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The taste of honey – achieving tranquility in your life

The taste of honey - achieving tranquility in your life
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December 23, 2024
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What is tranquility

Tranquility is one of the major principles in Islam. What is tranquillity? How can we achieve it? and what helps us to stay on the path of tranquillity? Tranquillity is a recurring theme in the Quran, and mentioned by Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), as well as demonstrated in his practices. In Arabic, tranquility is tu’maneena, which is a states of calmness, serenity, satisfaction, and comfort. Essentially tranquility, contrasted to anxiety, haste, irritation, is a sense of inner peace.

Tranquillity descends upon the heart, but it is not something you wait for, rather it can be sought. You can work to achieve it. This state of inner peace from Allah Almighty enables you to live with contentment no matter what external circumstances, and challenges you face. Without tranquillity, you can be short-tempered, lose it easily, be Mr Grumpy or Miss Grumpy, and be ready to argue with anybody and everybody. Whether you have a bad day or a good day, tranquillity makes you a different person, a calm person, free from anxiety, free from disturbances, unperturbed by your external situation. Though we can never be free from the nagging irritations of life, our response can either be irritable or unruffled.

When faced with intense pressure—such as a significant loss in business or the heartbreak of losing a loved one, the same person can either be fiery and explosive or mellow and composed, depending on their inner state. Without tranquility, these challenges can become not just difficult, but intense and overwhelming.  

Finding Allah

In the Quran, Allah Almighty beautifully stated the essence of tranquillity, when He stated:

ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَتَطۡمَئِنُّ قُلُوبُهُم بِذِكۡرِ ٱللَّهِۗ أَلَا بِذِكۡرِ ٱللَّهِ تَطۡمَئِنُّ ٱلۡقُلُوبُ

those who believe and whose hearts find comfort in the remembrance of Allah. Surely in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find comfort. (13:28)

In this verse in Surat Ar-Ra’d, Allah Almighty provides the first key to tranquillity, which is imaan (faith) – to find Allah Almighty in your life is what brings tranquillity to your heart. When you believe, you find tranquillity descends on your heart, serenity and calmness envelop you.  The moment you find Allah Almighty in your life, you find inner peace. Therefore ‘those who believe’ are the ones whose hearts find comfort when they remember Him. This reminds us that after finding Allah Almighty in your life, you need to be close to Him. It’s like the difference between having a mother and being in her lap and the warmth, comfort, and sense of safety that come from being close to her. Similarly, if you distance yourself from Allah, you lose this sense of security and peace.

Therefore to keep this tranquility, be in a state of continuous remembrance, as Allah specifically stated that hearts find comfort ‘in the remembrance of Allah’.

Salah

How do we reach this level of continuous remembrance? The first way is to be regular and punctual for your five prayers. Allah made them obligatory for every individual to bring their focus back to Him, to keep us connected to Him, and because they soothe us. When we invoke Him, He is there to respond. He said:

فَٱذۡكُرُونِيٓ أَذۡكُرۡكُمۡ ُونِ

So remember Me and I will remember you. (2:152)

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) repeated this in many hadith reminding us of the importance of the five prayers which are of course one of the five pillars of Islam. If we do not observe this command, we lay ourselves open to attacks from the Shaytan’s constant whispers, delusions, tricks and traps. To neglect salah is like switching off your firewall and antivirus protection and foolishly thinking you can withstand any attack on your system. Salah is a protection for you, your heart, and your tranquillity. The word salah is linked to the Arabic word, silah, which means connection.  Every salah is a connection with Allah Almighty.

During the Isra wal Meraj, the night journey and the ascension of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) to the heavens, he received the obligation of the five prayers. It is no coincidence that he received this obligation in the heavens, and not on Earth, as it’s an indication that every salah is an elevation of the soul, a journey of the soul to the Lord, the connection of our souls to Allah Almighty, our Creator, the Sustainer, the Provider, the Protector, the Source of Peace and Tranquillity.

وَمَا جَعَلَهُ ٱللَّهُ إِلَّا بُشۡرَىٰ وَلِتَطۡمَئِنَّ بِهِۦ قُلُوبُكُمۡۚ وَمَا ٱلنَّصۡرُ إِلَّا مِنۡ عِندِ ٱللَّهِۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ

Allah meant this as glad tidings and that your hearts may be set at rest. (8:10)

Reliance

Another ingredient in the recipe for tranquillity is to have reliance on Allah Almighty, the Creator – tawakkul. Reliance on Allah Almighty means putting in your best effort – doing all the preparation you can – whether it is homework, research and investigation, or planning, knowing deep down that the outcome lies in Allah’s hands. This gives you tranquillity. 

