The right to be happy

Given Nigeria’s national economic woes, at least in the past three decades, it’s been a long tale of lamentations by most citizens. The prohibitive prices of food items, high cost of transportation, unsteady power supply, failed roads, collapsed education system, limited access to primary healthcare, insurgency, kidnapping, and banditry, are key challenges that keep troubling the minds of many people. These lamentations, however, should not deny us the right to be happy and remain contented. In order not to miss out from the essence of life on earth, we need to jealously guard our right to peace of mind because, after all, problems which will never cease from confronting us as long as we are alive.

Illness, demise of a beloved family member, loss of job, failure in business, destruction of farmlands and crops by floods, loss of property to fire or other forms of natural disasters are not enough justifications to usurp our right to happiness. Allah already prepared our minds for these forms of trials as stated in Qur’an 2:155 “Be sure we shall test you with something of fear and huger, some loss in gods or lives or the fruits (of your toil), but give glad tidings to those who patiently persevere.” What is expected of man when a calamity of any kind befalls him is to patiently persevere. 

For many, happiness is measured by the quantity and quality of tangible elements within their reach including those mentioned in the preceding paragraph such as food, schools, hospitals, and similar necessities of life. Although they are strategic components of man’s basic needs in life, happiness in life does not begin and end with these needs. Even in countries where all the basic needs of life are accessible to citizens, there are yet citizens who are far from being genuinely happy. 

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We must, therefore, not allow unpleasant events or issues that are naturally beyond our control to bar us from experiencing the joyful moments of life.  No situation, no matter how bad, should supress us from being hopeful. We need to invent a friendly environment that would create happiness for ourselves and others. To achieve that, there’s need for us to learn to accept that which we cannot change especially in a world that gets more complex every day and at a speed faster than imagined. We need to acknowledge the fact that certain things are beyond our control, which is why we need to focus more on what we can influence than what we cannot change. 

As believers, we must at all times strive to make life worth living; our predicaments notwithstanding. When we meet others, let us smile or at least remain cheerful. The smile on our faces is a strong mechanism that could brighten the day for several others and make their day. A Latvian proverb says, “A smiling face is half the meal.” A smile is ‘a curve’ that can set many things straight; for you and/or for others. There are many ways by which we can do that. And like courtesy, it actually costs nothing to so as it functions with no financial liability. This is the duty you owe others in the same way it is their right to be happy.

When we meet people, let us greet them pleasantly and with a sincere sense of humility. Islam looks at the act of salutation as a matter of responsibility and not just a mere social function. The goodwill inherent in the exchange of greetings when people meet has the capacity to change the emotional state of an individual from sadness or depression to happiness. Imam Muslim relates on the authority of Abi Dharr (RA) who said the Prophet (SAW) exhorted him to meet people with a face that is contempt-rid and scorn-free. Our greetings should be warm enough to brighten the day for others. It should not be scornful or supercilious as to spoil their day. 

What we say to people and the way we say it matters in brightening or darkening the day for others. Let us use our tongues for speeches that will make people happy. Let us avoid making our tongues as sources of displeasure or unhappiness for others. You can make it a brilliant day for people by congratulating them over their successes, whether small or huge. By so doing, you may (Allah knows best) be unearthing the source of your own success. Abu Daud relates on the authority of Abi Amamah Sudayyi (RA) that the best of men in the sight of Allah is the first to greet the other.

To bring about a sustained peace of mind in the exercise one’s right to happiness, some personal principles need to be observed. They include prioritizing self-care by ensuring that one’s body is given enough rest, balanced diet and physical exercise. It’s also important to spend quality time with family members and friends, nurture positive relationships, and engage in activities that seek to stimulate the mind such as reading and writing. 

It’s beneficial for us to forgive others because condoning the mistakes of others helps one to attain tranquillity of the mind. It is equally important for us to live in the present, not in the past. Crying over spilt milk is not always the best way to surmount disappointments. Since “no condition”, they say, “is permanent”, you have a right to be happy. Allah (SWT) affirms in Qur’an 94:6 that “Certainly, with every difficulty, there is ease.” Being at peace internally advances an individual’s overall contentment and the feeling of happiness. As a way of progressing into the future, it is better to always focus on the positive aspects of one’s life and express gratitude for the present circumstances. May Allah (SWT) guide us to exercise our right to be happy and enhance others’ right to same, amin.