How Can We Attain Peace and Tranquility in Our Lives?
Answered by Shaykh Anas al-Musa
Question
How can we attain peace and tranquility in our lives?
Answer
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
All praise is due to Allah, Lord of all worlds. Peace and blessings be upon the Messenger sent as a mercy to the worlds, our Master and Prophet, Muhammad, and his Family and Companions.
Attaining peace and tranquility requires following certain principles, among which are:
Following Allah’s Guidance
True peace lies in adhering to Allah’s commands and avoiding prohibitions. Allah has clarified that turning away from His guidance leads to hardship, as He says:
“But whoever turns away from My Reminder will certainly have a miserable life.” [Quran, 20:124]
Belief in Divine Decree (Qada’ Wa Qadar)
Having firm faith that all events are decreed by Allah and that He only chooses what is best for His servant brings contentment. Allah says,
“No disaster strikes upon the earth or among yourselves except that it is in a register before We bring it into being—indeed that, for Allah, is easy. So you will not grieve over what you missed nor exult in what He has given you” [Quran, 57:22-23]
This trust is beautifully illustrated in the Prophet’s migration to Madina, when Abu Bakr expressed concern that their enemies would find them, and the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) replied with deep confidence,
“What do you think of two, when Allah is their third?”
Allah immortalized this event in the Quran:
“(It does not matter) if you (believers) do not support him, for Allah did in fact support him when the disbelievers drove him out (of Mecca), and he was only one of two. While they both were in the cave, he reassured his companion, ‘Do not worry; Allah is certainly with us.’” [Quran, 9:40]
Reciting and Listening to the Quran: Engaging with the Quran, especially through recitation or listening to its recitation by a skilled reciter, instills peace in the heart. The Quran mentions tranquility (sakina) in six places, including:
- “Their prophet said to them, ‘The sign of his kingship is that the Ark will come to you containing tranquility from your Lord’” [Quran, 2:248]
- “Then Allah sent down His reassurance upon His Messenger and the believers.” [Quran, 9:26]
- “He reassured his companion, ‘Do not worry; Allah is certainly with us.’ So Allah sent down His serenity upon the Prophet.” [Quran, 9:40]
- “He is the One Who sent down serenity upon the hearts of the believers so that they may increase even more in their faith.” [Quran, 48:4]
- “Indeed, Allah was pleased with the believers when they pledged allegiance to you (O Prophet) under the tree. He knew what was in their hearts, so He sent down serenity upon them.” [Quran, 48:18]
- “(Remember) when the disbelievers had filled their hearts with pride—the pride of (pre-Islamic) ignorance—then Allah sent down His serenity upon His Messenger and the believers.” [Quran, 48:26]
Finally, tranquility is a gift from Allah that settles in the hearts, steadying them. When tranquility fills the heart, one’s conditions improve, but if it leaves, so does peace and contentment. Tranquility allows a person to endure hardships and is a sign of one’s acceptance and trust in Allah.
May Allah bless the Prophet Muhammad and give him peace, and his Family and Companions.
[Shaykh] Anas al-Musa
Shaykh Anas al-Musa, born in Hama, Syria, in 1974, is an erudite scholar of notable repute. He graduated from the Engineering Institute in Damascus, where he specialized in General Construction, and Al-Azhar University, Faculty of Usul al-Din, where he specialized in Hadith.
He studied under prominent scholars in Damascus, including Shaykh Abdul Rahman al-Shaghouri and Shaykh Adib al-Kallas, among others. Shaykh Anas has memorized the Quran and is proficient in the ten Mutawatir recitations, having studied under Shaykh Bakri al-Tarabishi and Shaykh Mowfaq ‘Ayun. He also graduated from the Iraqi Hadith School.
He has taught numerous Islamic subjects at Shari‘a institutes in Syria and Turkey. Shaykh Anas has served as an Imam and preacher for over 15 years and is a teacher of the Quran in its various readings and narrations.
Currently, he works as a teacher at SeekersGuidance and is responsible for academic guidance there. He has completed his Master’s degree in Hadith and is now pursuing his Ph.D. in the same field. Shaykh Anas al-Musa is married and resides in Istanbul.