When people are anxious—worrying about this, that, or the other—I’m not suggesting that anxiety can be completely eliminated. However, tranquility significantly reduces anxiety. When you have full tawakkul (reliance) on Allah Almighty, you can say with confidence, “I’ve done my best, and now I leave the rest to Allah.” This trust and reliance transform how you face external circumstances, enabling you to respond with internal satisfaction and peace.

Trusting Allah means believing that He will do what is best for you, even if it is not necessarily the outcome you wanted. Often, we assume that what we like and what’s best for us are the same thing, but this isn’t always the case. True trust in Allah means accepting His wisdom, knowing that He sees what we cannot. As Allah states:

وَعَسَىٰٓ أَن تَكۡرَهُواْ شَيۡـٔٗا وَهُوَ خَيۡرٞ لَّكُمۡۖ وَعَسَىٰٓ أَن تُحِبُّواْ شَيۡـٔٗا وَهُوَ شَرّٞ لَّكُمۡۚ وَٱللَّهُ يَعۡلَمُ وَأَنتُمۡ لَا تَعۡلَمُونَ

But perhaps you hate a thing and it is good for you; and perhaps you love a thing and it is bad for you. And Allah Knows, while you know not. (2:216)

This trust brings tranquility to the heart because it shifts the burden of control from ourselves to Allah, whose wisdom and mercy encompass all things. Even when faced with outcomes we dislike, we can find peace in the certainty that Allah’s decisions are always for our ultimate benefit. This deep reliance is the key to achieving a tranquil heart amidst life’s uncertainties.

Istighfar

Outside the salah, istighfar—seeking Allah Almighty’s forgiveness is another powerful way of achieving a state of inner peace. There are a variety of ways to do this. From the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), you can say, “Astaghfirullah” (“I seek Allah Almighty’s forgiveness”) or “Astaghfirullahal-‘Adheem” (“I seek forgiveness from Allah, the Mighty”). These are like cleansing agents for the heart, removing spiritual diseases such as hatred, envy, arrogance and anger which make your heart feel agitated and disturbed.  The more you engage in istighfaar, the more purified your heart becomes, making it receptive to tranquility.

The extent to which these diseases dominate the heart determines where you fall on the spectrum of tranquility—from a tranquil heart to one devoid of peace.

Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said,

عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَبَّاسٍ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مَنْ أَكْثَرَ مِنْ الِاسْتِغْفَارِ جَعَلَ اللَّهُ لَهُ مِنْ كُلِّ هَمٍّ فَرَجًا 

Whoever increases his prayers for forgiveness, Allah will grant him relief from every worry, a way out from every hardship, and provide for him in ways he does not expect. (Musnad Ahmad)

Dhikr and du’a

Reading and reciting the Quran and making du’a also bring tranquility. Allah Almighty states:

وَقَالَ رَبُّكُمُ ادْعُونِي أَسْتَجِبْ لَكُمْ ۚ إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ عَنْ عِبَادَتِي سَيَدْخُلُونَ جَهَنَّمَ دَاخِرِينَ

And your Lord says, “Call upon Me; I will respond to you.” (40:60)

Al-‘Abbās ibn ‘Abd al-Muṭṭalib (may Allah be pleased with him), the uncle of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) narrated that he heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) say:

عَنِ الْعَبَّاسِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْمُطَّلِبِ رضي الله عنه أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، يَقُولُ

«ذَاقَ طَعْمَ الْإِيمَانِ مَنْ رَضِيَ بِاللهِ رَبًّا، وَبِالْإِسْلَامِ دِينًا، وَبِمُحَمَّدٍ رَسُولًا»

He finds the taste of imaan who is pleased with Allah as Lord, with Islam as religion, and with Muhammad as Messenger. (Muslim)

This hadith emphasises that true contentment with Allah, Islam, and the Prophet (peace be upon him) leads to the sweetness of faith, which brings tranquility to the heart.

