Note: Things We Must Do To Stay Contented

💐 In The Name Of Allah The Most Gracious The Most Merciful
💌 Things that bring forth inner peace and contentment:
1• Maintaining a strong connection with Allah Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala and striving to obey Allah's Commands, regardless of how His servants see or treat you.
2• Being grateful to Allah the Most Wise for the gifts and blessings that He destined for you. Patiently accepting Allah's Qadr/Decree while not comparing your unique life story to others' journeys.
3• When unpleasant circumstances happen or when you get disappointed for whatever reason, understand that Allah the Most Merciful only grants you what He knows is best for you. Trust Allah Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala, refusing to give up striving to pass Allah's tests, with patience and gratitude.
4• Carefully select which users and pages to follow on social media. Do not feel guilty about unfriending or unfollowing those whose status updates make you doubt your self-worth. The kind of posts you can expose yourself to should be ones that increase your level of faith/Imaan and enhance your self-esteem. Anyone who cowardly posts passive-aggressive content and gossipy updates deserves a virtual goodbye without warning.
5• Choose your daily battles wisely. Not every invitation to a fight and argument nor unnecessary messages that cause stress levels to escalate must be responded.
6• Aim to please only Allah Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala and be contented with Allah's Love. Be courageous enough to embrace solitude and rejection from Allah's slaves once in a while. Know that as long as Allah the Most Loving loves you and you're guided by Him, you can survive confidently and independently without requiring people's validation.
7• Calm your heart and soul by frequently saying Dhikr, particularly the morning and evening Adhkaar, increasing your Du'as, and make it a habit to read at least two pages from the Noble Qur'an each day and/or night. The more good deeds you do for Allah's sake e.g. praying Salat Ad-Duha and Qiyaam Al-Layl, the stronger your faith/Imaan is and the happier you are on the inside.
8• Don't be afraid of being imperfect nor cancel taking risks to avoid mistakes. Whenever you make a mistake or get overcome by your nafs, rush to do Tawbah and seek Allah's Forgiveness. Learn from your errors. Don't allow imperfections to prevent you from progressing and improving as a striving Muslim.
9• Among the happiest of people are those who try to be helpful and kindhearted. While trying your best to serve Allah Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala, do whatever you can for Allah's sake to avoid harming His creation. Being deliberately selfish, pridefully silent and taking advantage of people usually lead to guilt which contributes to struggling with feelings of emptiness.
📖 Fadalah ibn ‘Ubayd RadhiAllahu 'anhu narrated: Allah's noble Messenger Muhammad SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam said, "Blessed is one who is guided to Islam, whose livelihood is sufficient, and who is contented."
Source: Sunan At-Tirmidhī 2349
Grade: Sahih (Authentic) according to Al-Albani
📖 Thawban RadhiAllahu 'anhu narrated: Allah's noble Messenger Muhammad SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam said, "Blessed is one who controls his tongue, whose house is spacious, and who weeps for his sins."
Source: Al-Mu’jam Al-Awsaṭ 2398
Grade: Hasan (Fair) according to Al-Albani
📖 Abu Huraira RadhiAllahu 'anhu narrated: Allah's noble Messenger Muhammad SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam said, "Be devout and you will be the most pious of people. Be contented and you will be the most grateful of people. Love for people what you love for yourself and you will be a believer. Behave well with your neighbors and you will be a Muslim. Laugh less, for too much laughter will deaden the heart."
Source: Sunan Ibn Mājah 4217
Source: Sahih (Authentic) according to Al-Albani

