental means of achieving a good life is to earn living lawfully. Allah the Almighty has enjoined mankind to seek lawful means of living for He says, "and eat of what Allah has provided for you [which is] lawful and good. And fear Allah, in whom you are believers." (Al-Maida: 88). In this sense, part of being mindful of Allah, the Most Exalted, while seeking lawful earnings is to try to perform one's work as perfectly as possible, demonstrating honesty and trustworthiness in one's dealings with others.
So being, all of the believer's affairs will be good and eased. Thus, their Zakat will, by Allah's favour, be accepted and the rewards of their charitable spending will be in multiples. The Messenger of Allah pbuh emphasised this as he said, "If somebody gives in charity something equal to a date from his honestly earned money, for nothing ascends to Allah except good, then Allah will take it in His Right (Hand) and bring it up for its owner as anyone of you brings up a baby horse, till it becomes like a mountain."
Therefore, if the believer is contented with what Allah, the Most Giving, has provided him, which is lawful and good, and accepts the Almighty's decree, then he will definitely cherish a peaceful and good life. This can be illustrated in the following Hadith in which the Messenger of Allah pbuh said, "Glad tidings to whoever is guided to Islam, his livelihood was sufficient and he was satisfied." In fact, contentment is amongst the meanings and causes of a pleasant life. It is really inexhaustible treasure.
dear readers,
Amongst the other foundations of a good life is the happy family. On this account, Allah the Almighty says, "and good women are for good men (or good words are for good people), and good men for good women (or good men are [an object] of good words)." (An-Noor: 26). Indeed, it is such a worthy life that will be cherished by the families those are built on obedience to Allah the Almighty, whose members show affection and tolerance to one another and whose happiness is complete with being blessed with virtuous offspring.
Truly, children are but joy of the heart and adornment of the worldly life. For this reason, as the holy Quran tells us, Zechariah (Zakaria) pbuh called upon his Lord, saying, "my Lord, grant me from Yourself a good offspring. Indeed, You are the Hearer of supplication." (Al Imran: 38). Here, "good offspring" means a righteous and blessed children. With such offspring, the good family will live in harmony, love, happiness, mercy, stability, safety and kindness.
Dear brothers and sisters;
Another important thing that can help the believer to achieve a goodly life is being kind to others. Truly, kindness has a tremendous positive impact on one's life for the doers of good would touch the happiness with every bit of devotion and with each little act of kindness and good word of mouth. This was accentuated by the Prophet pbuh when he said, "A good word is Sadaqa (charity)." Such charity will be accepted by Allah the Almighty and, thus, opens the gateways to Heavens for it. The Most Beneficent says, "to Him ascends good speech, and righteous work raises it." (Fatir: 10).
More to the point, in addition to being a means of attaining Allah's pleasure, kind speech is conducive to help one win people's acceptance and love. Truly, a good word's impact in the worldly life is enduring and its rewards in the Heaven are great. Allah the Almighty says, "have you not considered how Allah presents an example, [making] a good word like a good tree, whose root is firmly fixed and its branches [high] in the sky? It produces its fruit all the time, by permission of its Lord. And Allah presents examples for the people that perhaps they will be reminded." (Ibrahim: 24-25).
Undoubtedly, those whose tongues are used to utter but the best of words and the sweetest of speech will win others' affection and people will be more inclined to deal with them. As a result, they will cherish a happy livelihood and their acts of goodness will be far reaching in their communities, increasing, thereby, the blessings in their nation. Allah, the Most Exalted says, "and the good land - its vegetation emerges by permission of its Lord." (Al-Aaraf: 58).
Please be aware that the first thing we should advise each other about is to obey Allah, the Most Sublime, and strive in the way of achieving the tents of a good life. This is because those who do righteous deeds will, by Allah's favour, attain a good life in this world and in the Hereafter. They will be admitted to Paradise as their eternal abode of pleasure wherein they will have decent dwellings. Allah, the Most Exalted, says, "Allah has promised the believing men and believing women gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein they abide eternally, and pleasant dwellings in gardens of perpetual residence; but approval from Allah is greater. It is that which is the great attainment." (At-Tawba: 72).
In Heavens, the doers of good will be adorned with bracelets of gold and pearl, and their garments therein will be silk. Furthermore, they will be guided by Allah the Almighty to the best of speech as they were guided to the best of it in this world. The Most Gracious says, "and they had been guided [in worldly life] to good speech, and they were guided to the path of the Praiseworthy." (Al-Hajj: 24).
Unquestionably, whoever is blessed by Allah the Almighty with a pleasant life in this world will be granted by Him a more satisfying and pleasing life in the Hereafter.
Knowing this, you are urged, dear Muslims, to do whatever it takes to attain the causes of such a good life.
No comments:
Post a Comment