| [A global study, released in Dhaka recently, has revealed that
Bangladesh is the happiest nation in the world. The study titled "World Happiness Survey" ranks India as the 5th happiest place in the world, much
ahead of the United States which ranks only 46th in the survey, conducted by a
team of professors of the London School of Economics. Among the countries ranked happier
than the United States are Ghana, Latvia, Croatia and Estonia.]
"As for anyone, be it a man
or woman, who does righteousness and is a believer, him we certainly cause to live a good
life and most certainly shall we grant unto such as these their reward in accordance with
the best they ever did." (Surah An-Nahl 97)
Ahmed was leaning against the tree enjoying the cool breeze during his college
holidays. His fingers were fiddling with the soft earth beside him. They suddenly came
across a hard substance. He picked it out. It was a tiny bottle with a lid. He plucked the
lid open. All of a sudden there was a whoosh and a green smoke
and a giant genie stood in front of him. "Master you have freed me from a 1000
years imprisonment. You have one wish. Choose the country you want to go to and I’ll
take you there in an instant, without a visa."
"Ah! What a dream come true", thought
Ahmed, O.K take me to America, he requested in half-belief. "America? Are you mad or
something"? stated the genie in surprise. "What do you mean, replied Ahmed,
equally surprised, isn’t it where all the best things are? Isn’t it the place
where you can become a millionaire without too much effort, doesn’t America
have the best facilities, I mean the best colleges, the best hospitals the best companies.
I mean everyone in the world wants to go there. "It may be so, replied the genie,
granted it has very good facilities, the best roads and cars, there is also a lot of money
to be made but did you know that people have to work 18-20 hours a day to become so
rich, did you know, that everybody in the family has to work until they sweat to be able
to earn a reasonable salary, more than that, did you know that despite earning so much
wealth people are not happy there? Why? Exclaimed Ahmed! Don’t they have all their
basic needs met, their children’s education taken care of, no worry about medical
facilities? Yes, but did you know that people live in fear there? Every day 70 people get
murdered, every day thousands get robbed, burgled or mugged, Did you know that people are
so busy that they don’t have much time to meet with family and friends. You
won’t be able to sit under tree fiddling with the earth in America, you would have to
be working and earning, otherwise you would be left behind". Replied the genie." Well surely it’s better than here?" asked Ahmed.
"Why, here you’ve got family, you’ve got friends, you belong to a
community, everybody knows you, but there, who knows where you’ll end up? You’ll
have no family to help you and guide you. You’ll have very few real friends, most of
them will be too busy in their holidays to meet you, no one will recognize you on the
street and call you in fox a cup of tea, people may even make fun of your colour or your
accent or your religion upon the streets. You’ll be stranger amongst strangers. And
when you get old even your children will put you in an old people’s home and leave
the nurses to look after you. You may have a few more dollars in your pocket but what use
will they be in a old people’s home? It’s up to you but let me tell you one or
two things about it. O.K. what about Canada? Asked Ahmed. "A little less crime but
you won’t find happiness there also." Said the genie in apology. O.K. what about
Bbbb… "Bangladesh", shouted his friend Bilal who had arrived and was
watching the whole affair. What? Cried Ahmed. "Why on earth Bangladesh? Because,
replied Bilal waving a newspaper in his hand. "It is the most happiest country in the
world" "What?" stated Ahmed in shock, I mean how can a country which is one
of the poorest in the world, where thousands of people lose their homes and lives every
year due to floods and where there is no access to clean water, no proper education
system, and where there are constant power cuts, be a happy place?" "You fool,
you think these things can bring you happiness? Answered Bilal. In fact, it is belief and
trust in God, which makes the difference. A person who has belief and trust in God
doesn’t worry about tomorrow, he knows God created him and God will provide for him,
he doesn’t depend on his own work or qualifications alone, he doesn’t get
bothered by a small misfortune nor a small loss. He knows that in the end it will all be
O.K. That is why a person in Bangldesh with a much more difficult life than most people in
the world is still able to smile at the end of the day and go to bed without bother. In
contrast a person who has no trust in God, he may have a large bank balance, he may have a
Ph.d., he may have a big bungalow, his children might be in a private school and he may be
sitting in America or Europe but he is not happy from inside. He worries at small things,
he becomes afraid at a small natural event, and he sweats at a small illness. He dreads
the next day. May be he’ll get fired, he thinks to himself all the time. One small
error and it’s the end of the career for him. The society there is very ruthless.
Very bad. They don’t trust in God. So a person staying in a slightly developed
country like America or Canada or Britain can’t even sleep peacefully at night. Let
me tell you about a famous singer Barbara Streisand who stays in the USA. She has a
fortress of a house. It is wired with advanced alarm system and guards and dogs to prevent
people from coming in. But inspite of all this, she is afraid of people coming into her
house and harming her or taking away her money. So, she can’t sleep in peace. You
must have heard the proverb; a weary head wears the crown. If a person has no trust
in God, no matter what you give him he will never be happy in this world. On the other
hand a person who has trust in God but has no bank balance or no qualifications, or no
house or very little to eat, he is satisfied with what he has and thanks God for that. His
motto is "Don’t worry, be
happy". Also if a person has no family to go
back to, no real friends to talk to, no community which will treat him as one of their own
what use is all the money, the nice roads, the nice schools and hospitals?
"So how do you know people in Bangladesh are more happy than in America?" asked
a bewildered Ahmed. "It says right here in this survey replied Bilal, it was done by
the famous London School of Economics, they carried out a research as to
which was the happiest nation in the world, top of the list was Bangladesh, and the U.S.
the 46th.
"Genie, take me to Bangladesh" said Ahmed.
Than he said with a twinkle in his eyes to Bilal, "Don’t Worry, Be Happy".
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Don't worry B
Happy :)