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Something to Do, Love, and Hope for.
Writer Jose Addison said that human beings need three things to be happy something to do, something to love, and something to hope for. All of these can be found in these verses of the Quran:
وَٱسْتَعِينُوا۟ بِٱلصَّبْرِ وَٱلصَّلَوٰةِ ۚ وَإِنَّهَا لَكَبِيرَةٌ إِلَّا عَلَى ٱلْخَـٰشِعِينَ ٤٥
Seek help in patience and prayer; and truly it is hard save for the humble-minded,
— M. Pickthall
{Surah Al Baqarah : 45]
وَٱلضُّحَىٰ ١وَٱلَّيْلِ إِذَا سَجَىٰ ٢مَا وَدَّعَكَ رَبُّكَ وَمَا قَلَىٰ ٣وَلَلْـَٔاخِرَةُ خَيْرٌۭ لَّكَ مِنَ ٱلْأُولَىٰ ٤أَلَمْ يَجِدْكَ يَتِيمًۭا فَـَٔاوَىٰ ٦وَلَسَوْفَ يُعْطِيكَ رَبُّكَ فَتَرْضَىٰٓ ٥وَوَجَدَكَ ضَآلًّۭا فَهَدَىٰ ٧وَوَجَدَكَ عَآئِلًۭا فَأَغْنَىٰ ٨فَأَمَّا ٱلْيَتِيمَ فَلَا تَقْهَرْ ٩وَأَمَّا ٱلسَّآئِلَ فَلَا تَنْهَرْ ١٠وَأَمَّا بِنِعْمَةِ رَبِّكَ فَحَدِّثْ ١١
By the morning hours, And by the night when it is stillest, Thy Lord hath not forsaken thee nor doth He hate thee, And verily the latter portion will be better for thee than the former, And verily thy Lord will give unto thee so that thou wilt be content. Did He not find thee an orphan and protect (thee)? Did He not find thee wandering and direct (thee)? Did He not find thee destitute and enrich (thee)? Therefor the orphan oppress not, Therefor the beggar drive not away, Therefor of the bounty of thy Lord be thy discourse.
[Surah Ad Dhuha : 1-11]
هُوَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِى لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ٱلْمَلِكُ ٱلْقُدُّوسُ ٱلسَّلَـٰمُ ٱلْمُؤْمِنُ ٱلْمُهَيْمِنُ ٱلْعَزِيزُ ٱلْجَبَّارُ ٱلْمُتَكَبِّرُ ۚ سُبْحَـٰنَ ٱللَّهِ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ ٢٣
He is Allah, than Whom there is no other Allah, the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One, Peace, the Keeper of Faith, the Guardian, the Majestic, the Compeller, the Superb. Glorified be Allah from all that they ascribe as partner (unto Him).
— M. Pickthall
(Surah Al Hasyr : Verse: 23)
وَمَآ أَفَآءَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ رَسُولِهِۦ مِنْهُمْ فَمَآ أَوْجَفْتُمْ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ خَيْلٍۢ وَلَا رِكَابٍۢ وَلَـٰكِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُسَلِّطُ رُسُلَهُۥ عَلَىٰ مَن يَشَآءُ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍۢ قَدِيرٌۭ ٦
And that which Allah gave as spoil unto His messenger from them, ye urged not any horse or riding-camel for the sake thereof, but Allah giveth His messenger lordship over whom He will. Allah can do all things.
(Surah Ash-Sharh (94:6))
۞ وَسَارِعُوٓا۟ إِلَىٰ مَغْفِرَةٍۢ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَجَنَّةٍ عَرْضُهَا ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتُ وَٱلْأَرْضُ أُعِدَّتْ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ ١٣٣
And vie one with another for forgiveness from your Lord, and for a paradise as wide as are the heavens and the earth, prepared for those who ward off (evil);
— M. Pickthall
And hasten to forgiveness from your Lord and a garden as wide as the heavens and earth, prepared for the God-conscious.
Something to do— hasten to forgiveness. Something to love— forgiveness from your Lord. And something to hope for— Paradise as wide as the heavens and the earth. How is it that we attain inner peace and tranquility? It is a process, and a process requires steps. There are many, so this article will hope to help one understand the beginning.
