19 February 2026

5-minute read

Pessimism, anxiety, apprehension, worry, grief, fear and negative thinking have overwhelmed today’s world. Over time these anxieties end up killing our positive thinking. It is easy to become depressed and lose sight of the bigger picture. BUT…

Be positive! Islam wants us to think positively. Have positive expectations of Allah!

Here are seven reasons why we should be positive as Muslims:

1. Look to the Aakhirah

The first is that in the Quraan, Allah offers us a futuristic vision. Throughout the Quraan, Allah reminds us that life is short. Allah tells us to focus our goals and our thoughts on the eternal life. The crux of one Hadith, which is so inspirational and so full of positivity, mentions that if the person who lived the most difficult life, the most miserable life on earth, is just dipped into Jannah, just for a millisecond and upon being removed, is then asked, “Have you ever experienced any difficulty or hardship?”  he will respond with, “What is difficulty? What is hardship? I don’t know what that is.” Whatever you go through in this world, it is for a short period only, even if you have lost your entire life. The real life is the life of the Akhirah. Allah gives us hope. Allah wants us to be positive. Focus your goals and thoughts on the Aakhirah.

2. Allah has Promised us A Way Out

The second reason why Islam says we should be positive, is that Allah has promised us a way out. In the Quraan there is a Surah which we read often:

فَإِنَّ مَعَ ٱلۡعُسۡرِ يُسۡرًا

Certainly, with difficulty there will be ease.

(Alam Nashrah: 6)

In this surah, Allah Ta’ala is talking about ease, not only in the Aakhirah, but more importantly, in this world as well.

‏وَمَن يَتَّقِ ٱللَّهَ يَجْعَل لَّهُۥ مَخْرَجًۭا

If you focus on ME, I will make a way out for you.

(Talaaq:2-3)

3. Optimism is the Attitude of a Muslim

In light of the famous Hadith where Nabi ﷺ says:

عَجَبًا لأَمْرِ الْمُؤْمِنِ – Amazing is the affair of a Muslim.

إِنَّ أَمْرَهُ كُلَّهُ خَيْرٌ – Indeed, all of His affairs are good.

In every situation there is goodness for a believer. If you’re experiencing prosperity; you thank Allah, and He will reward you. If you’re going through adversity and difficulty; bear it patiently and Allah will reward you. A Muslim is always in a win-win situation.

4. A Believer’s Reaction to every Situation is Gratitude

We learn from the Seerah that whenever Nabi ﷺreceived good news, he said الحمد لله and whenever he received bad news, he said الحمد للهِ على كل حال.  A believer accepts that Allah knows best, why he is going through a particular situation, and why he is being put through a particular test.

5. Rasoolullah ﷺ was a Positive Person

Our Nabi ﷺ was a positive person. And none of us individually or collectively went through as much hardship, difficulty and turmoil as Nabi ﷺ. Yet, in the midst of all that difficulty, the Nabi of Allah was always looking for ways to bring relief. Subhanallah! What a Nabi Allah granted us. He even had hope that his worst enemies would bring Eemaan.

6. Our Rasool ﷺwas an optimist and so were the Sahabah RA.

In those days it was very difficult to be a Muadhin. You had to climb high structures to call out the Adhaan. Abdullah ibn Ummi Maktoom RA was a blind Sahabi, yet his blindness did not deter him from climbing upon these high structures to call out the adhaan, nor did it prevent him from performing Salaah with congregation in the Musjid. It did not stop him from been deputised as a leader of Madinah when Nabi ﷺwent out on expeditions. Undoubtedly, the Sahaba RA were positive, they were optimists.

7. Positivity Results in Achievement

An optimist is an achiever.  A quote, which is so apt, reads, “Pessimists see difficulty in every opportunity, optimists see opportunity in every difficulty.”  If the thoughts in your head are mostly negative, your outlook on life will be pessimistic. You will magnify the negative aspects of a situation, and you will filter out the positives. You will continuously blame yourself and become more depressed. You will automatically expect the worst all the time. You will see things as either good or bad, not somewhere in between. That’s what happens when your thoughts become overly negative.

Be positive! Islam wants us to think positively. Have positive expectations of Allah!

{Extracted and adapted from Volume One of the book In Pursuit of Purpose by Ml Sulaimaan Ravat}