Happiness is when your soul becomes accustomed to sadness and darkness, like the Stockholm Syndrome; you become a prisoner of your habitual sadness because you are familiar with it and it with you. You know when it will come to you and how to deal with it, and you bid it farewell, waiting for a new encounter. It is your constant companion who hardly ever leaves you, only to return longing for you.

Happiness is a decision. It is easy to talk about, but action is different. Who among us doesn't desire happiness? Unfortunately, in our imagination, we insist on linking happiness to things that, if achieved, would make us happy, and people who, if they come into our lives, bring joy with them. Thus, happiness loses its real meaning, which I believe is contentment, tranquility, gratitude to God, and recognizing the grace of destiny, no matter how contrary it may seem to happiness.

Why do I chase away the joy knocking on the doors of my heart? Why do I fear opening the doors for it? Is it loyalty and allegiance to my old, permanent sadness? Is it my desire for happiness to be as I imagined or imagine it? Is it my inability to be content with God's decree and wisdom?

Had it not been for the current reasons for sadness, would I have sought other reasons for sadness? I think I would have. There is no real reason for sadness or chasing away happiness other than clinging to what I know.

I know my sadness, and it knows me. We have a long-standing relationship. We have memories and days together that make us comfortable with each other. What do I have with this newborn happiness? I used to imagine it, yes, but I never thought it would come to me. How can I trust it? Would I betray my sadness? And what if I trust it and believe it, only for it to run away again? Isn't that its habit? It peeks its head in the darkness of days, and soon it runs away. Sadness approaches, comforting me, patting my heart, and whispering in my ear: Didn't I tell you that I am your only loyal friend, your companion who will never leave you under any circumstances, your guardian who, as soon as he senses your need, rushes to fulfill your desire for isolation, loneliness, and crying? I will never abandon you; I am your destiny and your share.

The sadness is nothing but your demon tempting you away from your joy and happiness...

Her fingers wrote those words, and I, who know her as well as I know myself, was impressed by the words and the idea. The great Quranic verse came to my mind: "And when We bestow Our favor upon man, he turns away and distances himself; and when evil touches him, he is full of extensive supplication." (Quran 41:51) As she was writing her thoughts, I exclaimed, "This is what I wanted, this verse is the one I want." She reminded me that she used to suffer from the situation and circumstances she found herself in and sincerely prayed to God to give her what would make her independent of those circumstances. But as soon as she found herself swimming in God's blessings, her soul began to tell her that those blessings lack many things to give her happiness, that the blessings would be better in another form, that the blessings are temporary, and that there is no trust in their continuity. She will return to her previous state of sadness, apprehension, and fear, anticipation, and fear of falling; all of this makes her unable to enjoy a moment of happiness with the things she used to pray for.

I told her that you, my friend, are not alone in this matter. It is human nature that when in need, one asks God for the very least to be satisfied. But as soon as God bestows more than what was asked for, one's eyes start to look for even more. This results in nothing but misery and turning away from the happiness that lies in contentment. We are all like that to varying degrees. We are all amazing in the sense that we are full of complaints, always feeling that we deserve to be in a better state than our current one, and we never look back at our past lives, how they were, and what they have become. We don't give ourselves the chance to ponder and reflect on the times when we wished to be in the situation we are in now. If we did, our ego wouldn't let us attribute our achievements to anything other than our knowledge, ability, and good management!

This matter varies from one soul to another in terms of human nature. There are those who remember their needs and how they used to be, and as soon as they recall these matters, they thank God for the blessings bestowed upon them. One way to express gratitude is to preserve these blessings and not attribute them to oneself, but rather to the extent that God has enabled them to do so.

Allah, the Almighty, mentioned in His Holy Book, many images and states of the human soul, including this precise verse where the Lord, Glorified and Exalted, says:

"And when We bestow favor upon man, he turns away and distances himself; but when evil touches him, then he is full of extensive supplication." (Quran 41:51)

We have bestowed favor upon man, meaning we have given him more than he asked for and wished for in terms of great blessings. Bestowing favor is the act of giving beyond one's desires; it is the generous, the most generous act that does not boast of its bounty.

What is the reaction of that man? He turns away. Turning away is the opposite of acceptance; it means ignoring and not caring. It is the act of distancing oneself after acceptance, being cold after being gentle, and turning one's back after facing someone. It is the most expressive way of denying favor and being oblivious to gratitude.

I think that being grateful for blessings is an obligation, and the principle is to be content with what man has reached by the mercy of the Most Merciful. Being content or attributing things to Allah's guidance does not mean that a person should be satisfied with the successes they have achieved, but the ultimate and greatest goal in the Quran's treatment of this matter is that a person should not become so self-important as to reach the stage of (I have only been given it because of the knowledge I possess) and deny any favor, guidance, and management of matters to the Supreme Being, Glorified and Exalted. At the same time, one should not become complacent with their situation and feel incapable, thinking that this is the extent of their provision.

May Allah grant us and you contentment with what He has apportioned for us, and help from Him, the Almighty, to remember Him, thank Him, and worship Him well.