{"id":5829,"date":"2020-01-06T04:43:40","date_gmt":"2020-01-06T09:43:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ask-a-muslim.com\/?p=5829"},"modified":"2020-01-06T04:43:40","modified_gmt":"2020-01-06T09:43:40","slug":"four-common-barriers-to-happiness-and-their-islamic-solutions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ask-a-muslim.com\/en\/four-common-barriers-to-happiness-and-their-islamic-solutions\/","title":{"rendered":"Four Common Barriers to Happiness and their Islamic Solutions"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Yasmin Essa, HC, AADP<\/strong><\/p>\n

Humans have always pursued happiness. In my work as a Holistic Health & Lifestyle Coach, I work with individuals and families to achieve goals, cope\/overcome hardship, and improve mental, spiritual, and physical health. Essentially, my work boils down to helping my clients be healthier and happier.<\/p>\n

Happiness looks different for each person and comes and goes.<\/p>\n

Muslims believe their ultimate purpose in life is to serve God. Serving God isn\u2019t limited to traditional means of worship like prayer and fasting. While these are crucial, in Islam also teaches that Muslims are rewarded for their character, charity, and even making someone smile. This life as a temporary transitory life, with the ultimate destination being the afterlife<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In order to resolve a problem, it is essential to understand its barriers and root causes. In this article, I\u2019ll be sharing four barriers to happiness. You can use this to reflect on your life, so you can overcome obstacles that may be preventing you from feeling happier more often.<\/p>\n

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Barrier #1) Comparing ourselves to others<\/h3>\n
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For the first time in history, knowing intricate details about the lives of others is only a few clicks away. While social media has many benefits, it also can lead us to compare our inner worlds to the outer polished worlds of others. Even when it is the truth, social media offers a curated highlight reel of others\u2019 lives. Sometimes it isn\u2019t even the truth, but rather completely staged false image.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s very easy to compare our lives to other people. That\u2019s why it\u2019s so essential for us to be mindful and ready to remember that we\u2019re right where we need to be. Comparison is part of many family\/ethnic cultures. Parents compare siblings, cousins, friends. While the intention may be good, it\u2019s not very healthy mentally.<\/p>\n

Islamic solution to comparing ourselves to others:<\/h4>\n

Two very important concepts in Islam are praise (hamd<\/em>) and thankfulness (shukr<\/em>). Islam encourages believers to be grateful<\/a> through acknowledging thankfulness and praise to the Provider (God).<\/p>\n

Comparison is a natural human phenomenon that God Himself placed within us. With that being said, He also gave us free will and consciousness to own our life and actions. We live in a fast-paced culture that glorifies comparing ourselves to others and discounts counting our own blessings.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you count Allah\u2019s (God\u2019s) favors, you will not be able to number them\u201d (Qur\u2019an 14:34)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Barrier #2) Being stuck in stagnation without progress<\/h3>\n
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Meeting goals isn\u2019t what makes us happy. It\u2019s growth, excitement, nuance, and progress that brings us joy.<\/p>\n

Feeling stuck strips us of happiness. Here are some examples:<\/p>\n