Note: Things To Avoid In Order To Be Happy

💐 In The Name Of Allah The Most Gracious The Most Merciful
💌 Things that lead to depression or feelings of emptiness which we Muslims can avoid:
1• Allowing yourself to be dependent on people's actions and treatment of you to achieve happiness. Wrongly assuming that you'll be happy only if someone is nice to you or if your plans go well.
2• Comparing your life to others' lives, being addicted to watching vlogs and mukbang videos on YouTube, and feeling as though you lack something when you see other people doing things you can't do or having materialistic possessions which you don't own.
3• Forgetting Allah's blessings that He gave you, focusing on the bad events that took place previously, being unable to let go of the past, and magnifying your problems by complaining about them instead of saying Du'a and moving forward.
4• Scrolling through Facebook news feed and browsing random timelines for more than an hour without saying Dhikr or while delaying an obligatory prayer. The more you purposely delay a Salah and the more you neglect your duties to Allah the Almighty, the more your heart gets tainted with dark spots so you start feeling empty.
5• Frequently debating with keyboard warriors online and making long-term enemies offline. Being unwilling to forgive. Holding onto grudges and nosily stalking the accounts of people you dislike.
6• Being overly attached to temporary things like dunya and people. Not making effort to study about Islam and showing no interest in becoming pious or more practicing.
7• Listening to songs and music instead of calming recitations of the Noble Qur'an.
Harming your soul by letting it commit as many sins as you like e.g. watching porn, deliberately telling lies to make your audience laugh and backbiting about others "for fun".
8• Trying to live a so-called "perfect life" when perfection can only be found in Jannah Paradise. Assuming that getting married, getting richer, or traveling to a certain country spell out "success" and refusing to be contented with your condition until you obtain all three - marriage, wealth, and traveling for leisure.
9• Intentionally being selfish or withholding the favors that Allah Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala granted you. Rather than sharing beneficial knowledge you've learned, with Allah's Will, and providing surplus food to the needy when you have the chance to be generous, you keep your joys to yourself selfishly.
📖 Fadalah ibn ‘Ubayd RadhiAllahu 'anhu narrated: Allah's noble Messenger Muhammad SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam said, "Blessed is one who is guided to Islam, whose livelihood is sufficient, and who is contented."
Source: Sunan At-Tirmidhī 2349
Grade: Sahih (Authentic) according to Al-Albani
📖 Thawban RadhiAllahu 'anhu narrated: Allah's noble Messenger Muhammad SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam said, "Blessed is one who controls his tongue, whose house is spacious, and who weeps for his sins."
Source: Al-Mu’jam Al-Awsaṭ 2398
Grade: Hasan (Fair) according to Al-Albani
📖 Abu Huraira RadhiAllahu 'anhu narrated: Allah's noble Messenger Muhammad SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam said, "Be devout and you will be the most pious of people. Be contented and you will be the most grateful of people. Love for people what you love for yourself and you will be a believer. Behave well with your neighbors and you will be a Muslim. Laugh less, for too much laughter will deaden the heart."
Source: Sunan Ibn Mājah 4217
Source: Sahih (Authentic) according to Al-Albani

Hadith: Paradise Is Surrounded By Hardships And Hell Is Surrounded By Desires

📖 Abu Huraira RadhiAllahu 'anhu narrated: Allah's noble Messenger Muhammad SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam said, "When Allah created Paradise and Hellfire, He sent Angel Jibreel to Paradise saying: 'Look at it and see what I have prepared therein for its people.' Jibreel came and looked at it and what Allah had prepared therein for its people. He returned to Allah and he said: 'By Your Might, no one will hear of it but that he will enter it.' Allah ordered that it be surrounded by trials (and things that are disliked or too difficult for most people to do) and He said: 'Return to it and look at what I have prepared therein for its people.' Jibreel returned and found that it was surrounded by hardships. He returned to Allah and he said: 'By Your Might, I fear that no one will enter it.' Allah said: 'Go to the Hellfire and look at it and see what I have prepared therein for its people.' Jibreel found that it was in layers, one above another. He returned to Allah and he said: 'By Your Might, no one who hears of it will enter it.' Allah ordered that it be surrounded by lusts and desires and He said: 'Return to it.' Jibreel returned and he said: 'By Your Might, I fear that no one will escape it.'"
Source: Sunan At-Tirmidhī 2560
Grade: Sahih (Authentic) according to At-Tirmidhi

Note: Stay True Even If Falsely Accused.

