EN.MUHAMMADIYAH.OR.ID, YOGYAKARTA — Happiness in this worldly life can be found in conditions that are closely connected to everyday life. Rahmadi Wibowo, a member of the Muhammadiyah Central Board’s Council for Religious Opinion and Reform, has explained four signs of happiness mentioned in the Prophet’s hadith.
Rahmadi made the remarks during a study session at the Islamic Center of Ahmad Dahlan University on Sunday (13/9). He said that in Islam, happiness is closely associated with a sense of inner peace. In worldly life, he added, certain conditions can indicate that a person is living a happy life.
Rahmadi cited the following hadith:
مِنْ سَعَادَةِ الْمَرْءِ الْجَارُ الصَّالِحُ، وَالْمَرْكَبُ الْهَنِيءُ، وَالْمَسْكَنُ الْوَاسِعُ
“Among the signs of a person’s happiness are having a righteous neighbor, a comfortable means of transportation, and a spacious home.”
The hadith identifies three signs of happiness: a good neighbor, comfortable transportation, and a spacious home. In another narration, Rahmadi said, having a righteous spouse is also mentioned.
A Good Neighbor
The first sign is having a good neighbor. For Rahmadi, living alongside good neighbors is an important part of feeling comfortable in everyday life.
A healthy social environment gives people opportunities to help and look after one another. He likened this kind of relationship to the Indonesian expression pagar mangkok, referring to a form of security that grows from mutual care and good relations among neighbors.
A physical fence may mark the boundaries of a house, Rahmadi said, but good relations with neighbors provide a broader form of social protection. When neighbors maintain strong relationships, everyday life becomes more peaceful and comfortable.
Comfortable Transportation
The second sign is having comfortable transportation. Rahmadi explained that transportation provides the mobility people need to carry out their daily activities, from earning a living and worshiping to maintaining ties with family and friends.
In this context, transportation does not necessarily mean owning a private vehicle. Public transportation and other available mobility services can also provide the same convenience.
“Al-markabul hani, a comfortable means of transportation,” he explained. Transportation that makes mobility easier allows people to manage their various responsibilities more effectively.
A Spacious Home
The third sign is having a spacious home. Rahmadi explained that al-maskanu al-wasi’ does not refer solely to the physical size of a house. A home’s spaciousness can also be reflected in the atmosphere created within it.
Ideally, a home should be filled with the recitation of the Quran, religious learning and worship. Rahmadi recalled the Prophet’s hadith warning Muslims not to turn their homes into places resembling graves.
He explained that for men, obligatory prayers are primarily performed in the mosque, while voluntary prayers can be performed at home. Having worship take place in the home helps create a lively spiritual atmosphere and brings peace to its residents.
A Righteous Spouse
The fourth sign is having a righteous spouse. Rahmadi explained that the word saleh refers to something that brings benefit and goodness.
Within a family, a righteous spouse brings goodness to their partner. The same principle applies to righteous children. A child can benefit their parents by caring for and showing concern for them while they are alive, as well as by praying for them after they have died.
Rahmadi also recalled the following prayer for one’s parents:
“Rabbighfir li wa liwalidayya warhamhuma kama rabbayani saghira.”
According to him, developing a habit of worship and prayer makes it easier for a person to remember their parents. A righteous spouse and family are therefore part of happiness because they foster relationships in which people bring goodness to one another.
These four signs show that happiness in this world has dimensions closely connected to everyday life. A good neighbor provides social comfort, comfortable transportation makes daily mobility easier, a spacious home provides a healthy living environment, and a righteous spouse brings goodness to family life.
Rahmadi ultimately emphasized that happiness takes root in a person’s inner state.
“The conclusion of the hadith on happiness is that it resides in the chest, the heart or the soul. Its signs are peace, tranquility and spaciousness,” he concluded.
