In the current state of this world, it is common that majority of us often feel sad, unaccomplished or just “not right”. Here are some daily habits to make you happy from the sunnah. May Allah ﷻ protect us from feeling sad and make these habits easy for us to implement.

1. Giving Salaams

In modern society, we are often too busy on our phones, or just uninterested in our immediate surroundings. When you greet someone first, with a smile (which is also sunnah, double reward!) and give them salam (peace and blessings) it could very easily make the other person feel significant, happy and welcome. It takes seconds to say, and the reward is immediate. Greeting others sows seeds of friendship and love, and can dispel any weakness/discomfort felt in the heart. Even if you aren’t on the best terms with the other person, or if they are a complete stranger, hostility can quickly turn into friendship due to this simple greeting.

A man asked the Prophet ﷺ, “What Islamic traits are the best?” The Prophet ﷺ said, “Feed the people, and greet those whom you know and those whom you do not know.”

Sahih al-Bukhari

When should we give salaams? Well, almost always!

The following hadith specifies who should say it first:

Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,

‘A rider should greet a pedestrian; a pedestrian should greet one who is sitting; and a small group should greet a large group (of people).”

2. Make A Habit of Praying The Duha Prayer (forenoon prayer)

The duha prayer is a Sunnah Mu’akkadah (confirmed sunnah) which means that those who offer this prayer receive immense amounts of rewards and blessings, but there is no sin for those who don’t pray it. The virtue of this prayer is life changing, uplifting and of tremendous benefit to those who implement it daily.

The time of Duha begins when the sun completely rises and ends approximately 15 minutes before Thuhr prayer. The most preferred time to offer this prayer is when the sun has reached the highest point (known as zenith). This prayer is offered in sets of two raka’at, and can be prayed until 12 raka’at are completed.

“In the morning charity is due from every bone in the body of every one of you. Every utterance of Allah’s glorification is an act of charity. Every utterance of praise of Him is an act of charity, every utterance of profession of His Oneness is an act of charity, every utterance of profession of His Greatness is an act of charity, enjoining good is an act of charity, forbidding what is disreputable is an act of charity, and two rak’ahs which one prays in the forenoon will suffice.”

The above hadith highlights the importance and status of Duha prayer, and praying as little as two raka’at will be considered as charity on behalf of every joint in your body. This prayer is also a sign of sincere gratitude towards Allah ﷻ.

3. Voluntary charity (Sadaqah), even in small amounts

Charity differs from zakat, which is a compulsory yearly donation of a specified amount towards those in need. Sadaqah, charity, is voluntary, and can be given at any time and in any amount. Although this isn’t obligatory, its virtue and reward is profound, and benefits your wealth, health and your status on Judgement day.

Charity is not limited to the poor. It can be given to all those in need; family members, orphans, widows, friends and even projects that benefit islam (i.e. the building of a mosque).

First and foremost, charity saves you from the pitfall of greed and arrogance. By voluntarily giving from your money, you are consciously understanding the blessings that Allah ﷻ has given you. By physically seeing the hardships and difficulties that others endure, you are given the opportunity to contemplate the power of Allah ﷻ, and how he can change your situation and blessings in a heartbeat.

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

“Look at those who are lower than you (financially) but do not look at those who are higher than you, lest you belittle the favors Allah ﷻ conferred upon you.” Agreed upon.

4. Forgiving those who have wronged you

No one is born perfect, and we all make mistakes. Forgiveness, even towards ones greatest enemy, is an important Islamic teaching that we must all strive to implement.

A believer in the Holy Quran is described as;

“Those who avoid the major sins and immoralities, and when they are angry, they forgive…”

Just as we have strong faith in God’s ability to forgive our transgressions, we must similarly base our relationships with people on forgiving those who wrong us. To forgive is not easy, especially when you may be oppressed in certain situations, and it requires trust in Allah, that all the hardships you endure will be rewarded in this life and the next. This has been confirmed in the Quran where Allah ﷻ says:

“And the retribution for an evil act is an evil one like it, but whoever pardons and makes reconciliation – his reward is [due] from Allah . Indeed, He does not like wrongdoers.”

5. Be Optimistic

In the 21st century, it is easy to feel distressed and worried about yourself, your family or even the Ummah as a whole. However, part of being a Muslim, it to have trust in Allah ﷻ plan, and to understand that life is not a steady ride. It will have its ups and downs, and whenever something bad happens, we have to be patient and optimistic. Through optimism, we can have a clearer understanding certain situations, why it happened and how we can avoid bad situations from happening again.

Say, “O My servants who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the mercy of Allah . Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful.”

Remember The Mercy of Allah ﷻ

Through optimism, we remember the mercy of Allah, and that everything that has happened and is going to happen, is in the control of Allah.

Say: “Nothing shall ever happen to us except what Allah has ordained for us; He is our protector.” And upon Allah let the believers rely.”

6. Visiting the sick

To visit someone that is sick, is a right of a Muslim. This has been narrated by Abu Huraira who said:

“Six are the rights of a Muslim over another Muslim. It was said to him: Allah’s Messenger, what are these? Thereupon he said: When you meet him, offer him greetings;when he invites you to a feast accept it. When he seeks your council give him, and when he sneezes and says, ” All praise is due to Allah,” you say Yarhamuk Allah (may Allah show mercy to you) ; and when he fails ill visit him; and when he dies follow his bier.”

Among the many righteous deeds one can perform, visiting the sick is one of the best. It is of great benefit to both the sick and the visitor. The visitor should supplicate for the sick, and ask Allah ﷻ to cure them, grant them patience and increase their reward. Further, the visitor should remain positive, remind the sick person of their rewards and give them glad tidings.

The one who visits, is reminded of the blessing of their own health, and to be thankful for it. The reward obtained for visiting the sick is substantial.

“I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say:

‘Whoever comes to his Muslim brother and visits him (when he is sick), he is walking among the harvest of Paradise until he sits down, and when he sits down he is covered with mercy. If it is morning, seventy thousand angels will send blessing upon him until evening, and if it is evening, seventy thousand angels will send blessing upon him until morning.’”

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