Peace is the source of all peace. When a person is in harmony with himself, he can live in harmony with others. In the Qur’an, we encounter the word “self” being used in the context of a group of people. Indeed, it is from the depths of the self that peace radiates forth.  Inner peace requires that a person’s relationship with himself is clear and that his goals and objectives are understood and in harmony with his inner being. These are all things that were and are beyond our control. Allah says: 

اللَّهَ إِنَّ ۗاللَّهِ مْرِأَ مِنْ يَحْفَظُونَهُ خَلْفِهِ وَمِنْ يَدَيْهِ بَيْنِ مِنْ مُعَقِّبَاتٌ لَهُ” “…بِأَنْفُسِهِم مَا يُغَيِّرُوا حَتَّىٰ بِقَوْمٍ مَا يُغَيِّرُ لَا

“There are guardians over everyone, both before him and behind him, who guard him by Allah’s command. Verily Allah does not change a people’s condition unless they change their inner selves…” (Surah Ar-Rad, 13:11)

Inner peace is for most of our lives very elusive; we never seem to get our hands on it. Many of us mistake personal pleasures for inner peace; we achieve elements of pleasure from a variety of things. We did not choose which family to be born into; we did not choose which body for our spirit to be blown into, this is not our choice. So whatever we find of these kinds of obstacles then we just have to be patient with them and realize that they are not obstacles. Allah says: 

: فَإِنِ اعْتَزَلُوكُمْ فَلَمْ يُقَاتِلُوكُمْ وَأَلْقَوْا إِلَيْكُمُ السَّلَمَ فَمَا جَعَلَ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ عَلَيْهِمْ سَبِيلًا

“So if they remove themselves from you and do not fight you and offer you peace, then Allah has not made for you a cause for fighting against them.” (Surah An-Nisa 4:90)

We are faced with problems and disappointments at home, at work, and within ourselves, and our faith in Allah must be strong if we are to endure them and prevail. This faith must be accompanied by genuine devotion that emanates from deep within the heart before manifesting itself in our outward worship. Allah says: 

هَلْ أَتَاكَ حَدِيثُ ضَيْفِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ الْمُكْرَمِينَ إِذْ دَخَلُوا عَلَيْهِ فَقَالُوا سَلَامًا ۖ قَالَ سَلَامٌ قَوْمٌ مُّنكَرُونَ

Has there reached you the story of the honoured guests of Abraham? When they entered upon him and said: We greet you with peace, so he answered: I greet you with peace, a people unknown.” (Surah Adh-Dhariyat 51:24-25)

Inner peace involves recognizing the problems that we have in our lives, recognizing our obstacles, recognizing that inner peace will only come when we identify those obstacles and understand which of them we can change and that we focus on those obstacles we can change, the ones which are related to our self. Our submission should be to our principle and values in our hearts.  Allah says: 

وَإِن جَنَحُوا لِلسَّلْمِ فَاجْنَحْ لَهَا وَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّهُ هُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ

“If the enemy inclines to peace, then incline to it also and rely upon Allah. Verily, it is He who is the Hearing, the Knowing.” (Surah Al-Anfal 8:61)

Inner peace is what we call towards. No one of us can expect the whole world to respond positively to what he advocates, nor is it right that it should. We must be at peace with what Allah decrees for us, though we should seek by way of Allah’s decree to avoid the harm of Allah’s decree this did not even happen for Allah’s select Messengers.

Here are some ways to purify our hearts with the remembrance of Allah : 

1. Peace express gratitude to Allah for His blessings 
2. Peace is calling on Allah by His Beautiful Names
3. Peace is remembering Allah at all times helps us
4. Peace is made Dua (supplication) to Allah (SWT)
5. Peace is thought positive thoughts about Allah
6. Peace compete with each other in doing good
7. Peace forgot to sit, think about what we have
8. Peace recite the “dearest phrases to Allah”
9. Peace understand the reality of this Life
10. Peace is content with Allah’s Decree
11. Peace avoid worldly comparisons
12. Peace is read the Quran regularly
13. Peace is thankful to Allah Almighty
14. Peace accepting Allah in our hearts
15. Peace brings about a complete calmness
16. Peace is understood as the Majesty of Allah
17. Peace is reached through submitting to God
18. Peace make effort and leave the rest to Allah
19. Peace serve and maintain relations with others
20. Peace understand the deen and feel more at ease
21. Peace never put us in anything that we can’t handle
22. Peace seek Allah’s forgiveness by saying “Astaghfirullah”
23. Peace is being grateful to Allah for all the blessings that we have

