The Secret of Happiness

----------

Social Issues

Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal said: "Every good deed you intend to do, hasten to it before something prevents you from it." (Manaqib al-Imam Ahmad by Ibn al-Jawzi, p. 273).

What a beautiful statement from the Imam of his time!

Let us hasten to do good deeds and have a good opinion of our Creator, for He is our Helper, Provider, and Guarantor in this life, leading us to a Paradise whose expanse is the heavens and the earth.

One of the most beautiful stories I've read in this regard is narrated about a Bedouin in Basra:

A Bedouin was asked: "Do you ever think about entering Paradise?"

He said: "By Allah, I have never doubted it. I will certainly walk in its gardens, drink from its pools, seek shade under its trees, eat from its fruits, rest in its shade, sip from its jugs, and live in its chambers and palaces."

He was asked: "Is it by a good deed you performed or a righteous act you did beforehand?"

He said: "And what good deed is higher in honor and greater in reward than my belief in Allah Almighty, and my rejection of every deity other than Allah, Blessed and Exalted be He?"

He was asked: "Do you not fear sins?"

He said: "Allah created forgiveness for sins, mercy for error, and pardon for wrongdoing. He is too generous to punish His lovers in the fire of Hell."

So, the people in the Basra Mosque would say: "The Bedouin had a good opinion of his Lord," and they would never mention his story without the cloud of despair clearing from them, and the reign of hope overcoming them.

And we say: Our opinion of You, O Lord, is beautiful. So, O my God, fulfill our good opinion of You, O Lord.

Ponder His Almighty saying: "So what is your thought about the Lord of the worlds?" (As-Saffat: 87); This is a reproaching and warning question from Allah Almighty to His servants, inviting them to reflect on the consequence of their worship of others and to prepare to meet Him on the Day of Judgment.

How much we need to have a good opinion of Allah! He is the All-Powerful, and everything is in His hands. His command is but after "Kaf" and "Nun" (Be! and it is); Allah Almighty said: "Indeed, His command when He intends a thing is that He says to it, 'Be,' and it is." (Ya-Sin: 82).

Ibn Mas'ud said: "By Allah, no one had a better opinion of Allah except that He gave him what he thought, and that is because all grace is in Allah's hands."

Say to him whose heart is filled with pessimism, and who narrows the horizons around us: The secret of happiness is your good opinion of Him, Who created life and distributed provisions.

And what beautiful confidence it was when Moses said to his people when they said: "Indeed, we are overtaken!" {61} He said, "No! Indeed, with me is my Lord; He will guide me." {62} Then We inspired to Moses, "Strike with your staff the sea," and it parted, and each portion was like a great towering mountain." (Ash-Shu'ara).

How can there not be such confidence when Allah Almighty said in the Hadith Qudsi: "I am as My servant thinks of Me" (Narrated by Al-Bukhari and Muslim).

Yes, let us hasten before we depart; with our good opinion of Allah Almighty and strive in good deeds until we meet Him, Exalted be He.

O Allah, we have a good opinion of Your forgiveness, pardon, success, victory, steadfastness, ease, happiness, provision, healing, a good end, sincere repentance, and freedom from the Fire. So grant us more of Your bounty, O You of vast bounty and generosity, and honor us with Your generosity, O Most Generous of the generous, O Allah.