7 Things You Can Do RIGHT NOW to Live a Happier Life

sun shining(Note: This article of mine was first published on TheMuslimahNetwork.com)

A happier life starts with positive habits that you practice often. For Muslims, a happier life also revolves around our purpose to please and worship Allah (swt). Here are 7 simple habits that you can start to adopt right now to be a happier Muslim.

1Make it a habit to regularly say “أعوذُ بِٱللَّهِ مِنَ ٱلشَّيۡطَٰنِ ٱلرَّجِيمِ”
A’uuthu Billaahi MinashshayTaanir Rajeem

“I seek the protection of Allah from Satan the outcast.”

Saying this dhikr protects us from the tricks of Shaytan, who wants us to feel unhappy and negative. The next time you are feeling any negative emotion, please say this amazingly useful dhikr of Allah (swt).

2Also make it a habit to say “SubHaanAllah wa BiHamdihi SubHaanAllahil ‘Azeem” whenever you remember to say it.

This means: Glorified is God and praised is He” and “Glorified is God the Most Great”.

This dhikr will earn you many blessings, as stated in the following hadith:

Two statements are light on the tongue, weigh heavily in the balance, and are loved by the Most Merciful One: “Glorified is God and praised is He” (Subhaanal-laahi wa bihamdih) and “Glorified is God the Most Great” (Subhaanal-laahil-‘Adheem). (recorded in Al-Bukhari (7/168), Muslim (4/2072))

You will be more pleasing to Allah (swt), which is our main purpose in life.

Also, when you remind yourself to say this dhikr, you are becoming more mindful of your thoughts. This increased awareness of your thoughts leads to a more peaceful state called “mindfulness” in counseling. “Mindfulness” is “a mental state achieved by focusing one’s awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations.”

So when you train yourself to be more “mindful” of your thoughts (so that you remember to say this dhikr), you will be more “mindful” in general and will have more control over your thoughts, insha’Allah.

3. Ask Allah (swt) for a happier life!

Please do the obvious thing that we often forget to do! Make duaa to Allah for a happier life! Admit that only He can truly help you!

The Muslim Scholar Ibn Rajab (rahimullah) wrote:

…..Allah likes His slaves to ask Him for everything that is in their spiritual and worldly interests such as food, drink, clothing etc, and to ask Him for guidance and forgiveness. In the hadeeth Thabit Al-Bunani narrated that the Messenger of Allah SAWS said:”Let one of you ask his Lord for his every need, until he asks Him for salt, and asks Him for the strap of his sandal when it breaks.” (Hasan (Darussalam): Jami` at-Tirmidhi; Book 48, Hadith 244) It says: “Let one of you ask his Lord for everything that he needs, even a lace for his shoe if it breaks.” Some of the salaf used to ask Allah in their prayers for everything, even salt for their dough and food for their sheep. In al-Israa’eeliyyaat it is narrated that Moosa alayhisalaam said: O Lord, I have some worldly needs but I feel too shy to ask You. He said: Ask Me even for the salt for your dough and food for your donkey.
Whatever a person needs, if he asks Allah for it, then he has demonstrated his need of Him, and that is something that Allah loves. Some of the salaf would feel too shy to ask Allah for their worldly needs, but following the Sunnah is better.
Jaami’ al-‘Uloom wa’l-Hukam (1/225)

4. Smile

“A smile is a charity.”
(The Prophet Muhammad, pbuh, as recorded in Bukhari)

Not only will you be following the Sunnah, but smiling more will make you feel happier. Studies show that smiling improves your mood, strengthens your immune system, decreases stress, and makes those around you feel happier too!

5. Make someone else happy with a simple kind word or gesture.

Serve Allah and associate none with Him. Show kindness to parents, relatives, orphans, the needy, the neighboring kinsman and the neighbor who is not of your kind, the companion, the traveler in need, and to the slaves you own…
The Holy Quran 4:36
The little matters of courtesy that look easy to you and which you take lightly will be very important on the Day of Judgment.
The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) as recorded in Tirmidthi, Birr, 61; Bayhaqi, al-Sunan al-Kubra, X, 193
Research shows that engaging in “random acts of kindness” brings more joy into your life. Random acts of kindness include giving a hug to a loved one, telling someone what you appreciate about him/her, bringing some fresh fruit to a loved one, sending a kind email to someone you care about, etc. For more ideas, visit www.randomactsofkindness.org.

6. Love yourself!

“None of you truly believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.”
— Prophet Muhammad (SAWS) [Bukhari]
We often focus on the love for others mentioned in this blessed hadith, but this hadith is also saying that we should already love ourselves. If you truly love yourself, you want good for yourself.
You make choices that support your happiness (within the boundaries of Islam, of course).
Example: Does it support your happiness to become angry or upset about what others do to you? Or is it in your best interest to be calm and rational when facing difficult people or situations?
When you truly love yourself, you start making choices that benefit you. You won’t react to problems so negatively because you realize that those negative reactions harm you. You won’t compare yourself to others because you honor your uniqueness.
Loving yourself also means that you forgive yourself for your mistakes and shortcomings. No person is perfect, so treat yourself with some compassion.

7. Every night before you go to bed, think of 3 things that you are thankful for.

Every night, think of at least 3 things that you are feeling grateful to Allah for. It could be things specific to that day or general things, but it should be GENUINE. One thing that I am always grateful for is the health of my children. It could be anything that YOU really FEEL. (I originally read this simple activity in the book “Happy for No Reason” by Marcy Shimoff). Gratitude is an incredible way to feel connected with Allah because you KNOW that He gave you those things. Remember, all help is from Allah. Every good thing you have is from Allah.

This simple ritual will become a habit that brings more overall joy into your life, insha’Allah.

…And whoever is grateful is grateful for [the benefit of] himself…
(Holy Quran 31:12)

4 Comments

  1. Abu Sabri

    Happiness is a state of mind. As a Muslim ,first is to be thankful to Allah for
    all he has blessed us with and be content, Look at the less fortunate and you
    will be happy for what Allah has blessed you with. Happiness comes from loving, caring and sharing. Wishing for others ,what you desire for yourself.
    Always pray for the well being of others, and forgive those who have wronged
    you.,This is what I practice. Allah will continue to test you. As he says, your
    wealth , wife and kids are a test. It is by no means easy. I ask Allah to give
    the best to everyone. A’AMEEN.

    Reply
    1. Sheima (Post author)

      Ameen. MashAllah thank you for sharing these beautiful words of wisdom, Abu Sabri

      Reply
  2. Mary Austin

    Very nice sharing. Keep it up and update more greetings to share with others.

    Reply
    1. Sheima (Post author)

      Thank you for your comment 🙂

      Reply

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