Just what is happiness?

"Many people cannot differentiate between excitement or happiness or tranquility of the soul. Or maybe they have not achieved happiness, although they often feel the excitement or passion" Dr. Asri Zainal Abidin

“Just what is happiness?”, an existential question that each one of us always ask ourselves - whether we do it consciously or not. Not to mention, philosophers, psychologists, neurobiologists, and theologians are trying hard to demystify ’happiness’. In the end, we, human being are constantly trying to find happiness in our lives. Almost everything that we do to certain extend is done because we are trying to search for ’happiness’ - regardless whether we actually find it or not. I come to the conclusion that there are two types of happiness in this world: One that is based on short burst of passion or excitement and the other one is based on a deep sense of inner tranquility.

Eating food makes you happy, having sex makes you happy (I presume), bungee jumping gives you the exhilaration of adrenaline, drugs give you ecstasy (I presume), so on and so forth. The modern society has perfected the art of attaining this type of happiness - with television, computer, other technological advancements, big houses, fast cars, and other luxuries. Inspite of that, humankind has lost sense of the real meaning of happiness. Humankind is captivated by a false sense of happiness that this world has to offer. The search for a utopia in this world - wahn is the ‘islamic term’ I presume - that modernity is obsessed with has captivated even muslims. Nights out at bars, dress to impress - or kill? - rock concerts, parties, etcetera are available to feed a modern person’s hunger for the elusive happiness. Yet, there is a palpable sense of disconnectedness and emptiness that a modern person feels. The betrayal of the state of fitra and the stop-gate that is put on the religious impulse has led to the modern society’s spiral into oblivion.

Seyyed Hossein Nasr argues that an old sage who lives in an old village at Africa knows more about the human nature than the philosophers or the humanities professors nowadays. The second type of happiness can be achieved only when the heart is docile towards the Divine Law. The texture of this kind of happiness is different than the first one - anyone who has feel it before will testify to this fact. Unfortunately, I can’t even describe it here - If I try it will be a very terrible attempt. Ya ayyuhan nafsul mutma’innah irji’i ila rabbik radiyatan mardiyah (”O you Tranquil Soul, return to Your Lord, well pleased, and well-pleasing unto Him!”) [Holy Qur’an 89:27-28]

“So what kind of happiness are you trying to find?”, an existential question that is - perhaps - meant to be rhetorical.

Sabda Nabi s.a.w: “Sesiapa yang akhirat itu tujuan utamanya, maka Allah jadikan kekayaannya dalam jiwanya. Allah mudahkan segala urusannya dan dunia akan datang kepadanya dengan hina (iaitu dalam keadaan dirinya mulia). Sesiapa yang menjadikan dunia itu tujuan utamanya, maka Allah akan letakkan kefakirannya antara kedua matanya. Allah cerai beraikan urusannya, dan dunia pula tidak datang kepadanya melainkan dengan apa yang ditakdirkan untuknya (iaitu dalam keadaan dirinya hina)”. (Riwayat al-Tirmizi, dinilai hasan oleh al-Albani)

Al-Ghazali - The Alchemist of Happiness

You must buy the original dvd if you watch it because it is copyrighted. What holds you back from supporting production companies and distributors that produce good films about Islam?