The believer and the pursuit of happiness in this world (I)

Exactly what is the reason for the conflicts and crises in the world? I hold, in response, that the pursuit of power, of happiness and pleasures of life and living greediness and lack of contentment are the reasons humanity is in this hole. Yet another question: exactly how do we know when she is happy? […]

Exactly what is the reason for the conflicts and crises in the world? I hold, in response, that the pursuit of power, of happiness and pleasures of life and living greediness and lack of contentment are the reasons humanity is in this hole. Yet another question: exactly how do we know when she is happy? How do we know they are happy? We get to know she is happy when she dances in the courtyard not to any music but the drumbeats of happiness; the drumbeats in her heart. He is happy when he jumps up as if he desires to reach the high heavens. They are happy when they throw parties, blockade the roads and pollute the environment with music. What about this- that neighbour of mine becomes happy only when he intervenes in people’s life and put smiles on their faces.

Now who is the happiest of this lot? Whose happiness lasts longer and endures more than that of the other? Whose condition of happiness should merit our envy and elicit our adoration?

Yes. Knowledge and experience taught them i.e those who came to this world before us, that humanity, particularly those of us who claim affiliation to the cathedral of the faithful, can be classified into four in relation to their relationship with the Almighty. These are: a) those who are obedient to the Almighty and are happy in life; b) those who are obedient to the Almighty but are unhappy in life; c) those who are disobedient to the Almighty but are happy with their lives and d) those who are disobedient to the Almighty and are unhappy with their lives.

To be obedient to the Almighty and be happy in life is to live a life of righteousness. The righteous in the Quranic episteme is not a station or matter of status. It is not a quality which is hinged on gender or race nor is it that which is forged of accident of birth or social affiliation. In other words, while it is true that one could become a prince or princess by virtue of being born into a royal family, and whereas it is true that some are Muslims and Christians today simply because the loin and the womb that bore them are affiliated to this faith or that, to be righteous on the other hand is not a given. Like “AIDS”, it has to be “acquired”; like classes of degree in our Universities, it has to be earned. Again, like earthly rewards and like medals often given to best sprinters and marathoners, the finishing line on the race to righteousness is not shrouded in secrecy; unlike the budget of the national assembly in Abuja, the condition and conditions for righteousness in the Quranic episteme are there in the open. The Almighty informs us in the Quran about how to be righteous and consequently become happy in this life. He defines righteousness for us saying: Righteousness is not that you turn your faces toward the east or the west, but [true] righteousness is [in] one who believes in Allah , the Last Day, the angels, the Book, and the prophets and gives wealth, in spite of love for it, to relatives, orphans, the needy, the traveller, those who ask [for help], and for freeing slaves; [and who] establishes prayer and gives Zakah; [those who] fulfil their promise when they promise; and [those who] are patient in poverty and hardship and during battle… it is these who are the righteous. (Q2: 177)

The above symbols or signs of righteousness from the Quran are self- explanatory; unlike logic in philosophy, it demands little exertion of the intellect before even the most intellectually challenged could make sense of this divine prescription. Brethren, you cannot claim to be righteous when your spiritual capital is invalid, when your moral currency is weak and when, in the social, your death would elicit neither grief nor mourning. Thus in order to belong to the highest and loftiest of the four stations of life and existence, ask yourself each passing day- what new value  have you added both to your life and to the life of the other beside you. Should you expire today, would people not heave a sigh of relief and say “at last we are now free”?

However, human existence essays a situation where Sister Kafayat and Brother Dawud could be said to be righteous and yet find themselves in circumstances which raise questions about the value of the spiritual in the existential. In other words, sometimes we come across brethren in faith whose diligence and commitment in matters of worship and obedience to the Almighty enjoy no “validation” in their economic or social status. Or how else might we explain the statement “why me” uttered by that Sister of mine consequent upon her failure to achieve a life-long ambition? I would argue that the answer to the question “why me” is simple. It is: “why not you”.