It Is Possible To Retrieve These Lost Pleasures

Many people express that they are unhappy, even though they have many wonderful blessings as well as the means to enjoy them, and regard life as full of difficulty and anxiety. But during their lives, they have to stop and ask themselves what they are doing, what their goals are, and where they are going. They have to consider that life amidst so many wonderful and pleasant things should not be so difficult, painful, and unhappy. They should look for the source of their spiritual emptiness and the meaninglessness of their lives, and understand that wasting more time will only increase their unhappiness.

Although they base their lives on making the best and most pleasant use of their resources, they must realize that there is a special reason why they cannot be happy and enjoy their blessings. They must see this situation as part of Allah’s mercy and compassion, which is designed to give them countless opportunities to turn to Him and follow the Qur’an’s morality.

They should not start to think about these things when they have lost everything and death is approaching; rather, they should do so the first time He shows them the truth and warns their conscience. When they come to this point, if they are sincere, Allah will show them the true path and what they ought to do. As He is All-Knowing and closer to them than their jugular vein, He will know what they desire and seek, and will show them the right road and how to escape their anxieties. However, if people do not change, it is their own fault, for:

Any good thing that happens to you comes from Allah. Any bad thing that happens to you comes from yourself. (Surat an-Nisa’: 79)

In another verse, He says that should a person desire to change his situation, he must first make a sincere change in his heart:

. . . that is because Allah would never change a blessing He has conferred on a people until they had changed what was in themselves. Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing. (Surat al-Anfal: 53)

The moment people decide to change and sincerely examine themselves, and then alter their way of thinking, Allah will know it and change His blessings on them, for His forgiveness and generosity are infinite and His mercy is immense:

. . . except for those who repent and put things right and make things clear. I turn toward them. I am the Ever-Returning, the Most Merciful. (Surat al-Baqara: 160)

When people follow the Qur’an’s morality, regardless of what they have done in the past, He will forgive them, change their evil into good, and, in return for their good moral character, create for them in this world the goodness and beauty that will continue into Paradise:

	. . . All who submit themselves completely to Allah and do good will find their reward with their Lord. They will feel no fear and will know no sorrow. (Surat al-Baqara: 112) So Allah gave them the reward of this world and the best reward of the Hereafter. Allah loves those who do good. (Surah Al ‘Imran: 148) Those who produce a good action will receive ten like it. (Surat al-An‘am: 160) Allah’s mercy is close to those who do good. (Surat al-A‘raf: 56) Perform prayer at each end of the day and in the first part of the night. Good actions eradicate bad actions. This is a reminder for people who pay heed. And be steadfast. Allah does not let the wage of those who do good go to waste. (Surah Hud: 114-115) . . . except for those who repent and believe and act rightly: Allah will transform the wrong actions of such people into good – Allah is Ever-Forgiving, Most Merciful. (Surat al-Furqan: 70) Those who perform good actions will receive better than them and on that Day will be safe from terror. (Surat an-Naml: 89) For those who do good in this world there is good, and Allah’s Earth is spacious. The steadfast will be paid their wages in full, without any reckoning. (Surat az-Zumar: 10) That is the good news that Allah gives to His servants who believe and do right actions. Say: “I do not ask you for any wage for this – except for you to love your near of kin. If anyone does a good action, We will increase the good of it for him. Allah is Ever-Forgiving, Ever-Thankful.” (Surat ash-Shura: 23) That is how We reward all those who do good. (Surah Yusuf: 22)

Allah will reveal the true path to those who sincerely search for it and help them in their seeking. He will remove the fear, darkness, sadness, and anxiety that used to dominate their lives and replace them with contentment and security. Everyone who sees this truth, submits to Allah, and “holds fast to the rope of Allah” (Surah Al ‘Imran: 103) should know that they have “grasped the Firmest Handhold” (Surah Luqman: 22), will suffer no adversity that Allah does not will, and will live the best possible life in this world and in Paradise, taking the utmost pleasure from all His blessings:

If Allah afflicts you with harm, no one can remove it except Him. If He desires good for you, no one can avert His favor. He bestows it upon whichever of His servants He wills. He is Ever-Forgiving, Most Merciful. (Surah Yunus: 107)

Anyone who acts rightly, male or female, being a believer, We will give them a good life and recompense them according to the best of what they did. (Surat an-Nahl: 97)