Islam and Optimism

Shaimaa El Sayed

10 Dec 2017

Optimism, going through life with a positive attitude, hoping for a better future and believing that the best is yet to come are all concepts that have been recently highlighted due to their critical impact over the quality of life. In our world today, a thick cloud of pessimism prevails with increasing tendency to give up on dreams, goals, and even life itself. This, in return, has given rise to several concepts celebrating the philosophy of optimism. However, many may not be aware that most of these concepts are embedded in the very essence of Islam. In fact, some of the core concepts of Islam are to never lose hope, to not give in to despair and to bear hardships with patience and persistence for [With every hardship comes ease]. Another fundamental of faith in Islam is believing in the Hereafter when, as the Qur’an states, [Every soul shall be paid back in full what it has earned, and they shall not be dealt with unjustly]. In this way, Allah tells us to trust that there will come a day when we will be rewarded for our good deeds and for our patience during hardships. Sinners will also be punished for their wrongdoings, but even with that, the window of hope is still open, as there remains a chance for them to be redeemed and for their punishment to be lifted if they exercise true repentance.

No doubt that, in the momentum of life, we come to face a lot of challenges and disappointments. Such sufferings might make us prone to be imprisoned by dark thoughts. However, in these difficulties, Islam urges us to reflect on Allah’s blessings and wonders that surround us, to remember that Allah is the one true constant in our life that we can rely on. He is always there for us when everyone and everything else fails. Allah Himself assures us that in the Qur’an by saying: [And when My servants ask you, [O Muhammad], concerning Me - indeed I am near. I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me]. It is true that we cannot always control our initial thoughts and feelings towards hardships, but it remains our choice to ignore or pursue them. You do not have to make a big change at once for, after all, Islam is the religion of balance. You can start by practicing to deal with life on a day-by-day basis and to look at every day as a new blessing from Allah, a chance for a new optimistic beginning!