Smiling Face Always -By Wasequzzaman Mubashshir
“Let us always meet each other with smile, for the smile is the beginning of love.” Mother Teresa
Why do people smile? What’s the reason behind it? Several rationales can be presented for answering the question. But the common theme which is generally acceptable to all is that it’s a burden reducing and happiness promoting mechanism no doubt. As smile comes when the heart is sound and finds peace then surely there can be no other better medicine to cure the heart from all diseases other than smile.
In the society where constructive thinking and altruism are nurtured by its people, a man with a jolly mood and smiling face is always evaluated properly and such kind of man easily gets public acceptance in that society for his such outstanding behavioral pattern. Who doesn’t like a person whose smiling face is the clear cut evidence that from him something better and fruitful can be expected?
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) who has been treated as the world’s most influential personality by prominent author Michale H. Hart, put a greater emphasis on correctness in attitude and smile which is clear from his saying, “Do not think little of any good deed, even if it is just greeting your brother with a smile.” This great man was all the time found very much cheerful by his companion and other people living around him and this was one of his those qualities through which he was able to enter into many people’s heart and brought a large number of people in the shade of the religion of peace, Islam. When smile gets attached with a good looking face (which this wisest man actually had) who doesn’t appreciate that?
It is true to say that a smile can bring a revolutionary change in another’s life. If in front of any person someone gets unconscious because of his illness and he is then brought to hospital, given proper treatment and after getting cured he finds the well-wisher standing before him with a smiling face won’t it bring any change in his life? It will be seen that without any medicine his disease will be half cured on the spot because of having such a kind-hearted and broad-minded man beside him.
From the viewpoint of Buddhism smiling contains a great significance which is very much explicit from their showing obedience to the statue of Laughing Buddha. The Laughing Buddha is cherished all over the world by the devout Buddhist people. He is found in homes, restaurants, places of business and so on. The Laughing Buddha is the Buddha of abundance and happiness. He is also known as the “Buddha of Wealth”. It is believed he will bring wealth and prosperity to a home or business. It is very easy to recognize the Laughing Buddha. He is shown wearing a robe and prayer beads often hang around his neck. He is bald and has a big fat tummy. He is always happy; thereby the name the “Laughing Buddha”. Many claim he makes problems disappear. Keeping the Laughing Buddha in the home ensures a happy home. Who does not want to be happy? (Source: http://goodlucksymbols.com/laughing-buddha/)
Smile must come from the heart and it should make reflection of truthfulness and honesty. A villain also gives smile before the ordinary people to hide the darker part of their heart and playing the game of deception he indirectly implements his blue print which ultimately leads to disorder and destruction. Therefore, in order to reflect the truthfulness of smile it is a condition precedent that a person should have the purity of heart. Until the sanctity of heart is gained there will never be any cordiality in the smile though it’s possible to give a devilish smile which is never acceptable.
The more a person will smile the more beautiful and happier a person’s life will be. Doctors nowadays suggest for laughter therapy to those who generally suffer from mental distress and heart disease but it must be kept in mind that proper directions to be happy in life which are age-old in nature have been made in almost all the religions of the world. It is a common theme inherent in every religion that a person’s being truly happy and his real satisfaction lie largely upon how much cheerful he remains in his personal life. When in the Holy Quran it again and again comes that those who fully depend on the Almighty there is no reason to be scared anymore, it indirectly signifies that in order to remain happy in life in true sense a person should have a strong spiritual basis. In other words, those who want to enjoy their life with a delighted mind and heart they should acquire spirituality at first and then automatically the smile of peace and satisfaction will be clearly seen in their face and thus they will be able to say with Mevlana Rumi, “I smile like a flower not only with my lips, but with my whole being.”
If a deeper analysis is made regarding the quote of Mother Teresa mentioned at the very beginning it will stand that smile is the first step of rejecting selfishness and promoting brotherhood and it is one of the effective means to forget all sorts of distinctions and prioritize the unity. A lovely smile is the very beginning approach of providing helping hands to the underprivileged class of the society and it is the best medicine to cure various social diseases one of which is the serious discrimination between the rich and poor.
War and conflicts have affected the entire world which are snatching the smile from many people’s face and filling the lives of innocent people with endless and unspeakable sufferings. The Muslims of Palestine, Syria and Bosnia-Herzegovina, the Rohingya Muslims and Uyghur Muslims have already forgotten what the real happiness is. The sun of cheer and joyfulness has set in their lives. Why not? Where it is deserved from the Muslim World that they are always ready to make any kind of support for their brothers in faith when they are in danger, in one hand the Saudi Kings who are sometimes treated out of ignorance as angels and the so called ‘keepers’ of humanity are indulged in fulfilling their own selfish desires, compete with the Western world to make unnecessary gain and on the other hand the leaders of many Muslim majority countries are involved with internal conflicts among themselves and thus humanity cries in silence.
How will the war afflicted people again be able to smile again? Their face will again be bright with smile when the people with good conscience will stand beside them with a smiling face. Again the whole atmosphere will be filled with peace and harmony when all people from individual level will smile at first and then teach others to smile through their magical wand. And that magical wand is not the stick of a wizard in literal sense rather their such wand will work as the spreader of light and peace. Above all when people will learn to realize the true spirit of humanity and become optimistic in their thinking and attitude only then all the existing diseases of the world will be entirely cured and a new sun of blessings and glad tidings will rise again.
“And most certainly shall We try you by means of danger and hunger and loss of worldly goods, of lives, and of [labour’s] fruits. But give glad tidings unto those who are patient in adversity- who, when calamity befalls them, say, “Verily, unto God do we belong and verily, unto Him we shall return.” (Al Qur’an, 2: 155-156)- Chaos is an everyday phenomenon in this worldly life. It has been continuing since the creation of Adam (peace be upon him) when Iblis was the main reason behind this at that moment. Life is not confined only within chaotic situations as it is seen everyday all around rather there are several beautiful things in this world to have a positive impression in our mind. There are various ways to develop constructive thinking and constructive attitude. If it can be done then neither anybody will suffer from hypertension and heart disease nor there will be any disorder and conflict in the society at large.
The writer is studying Law at Eastern University.