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

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Home Page of Happiness

Thus we have made you a just nation

Thus we have made you a just nation. (Qur 'an 2: 143)

Both your conscience and your Religion demand that you be just, which means that you should neither exaggerate nor understate, neither go into excess nor do too little. Whoever seeks happiness should be just, regardless of whether he is in an angry, a sad, or a joyful mood. Exaggeration in our dealings with others is unacceptable. The best course is the middle course. Whoever follows his desires will likely magnify the importance of any given situation, always making a big deal out of nothing. He will feel jealousy and malice toward others. Since he lives in a world of exaggeration and imagination, he will envisage everyone else to be against him, even to the extent that he feels others to be always conspiring to destroy him. Because of this, he lives under a dark cloud, constantly overcome by fear and apprehension.

Living according to hearsay and superstition is prohibited in our Religion.

Being sad is not encouraged in our religion

They think that every cry is against them. (Qur'an 63: 4)

More often than not, what you fear will happen in the future does not end up taking place. Here is something you should try: when you fear something, imagine that the worst possible outcome takes place, and then train yourself to feel prepared and contented with that outcome. If you do this, you will find that you have saved yourself from apprehensions and superstitions that would otherwise have caused you much grief

Lend your attention to each matter in proportion to its importance. In any given situation do not exaggerate mountains from molehills; rather, keep in mind your objectivity and fairness. Do not follow false suspicion or the deceitful illusion of the mirage, but be balanced. Listen to the balance of love and hate as explained by the Prophet (Blessings and Peace be upon him):

"Love the one who is beloved to you in due moderation, for perhaps the day will come when you will abhor him. And hate the one whom you detest in due moderation, for perhaps the day will arrive when you will come to love him."

Perhaps Allah will make friendship between you and those whom you hold as enemies. And Allah has power [over all things], and Allah is Of-Forgiving, Most Merciful. (Qur'an 60: 7)