Overall result for Sem 2 (2010-2011)
In total, 169 students submitted a complete report- 135 (80%) said that listening to religious talks made them happier
- 8 (5%) said that they were not sure
- 14 (8%) did not directly answer the question
- 12 (7%) said there was no effect
That is the "hard data". But what does it mean?
Generally, there is no doubt that listening to Islamic talks on a weekly basis helps Muslims shape their attitude. Most people talked about 'broadening their knowledge', 'changing their negative behaviour', "re-connecting with Allah" and so on. Words that appeared often in the report were "happier", "calmer", "more content", "more peaceful", "more patient" and "less angry".
What is clear to me is that it is impossible to be content - as a Muslim - without knowing Allah and worshiping Allah. Furthermore, the concept of 'happiness' is not really an Islamic concept [I am starting to regret that I used that as the name for this blog]. Related concepts are contentment, peace of mind, gratefulness and thankfulness. I currently have another batch of Masters of Management students who are doing the same assignment. I also plan to offer the same assignment in Semester 1 (2011-2012). It will be interesting to see whether their experience is the same.
