✨Peace of Mind

Indeed life has its ups and downs and twists and turns. It contains joys and sorrows, laughs and cries, and hardships and ease. Whoever is pleased at a one point is displeased at another point. Such accumulations are enough for one to lose peace of mind, to the point that honey appears bitter and the sweet appears salty.

And there is no doubt that peace of mind is among the greatest blessings in this life. For whoever tastes it in their life, it is as if they own everything. And whoever does not have it, it as if they own nothing at all. And no one should misunderstand that peace of mind means not striving, or that it is lethargy and laziness.

Rather, peace of mind is born out of the deeds of the heart and the deeds of the body. It is no wonder that it was said that deeds are one of necessities of peace of mind. The desired aim for every rational person is peace of mind, which is one’s soundness and tranquility. Allah Almighty said:
Mohammad (47) 1-2: (1) Those who disbelieve and avert [people] from the way of Allāh – He will waste their deeds. (2) And those who believe and do righteous deeds and believe in what has been sent down upon Moḥammad – and it is the truth from their Lord – He will remove from them their misdeeds and amend their condition.

<>Indeed peace of mind is tranquility of the heart that is not eclipsed by turmoil and calm of the soul that is not tainted by hardship and taking the required means to bring peace of mind and cutting off the reasons that drive away peace of mind. For distress, anxiety and tension, and negative thoughts that overpower positive thoughts are all factors that crowd out peace of mind. That is, if they do not push it away completely. And the heart is the basis for all of that. And just as eliminating environmental pollution is important to people, so is eliminating the pollution of the heart. For the former is for protecting the environment and the latter is for protecting the mind. For peace of mind is not tasted by someone who slanders others to get praised instead of them, or by someone who puts down others to get ahead, or by someone who puts out the light of others to shine, or by someone who silences others to be heard, or by someone who climbs on the shoulders of others so that they can cut the fruit only for themselves. And one will not taste peace of mind if they do not make peace with themselves and peace with people and clear out conflicts. And likewise peace of mind will not be tasted by those who do not take responsibility or pretend to be something that they are not.

So a Muslim must re-evaluate themselves, and consider everything that concerns them and distance from everything that harms their souls and bodies. For there is no peace of mind for the envier. And there is no peace of mind for the slanderer. And there is no peace of mind for the heart filled with grudges. Indeed Allah grants peace of mind to those with a pure heart. Do you know what is a pure heart? It is pure and Allah conscious. A heart that does not contain sin, malice or envy just as was indicated by our Prophet ﷺ.

One of the shortest ways to bring peace of mind is to realize that life, no matter how long it is, is short. And it is summed up in three brief verses. Allah Almighty said regarding mankind:
Abassa (80) 19-21: (19) From a sperm-drop He created him and destined for him; (20) Then He eased the way for him; (21) Then He causes his death and provides a grave for him.

Life does not require a description more than this so that people know that all affairs are in the Hands of Allah. So whatever Allah wills, is, and whatever Allah does not will, is not. And whatever is for someone shall come to them, even if all the people object. And what is not for someone will not come to them, even if they own the treasures of Qaroon. And whatever has passed is gone and will not return to them. And the future is unseen and only known to Allah Almighty. And one only has the moment that they are in. That is why people of knowledge inferred that peace of mind is achieved through three matters; sound trust in Allah for what is not attained, contentment for what is attained, and patience over what has passed.

This understanding and being conscious of it at all times will cover a person with peace of mind, a tranquil heart and a serene life. To secure and sustain peace of mind, one must adhere to four matters. First, realizing that there is no escaping death. Rather it will find someone even if they flee from it. Because death awaits from the front and not from the back. Allah Almighty said:
Jumu’ah (62) 8: Say, “Indeed, the death from which you flee – indeed, it will meet you.

Second, that there is not rest in this worldly life and the days alternate between ups and downs and joy and grief. Third, one cannot always be secure from people’s harm. No matter how far and isolated someone is from people, being safe from their harm is rare. Many people wrongly think that peace of mind can only be achieved by solitude and not socializing. For the Prophet ﷺ said:
The believer who mixes with people and endures their harm is better than the person who does not mix with people nor endure their harm. [Al-Adab Al-Mufrad 388, Grade: Sahih (Al-Albani)]

The fourth matter is that there is no peace of mind for the one not having contentment. For being content with Allah Almighty, His will and decree is a foundational pillar of peace of mind. Abdallah bin Masood, may Allah be pleased with him, said that Allah, with His fairness and justice, has placed spirit and joy in certainty and contentment, and He has placed anxiety and sorrow in doubt and discontent. And Makhool narrated that Ibn Umar, may be pleased with him, used to say: indeed a man seeks guidance in making a decision from Allah, so He chooses for him then the person is discontent with their Lord. Soon he looks at the outcome, and it is better for him. And Hassan Al Basri was asked, where did this (bad) behavior come from? He replied from a deficiency in being content with Allah. It was said to him, and from where does the deficiency in being content with Allah come from. He replied, from a lack of knowing Allah.

And all of that is contained in what the Prophet ﷺ said:
Whoever is pleased with Allah as (his) Lord, and Islam as (his) religion, and Muhammad as (his) Messenger, then he has tasted the sweetness of faith.[Muslim 34]

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