A summary of the book The beneficial means to a happy life

A summary of the book
The beneficial means to a happy life

The author: Abdurrahman Ibn Naasir As Si’di (1307 – 1376 AH); From the most prominent Islamic scholars of his era; And one of the well-grounded imams (in knowledge).
A summary of the book
“The beneficial means to a happy life”
Reason for authorship: When the shaykh travelled to Lebanon – during a medical journey (in the year 1373 AH) – he read the book, “How to stop worrying and start living” by Dale Carnegie; he was impressed by it, hence writing a book with a similar theme.
1) Belief in Allah ta’ala and doing righteous actions: Belief will lead you to patience, happiness and contentment with what Allah has ordained.
2) Excellence to the creation with sayings and actions; goodness brings forth goodness and repels evil.
3) Occupying (oneself) with [good] deeds and beneficial knowledge: It distracts the heart by thinking about what worries you.
4) Occupying ones thoughts about the days work: so do not become saddened by what has passed, nor worry about the future, for verily the prophet صلى الله عليه
وسلم would seek refuge in Allah from worry and sadness.
5) Increasing in the remembrance of Allah: For the remembrance of Allah produces contentment and tranquillity for the heart.
6) Enumerating the apparent and hidden blessings of Allah; for it brings about gratitude and removes grief.
7) Looking at the one who is lower than you; for it allows you to thank Allah for what you have, and removes your grief and sadness
8) Forgetting the past; because you are not able to regain the past, and busying yourself with it is pointless and madness
9) Supplicating to Allah; such as supplicating for the rectification of your religion, your world affairs, and the affairs of the hereafter – as mentioned in the hadith
10) To always expect the worst; because when the worse does come to occur, it reduces the effect
11) To not overthink in delusions and imaginations; for delusions produce bad thoughts, and make you assume negativity, which is a means of depression and illnesses
12) Having trust in Allah and relying upon Him; “Whoever relies upon Allah, He is sufficient for Him.” (65:3)
13) Accepting the shortcomings of others, and having patience upon their harm; every person has shortcomings, or things we dislike so look at their positive side rather than their negative
14) Do not busy yourself with trivial matters; just as you are able to settle with calamities, it is more rightful for you to not be concerned with vain matters.
15) Life is short; the true life (even if short) is a life of happiness and contentment, so do not shorten it with depression and unhappiness.
16) There is no reality to most of your worries; for most of the things which you are worrying about have not occurred so do not allow weak possibilities to overtake the strong possibilities.
17) Do not become concerned with what people say; for the harms of the people are upon themselves but if you become busy with them then you will harm yourself just as they are harming themselves.
18) Your life follows your thoughts; so if your thoughts are beneficial for your religion or your worldly affairs then your life will be happy and content otherwise the opposite will occur.
19) Do not anticipate from the people gratitude; if you do good to those who have a right upon you or those who do not have a right upon you then this is a transaction between you and Allah, so do not care about the absence of their gratitude to you.
20) Busy yourself with that which benefits you; for the harmful affairs produce grief and sorrow, so seek aid in beneficial actions.
21) Strive to complete your affairs immediately; for the delayed affairs will gather upon you with your future affairs and you will become preoccupied with them.
22) Prioritise; start with the most important then the most important and choose that which you are most inclined towards, so that you may not fall into discontentment or boredom; and seek counsel for you will not regret counselling