What are the principles for true happiness?

Steven Covey identified a principle which if a person could live by, it would in fact represent the state of happiness. He called it “the win-win situation” where, you win on both sides. One person’s gain is not the other’s loss. If I win, another wins too. When one looks at things with a positive mind it could in fact create a sense of happiness. However, the reality is that people don’t function that way unless there are other factors that motivate them. We do see people’s success at our expense as if their success is our failure. It is very difficult to find a positive side unless there are higher principles that can guide us. 1400 years ago in Arabia, a man by the name of Suhaib Ibn Sinan who was a disciple of Muhammad (ﷺ) quoted the Prophet saying:

 “How amazing is the affair of the believer. There is good for him in everything and that is for no one but the believer. If good times come his way, he expresses gratitude to Allah and that is good for him, and if hardship comes his way, he endures it patiently and that is better for him”. [1]

In this statement, the Prophet (ﷺ) identified three principles for true happiness: faith, gratitude and patience. Gratitude and patience without faith is not going to work. You may be happy most of the time but without faith you can’t keep it up.

Reference:

[1] Sahih Muslim, 2999