Islam: The Faith of Love and Happiness

WHAT DOES ISLAM teach us about the pursuit of happiness? How can we gain true happiness in this life before the next? Find the answers in this eye-opening guide, that will show you how to create meaning in your daily life and become an intimate of God, by one of Indonesias most prominent living spiritual teachers.

Through touching stories, humorous anecdotes and profound insights into the spiritual realm that draw on sacred Islamic teachings, Dr Haidar Bagir shines a brilliant light into the darkness that all too often overwhelms us.

Consisting of twenty nine short and inspirational chapters, this work will take you on a spiritual quest to overcome the maladies of your soul and help you experience true happiness.


This message is vitally important in our dangerously polarised world.
- Karen Armstrong

Islam: The Faith of Love and Happiness offers an antidote [...] by presenting the heart of Islam.
- John L. Esposito

This practical book presents the inner depths of Su? teachings.
- Prof. Komaruddin Hidayat


HAIDAR BAGIR is an influential Islamic thinker based in Indonesia. He earned his masters degree from the Center for Middle Eastern Studies at Harvard University (1992), and a PhD in Philosophy from the University of Indonesia, with a year of research (20002001) at the Department of History and Philosophy of Science at Indiana University, Bloomington.

He has been the recipient of three Fulbright scholarships and his name has been included in the list of the 500 Most Influential Muslims by The Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre for several years in a row. Apart from his activities in various organizations and his being the director of Mizan, a publishing company, he has written a number of popular books. His latest book is Learning to Live from Rumi (2015).

He still actively gives religious lectures and teaches at a number of institutes. He is a sought after speaker at several scholarly seminars, especially in the fields of
philosophy and contemporary Islamic thought.

"This book is greatly needed at a time when the profound vision of the Sufi tradition has been marginalised in much Islamic discourse. Sufis have consistently emphasised the crucial fact that mercy and compassion lie at the heart of the religious quest and this message is vitally important in our dangerously polarised world."
- Karen Armstrong, author of best selling books, Muhammad: A Prophet for our time, Islam: A Short History, A History of God and Fields of Blood.

Terrorist attacks by militant extremists like Al Qaeda and ISIS and the exponential growth of Islamophobia by well funded organizations have brush-stroked the faith of the vast majority of mainstream Muslims. Islam: The Faith of Love and Happiness offers an antidote, to foster a paradigm shift to counter this dark view of Islam by presenting the heart of Islam, the extent to which Islam, the Quran and Muhammad offer a message of love and happiness.
- John L. Esposito, Professor of Islamic Studies, Georgetown University.

This practical book presents the inner depths of Sufi teachings in a way that is directly relevant to our constant efforts to reach for happiness.
- Prof. Komaruddin Hidayat, Islamic scholar and bestselling author of Life's Journey