Contentment Versus Happiness

Contentment can be cultivated. It can stay with you wherever you are, regardless of your circumstances. It grants strength and courage during life’s storms, even when events unfold against your wishes.

Achieving happiness is a universal goal shared by all people, whether believers or non-believers; everyone seeks happiness and strives to attain it. However, people differ in its causes and how to achieve it.

Many people misunderstand happiness, limiting it to worldly desires like wealth, fame, beauty, physical appearance, or even the country in which they reside.

I have seen people who, despite having the means for a comfortable life in their own country, reject it all. They curse their fate, homeland, and faith, dreaming of a distant life in places like Britain, Switzerland, or America. They wander, avoiding work, justifying their discontent by believing they deserve better. In doing so, they overlook the real sources of happiness that are already within their reach.

I once heard about a man who did everything possible to reach Europe, saying, “I just want to set foot in Europe; I don’t care what happens after.” And indeed, he stepped foot in Europe, only to pass away on the same day.

There is no harm in dreaming of a better life, but one should not anchor their happiness and contentment to things beyond their control. Doing so risks a life of perpetual unhappiness.

Many forms of misery are self-created and could have been avoided, and certainly, Shaitan plays a role in this. The Quran, which speaks only the truth, clarifies this well.

When I reflected on the Quran—this divine revelation containing guidance and truth—I found it emphasising a concept even greater than happiness: contentment.

Allah says to His Prophet, “And your Lord will give you, and you will be content.” He did not say “happy.”

The difference between happiness and contentment is that happiness—a fleeting feeling of joy or delight—often depends on external circumstances. When a loved one visits, we feel joy; when they depart, we feel sorrow. We have little control over these emotions, which is often how happiness is perceived.

Contentment, however, is a state of the heart tied to intention. It is influenced by knowledge, wisdom, maturity, faith, piety, and the recognition of Allah’s mercy, grace, and wisdom in creation.

Contentment can be cultivated. It can stay with you wherever you are regardless of your circumstances. It grants strength and courage during life’s storms, even when events unfold against your wishes.

A person may face life’s hardships, yet with contentment filling their heart, they are able to maintain gratitude and praise. Without contentment, sorrow could overwhelm them entirely.

This is why Almighty Allah, in His infinite wisdom, directs us toward contentment as a shield when joy eludes us and sorrow enters our lives.

Allah, in His mercy, guides us to the sources of contentment.

Five Essential Elements for Attaining Contentment

Consider this verse:

«فَاصْبِرْ عَلَى مَا يَقُولُونَ وَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ قَبْلَ طُلُوعِ الشَّمْسِ وَقَبْلَ غُرُوبِهَا ۖ وَمِنْ آنَاءِ اللَّيْلِ فَسَبِّحْ وَأَطْرَافَ النَّهَارِ لَعَلَّكَ تَرْضَى (130)» طه

Which approximately means “So be patient over what they say and exalt [Allah] with praise of your Lord before the rising of the sun and before its setting; and during periods of the night [exalt Him] and at the ends of the day, that you may be content” (Surah Taha, 130).

1. Patience in Facing Others’ Behaviour and Life’s Hardships

The less patience we have, the more we struggle in life. Not everyone we encounter is kind or respectful, and at times, we face challenging interactions with difficult people. Life also brings trials and hardships, testing our resilience. In these moments, patience becomes essential for maintaining inner peace and contentment.

2. Praise and Prayer

This praise should be paired with gratitude, recognising Allah’s blessings and understanding your worth as a worshiper of Allah, the One God—a profound honour. In this verse, gratitude and praise are linked to specific times of day, underscoring their importance and giving structure to these acts.

Consider this verse:

«خذ العفو وامر بالعرف وأعرض عن الجاهلين (199)» الأعراف

Which approximately means “Take pardon, enjoin what is good, and turn away from the ignorant.” (Surah  Al A'raaf, 199)

3. Forgiveness: 

Accept forgiveness when someone seeks it from you. Just as friends will err, so will we, and failing to forgive others often leads to isolation.

For those who neither show regret nor seek forgiveness, there’s no benefit in associating with them. Letting go without remorse secures your peace in both worlds.

Approaching relationships this way fosters deep contentment and an enviable happiness.

4. Serving Humanity: 

A person who lives with a noble message—one that fills their heart and drives them to spread it—is more likely to find true happiness and contentment than one who does not. Acts of kindness, such as comforting a child, helping a needy person, or tending to the sick, bring deep self-satisfaction and peace. Reflect on the legacies of people like Dr. Abdul Rahman Al-Sumait from Kuwait, Abdul Sattar Edhi from Pakistan, or John Wood from America, who left Microsoft to change the world!

5. Turn away from “the ignorant”.

If you could halt the passage of time, the cycle of day and night, and the movement of the sun, you might have time to engage with everyone who seeks your attention. But time is precious and fleeting, so avoid letting trivial, hostile, or arrogant people steal even a moment of it.

The "ignorant" are not merely those lacking knowledge but rather those who act with malice, arrogance, or hostility. Engaging with them only invites misery, wasted time, and needless bitterness, whereas ignoring them brings peace, contentment, and time for meaningful pursuits.

Finally, dear brothers and sisters, do not let what is missing overshadow the blessings you already have. Embrace the good surrounding you, and you’ll find contentment and peace in your heart.

Also, I would like to know your thoughts on this article. Please share below.  

May you remain content and joyful. 

Best,

Hassan Boulaghrasse

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