How to achieve true inner peace and contentment? Islamic teachings about achieving inner peace and contentment.

1. For Inner Peace

2. Inner peace is a universal need
• Everyone on this planet desires inner peace
• Everybody has been searching for it
throughout the ages
• Search goes on regardless of
color, creed, religion, race, nationality, age, s
ex
• Search does not end with wealth or
technological advancement

3. Different paths in trying to achieve
inner peace
• Accumulating material possessions and wealth
• Drugs;
• Music
• Meditation
• Spousal and family relations
• Careers
• Children’s achievements
• Physical comforts through technology

4. Inner peace remains elusive
• in America some 18.8 million adults or 9.5%
US population suffer from depression yearly
• Depression is but a total lack of inner peace
• In the year 2000, death rate due to suicide
was double of those who died of Aids
• More people die from suicide in America
than from homicide
• Homicide rates themselves are massive

5. Personal pleasures do not bring inner
peace
• We achieve elements of pleasure from a
variety of things
, e.g., wealth, food, comforts, intimate
spousal relations
• But these do not last, they come and go
• True inner peace is a sense of stability and
contentment
• This carries us through all the trials and
difficulties of life.

6. What is inner peace and true
happiness ?
• Happiness is that state of body and soul that
encompasses contentment and
peacefulness; it is the soft joy that causes
our lips, faces and hearts to smile.
• It is determined by faith in Almighty God
(Allah) and obedience to Him
• Life of this world is nothing more than a
temporary joy and means of attaining the
eternal happiness in the Hereafter.

7. Inner Peace and good life promised to
those who believe & act right
Whoever works righteousness - whether male or
female - while he (or she) is a true believer
verily, to him We will give a good life (in this
world with respect, contentment and lawful
provision), and We shall pay them certainly a
reward in proportion to the best of what they
used to do (i.e. Paradise in the Hereafter).”
(Nahal, 16:97)

8. Muslim finds inner peace in all
circumstances
• He gets it through, Iman, sincere
worship, hastening to do virtuous deeds, and
by performing acts of kindness or giving
charity.
• Prophet Mohammad said, “Indeed amazing are
the affairs of a believer! They are all for his
benefit. If he is granted ease then he is
thankful, and this is good for him. And if he is
afflicted with a hardship, he perseveres, and
this is good for him. ”(Muslim)

9. No true inner peace for those who
turn away from Zikr of Allah
“But whosoever turns away from My
Reminder (i.e. neither believes in this
Qur’an nor acts on its teachings)
verily, for him is a life of hardship, and
We shall raise him up blind on the Day
of Resurrection.” (Taha,20: 124)

10. Man is created to face struggles
• Verily We have created Man into toil and
struggle Balad,90:4
And certainly, We shall test you with something of
fear, hunger, loss of wealth, lives and fruits, but
give glad tidings to as-Saabirin (the patient
ones, etc.).” (Baqarah 2:155)

11. Obstacles which prevent us from
attaining peace
• Negative traits like
anger, jealousy, arrogance
Personal etc
• Dreams not realized
• Spiritual void
• Strained spousal relations
Family • Children’s issues
• Relative’s issues
• Conflicts
Society • Joblessness
• Financial hardship

12. How to remove the obstacles?
• First step is to identify the obstacles
themselves.
• Second step is to accept them as obstacles
within ourselves ,e. g., anger.
• Third step is to work hard to remove these
obstacles
• We have to be able to distinguish which
obstacles are within our control and which
ones are beyond our control.

13. To remove obstacles we have to focus
mostly on self-change
• Verily! God will not change the condition of a
people as long as they do not change their state
of good within themselves…” (Quran 13:11)
• “Whoever pretends to be patient (with a desire
to be patient) God will give him patience.”
[Saheeh Al-Bukhari.]

14. Accepting Destiny (Qadar)
• God has destined for us some things in our
lives
• They are not really obstacles, but we have
misinterpreted them as being obstacles.
• One might find oneself born black in a world
that favors white people over black
• Born poor in a world that favors the rich over
the poor
• Born short, or crippled, or with any other
physical condition which is considered a
handicap

15. Things that are beyond our control
• We did not choose which family to be born
• We did not choose which body for our spirit
to be blown into
• Inner peace can only be achieved if the
obstacles that are beyond our control are
accepted by us patiently as part of God’s
destiny.

16. There is some good in things not in our
control
“…and it may be that you dislike a thing
which is
good for you and that you like a thing
which is bad for you. God knows
but you do not know.” (Quran 2:216)

17. Lessons from story of Khidr and Musa
in Surah Kahf
• Khidr made a hole in the boat of the people
who were kind enough to take him and Musa
across the river
• Owners saw the hole in the boat and they
wondered who did it and thought that it was a
nasty thing to have done
• A king came down to the river and forcefully
took away for himself all the boats except the
one with a hole in it.
• So the owners of the boat praised God due to
the fact that there was a hole in the boat

18. Khidr Kills a Boy
• Then they journeyed on until they met a boy
and Khidr slew him.
• Musa cried out, "have you killed an innocent
person, though he had killed no body?
• Khidr explained it latter that his parents were
true believers and he could trouble them with
his rebellion and unbelief.
• Therefore Allah Willed to grant them another
child who may be more righteous and filial.

19. Khidr repairs a Falling Wall
• Then they traveled on until they reached a town
and requested some food but people declined to
entertain them.
• There they saw a wall which was about to fall
down and Khidr set it up.
• Musa said, "Had you wanted, you could have
demanded for your labor".
• The wall belonged to two orphan boys, who
resided in that city. A treasure for them lied under
that wall.
• As their father was a righteous man, Allah willed
that when those children grow, they should dig out
their treasure.

