Enjoy Your Life: The Art of Interacting with People — by Dr. Muhammad Al-Arifi

Enjoy Your Life – The Art of Interacting with People by Dr. Muhammad Al-Arifi is a widely read Islamic self-development book. Translated from the Arabic original Istamti' bi Hayatik (استمتع بحياتك), it teaches you how to deal with people well – family, friends, colleagues and even those who wrong you – using lessons deduced from the life of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. This Darussalam hardcover edition runs to 589 pages and costs £20, with fast UK delivery.

Also searched as: Enjoy Your Life book, Enjoy Your Life by Dr. Muhammad Al-Arifi, Enjoy Your Life Mohamad al-Arefe, Al-Areefi Enjoy Your Life, Istamti' bi Hayatik in English.

Official Darussalam edition · Hardcover, 589 pages · Free UK delivery on orders over £45

Book Details

Title: Enjoy Your Life – The Art of Interaction with People, Deduced from a Study of the Prophet's Life

Author: Dr. Muhammad ibn Abdur-Rahman Al-Arifi (also spelt Al-Areefi or al-Arefe)

Original title: استمتع بحياتك (Istamti' bi Hayatik)

Publisher: Darussalam Publishers

Language: English (translated from Arabic)

Binding: Hardcover

Pages: 589

ISBN: 9786035002042

What Is Enjoy Your Life About?

As the back cover describes it, the book is a collection of incidents from the lives of the Prophet ﷺ and his Companions, stories from our Islamic heritage, and thought-provoking anecdotes from the author's own life. Its aim is to train the reader to enjoy living by practising self-development and interpersonal skills. Instead of abstract theory, every lesson is tied to a real situation: how the Prophet ﷺ spoke to a person who made a mistake, how he won over someone who disliked him, or how he made a newcomer feel welcome.

The result is a practical, systematic guide to self-improvement that also works as a treasure trove of historical stories.

Inside the Book: Real Chapter Examples

The book is made up of short, focused chapters, each built around one skill. A look at the contents page shows how practical they are. Chapters such as "Be kind at the first meeting", "Remember names" and "Be observant and complimentary" deal with making a good impression. "Choose the right topics" and "Use the right flavour" are about how to speak so people want to listen.

A large part of the book teaches you how to correct others without hurting them. Chapters include "Do not criticise!", "Only pass comment on what is good", "Do not be dictatorial", "Make it easy to rectify a fault", "Verify the fault before criticising" and "Convince him of his error". Others cover difficult people and conflict, such as "How to deal with a meddlesome person", "Hold the stick from the middle", "The other opinion" and "Respond to mistreatment with kindness".

The author also shows how the Prophet ﷺ treated different kinds of people, in chapters such as "With adversaries", "With slaves and servants" and even "With animals". Memorable chapters like "Mu'awiyah's hair" and "People are like the minerals of the earth" use famous sayings and stories to make a lesson stick. Throughout, the author stresses "Purify your intention for the sake of Allah", so that good manners become an act of worship rather than a social trick. The pages are also illustrated with colour photographs, which make the book easy to dip into.

Islamic Wisdom, Not Just Self-Help

Enjoy Your Life is often compared with Dale Carnegie's classic How to Win Friends and Influence People. According to a review on ProductiveMuslim, the author read Carnegie's book as a teenager, and the same review describes Enjoy Your Life as the product of around twenty years of research. The key difference is the source of the lessons. Where secular self-help relies on psychology and business stories, Dr. Al-Arifi draws on the Qur'an, the Sunnah and the lives of the Companions, so the reader learns people skills and draws closer to Allah at the same time.

Who Should Read It?

• Young adults and students – build confidence and good character as you start university or work.

• Husbands and wives – practical guidance on gentleness, appreciation and handling disagreement at home.

• Parents and teachers – learn how to correct children and students without breaking their spirit.

• Imams, da'ees and community workers – win hearts the way the Prophet ﷺ did.

• Anyone who enjoys self-development books – and wants advice rooted in Islamic teachings.

How to Read Enjoy Your Life

Because each chapter focuses on a single skill, the book is ideal for reading one chapter a day. Read it, then try to practise that one skill before moving on: remember someone's name, give a sincere compliment, or hold back a criticism. You can keep it on the bedside table or read a chapter aloud to the family after a meal. It also works well for study circles, where each member reads a chapter and shares how they applied it during the week.

A Meaningful Islamic Gift

With its bright hardcover and colourful illustrated pages, Enjoy Your Life is a popular gift for Eid, Ramadan, graduations, weddings and new Muslims. It is suitable for teenagers and adults alike, and its lessons can be put into practice from the very first chapter.

About the Author

Dr. Muhammad ibn Abdur-Rahman Al-Arifi is a Saudi scholar and lecturer, born in Riyadh. He is a graduate of King Saud University in Riyadh, where he has also taught, and he takes a special interest in hadith literature. He has authored more than twenty published works, and Enjoy Your Life, originally published in Arabic, has since been translated into English and other languages.

Related Books from Darussalam UK

For Urdu readers, the same book is available as Zindagi se Lutf Uthaiye (Enjoy Your Life in Urdu). To learn more about the Prophet ﷺ whose example fills this book, read The Sealed Nectar. You may also enjoy The Heights of Success and On The Mountain Peak, or browse our Self-Development & Spirituality and Seerah & Biography collections.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who wrote Enjoy Your Life?

Dr. Muhammad ibn Abdur-Rahman Al-Arifi, a Saudi scholar and graduate of King Saud University in Riyadh. His name is also spelt Al-Areefi or al-Arefe.

What is Enjoy Your Life about?

It teaches self-development and the art of interacting with people, using incidents from the life of the Prophet ﷺ and his Companions, stories from Islamic history and the author's own experiences.

Is Enjoy Your Life an English translation?

Yes. It was originally written in Arabic as استمتع بحياتك (Istamti' bi Hayatik) and this is the English translation published by Darussalam.

How many pages does the book have?

This Darussalam hardcover edition has 589 pages.

What topics does the book cover?

Making a good first impression, remembering names, giving compliments, correcting mistakes gently, avoiding harsh criticism, dealing with difficult people and responding to mistreatment with kindness, among many others.

Is it similar to How to Win Friends and Influence People?

It covers similar people skills, but every lesson is drawn from the Qur'an, the Sunnah and the lives of the Companions rather than from secular psychology.

Is Enjoy Your Life suitable for teenagers?

Yes. The short chapters, simple language and colour illustrations make it suitable for teenagers as well as adults.

Is there an Urdu edition?

Yes. The Urdu edition is called Zindagi se Lutf Uthaiye and is also listed on Darussalam UK.

Is this book a good gift?

Yes. It is a popular gift for Eid, Ramadan, graduations and weddings, and for new Muslims who want to learn Islamic manners.

Do you deliver across the UK?

Yes. Darussalam UK ships from Birmingham to all UK addresses, and orders over £45 qualify for free UK delivery.