HOW TO GAIN INNER PEACE? 3

HOW TO DEVELOP CONTENTMENT (قناعت)?

In a Hadith Qudsi Allah Ta’alah said, “If son of Adam (human beings) gets a valley full of gold, then he would want to get another such valley. When he would get two valleys, he would want another one.” Then Allah Ta’alah further said, “Nothing will fill the tummy of son of Adam except the soil of the grave.”

The above statement means that a human being’s tummy will only feel full after he has died and has been buried in a grave. Then all the effort he was making in this world to earn more and more wealth would be in vein as he would exit from this world empty handed leaving all his possessions here. However, there is one thing that fills a person’s tummy in this world, and that is if Allah Ta’alah grants him contentment (قناعت). The prescription of developing contentment described in this Hadith is that we do not keep comparing himself with people who are richer than us. Otherwise, we will always keep feeling that others have been granted such and such material blessings that have not been given to us. If we look at people who are not as financially well off as we are, and look at how much more has been given to us compared to them, then we will thank Allah Ta’alah for what has been given to us more than so many others. If we keep looking at people who are more financially well off than us then we will develop greed (حرص). Then we try to get into a race and competition with them about getting more and more material possessions. This will then lead to jealousy (حسد) that he has got more than I do. This jealousy will then lead to resentment (بغض) which will then lead to enmity. Then we start engaging in all sorts of impermissible behavior to get ahead of others or to bring them down. Thus, this one act of coveting what others have been given more than us leads to violation of so many of Allah Ta’alah’s rights and rights of human beings. On the other hand, if a person develops contentment (قناعت) that I am very happy with what Allah Ta’alah has given me, what I have is sufficient for my needs, and I have been blessed with more than what has been given to millions of other people in this world, then that person achieves inner peace and tranquility.