BismiLlah
Ibn Taymiyyah (rh) said that “the only thing that stops a person from being pleased and content is the fact that his soul keeps seeking fulfillment from superfluous desires and becomes annoyed if it fails. Therefore, when one does not think about his desires, he is content with the provisions that Allah has granted him.”
Such excellent words from Shaykh al-Islam. How does one proceed to attain contentment? How is it different from happiness? Contentment differs from happiness in that happiness requires change to persist while contentment comes from understanding and internalizing the bigger picture.
Is Jannah a home of contentment or happiness? I don’t know. Perhaps, it differs from person to person. Until Jannah (may Allah grant us Jannah), we are stuck in this world. I used to think – as some scholars teach – that being pleased with Allah’s decree was the highest level of a believer’s reaction to Qadr. I don’t know. Is there something above pleasure with the decree?
Does one chase contentment? What is the relationship between contentment and happiness? I think that true and reasonable happiness comes as a side effect of living a content life. Living a content life starts with accepting the realities of Qadr and the shariah.
Alastu bi-robbikum?
Allah is our Lord, our Owner, and our Master. He is also our friend – our Close Supportive Friend who cheers us on. Contentment starts with understanding what Ibn Abbas (ra) meant when he said “belief in Qadr is the scale to measure Tawheed.” To reverse-engineer that statement, we learn that Qadr was designed to establish Tawheed.
Allah created the creation, apportioned the provisions, orchestrated the repetitions, and effected His will – “that we may know that Allah has power over everything and that Allah encompasses everything with His knowledge.”
Happiness stops at the door of Qadr. It does not go out when locked in. And, it does not go in when locked out. Yet, the heart moves – as directed by Allah. Contentment is moving on the boat of Qadr with two paddles – loving what Allah loves and hating what He hates.
Sometimes, the door of Qadr opens and happiness enters naturally, without effort. Why chase something that will only happen at its time? Contentment is lost once one chases happiness. Contentment is seeing the wisdom in the Divine Decree – which is to prove His Oneness.
Going against Qadr – by pursuing happiness or seeking to avoid sadness – is to oppose Tawheed. Through Qadr, Tawheed is established. Once one is pleased with Tawheed and realizes that all that happens is proof of His oneness or a means to establish His oneness in the heart of the servant, one becomes one internally, observing His decree, realizing His ownership of one’s entirety.
The stage is set and the setting is calm. Moving, yet still. All that happens proves His oneness. Imagine that you were on a boat on a river where two waves come every two minutes. Now, you must move. If you don’t move, you will capsize. If your movement violates the rhythm, you will drown. You must move and keep the river stable, still.
Either way, the river moves. Tawheed will continue to be proved (until the end of time). You must move and try to achieve the goal that the stage was set to prove: Tawheed. So, you let go. Then, one step. Two steps. One step. Two steps. You are now in sync with the entire forest.
Qadr only favors whoever acts as per the Shariah. The waves only push boats that are in sync with the forest. The cycle is complete. He who observes Qadr and moves in accordance with the Shariah will be taken to the gardens of happiness once in a while (in this world) and will have the dungeons of sadness closed to him. He will be living, temporarily attaining happiness, and falling to a baseline of contentment.
Qadr is a machine designed to produce Tawheed/Uboodiyyah. One who allows the machine to use him is content. He who goes against The Operator (Mudabbir al-Umur) would be thrown away to be burnt – waste material.
Whatever is correct is from Allah. All errors are mine. “Nothing is deserving of worship except You; You are exalted. i am one of the wrongdoers.”
– Umar Hfe
Shawwal 14th, 1445
April 23rd, 2024
Photo by Dave Hoefler on Unsplash
perhaps, in my opinion, surrender and acceptance towards His Divine decree is higher than being pleased with it. sometimes, you might not like His decree and it may not be pleasing. but accepting it and surrendering to it puts His will over your will, His wants over your wants
either way, this was a beautiful piece. jazakallah khair for writing and sharing it :)