Page 96 - Faith: The Way to Happiness
P. 96

FAITH: THE WAY TO HAPPINESS

                Physical Beauty and Health
                There are great differences in every area between believers and
            disbelievers. Generally speaking, there is a very close connection be-
            tween people's spiritual state and their outward appearance. In
            most cases it is very easy to understand what spiritual state they are
            in from their actions and behavior. People who have removed them-
            selves from the guidance of the Qur'an reflect the resignation they
            feel towards their troubles with a weary and hopeless expression on
            their faces. Even at times when there is nothing to sadden or trouble
            their hearts, this troubled expression remains fixed. They complain
            about everything that happens to them and can never be easily sat-
            isfied with anything. They usually exhibit irritable and contrary be-
            havior. Needless to say, it is out of the question for a person in such
            a spiritual state to smile, behave cheerfully or wear a clear and open
            facial expression. Because of this they live with darkened faces de-
            prived of the light which cheerfulness and happiness provide. Allah
            describes the situation of disbelievers in a verse of the Qur'an:
                "But if anyone turns away from My reminder, his life will
                be a dark and narrow one and on the Day of Rising We will
                gather him blind." (Surah Ta Ha: 124)
                Because they have no faith, neither do they have the ability to
            separate right from wrong and good from evil. It follows in turn that
            they are incapable of seeing how much harm the state they are in
            does them. Although they should feel dissatisfied about this situa-
            tion, and hence, make an effort to rescue themselves from it, they in-
            sist on the correctness of the life they lead and clearly show that they
            prefer that instead.
                When told that the situation they are in is harmful and are
            given advice on how to correct it, they set their faces against this ad-
            vice, as Allah tells us in the verses, "He who has fear will be re-

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