Thekabarnews.com—Many people today define a desirable life as a life without hardship—free from poverty, illness, and emotional struggle. This view is widespread but fundamentally erroneous. The Qur’an called a positive life ḥayātan ṭayyibah, and Islamic doctrines give a totally different view of what that implies.

The late Islamic scholar Shaykh Muhammad ibn Ṣāliḥ al-‘Uthaymīn رحمه الله addressed this misunderstanding with remarkable clarity. He explained that a good life is not the absence of trials, nor is it measured by wealth or physical comfort. A positive life is not about what you have but about how you feel.

He said that a truly good life belongs to the individual who has a pure heart, an open chest, and is at peace with Allah’s will and fate. When someone like that gets a blessing, they thank the one who gave it to them, and that is excellent for them. When things get tough, they are patient, and that is also helpful for them. He stressed that this inner peace is the key to a healthy existence.

From this perspective, having money and being healthy do not mean you will be happy. In reality, they can sometimes make people tired, arrogant, careless toward God, and even unhappy. If you do not have faith, having many things can be a weight instead of a joy.

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymīn’s sermon clears up a common misconception: that happiness comes from getting rid of problems. Islam says that faith-based inner peace is the key to happiness.

So, comfort does not define a good existence; instead, it is defined by

A clean and sincere heart.
Emotional openness and acceptance.
Being happy with what Allah ﷻ says.
Spiritual solidity in times of trouble and ease.

That person is thankful when things go well and patient when things go wrong. Both states carry goodness in the sight of Allah.

From this insight, we can learn many significant things:

In Islam, the heart, not money, is what makes you content.
Happiness is not about what you have; it is about how you feel within.
Faith produces inner peace.
Being happy with what Allah ﷻ has decided is the key to emotional stability.
Being thankful and patient are the keys to a healthy life.
No matter what, a believer stays upright.
Trials are not signs of a negative life; they can lead to reward and spiritual closeness to Allah ﷻ.
Money and health are tests, not sure things that will make you happy. Both can be dangerous if you do not have faith.

When Allah ﷻ states these words in the Qur’an, it backs up this idea:

مَنۡ عَمِلَ صَٰلِحٗا مِّن ذَكَرٍ أَوۡ أُنثَىٰ وَهُوَ مُؤۡمِنٞ فَلَنُحۡيِيَنَّهُۥ حَيَوٰةٗ طَيِّبَةٗۖ وَلَنَجۡزِيَنَّهُمۡ أَجۡرَهُم بِأَحۡسَنِ مَا كَانُواْ يَعۡمَلُونَ

“Whoever does righteousness, whether male or female, while he is a believer—We will surely cause him to live a good life, and We will surely give them their reward [in the Hereafter] according to the best of what they used to do.” (An-Nahl:97).

The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ also talked about this special state of believers:

“Howwonderful is the situation with the believer? All of his business is going well. Only the believer can use this. He is thankful when something nice happens to him, and that is excellent for him. He is patient when anything bad happens to him, and that is excellent for him.” (Hadith Muslim no. 2999).

These writings indicate that a successful life is not one without tests; it is one that has meaning, trust, and inner peace even when things are hard.

I think that ḥayātan ṭayyibah means peace of heart that comes from faith, not comfort that comes from not having to fight. It is not characterized by the lack of sorrow but by the existence of spiritual stability.

A person can be rich and healthy but still feel anxious and empty. Another may live with hardship yet carry serenity and purpose.

So, true happiness is not in what we run away from, but in how we react. May Allah ﷻ provide us a prosperous life in this world and in the next.

By: Abu Abdirrohman Yoyok WN Sby.
Tuesday morning, January 27, 2026, in Surabaya, 8 Sha’ban 1447 H