Among the causes that bring about joy and remove grief and distress:
It is to strive in removing the causes that bring sorrow and in seeking the causes that bring happiness.
That is done by:
- Forgetting the unpleasant events of the past that one cannot undo.
- Realizing that preoccupying the mind with them is nothing but futile and absurd — indeed, it is foolishness and a kind of madness — so he strives to restrain his heart from dwelling on them.
- Likewise, he strives against his heart’s anxiety concerning what is to come — what he imagines of poverty, fear, or other forms of hardship that he envisions in his future life.
- He understands that future matters are:
- Unknown — no one knows what good or evil, hopes or pains they will contain.
- They are in the hands of the Almighty, the All-Wise. None of the servants have any control over them except to strive to obtain their good and avert their harm.
- The servant also realizes that if he turns his mind away from worrying about the future of his affairs, relies upon his Lord for their rectification, and finds tranquility in trusting Him regarding them — then, once he does so, his heart will be at peace, his affairs will be set right, and his grief and anxiety will depart.
And among the most beneficial things when reflecting on what lies ahead is to use this supplication which the Prophet ﷺ used to say:
“O Allah, set right for me my religion which is the safeguard of my affairs, and set right for me my worldly life wherein is my livelihood, and set right for me my Hereafter to which is my return. And make life an increase for me in every good, and death a relief for me from every evil.”
— Narrated by Muslim.
And also his saying ﷺ:
“O Allah, I hope for Your mercy, so do not leave me to myself even for the blink of an eye; set right for me all of my affairs; there is no deity worthy of worship but You.”
— Narrated by Abu Dawood with an authentic chain.
So when the servant continually recites this supplication — which contains the rectification of both his religious and worldly future — with a present heart and sincere intention, while striving to achieve what it entails, Allah grants him what he has asked and hoped for and worked toward; and his grief turns into joy and happiness.
الوسائل المفيدة للحياة السعيدة عبد الرحمن بن ناصر السّعدي