20. Major lessons from this story
• Constant effort is necessary to keep our knowledge
square with the march of time
• We might set out with realistic aims and attainable
ambitions.
• Soon we get obsessed with the journey, forget about the
destination and run after vain illusions and fancy
deceptions.
• If we settle for what we initially wanted, we can be
happy and the world would be a much better place to
live in.

21. Lessons from this story
• When one grows in prosperity beyond a limit which one cannot
control with ease, he would attract envy, hatred and enmity
• Man must be content with the decree of God
• Some defeats or losses may actually be a blessing in disguise
• We tend to let stereo-typed impressions and the external
environment cloud our judgment.
• In the middle of evil there might be a single hidden good which
we often overlook

22. How to deal with material element of
our lives?
• “Do not look to those above you who are more
fortunate, instead, look to those below you or less
fortunate…” Hadith
• If you give the son of Adam a valley of gold he would
want another one.” (Saheeh Muslim)
• Whoever makes this world his goal God will confuse his
affairs and place poverty before his eyes and he will be
able to attain nothing from this world except for what
God has already written for him…” (Ibn Maajah, Ibn
Hibbaan)

23. Ways of achieving true inner peace in
Islam
TRUE
Serving
Iman Marafa Ilm Ibadah Zikr Humans
INNER
PEACE

24. 1- Iman or strong fai
• God is the only Creator and continual
Sustainer of the Universe, worthy of
worship
• Muslims believe that God is
Loving, Compassionate and Merciful, and
that He is concerned with the daily affairs of
human beings

25. Full trust in Allah is part of Iman
• And if any one puts his trust in Allah, sufficient is (Allah)
for him. For Allah will surely accomplish his purpose:
verily, for all things has Allah appointed a due
proportion. (TALAAQ 65:3)
• Say: "Nothing will happen to us except what Allah has
decreed for us: He is our protector": and on Allah let the
Believers put their trust. ( Taubah 9:51)

26. 2-Marafa or recognizing God
• God calls on man to ponder over the creation in
order to build a better understanding of his
Creator
• The Quran is the literal word of God. Its recitation
with understanding brings true recognition of God
and His complete Guidance in all matters of life.
•
• Muhammad taught Quran, preached it, lived it and
put it into practice. Following his footsteps, takes
one to God.His Mercy and Love.

27. 3- Ilm or knowledge
• "And Allaah has brought you out from the wombs of
your mothers while you know nothing. And He gave you
hearing, sight, and hearts that you might give thanks (to
Allaah)" [Quran, 16:78]
• "and say: `My Lord! Increase me in knowledge"
[Quran, 20:114]

28. Hadith Bukhari

29. Ilm leads to path of inner peace and
Jannah
• The main purpose of acquiring knowledge is
to bring us closer to our Creator.
• Knowledge is to be pursued and practiced
with modesty and humility
• Knowledge leads to dignity, freedom and
justice which leads to inner peace.

30. 4-Ibadah
So serve thou me (only) and establish regular
prayer for celebrating My praise. Taha, 20:14
“Say: ‘Indeed, my prayer, my sacrifice, my living
and dying are for God, Lord of all the worlds.’”
(Anaam 6:162)

31. Inner Peace is reached by submitting
to God
• Whoever sets the Hereafter as
his goal, God gathers his affairs
for him, gives him richness of
(faith in) the heart and the
world will come to him
grudgingly and submissively.
Ibn Majah

32. 5-Zikr-Remembrance of Allah
"Those who believe and whose hearts
find satisfaction in the remembrance of
Allah: for without doubt in the
remembrance of Allah do hearts find
satisfaction Raad, 13:28

34. 3 Ways of realizing Zikr
• 1-With the tongue: To say thanks, chant glory
of Allah, sing His greatness and recite Quran
• 2- With the heart and mind: To think and
discover the wisdom behind the various
obligations of Islam, to contemplate over
Hereafter, to understand the attributes of Allah
• 3- To keep every limb and joint engaged in acts
approved by Allah and refrain from his
prohibitions.

35. Recommended Azkaar

37. 6- Serving suffering humanity
Then as for him who gives away and guards (against evil), and
accepts the best, We will facilitate for him the easy end."
(Lail,92:5-7)
'The believers ... are steadfast in prayers, and in whose wealth
there is a right acknowledged, for the poor and the destitute.
(Qur'an 70:22-24).
Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said "No wealth (of a servant of
Allah) is decreased because of charity." (Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith No.
2247).

38. Charity will bring freedom from fear
and grief
• Those who believe, and do deeds of
righteousness, and establish regular prayers
and regular charity, will have their reward with
their Lord: On them shall be no fear, nor shall
they grieve' (2:277).

39. 11 But he hath made no haste on the path that is steep.
12 And what will explain to thee the path that is steep?
13 (It is:) freeing the bondman;
14 Or the giving of food in a day of privation
15 To the orphan with claims of relationship
16 Or to the indigent (down) in the dust Balad,90:11-16

40. Some acts of Charity and kindness
• Emancipation of slaves (90:13; 2:177),
• Feeding of the poor (69:34; 90:11-16; 107:1-3),
• Taking care of orphans (17:34; 76:8; 89:17;
90:15; 93:9, 107:2) and
• Doing good to humanity in general,
• Speaking of a kind word to parents is referred
to as Ihsan (doing good) in 17:23
• Use of the kind words is recommended as in
itself a charitable deed in 2:83, 4:8