Happiness seems to be the ultimate aim of various human undertakings. Either it is a small and personal activity such as collecting antique watches and old coins, or a great achievement such as winning the football world cup or the presidential election of a country, both of which are inspired by the pursuit of happiness in life.
Even dangerous and risky undertakings such as diving a mini submarine into the deepest ocean or walking on a tight rope between buildings, are done under the aspiration of happiness.
Academically, there is also an increasing concern among researchers on the topic of happiness. According to the Web of Science’s database, the rate of production of journal articles with titles or abstracts with “happiness”, “life satisfaction,” “satisfaction with life”, or “subjective well-being” has grown recently since 2003 totalling more than 4,000 per year.
The passion to pursue happiness can also be seen through the actions committed by those who fail to gain happiness. Some may feel depressed and stressful to the extent of doing something detrimental to their health and life.
Statistics by the Ministry of Health shows that there has been a dramatic increase in the prevalence of mental disorders over the past decade in Malaysia. It also shows a worrying trend that the prevalence of mental disorders among adults in Malaysia is 29 per cent. While the National Health and Morbidity Survey of 2017 reported that the prevalence of suicidal ideation during the previous 12 months among adolescents in Malaysia was just 10 per cent.
Since happiness varies from one to another, what is then the standard for measuring happiness? What are the indicators to show that someone is happy? The World Happiness Report powered by the Gallup World Poll data has used six variables to measure the happiness index in various countries which include the GDP per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom, generosity, and corruption.
Despite the standards used to measure happiness, what is clear is that most of the variables used are mostly empirical and external in nature. Without rejecting the fact that we need empirical standards to analyse the result of happiness, it is equally pertinent to emphasise the internal spiritual dimension which is the original seat of true happiness.
As a matter of fact, great sages in the past had consistently underlined the importance of the internal aspect of human being in defining and measuring happiness.
For example, Aristotle, the greatest thinker of Greek civilisation defined happiness (eudaimonia) as a person who had a good spirit or a pleasant state of mind which was strongly related with the idea of virtue (arete) or excellence. Happiness, according to Aristotle, implied a stable and balanced state of human inner self independent from the external elements that surrounded them.
This is also in line with the Islamic explanation of the meaning of happiness. Renowned contemporary Muslim thinker, Prof. Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas, in his book, The Meaning and Experience of Happiness in Islam, elucidates that true happiness refers to the tranquil state of the soul as a result of good character and virtues inculcated in human beings. The Qur’an refers such a state of the soul as the tranquil self (al-nafs al-mutma’innah) who is pleased and always moves closer to its Creator.
The spiritual stability of a person is also closely connected with the intellectual certainty that a person possesses. This is because a person who is certain about important matters in one’s life will be psychologically more stable. Not only the certainty applies to matters related to the human worldly life such as one’s financial security, health and family, but it also includes knowledge about the metaphysical and spiritual matters such as the certainty about God, about one’s ultimate destiny in the next world.
This is what is implied by the Qur’an by the word ‘iman’ (strong faith). Since the word iman is rooted from the Arabic ‘amana’ which means security, freedom from fear football, the one who has strong faith in God will be free from the unknown especially from what will happen after death and ultimate destiny beyond the worldly life.
On the contrary, the Qur’an also enumerates a number of spiritual crises of certain people through the terms such as those who have lost their soul (khasiru anfusahum), fear of the unknown (khawf), grief (huzn), profound grief (hasrat), all of which refer to those who turn away from God and rejects His Guidance.
Clearly, a more inclusive standards to measure happiness should be designed so as to ensure that the process of human development especially in creating a happier nation will be more comprehensive and balanced. Indeed, this is in line with the MADANI approach of the present government that emphasises peaceful coexistence in a multi-religious and multi-ethnic society.