I have re-read Paul Coelho's "
The Zahir". There are some things that made sense and some things that I disagreed with. He says that this life is a journey. We need to have goals but these goals are there to guide us on the way, not to become obsessions. Unfortunately, many people get lost because achieving the goals becomes the purpose in their life, not simply a means of completing their journey. Worse, they betray who they truly are in order to become what Society expects them to be.
From an Islamic perspective, min Allah ilaa Allah. We come from Allah and we are journeying towards Him. I agree that many people betray who they truly are in order to become what Society wants them to be. However, I disagree with Paul Coelho because it is not an individual journey. It is a collective journey. The first steps on this journey has to do with seeking knowledge about our purpose in life. The answer to that question is found in the Qur'an. It is a simple answer and we don't need to make it more complicated than it is. The next steps have to do with understanding how to live according to what Allah wants us to be, not what Society wants us to be. That is more difficult because we have to rebel against some of our cultural traditions. The last point is that 7 billion people are undertaking the same journey. It's all very simple.
Relating thia posting to the Happiness in Islam project, if you get obsessed with your goals, you will never be happy. If you take goals as simply signposts but you never forget your true origin (min Allah) and your true destination (ilaa Allah), then Allah will - in His Mercy - make you feel content and happy during your journey to Him.