💐 In The Name Of Allah The Most Gracious The Most Merciful
💌 When you share Islamic posts or try to do Da'wah, making effort as a Muslim to fulfill your duty to enjoin right and forbid wrong, just for Allah's sake, some hateful people inevitably accuse you of riyaa (showing off), merely pretending or desperately promoting your "selfish agenda" whilst they promote their faces through uploading unhelpful selfies. Others wrongfully assume you're behaving religiously to make them feel inferior or they're not as good as you, when that isn't the case at all.
Oftentimes a number of critics may doubt you entirely, due to undeniable jealousy or inferiority complex, so even if you stated a clear fact or told the truth, they'd still speculate that you are lying. If you were a CEO, it would be hard to convince those haters that you are one, since they've already formed an assumption of you according to their standards, delusional fantasies, or hurt ego. Don't bother proving who you are to them if they adamantly see you as a garbage collector or tomato. (Sorry for the cringo)
You are not defined by people's opinions, rumors and perceptions of you.
A bad soul is still an awful being even if they were admired by thousands of loyal fans and avid supporters worldwide. In contrast, a good soul that is loved by Allah Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala and His Angels, remains as a good soul destined for Jannah Paradise, even if they were hated or ostracized by many people for whatever reason.
Disrespectful strangers, troublemakers and individuals who scornfully undermine us are part of Allah's temporary trials that train us to enhance our patience.
📖 Ibn Mas’ud RadhiAllahu 'anhu narrated: The Messenger of Allah SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam was distributing charity when a man from the Ansaar said, “By Allah, Muhammad did not intend to please Allah with this!” I came to the Prophet SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam and told him about it, then anger could be seen on his face. The Prophet SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam said, "Moses (Prophet Musa 'alaihis salaam) was hurt by more than this, yet he remained patient."
In another narration, the Prophet Muhammad SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam said, "Who will be just if not Allah and His Messenger?"
Source: Sahih Al-Bukhari 5712, Sahih Muslim 1062
Grade: Muttafaqun Alayhi (Authenticity agreed upon) according to Al-Bukhari and Muslim

