Page 36 - Faith: The Way to Happiness

FAITH: THE WAY TO HAPPINESS

life of unhappiness and trouble. In order for people to understand
the real nature of this life, Allah has compared what people acquire
in the life of this world to falling rain and has warned people as fol-
lows:
Know that the life of this world is merely a game and a di -
version and ostentation and a cause of boasting among
yourselves and trying to outdo one another in wealth and
children: like the plant-growth after rain which delights
the cultivators, but then it withers and you see it turning
y e l l o w, and then it becomes broken stubble. In the
Hereafter there is terrible punishment but also forgiveness
from Allah and His good pleasure. The life of this world is
nothing but the enjoyment of delusion. (Surat al-Hadid:
20)

They Have Adopted Gods other than Allah
One of the most significant reasons for people's unhappiness is
their ascribing partners to Allah. Some people are not fully aware of
the meaning attached to ascribing partners to Allah in the Qur'anic
sense. Ascribing partners to Allah means re g a rding other objects
and creatures as having the same godlike qualities as Allah, giving
them the respect which should be given to Allah and showing to-
w a rds them the same behavior which should be shown to A l l a h .
This is great disrespect and ingratitude to Allah, Who is the sole
d e i t y. Likewise, it is a big mistake to think that the slandering of
Allah and disrespect towards Him will go unanswered. A s c r i b i n g
partners to Allah is the greatest heedlessness and error a person can
commit. In the Qur'an, Allah describes it as "a terrible wrong" which
will never be forgiven. For this reason, it is a form of behavior which

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