Contentment with Allah’s decree

The Allah Almighty is giving us the prescription for tranquillity – when you accept Allah as your Lord, accept Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) as your messenger, accept Islam as your religion from the bottom of your heart, you will taste the sweetness of imaan, and this is exactly what brings tranquillity to the heart, calmness and peace and inner satisfaction. The beautiful expression in the hadith, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) used the word radiya. Ridah is satisfaction or contentment. The Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is to repeat this every morning and evening, as daily dhikr. This is an affirmation. When you say this, and you mean it – it’s not just lip service, but you understand it, you apply it, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) promised that you will taste the sweetness of imaan, which is the inner comfort.

We are not doing Allah Almighty a favour if we accept Him in our life as our Lord, we are doing ourselves a favour, as Allah Almighty needs no-one.  Allah Almighty says in the Quran:

يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ أَنتُمُ ٱلۡفُقَرَآءُ إِلَى ٱللَّهِۖ وَٱللَّهُ هُوَ ٱلۡغَنِيُّ ٱلۡحَمِيدُ

O mankind, you are those in need of Allah, while Allah is the Free of need, the Praiseworthy. (35:15)

Suhayb (may Allah be pleased with him reported) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:

عَنْ صُهَيْبٍ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَجَبًا لِأَمْرِ الْمُؤْمِنِ إِنَّ أَمْرَهُ كُلَّهُ خَيْرٌ وَلَيْسَ ذَاكَ لِأَحَدٍ إِلَّا لِلْمُؤْمِنِ إِنْ أَصَابَتْهُ سَرَّاءُ شَكَرَ فَكَانَ خَيْرًا لَهُ وَإِنْ أَصَابَتْهُ ضَرَّاءُ صَبَرَ فَكَانَ خَيْرًا لَهُ

Wondrous is the affair of a believer, as there is good for him in every matter; this is not the case for anyone but a believer. If he experiences pleasure, he thanks Allah and it is good for him. If he experiences harm, he shows patience and it is good for him. (Muslim)

Fasting

Fasting, another pillar of Islam, also brings tranquillity to the heart, as it helps you control your senses, dampen your desire, and regulate your emotions. Therefore it increases your feeling of peace and tranquillity. Allah states that He is close to us in the ayahs regarding fasting.

Good company

Being part of a community strengthens your connection to Allah Almighty, encourages righteousness, and helps you stay on the straight path. Being aligned with what pleases Him, inculcates tranquility in the heart.

Gaza – superhuman inner resolve

Consider the people of Gaza, despite facing unimaginable loss—their homes, communities, families, loved ones, and livelihoods—they still say “Alhamdulillah” (praise be to Allah). Their inner peace reflects the strength of their imaan (faith). It empowers them to handle external circumstances calmly, despite the deep sadness and pain they naturally feel. They are not devoid of emotion, but managing emotions rather than being controlled by them. Their faith allows them to see the bigger picture: that everything is under Allah’s control, and He is Ar-Raheem (the Most Merciful).

When questioned about the suffering—the bloodshed, the loss of children, women, and the vulnerable—the perspective shifts when viewed from the lens of faith. The events we experience in life are just one part of a greater puzzle. For those who have passed away, their station in the Hereafter is elevated as martyrs (shuhada). Their status in Paradise could not have been achieved without this test, and their sacrifice is honoured in the sight of Allah. Moreover, it is narrated that martyrs feel no pain at the moment of death, as Allah makes it swift and painless for them.

Knowing this instils tranquility in the hearts of believers, enabling them to endure painful and difficult circumstances with extraordinary strength. It transforms them from ordinary individuals into extraordinary ones. Their tests increase their faith. As Allah states:

هُوَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَنزَلَ ٱلسَّكِينَةَ فِى قُلُوبِ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ لِيَزْدَادُوٓا۟ إِيمَـٰنًۭا مَّعَ إِيمَـٰنِهِمْ ۗ

He is the One Who sent down serenity upon the hearts of the believers so that they may increase even more in their faith. (48:4)

Consider the live footage of a man trapped under the rubble of his home, praying Fajr. His house had collapsed, and yet he continued to worship Allah, gesturing and reciting Quran. While rescue workers struggled with anger and urgency to free him, he remained calm, connected deeply to Allah. His faith gave him the superstrength, knowing Allah would deliver him, either from the rubble or into a better station in the Hereafter.

