Contentment is the sincere stand with what Allah wills — without hesitation or objection. The servant stands where his Lord places him, seeking neither advancement nor delay. Al-‘Abbas ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib reported God’s Messenger as saying, “He who is well-pleased with God as Lord, with Islam as religion, and with Muhammad as messenger will experience the savour of faith.” Through contentment, the believer tastes the sweetness of faith, the pleasure of Allah, and consequently finds happiness and peace with His decree. Whoever trains his soul to be content lives a pleasant life in this world; worries and distress can find no way to his heart. Contentment with Allah’s decree stems from the fact that there is no changing the words of Allah, nor can anyone repel His judgment. Whatever Allah wills comes to be, and whatever He does not will shall never be. Contentment with the Divine decree is among the causes of one’s happiness, while resentment towards it is among the causes of misery.

CONTENTMENT Is the HIGHEST PEAK OF FAITH

    Abu Al-Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) said: ”The highest peak of faith lies in four qualities: patience in judgment, contentment with destiny, sincerity in reliance (upon Allah), and submission to the Lord, the Almighty.” Deep within his heart, the believer knows that whatever has been decreed for him is the best that Allah has chosen. His tongue follows his heart, soothing its inner fears, reminding it that everything was written long before the creation of this world — when Allah created the Pen. Ubadah ibn Al-Samit said to his son: ”Son! You will not get the taste of the reality of faith until you know that what has come to you could not miss you, and that what has missed you could not come to you. I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: The first thing Allah created was the pen. He said to it: Write. It asked: What should I write, my Lord? He said: Write what was decreed about everything till the Last Hour comes. Son! I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say : He who dies on something other than this does not belong to me.”

HOW TO BE CONTENT

    What helps the believer to obtain the merits of contentment is remembering the reasons of which he or she needs to be content with Allah’s Decree. Some of these reasons are:

1- Remembering the reward and punishment. Human nature is built upon the concept of consequences — what reward follows an action, and what punishment results from it.

2- Any pain that afflicts a Muslim is a means of expiating his sins. Lady Ayeshah, said that the Prophet said, “If a thorn pricks a Believer or he is hurt more than that then that is an expiation for his sins.”

3- When a calamity or hardship befalls the Muslim, he should know that Allah did not decree it to destroy him, but rather to test his patience and try him — so that he may show his Lord the best of what is within him.

4- Abandoning wishful thinking regarding Allah’s decree closes the door to the work of Satan. Abu Hurairah (RAA) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:
“A believer who is strong (and healthy) is better and dearer to Allah than the weak believer, but there is goodness in both of them. Be keen on what benefits you and seek help from Allah, and do not give up. If anything afflicts you do not say, ‘If I had done such and such things, such and such would have happened.’ But say, ‘Allah decrees and what He wills He does,’ for (the utterance) ‘If I had’ provides an opening for the deeds of the devil.” Related by Muslim.

    To conclude, Ibn al-Qayyim expressed beautiful words about this topic:
“A servant should realize that his greatest comfort, joy, and bliss lie in being content with his Lord — exalted and glorified — in all circumstances. Indeed, contentment is the greatest gate to Allah, the resting place of the knowers, and the paradise of this world. It therefore befits anyone who truly wishes well for his own soul to long for it deeply, never exchanging it for anything else. He should also know that contentment brings tranquility, peace, and stability to the heart, whereas discontentment brings disturbance, doubt, restlessness, and a lack of inner peace.” May Allah make us among those who are content with His decree.