Sa'adah

Remember Lubok Mandi in Terengganu many,many years ago? It was a place where people can go and dig for gold with their bare hands and cangkul.By the way ,what the colour of gold ores when they are buried in the ground? Surprisingly , it is black! For people like me who knows that gold is yellowish and glitters will never ever discover gold in Lubok Mandi or any other places.To know something, we must have the knowledge of the subject matter;otherwise it is just like the seven blinds men and an elephant.

Similarly with HAPPINESS or in Arabic As Sa'adah!

All of us have experienced some form of happiness, but I am at lost in trying to define it.So I looked around and while attending a kuliyyah with the famous muslim thinker,Syed Naquib Al-Attas explained the meaning of Sa'adah to us.

Let me share with you what he has written in his book Prolegomena to The Metaphysics of Islam on page 34/35:

Happiness(i.e we mean sa'adah) as known in the experience and consciousness of those who truly submissive to God and follow His guidance is not an end in itself because the highest good in  this life is the love of God.Enduring happiness in life refers not to physical entity in man, not to the animal soul and body of man,nor is it a state of mind,or feeling that undergoes terminal states,nor pleasure nor amusement.It has to do with certainty(yaqin) of the ultimate Truth and fulfilment of action in conformity with that certainty.And certainty is a permanent state of consciousness natural to what is permanent in man and perceived by his spiritual organ of cognition which is the heart(qalb).It is peace and security and tranquillity of the heart(tuma'ninah);it is knowledge (ma'rifah) and knowledge is true faith.(iman).It is knowledge of God as He described Himself in genuine Revelation;it is also knowing one's rightful and hence proper place in the realm of creation and one's proper relationship with the Creator accompanied by requisite action(ibadah) in conformity with that knowledge such that the condition which results is that of justice('adl).It is only true such knowledge that the love of God can be attained in earthly life.

For more detailed explanation ,I suggest the reader to read the book.It is too long for me to quote here.By the way ,there are three levels of happiness.

 

Comments

[kakja]

abedib, the attainment of happiness can only be reached by those who constantly purify his/her heart (tazkiyah an-nafs). In the Qur'an Allah says: "Truly, success indeed for those who purifies his heart.." (qad aflaha man zakkaaha..)and this business of self-purification is indeed what the Prophet SAW said as jihaad al-akbar. May He guide us all, amin!

[Adib]

Thanks Kakja for your inputs.
Jazakallahu Khairan.