Cheerfulness Brings About Amicability
When you meet a person and you feel that he is pleased to meet you by smiling at you, dealing with you in courtesy, and seeming to be delighted, surely you rejoice and feel comfortable. However, if he meets you with a frowning face, you turn away from him and you do not like meeting him, even if you are getting some benefits from this meeting.
Ibn Hibban said: (Cheerfulness is the food of scholars and the disposition of wise people because cheerfulness extinguishes the fire of stubbornness and burns the agitation of hatred. It is also a protection from the aggressors, and a way out from provokers).
Hisham ibn `Urwah reported on the authority of his father that he said: (A piece of wisdom says: let your face be cheerful and say good words, then you will be more beloved to people than the one who fulfills their needs).
A cheerful person is so close to the hearts, the most beloved to people, and always is commended and praised by people. Abu Ja`far Al-Mansoor said: (If you love to be praised by people without paying money or the like, just meet them with a cheerful face).
For this reason, the Sharee`ah made cheerfulness a desirable matter; cheerfulness is the pleasure that can be shown on the face, indicating the love and enjoyment of meeting.
The Prophet (pbuh) counted turning a cheerful face to friends as one of the good deeds: “Every good deed is Sadaq (charity) and good deeds include meeting your brother with a cheerful face.” [At-Tirmidhi: Hasan]
The Prophet (pbuh) also said: “Do not belittle any good deed, even your meeting with your brother (Muslim) with a cheerful face.” [Abu Dawood, Al-Albaani: Saheeh]
The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) was always cheerful and smiley. Jareer (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “The Prophet (pbuh) had never screened himself from me (had never prevented me from entering upon him) since I embraced Islam, and whenever he saw me, he would receive me with a smile.
He (pbuh) treated the tough and churlish people with cheerfulness. “A Bedouin came to the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) he took hold of the side of his cloak and drew it violently. The violence of jerk had bruised the neck of Messenger of Allah, then he said harshly: “O Muhammad, give me out of Allah’s wealth that you possess.” Thereupon, the Prophet (pbuh) encountered this roughness and cold-heartedness with cheerfulness and leniency then directed that he should be given something.
Indeed, this cheerfulness, which a Muslim should meet his Muslim brothers with, incites love and amicability in their hearts, making them desire to meet and accompany him.
Verily, the one who had said the following statement was right: I visit my best friend as long as he shows amicability to me … and meets me with cheerfulness.
If he does not show amicability and kindness, I leave him … even if meeting with him would bring me support and good news.
It is the right of the one who visits me at home … to serve him food and kindness preceded by cheerfulness.
No doubt, we cannot satisfy people with our money, but we can captivate their hearts with cheerfulness, joy, and good manners. It was reported in the Hadeeth: “You (people) cannot satisfy people with your wealth, but you can satisfy them with your cheerful faces and good morals.”
The need is increasing for cheerfulness when people are in need of something. Some wise people said: “Meet people of need with cheerfulness, so, if they did not thank you for fulfilling their needs, at least they will excuse you for inability to meet their needs.”
The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) did not hesitate to serve Muslims and meet their needs cheerfully and leniently. He is the most deserving of the poet’s statement:
He was accustomed to outstretching hands with generosity, even though if he wanted to grab it, … his fingers would not obey him.
When you come to him, you find him cheerful … as if you are giving him what you are asking for.
He is like the sea from wherever you come to it, … you will find kindness in its water and generosity is its beach.
Even if he had nothing in hand but his life, he would have given it cheerfully, so let the one who asks him fear Allah.
Scholars and righteous people (may Allah show mercy to them all) paid much attention to such a good manner, exhorted and advised Muslims to adopt such manner.
Ibn Uyaynah (may Allah have mercy upon him) said: (Cheerfulness brings about amicability, and kindness is an easy thing; a smiley face, and nice words. It is a good response to the scholar who turns his face away from people as if he is avoiding them. It is also a good response to the worshipper who turns a frown face to people as if he is above them, looks down at them, or is angry at them).
Al-Ghazali (ra) said: (The unfortunate worshipper does not know that devoutness is not in a frowning forehead, nor in a dusty face (in prostrations), nor in turning the cheek away, nor in bending one’s back (bowing), nor in gathering the long garment up, but devoutness is in the heart).
Once, a Bedouin was asked about generosity, he said: Generosity in the meeting is cheerfulness. Generosity in socializing is leniency. Generosity in manners is tolerance. Generosity in actions is counseling. Generosity in richness is participation. Generosity in poverty is condolence.
The Shari`ah exhorted to meeting people with cheerfulness and smiling to the extent that the Prophet (pbuh) said: “Smiling in the face of your Muslim brother is an act of charity.”
Ibn Battaal said: The Hadeeth implies that encountering people with smiling and cheerfulness are from the ethics of prophethood, which are contrary to arrogance and bring about amicability.
So, dear brother be cheerful, lenient, smiley, and do not frown.
May peace and blessings of Allah be upon the Prophet Muhammad, the bearer of glad tidings, the warner (of punishment), and the master of Adam’s children. The last of our supplications is praise be to Allah the Lord of all the Worlds.