Factors related to joyfulness and happiness
After taking part in a festivity you are definitely questioned whether you enjoyed it or not? What are the criteria you would consider when responding to this very question? What is your opinion about joyfulness? Depending on the person’s age and viewpoint, there may be different answers to this question. But there are some common answers such as welcoming the guests with different kinds of delicious foods, dance and music and chatting with friends. Nowadays, there are few factors that create the feeling of joyfulness and this is due to our approach towards joyfulness and limiting it to a few materialistic elements as well as our ignorance of the principle of joyfulness and happiness. There are several things that have been touched upon by psychology books as sources that bring about feelings of happiness and joyfulness such as eating, social activities, sexual relationship, exercise, social accomplishments, skills, surrounding environment, recreation and taking a rest. Islam considers these factors as sources of joyfulness that last for a short period of time and has certain directives concerning them.
Most of us more or less enjoy these factors that bring about feeling of joyfulness, but we still feel a vacuum concerning inner or inward joyfulness and happiness. This is exactly where one can realize the significance of religion.
Translated by: Sadroddin Musawi
Other links:
Happiness from the Islamic point of view
How to Gain the Love of Allah
The Faithful Tested with Calamities
The virtue of patience in the time of Calamities in the sacred letter of Imam Sadiq