Know, O aspirant to the divine secrets, that every science has its masters and every treasure its guardians. Just as the worldly alchemist does not seek the secret of transforming metals in the huts of the poor or the shops of the common blacksmith, but rather from the masters of that rare and noble craft and from the courts of kings where such knowledge is preserved, so too must you understand the source of the True Alchemy. The science of transforming the soul—the art of turning the copper of a base character into the gold of angelic virtue—is not found in every marketplace of ideas. It is not a commodity to be bought and sold, nor is it a philosophy to be deduced by mere intellect. The secrets to eternal happiness (Sa’adat) are the most precious jewels in existence, and they are kept in a single, sublime treasury: the Treasury of Allah. And what is this treasury? It is not a storehouse of gold and silver. The true treasures of Allah are two: the purified hearts of the Prophets and the obedient spirits of the Angels. It is through these chosen vessels that the divine light of guidance flows to creation. Therefore, let it be known with absolute certainty: whoever seeks the knowledge of the path to Allah from any source other than the Prophets—be it from his own flawed reasoning, the whispers of Satan, or the doctrines of misguided philosophers—will inevitably go astray. The end of such a person will be ruin, and his life’s pursuit will culminate in nothing but regret. What will he have gained? He will have gathered nothing more than his own fleeting thoughts and feeble guesswork. He will have built his faith on a foundation of doubt and speculation. He will only come to know the true reality at the moment when it is too late to return—on the Day of Judgment. On that day, the true nature of every soul will be exposed. The false “gold” he manufactured through his ego will be revealed for what it always was: base copper, laid bare for all to see. On that fateful day, it will be said to the one who was blind in this world despite his sight, as Allah declares in the Holy Quran: فَكَشَفْنَا عَنكَ غِطَاءَكَ فَبَصَرُكَ الْيَوْمَ حَدِيدٌ“But We have removed from you your cover, so your sight, this Day, is sharp.” (Surah Qaf, 50:22) On that Day, the barriers of the world will be lifted. The excuses will vanish. The soul will see with perfect clarity the path it was supposed to take and the Lord it was meant to meet, but the chance to return will have passed. This is why Allah, in His infinite mercy, did not leave humanity to wander in this darkness. He sent not one, but approximately 124,000 Prophets, upon them all be peace. What was their universal mission? It was to act as the master alchemists for the human race. They were sent with one primary purpose: to clean the hearts of men from the rust of bad habits, the filth of worldly attachments, and the corrosion of sin—all the impurities that prevent the heart from reflecting the divine reality. To seek this knowledge elsewhere is to reject this immense mercy and to choose certain misguidance. The path to Allah begins and ends with following the guidance of those whom Allah Himself appointed as guides

Yet, one must not be deceived into thinking this ascent is simple or easily attained. Man, in his primordial state, is weak and lowly, his soul clouded by the veils of worldly attachment and base desire. Just as a mirror tarnished by rust and grime cannot reflect the sun, a soul burdened with impurities cannot reflect the divine light. Therefore, without sincere striving and diligent effort, he will never be able to cleanse these impurities to reach his state of completeness. This path demands struggle, for a treasure of such immense value is not won without toil. Consider the worldly alchemists. They speak of a science, a *keemiya*, by which they can transform base copper or bronze into shining, precious gold. This art is notoriously difficult to master, its secrets guarded and unreachable to the common man. It is a pursuit that consumes lifetimes, often ending in failure. Know then, that the spiritual alchemy — the transformation of the soul from its beastly qualities to its angelic potential — is a far greater and more subtle science. It is the true Alchemy. To transmute the lead of a heart enslaved by lust and anger into the gold of a heart filled with divine love and contentment is the most noble work. Yet, this path is even more hidden and unknown to normal people than the secrets of the worldly alchemists. They are busy with the transformation of metals, oblivious to the corrosion within their own souls. It is for this very reason that I have compiled this book. Seeing this great need and this profound ignorance, I have sought to outline the principles of this sacred science. This book is a guide to that true and everlasting success. It reveals the methods to purify the heart, to discipline the self, and to polish the spirit. Therefore, I have given it the name **’Keemiya-e-Sa’adat’ — ‘The Alchemy of Happiness.’** For what greater happiness can there be than to achieve success in the sight of your Lord? What wealth compares to a soul at peace? What kingdom rivals the everlasting gardens of proximity to the Divine? This, then, is the chemistry of that success. This is the guide for transforming the base element of your earthly existence into the gold of eternal bliss. Let the one who seeks true and lasting fortune read on, and with an open heart, begin the greatest work of his life.

