Smiling at Joy

The Medicine of Happiness (Opening the Soul to the Crimson Sky of Joy / Smile on Happiness)

Contents and Chapter Outline

Chapter One: Understanding True Happiness and Saying Goodbye to Depression

Uncovering the secret of true happiness in contrast to the mirage of today’s false joys; managing sorrow and the passing griefs of this world; exercising the soul amid divine trials; understanding the roots of isolation and pride; and making peace with oneself and with the Merciful God.

Chapter Two: A Joyful Way of Life and Uplifting Practices

Creating a pleasant warmth in the brain, mindful walking, deep breathing in clean air with frankincense and wild rue, the ABCs of happiness and fruit therapy, maintaining family ties and meeting people of wisdom, playing with children, and gladdening the hearts of others.

Chapter Three: The Physiology and Neurobiology of Joy

Regulating the digestive system to promote serotonin and dopamine production; getting sunlight and the role of minerals such as magnesium and omega-3 fatty acids; correcting and aligning the spine; and the remarkable role of the vagus nerve in relieving fatigue and migraine pain.

Chapter Four: Spiritual Pharmacology, Herbal Medicine and Bringing Joy to Others

Dispelling the spell of sorrow through prescribed remembrances and supplications; prayer as a rendezvous with love and the highest test of serenity; sneeze therapy and expelling harmful humours; the remarkable properties of black grapes and melon; and a special supplication for bringing joy to others.

Chapter Five: Mystical Joy and the Soul’s Journey through the Abode of Divine Nearness

A journey through the soothing verses of the Noble Qur’an; an analysis of reports and hadiths on joy from the Ahl al-Bayt of Purity and Impeccability (AS); the reward for bringing joy to the hearts of believers; night vigils and rising before dawn; and tasting the sweetness of contentment with the Lord.

Golden Passages from the Book

Happiness: What the Modern Age Has Lost, and Freedom from the Captivity of False Joy
“Happiness is one of the mysteries of existence. Whatever we experience as happiness is, in truth, merely a sign of true happiness. Happiness is what the modern age has lost; until it is found, peace will not reign in the soul. Modern people only put on a show of happiness; things that are not happiness in their very nature take its place and come to dominate them … Until they escape this captivity to false happiness, they will never experience true happiness.” (page 8)

Forgetting God: Saying Goodbye to Joy and Sinking into the Mirage of Happiness
“Whoever forgets God bids farewell to happiness and joy. To forget God is to forget happiness; to forget the sun is to forget light, and amounts to blindness … Any happiness felt while God is forgotten is a mirage, whose end is to die of thirst for happiness. We are in touch with the outward signs of happiness; happiness itself is a transcendent reality held in the treasury of divine pleasure.” (page 10)

Managing Sorrow and Grief: Turning Unavoidable Pressures into the Soul’s Muscles
“Worldly sorrow and joy are among the questions on the world’s examination paper. Sometimes temporary sorrow and grief are the narrow gateway to joy and happiness … Unavoidable sorrows and griefs are a kind of test for people; through patience, their bitterness will turn to the sweetness of joy. Regard unavoidable pressures as a kind of exercise for the soul and mind, whose muscles, strengthened by this discipline, will one day emerge.” (page 11)

Thinking and Activating the Soul’s Supercomputer to Escape Depression
“When a person thinks, they set an immense supercomputer in motion; so do not let this supercomputer fall silent, even for a moment. Make your thinking expansive and precise; a supercomputer should not be kept busy with trivial tasks. Mindful walking is a journey between joy and peace … As you walk, switch on your supercomputer, reflect on the signs and wonders of creation, and journey through the majesty of God.” (page 43)

Regulating Serotonin, Sunlight and the Digestive System to Promote Well-Being
“When the body’s digestive system is regulated, serotonin production is regulated too. Strengthening the nervous system, deep breathing, walking barefoot on clean earth, sunlight, and a diet rich in magnesium all help produce serotonin. Serotonin calms the nervous system and improves mood … The sun is the lamp of happiness; draw from it the light and warmth of joy.” (page 53)

Spinal Alignment and the Vagus Nerve’s Vital Role in Relieving Fatigue and Depression
“Aligning the spine means aligning the pillars of happiness. A change in the spine’s natural position may be causing unpleasant nerve stimulation that has led to your depression, so work to correct it … Pay attention to the important role of the vagus nerve. It is the longest cranial nerve, and impaired functioning can lead to chronic fatigue, heightened inflammation and depression.” (page 58)

Prayer: The Rendezvous of Love and the Highest Manifestation of Joy and Spiritual Healing
“Prayer is the rendezvous where love, joy and true pleasure are put to the test. It is the highest manifestation of love, joy and delight. The time of prayer, the presence of the heart, and the sweetness of performing it are the finest measures of tranquility and the soul’s health… Everything becomes medicine and healing, and a source of joy, through remembrance of God. In every act, do not forget to invoke God’s name at the beginning and praise Him at the end.” (p. 70)

A special prescription for bringing joy and happiness through wholesome food and healing plants
“Melon works miracles through the radiance of faith; companionship with melon reveals the sweetness of its friendship in the human soul. In truth, melon washes your entire being… A special prescription for bringing joy to the heart: pouring the wine of joy into every heart makes the ecstasy of primordial joy well up: يا سُروری، یا فَرَحی، یا نَعیمی، یا لَذَّتی؛ یا سُرورَ The Gnostics, or the Beloved’s Desire…” (p. 75)