Happiness and Success

We use these two words a great deal, sometimes considering them synonymous, but are they?

We often think that we know or understand their meanings, although we rarely agree to it.  I would like to discuss these two concepts, with the aid of the Quran.  My opinions here are my own, asking Allah for His Guidance and Help.

Happiness: 

I see it as a steady state of being, not a temporary emotion.  It should involve possessing some feelings and not having others.  That is having positive feelings as well as not having negative ones.  Both are as important. 

Allah the Highest described the state of those in Paradise as being joyful:

-         “JOYFUL WITH WHAT ALLAH HAS GIVEN THEM OF HIS BOUNTY”.  (S:3  A:170)

There is also Contentment and Pleasure in Paradise: 

1-    “ALLAH IS CONTENTED AND PLEASED WITH THEM AND THEY ARE WITH HIM, THIS IS THE GREAT SUCCESS”  (S:5 A:119)

2-    “THEY ARE IN A CONTENTED AND PLEASING LIFE, IN HIGH GARDENS”  (S:69 A:21)

3-    “AS FOR THE SECURE AND ASSURED SOUL  *  RETURN TO YOUR LORD PLEASED AND CONTENTED AND YOU WILL BE PLEASED AND MADE CONTENTED *  COME TO BE WITH MY SLAVES  *  AND TO ENTER MY PARADISE”.  (S:89 A:30)

In the mean time, they have no feeling of hatred, grudge or any such negative feelings.  Allah the Highest said:

-         “WE REMOVED ALL GRUDGE FROM THEIR HEARTS, WITH RIVERS FLOWING UNDERNEATH THEM”.  (S:7 A:43)

-         “WE REMOVED ALL GRUDGE FROM THEIR HEARTS, BROTHERS (AND SISTERS) ON CONFORTABLE SEATS OPPOSITE ONE ANOTHER”.  (S:15  A:47)

Therefore, Happiness contains joy, pleasure and contentment and does not involve feeling a grudge or hatred. 

We know joy.  As for being pleased and contented, it is being in a state which is not spoilt by anything, enjoys what it has, and does not feel deprived because of what it does not, not feeling the need for it.  Being pleased and contented is very important for happiness.  If a person possesses what any one dreams of but does not feel pleased and contented with it, he can not be happy.  It is when what one has makes one not need what one does not.  This does not necessarily mean abandoning life’s pleasures.  Al-Shafae wrote in his poetry:

Rich without money from not needing people

                                                For richness is not having but not needing

In the meantime, holding grudge, hate or any such negative feelings you do not find in happy hearts.

Should a person have joy at times, be pleased and contented most of the time, and have not hatred or grudge in his heart, he or she is a happy person.

So, what is the relationship between Success and Happiness. 

Let us try to see what is Success first:

Many people see success as the financial or work success.  There is a successful engineer, doctor, businessman etc.  Success at work is often measured in terms of the financial gain or status one achieved.  This however reduces the human being to be a work machine.  I believe that human life is much richer, broader and has many more facets to it.

A human being is also a husband or wife, brother or sister, a son or daughter, a friend and many more.  A person’s life has many facets and activities, many of them are not earners or money, possibly spenders, but they are all part of the human life and persona.

There might be a person that is not particularly successful in their career, but is a happy husband to a happy wife and father to good and happy children. No doubt this is success, as he is successful in most of his roles in life.  I have personally come across such individuals who did not achieve greatly in their work but who are envied otherwise by the rich and famous for their family and life otherwise.

In my humble opinion, Happiness involves that the varied facets of one’s life should give him/her a sense of contentment, joy and pleasure and no hatred or grudge.  This is likely to be successful in most aspects of their life.  That is to say that the successful person is who’s success leads to his/her happiness and their around them, in the broadest sense of the word.

If you want to a see a successful person, possibly to follow in their footsteps, look for someone who is Truly Happy, and you will see the True Success.

Dr.Ahmed Saafan