When the Heart Settles… (A Peace That Cannot Be Bought)
Chapter One: A Scene from an International Airport In one of the crowded airports, I sat observing people. Travelers from all nationalities, of all colors and forms. Businessmen in elegant suits, families with their small children, young people with backpacks, elderly people with their canes. Everyone is busy. Everyone is in a race.
Everyone is searching for something. But the eyes were telling different stories. Some eyes were anxious, looking around, afraid of delay, afraid of missing out. And some eyes were calm, at peace, as if their owner knows he is in the right place.
This difference is not made by first-class seats, nor the amount of luggage, nor the travel destination. This difference is made by what is inside.
Chapter Two: Sick Souls in Healthy Bodies Years ago, a Western university conducted a study on happiness. The result was shocking. People in wealthy countries like the United States and Britain scored low on the happiness scale, while the poor people of Nigeria scored the highest.
Nigerians are poor, suffering from lack of services, corruption, and disease. Yet they are the happiest people. What does this mean? It means that money does not create happiness. Luxury does not create peace. Academic degrees do not create inner comfort. In the West, people live in palaces of luxury, but their hearts are graves of anxiety.
“Unquestionably, by the remembrance of Allah hearts are assured.}AR-RA‘D-28 The remembrance of Allah is not just repeating words. It is to live with the awareness that Allah is with you, sees you, hears you, knows what is inside you, and will never abandon you. The one who lives with this feeling fears nothing.
No matter how difficult life becomes, he remains at peace.
Chapter Six: The Story of a Young Man in His Grave Thirty years ago, in a remote village, a young man died. They buried him in a small cemetery. Years passed. The country changed. The cemetery became old. Then a road project required digging up the graves. They opened graves one by one, finding bones and remains.
Then they reached the grave of that young man. When they opened it, they were shocked. His body was unchanged. His face, his body, his shroud—everything intact. A pleasant scent came from him. They brought him to his father. The father saw him as he was thirty years ago. They asked: “What did your son do in his life?
” He said: “He never missed the opening takbeer, never missed the first row in prayer.” This story summarizes everything. True happiness is not only in this world. It extends beyond death.
Chapter Seven: The House That Drove Away Devils A woman said: “We were living happily, then suddenly problems began. My husband became angry, my children troubled, the house felt like fire.” Someone advised her: “Where are you from Surah Al-Baqarah? Read it.” She did. She and her family read it regularly. Gradually, peace returned.
She later saw in a dream that evil beings had left the house because of the recitation. Today, many homes are empty of the Qur’an and full of distractions—then people wonder why anxiety fills them.
Chapter Eight: A Practical Experiment Now try this. Go to a quiet place. Sit. Read something from the Qur’an slowly and thoughtfully—even a short surah. Repeat it. You will feel something different—as if light enters your chest. This is real. Allah says: {And We send down of the Quroan that which is healing and mercy for the believers,}AL‑ISRĀ’ -82
Conclusion: The Head of Happiness In the end, everything about happiness comes down to one thing: The essence of happiness is knowing Allah. Whoever knows Allah finds happiness. Whoever ignores Him loses everything—even if he gains the whole world. The atheist lives in layers of darkness. The believer lives in light.
True happiness is not in what you own, nor your health, nor your status. It is in knowing why you exist, who created you, and where you are going. This knowledge fills the heart with peace. Ask yourself today: Do I truly know my Lord? If not, begin the journey. Allah says: {Unquestionably, by the remembrance of Allah hearts are assured.