Contentment Gives Peace of Mind

Translated by: Zahra Ibrahimi

What is Contentment  or Qina’at ?  Qina’at is an Islamic expression meaning being satisfied and contented with whatever God has given us as means of sustenance, avoiding wastefulness, greed and also jealousy towards the others who may look more well-to-do. In a Hadith from the Infallible, we read: “Qina’at is the best quality for gaining peace of mind and spiritual tranquility and is behind the highest honor, glory and prestige.” (Bihar ul Anwar, vol. 78).

A Qa’ni (contented person) does not feel poverty, and will not make him/herself overburdened with debts. Allah has revealed to the Prophet Davood (AS): “I have put richness in Qina’at, yet people tend to look for it in plentiful material possessions and so they never get it.” (Bihar ul-Anwar, vol. 77).

Also, Imam Ali (AS) has regarded Qina’at  as one of the blessings Allah bestows upon His favored servants: “Allah inspires Qina’at in those  of  His servants for whom He desires the blessed life.”

As a matter of fact, being contented  with which one has of worldly means and possessions, being moderate in consumption and spending, being patient in the face of  strains and shortages, being indifferent towards the worldly glitter of the luxuries possessed by the others, avoidance of any comparison of one's material and worldly status with those of the others,  not showing any desire for what some others might seem to be enjoying  of worldly pleasure and being pleased with whatever God gives one for sustenance and livelihood can all be included in the context of Qina’at.

 It has been narrated that in reply to a question as to the meaning of the Qur’anic expression ‘Hayat-e-Tayyibah' (Chapter Nahl, Verse 97), Imam Ali (AS) said: “That is Qina’at. So as per the Holy Qur’an, a pure life (Hayat-e-Tayyibah) is to be enjoyed  through Qina’at  and obviously, wastefulness and following a whimsical way of life leads to poverty, since, among other things, nobody's worldly wealth is limitless and so spending too much and also spending one’s money on useless things brings about destitution. That we see today many people complaining about financial problems can thus be regarded as being due to their inability to plan a proper economy for themselves; they buy unnecessary too expensive items and so later they find themselves unable to buy even some necessary goods and thus end up feeling poor and deprived. The contentment discussed above should include this condition (of being content and satisfied) towards one's social status and of course towards one’s spouse too. The truly contended person never feels sad when, for example, seeing a friend or relative has reached a high social position and likewise never compares his/ her spouse with the others’ spouse, whether in terms of appearance or abilities, and thus always feels peace of mind which is a great blessing indeed. May Allah make us his contented servants!

Source: Shianews.com