Therefore, when we speak of man becoming “the lowest of the low,” it is not a mere poetic phrase. It signifies a descent into a state lower than that of the beasts. For an animal is driven by its instincts for survival and propagation, without the capacity for moral choice or spiritual awareness. But man, when he willingly surrenders to the tyrannical rule of his lust and anger, actively chooses his own degradation. He becomes a slave to his desires, his heart chained to the fleeting pleasures of the senses, his intellect blinded by the fog of passion. In this state, the divine light within him is all but extinguished, and he lives a life of inner chaos, a captive to the very forces he was meant to govern. Press enter or click to view image in full size Photo by Tj Holowaychuk on UnsplashConversely, to become “the highest of the high” is to achieve a victory far greater than any worldly conquest. It is to control, to discipline, and ultimately to govern the armies of lust and anger within the kingdom of the self. The seeker does not seek to annihilate these forces, for they are part of his God-given nature, but to place them under the command of his intellect and his spirit, to be used in service of the divine law and not in rebellion against it. When a person achieves this mastery over his lower self, a profound transformation occurs. The inner noise of conflicting desires subsides, and the heart becomes a calm, clear pool, capable of reflecting the divine. Only then can he truly and totally supplicate before Allah. His worship is no longer a mere motion of the body or a recitation of the tongue, but a full immersion of his entire being. This is the state of true `ubudiyyah (perfect servitude). Press enter or click to view image in full size Photo by Sam Schooler on UnsplashThis noble attribute — to worship without distraction and to live in accordance with divine will — is the very attribute of the Angels (Malak). To attain it is to realize the true completeness of man. For man, in his perfection, combines the physical experience of the earthly realm with the spiritual purity of the celestial one. He becomes the vicegerent on earth who carries the heart of an angel. Such a person is then granted a reward that makes all worldly joys seem like worthless trinkets. He is immersed in a beautiful, nourishing light from Allah — a light of knowledge, certainty, and profound peace. This light becomes his sustenance and his greatest delight. Once he has tasted even a drop of this divine proximity, he finds the transient pleasures of the world bitter by comparison. He will not wish to leave that sacred presence even for a single second, for to be separated from it is the true torment of his soul. Press enter or click to view image in full size Photo by Casey Horner on UnsplashFor him, the ultimate paradise, the core of all bliss, is the promise of ‘Seeing Allah’. The pleasures that come from the eyes, the stomach, and the sexual organs are infinitesimal, fleeting shadows when placed next to the everlasting, overwhelming reality of the Divine Countenance. The joys of the world are like a single spark, while the vision of the Beloved is the eternal sun. To seek anything else as a ultimate goal is to be content with the dust when one has been offered the entire kingdom.

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Know, O dear reader, that to embark upon the path of true happiness, one must first comprehend the true nature of the traveler. Just as a physician must understand the essence of an illness before he can prescribe a cure, so must you understand the reality of your own self before you can hope to purify it. This is the foundational knowledge, without which all subsequent efforts are but a building on sand. Let it be known with certainty that Allah, the All-Wise, did not create man in jest, nor merely to eat, sleep, and pursue fleeting pleasures of this world. To believe so is the gravest of errors. The creation of the human is a profound act, imbued with a serious and magnificent purpose. Man is not without a beginning, for he was brought from non-existence into being by the command of his Lord. Yet, in his true essence, he has no end, for the soul He has breathed into him is eternal. Your life in this world is not the totality of your story; it is merely the first line in an everlasting book. This human, whom you call “yourself,” is a wondrous and paradoxical creation, a compound of two distinct realms. His body is fashioned from the lowly soil of the earth; it is base, temporal, and subject to decay and desire. But his soul — his *ruh* — is a thing of sublime majesty, a divine command, a celestial secret entrusted to this earthly frame. It is from the highest realm, a direct emanation from his Creator, and it carries within it the longing to return to its Origin. This dual nature places man in a state of constant struggle and immense potential. Primarily, in his untrained state, he is dominated by the properties he shares with other creations: the appetites of animals, the ferocity of wild beasts, and the whisperings of deceit from Satan. He is pulled downward by his earthly composition. Yet, herein lies the great test and the greater opportunity. If he strives, if he engages in the sacred struggle against his lower self, he can purify his soul. He can polish the rust from his heart and subdue the base influences. Thus, man stands at a crossroads. He possesses the unique capacity to become the lowest of the low, should he indulge his animalistic nature and neglect his soul. But he also holds the sublime potential to become the highest of the high, should he nurture his spirit, overcome his base desires, and ascend to such a state of purity that he becomes worthy of attaining the presence of his Lord. The entire journey of religion, the very purpose of the Alchemy of Happiness, is this transformation from a state of potential to a state of divine proximity.