Ahmadiyya Gazette Canada

silver, and pastured horses and
cattle and crops, appears attractive
to people. All this is the provision
of the hither life; and it is Allah
with Whom is an excellent
abode” (3:15). To think of happiness
in relation to objects is indicative of
our consumer culture: the more we
have the happier we seem.
Unfortunately, this could not be any
further from the truth. If we take a
moment to think about it, those
things that we assume to give us
happiness may do so for a short
while, but that joy never lasts; it is
always an imperfect happiness. For
example, a greater income may be
followed by a whole new set of
problems while our children may
not be as academically inclined as
we would like them to be. The
Promised Messiah (as) has clearly
explained the plight of those who
seem to be happy because of their
wealth and luxurious lifestyle:
What does a man wish for in this
world? His greatest wish always is
that he should live a comfortable
and peaceful life. For this, there
is only one way open to him and
that is the way of Taqwa; in
other words, it is called the way
of the Holy Qur’an or the Siraati-Mustaqeem
[the right path].
Let nobody think that the
disbelievers also possess a lot of
wealth and they also live a
comfortable life, rather they are
engrossed in luxuries, which
make them intoxicated. I tell you
the truth, these people seem to be
happy only to those who are
materialistic and who can only
see the surface of things. The
fact is that they are experiencing
an intense burning and pain. You
have only seen their faces, but I
look to their hearts. It is as if they
are chained and they are burning.
God says, “Verily, We have prepared
for the disbelievers chains and ironcollars
and a blazing fire” (76:15).
They cannot turn to virtue. They
are so burdened under the chains
that they seem to be worse than
beasts. They are looking towards
the worldly gains and they always
incline towards the earth. In the
heart of their heart they have a
burning. If their amassed wealth
decreases or they do not achieve the
desired success, they are greatly
despaired and they feel a type of
burning. At times, while passing
through this kind of circumstance
they run mad and knock on the
door of the courts. There is no
doubt about it that he who only
cares for worldly gains (he who is
irreligious) is always having a sort
of burning; he lacks satisfaction and
contentment. It is just like an
alcoholic who takes one peg and
asks for another. He feels a sort of
burning. The same is the case of the
person who cares for nothing but
worldly gains. His fire of greed
cannot be quenched even for a
moment. The real happiness is the
lot of the Muttaqi [a righteous
person] alone to whom God has
promised two paradises. A Muttaqi
can find happiness in a thatched hut
while a worldly person cannot get it
in grand and huge castles. The more
he gets, the more troubles he has to
confront. You must remember that
true happiness is never the lot of a
worldly person. Do not think that
The fountainhead of true happiness is Taqwa.
Promised Messiah (as)
abundance of wealth and gorgeous
dresses are the source of happiness.
It definitely is not so. The
fountainhead of true happiness is
Taqwa. (Malfoozat, Vol. 1, p. 420-423)
It can be easy to understand how
one’s wealth does not ensure
happiness as we all know that
money comes and goes, but what is
more difficult to reconcile with one’s
heart is the notion that our family
cannot give us lasting happiness.
However, in The Philosophy of the
Teachings of Islam, the Promised
Messiah (r.a.) has explained the true
nature of our love for our family
and friends clearly:
In Search of Happiness 36