Don't Be Sad - By Aaidh ibn Abdullah al-Qarni (A Few Excerpts from the Book about Happiness)

This website contains a few excerpts from the popular book "Don't be Sad" (original in Arabic) that discusses Happiness from an Islamic perspective.

There may be some grammatical errors in translation. You can download the actual E-book for free from islamhouse.com

Islamic Links

Home Page of Happiness

Do not let calamity shake you

Ahmad ibn Yusuf wrote that man positively knows that ease comes after difficulty, just as the light of day comes after the dark of night. In spite of this knowledge, the weaker part of his nature takes over when calamity strikes. A person who goes through trials should take steps to remedy his situation or else hopelessness takes control of him. Contemplating the patience of those who were tested in the past is a means of strengthening one's determination.

He mentioned later that hardship before comfort is analogous to hunger before food: food comes at a time when it has its greatest effect on the taste buds. Plato said:

"Hardship is as beneficial to the soul as it is unwelcome in one's life. Comfort is as harmful to the soul as it is welcome in life."

When someone begins to understand his purpose in life, he will know that he is being tested either to gain reward from Allah or to gain atonement for his sins.

After reading a book written by At-Tanooki, I derived three conclusions:

1. Relief comes after hardship. This is a consistent pattern in the life of man, as consistent as the coming of morning after darkness.

2. Hardship is more beneficial to the soul of man than are comfort and ease.

3. The One who brings good and drives away evil is Allah. Know that whatever happens to you was decreed for you, and whatever you have missed out was never meant for you.