Having an uplifting attitude towards life requires work – the aim is to constantly see the upside. Even when there is no good side to be seen, our imagination must step in to convince us otherwise.
Phrases such as “what a happy baby” or “they are happy with their life” are familiar to us all. There are also common comments about those who are unhappy, such as poems about sleepless nights and the suffering one endures from separation and deprivation.
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This article is part of our supplement on happiness, which unites us all. For more happiness stories visit our dedicated page.
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These are feelings and emotions that are unstable and inconstant. Happiness is not unstable, it is not a vanishing smile, it is a realisation of a person’s right to be content.
The Quran clearly states: “We will make them live a happy life and we will most certainly reward them for the best of their deeds.”
Our deeds and the way we proceed in life keeps us afloat; we uplift ourselves and others. It is a right and a responsibility not only to be happy but to make others around you happy.
As a country, the UAE has taken the responsibility towards its people to provide reasons for outer happiness, enabling the individual to work towards inner satisfaction.
The responsibility of spreading joy in an urban setting is uniquely represented in Jerez, the Andalusian city of happiness, while under Islamic rule from the year 711 to 1491.
The Muslim scholar Al Hijari praises Jerez in his writings: “A stately and splendid city, with shops in abundance, where the citizens have honourable intentions and are charming in appearance and manner.”
From this description we can understand a sense of the positivity and beauty, the main points being peace, good intentions and to have an admirable outlook. The Andalusians were known to view themselves and their appearance in such high regard that they would rather fast than spend their last remaining allowance on food. Instead, they would buy soap. By that, they fulfilled pureness personally by using soap and spiritually by the holy act of fasting.
No one is an expert on the topic of joy, or life for that matter, but these core meanings should not be defined, they should be explored by everyone individually with openness and positivity.
The role of the individual is to visualise a good thing in any situation and to project that to their surroundings.
As expressed in a poem by the historical ruler of the Islamic caliphate Ali ibn Abi Talib: The glow of the sun is ineffective and useless if the eyes are covered away from its radiance.
Sheikha Alyazia bint Nahyan Al Nahyan is an Emirati artist and founder of Anasy Documentary Productions