Note: On How To Deal With Suicidal Thoughts

💐 In The Name Of Allah The Most Gracious The Most Merciful
💌 Due to the gradual increase of trials and tests before the occurrence of the Day of Judgment, many people may occasionally have suicidal thoughts, assuming that purposely ending their life would permanently terminate all the difficulties they are facing. Whether a Muslim feels saddened or depressed by how they're not receiving enough love and support from loved ones, or their business isn't as successful as they hoped it'd be, or they've recently lost somebody close to them either by death or their choice to no longer communicate, or they're financially struggling, or the false rumors that have been spread about them cause suicide to be tempting, or they can't stand being in love with someone whom they can't have so being heartbroken is not anymore tolerable, or basically their current mood can't be described as "happy" nor "contented" especially during these trying times, a Muslim should remember the fact that deliberately committing suicide is a major sin which Allah the Most Merciful and His noble Messenger Muhammad SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam warned us against. The similitude of a person killing themselves due to being unsatisfied with life is that of a student who rebelliously throws his examination papers in the dustbin and storms out of the exam room, not caring what the examiners will do.
🔸Tips on how to deal with suicidal thoughts:
1] Constantly remind yourself that the main purpose Allah Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala created us is to sincerely worship Him, not to please His servants nor build a personalized "dreamland of perfect bliss" on earth.
2] True happiness and eternal peace can only be found in Jannah Paradise, not in this world that was designed to be full of temporary tests. Continue doing your best to serve Allah Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala to be worthy of His Love and entry to Jannatul Ferdaus.
3] Count the numerous blessings and gifts that Allah the Most Wise chose to give you. Among the things which Allah generously granted you include His Guidance to become a striving Muslim, access to learning more about Islam, the ability to read and understand the languages you speak, a simple or cozy home instead of wandering in the streets, and the electronic gadget you're using now to network with others many of whom may have gone through the same emotions you've experienced.
4] No matter how bad your present situation seems to be, there will always be several others around the world whose sufferings are more complicated than yours. A lot of them are able to survive with steadfast trust in Allah Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala while maintaining rewarding patience, gratitude and contentment with Allah's Destiny.
5] While your Qadr/Decree has already been written, you can
Inn-sha-Allah change it positively by saying Du'a, particularly increasing your supplications while you're fasting, when praying Tahajjud / Qiyaam Al-Layl, or on every Friday.
6] Detach yourself from whatever and whoever triggers negative energy. Don't feel guilty about unfriending or unfollowing users whose updates frequently make you doubt yourself. Unapologetically avoid those who gossip and who distract you from trying to become a better Muslim.
7] Do Tawbah and repent from all the wrongdoings that bring your soul down. Sorrow, worries and depression are meant to expiate your sins so you're admitted to Jannah Paradise while sinless. When you reform and strive to obey Allah's Commands, and abandon what Allah and His noble Prophet Muhammad SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam forbade, you can feel happier and your heart can be more at ease, free from guilt and dark spots which prevent spiritual light from entering.
8] Temporary feelings of sadness and worry can be more manageable when you recall how dunya and its joys as well as sorrows won't last long. Eventually we must meet Allah Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala and pray we are among those destined to reach Paradise. Ameen.
9] Be calm knowing that encountering hardships is one of the probable signs that Allah Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala loves you. By having an imperfect life in this world, you are motivated to work harder for Jannatul Ferdaus, understanding that the pleasures of dunya are unreal and not worth crying over.
Furthermore attain inner tranquility by maintaining a strong connection with Allah the Most Kind. Say more Adhkaar, Du'as and read from the Noble Qur'an as regularly as you can to comfort your heart and heal emotional wounds.
Allah's Prophets 'alaihim as-salaam, including the beloved Messenger Muhammad SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam, all went through a variety of challenging circumstances in their lives, opposition from some people and being falsely accused or viewed negatively. What makes you think that you deserve a 100% idealistic or satisfactory life in which every single plan goes well and you're adored by everybody?
📖 Abu Huraira RadhiAllahu 'anhu narrated: Allah's noble Messenger Muhammad SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam said, "The Hour (the Day of Judgment) will not be established until a man passes by the grave of another man and he says: 'Would that I were in his place!'"
Source: Sahih Al-Bukhari 6698, Sahih Muslim 157
Grade: Muttafaqun Alayhi (Authenticity agreed upon) according to Al-Bukhari and Muslim
📖 Abu Huraira RadhiAllahu 'anhu narrated: Allah's noble Messenger Muhammad SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam said, "Whoever kills himself with a piece of iron, his piece of iron in his hand will be thrust into his stomach in the fire of Hell forever and ever. Whoever drinks poison and kills himself, he will consume it in the fire of Hell forever and ever. Whoever throws himself off a mountain and kills himself, he will tumble into the fire of Hell forever and ever."
Source: Sahih Al-Bukhari 5442, Sahih Muslim 109
Grade: Muttafaqun Alayhi (Authenticity agreed upon) according to Al-Bukhari and Muslim
📖 Anas ibn Malik RadhiAllahu 'anhu narrated: Allah's noble Messenger Muhammad SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam said, "None of you should wish for death due to a calamity that has afflicted him. Yet if he must do something, let him say: 'O Allah, keep me alive so long as life is good for me, and cause me to die if death is better for me.'"
Source: Sahih Al-Bukhari 5347, Sahih Muslim 2680
Grade: Muttafaqun Alayhi (Authenticity agreed upon) according to Al-Bukhari and Muslim
📖 Jundub RadhiAllahu 'anhu narrated: Allah's noble Messenger Muhammad SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam said, "A man among those before you was wounded. He was in such anguish that he took a knife, slit his wrist, and let the blood flow until he died. Allah the Almighty said: 'My servant has preceded Me with his soul, so I have forbidden Paradise for him.'"
Source: Sahih Al-Bukhari 3276
Grade: Sahih (Authentic)
📖 Abu Huraira RadhiAllahu 'anhu narrated: Allah's noble Messenger Muhammad SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam said, "Nothing afflicts a Muslim of hardship, nor illness, nor anxiety, nor sorrow, nor harm, nor distress, nor even the pricking of a thorn, but that Allah will expiate his sins by it."
Source: Sahih Al-Bukhari 5318, Sahih Muslim 2573
Grade: Muttafaqun Alayhi (Authenticity agreed upon) according to Al-Bukhari and Muslim