I know we have grown up watching Superman and superheroes, but all of these films are fake, mere fiction. What we are witnessing in Gaza, on the other hand, is real. It’s not fiction. We are seeing real-life supermen and superwomen. Where did they get this power from? From Allah Almighty.  The amount of bombs and rockets and explosions which they have been thrown on Gaza until now is probably four times more than Hiroshima and Nagasaki. In some areas in Gaza 98% of the buildings were demolished. In general, about 75-80% of the buildings of Gaza are demolished.  Despite that, people are still strong. Where did they get this from?  tranquillity descends with their imaan. Their connection with Allah Almighty.  It makes them extraordinary people.

They are being tested by untold and unending difficulties, but their imaan, their connection with Allah Almighty is carrying them through. Allah Almighty is inspiring them with extra power from Him.  When you are satisfied with what Allah Almighty has destined for you, you know that this is for your own good, even though you can’t see the bigger picture. Faith is about believing the Unseen – i.e. you believe in something which you cannot see, you believe in destiny which you cannot see.

We don’t always see the bigger picture of destiny. Often, only when events unfold do we begin to understand a part of it. The complete picture and true knowledge belong to Allah Almighty. Imam al-Junaidi al-Baghdadi (may Allah be pleased withhim) beautifully stated that satisfaction and tranquility are states of the heart. To be in harmony with Allah Almighty’s decree, accepting whatever comes into your life with contentment, even if it’s difficult, is a profound expression of faith. This acceptance—knowing it is from Allah Almighty—is what brings true peace.

Love Allah

The more you love Allah, the more tranquility you feel in your heart. Those who love Allah deeply—the prophets, the righteous, the people of the Quran, and those constantly connected to Allah—are the most tranquil individuals. Their hearts are at peace because their love for Allah envelops them in serenity. They actively seek opportunities to be seclusion with Allah – whether it is in their salah, during itikaf, or retreating away from the material world to boost their spiritual life.

Conversely, the further you distance yourself from Allah, the more misery, anxiety, and unease creep into your life and daily routines. To safeguard your heart and life from such negativity, it is essential to nurture your connection with Allah Almighty.

Inner peace and tranquillity cannot be bought over the counter. Even if you’re a billionaire, you can’t buy this tranquillity. Inner peace is a gift from Allah Almighty for those who believe, for those who are close to Him.  Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) taught us how to get this on a daily basis, morning and evening, and in between your salah, through istighfar, recitation of the Quran and through all the forms of worship we have, like prayer, fasting, paying your zakah. When you do them sincerely for Allah Almighty, you reach get a level of ihsan. Ihsan is to worship Allah Almighty as though you can see Him – to  pray as if you can see Allah Almighty in your prayer; fast, as if you can see Allah Almighty when you’re fasting; pay zakah, knowing that you’re giving this for Allah Almighty’s sake, then it elevates your status, and brings complete tranquillity, tu’maneena in your heart. It’s like describing honey for someone who has never tasted honey.  You say it’s very sweet but unless you taste it, you will not know its flavour.   

When you follow these practices, you nurture the conditions necessary to keep tranquility alive in your life. This inner peace, satisfaction, and serenity come from being in constant connection with Allah Almighty.

Based on the talk by Shaykh Haytham Tamim to the Convert Club – 18th June 2024. Transcribe by S Javaid.

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Shaykh Haytham Tamim is the founder and main teacher of the Utrujj Foundation. He has provided a leading vision for Islamic learning in the UK, which has influenced the way Islamic knowledge is disseminated. He has orchestrated the design and delivery of over 200 unique courses since Utrujj started in 2001. His extensive expertise spans over 30 years across the main Islamic jurisprudence schools of thought. He has studied with some of the foremost scholars in their expertise; he holds some of the highest Ijazahs (certificates) in Quran, Hadith (the Prophetic traditions) and Fiqh (Islamic rulings). His own gift for teaching was evident when he gave his first sermon to a large audience at the age of 17 and went on to serve as a senior lecturer of Islamic transactions and comparative jurisprudence at the Islamic University of Beirut (Shariah College). He has continued to teach; travelling around the UK, Europe and wider afield, and won the 2015 BISCA award (British Imams & Scholars Contributions & Achievements Awards) for Outstanding Contribution to Education and Teaching.

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