Many of us mistake personal pleasures for inner peace; we achieve elements of pleasure from a variety of things, be it wealth, sexual relations or other than that. But these do not last, they come and go. Yes we have personal pleasures from time to time and we are pleased with various things from time to time, but this is not inner peace. Allah says:

وَعِبَادُ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الَّذِينَ يَمْشُونَ عَلَى الْأَرْضِ هَوْنًا وَإِذَا خَاطَبَهُمُ الْجَاهِلُونَ قَالُوا سَلَامًا

“The servants of the Most Merciful are those who walk upon the earth in humility, and when the ignorant address them, they say words of peace.” (Surah Al-Furqan 25:63)

If we look at the obstacles in life, we can put them under a variety of headings: personal problems, family issues, financial dilemmas, work pressures, and spiritual confusion. We have to be able to distinguish which obstacles are within our control and which ones are beyond our control. What we perceive as obstacles beyond our control, the reality is that they are not.

Attaining peace according to the Quran:

• “Surely I am of the Muslims?” (Fussilat, 41:33)
• “If you are thankful, I will increase you. “ (Quran, 14:7)
• “Verily, I have created man in toil (struggle).” (Quran 90:4)
• “Perform the prayer for My remembrance…” (Quran, 20:14)
• “In the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest. “ (Quran, 13:28)
• “When you enter houses, greet yourselves with peace.” (Quran, 24:61)
• “Verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest.” (Quran 13:28)
• “Verily, in the remembrance of Allah, do hearts find rest.” (Quran, 13:28)
• “It is a grievous matter with Allah that you say what you do not do.” (Quran, 61: 3)
• “Whoever sets the Hereafter as his goal, Allah gathers his affairs for him, gives him the richness of (faith in) the heart and the world will come to him grudgingly and submissively.” (At-Tirmidhi, 2465)
• “Everything on earth will perish. But the face of your Lord full of Majesty and Honor remains. “ (Quran 55:26-7)
• “If you give the son of Adam a valley of gold he would want another one.” (Al-Bukhari, 6439)
• “Indeed, We have sent it down as an Arabic Quran, so that you may understand.” (Quran 12:2)

These are all things that were and are beyond our control. We did not choose which family to be born into; we did not choose which body for our spirit to be blown into – this is not our choice. So whenever we are confronted with these kinds of ‘obstacles’ then we just have to be patient with them and realize that they are not obstacles. Allah says:

وَيَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الرُّوحِ قُلِ الرُّوحُ مِنْ أَمْرِ رَبِّي وَمَا أُوتِيتُم مِّنَ الْعِلْمِ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا

“They ask you about the soul. Say: The soul is from the affair of my Lord, and you have not been given of knowledge save a little.” (Surah Al-Isra` 17:85)

Inner peace is for most of our lives very elusive; we never seem to get our hands on it. So the reality is that all of these have not brought inner peace and tranquillity. True inner peace is a sense of stability and contentment which carries us through all the trials and difficulties of life. This is the nature of our lives; we are in struggle, ups, and downs, times of difficulties and times of ease. Allah says:

مَن عَمِلَ صَالِحًـا مِّن ذَكَرٍ اَو اُنثٰى وَهُوَ مُؤمِنٌ فَلَـنُحيِيَنَّه حَيٰوةً طَيِّبَةً​

“Whosoever acts righteously – whether a man or a woman – and embraces belief, We will surely grant him a good life;…” (Surah An-Nahl, 16:97)

So we accept it knowing that God does not put a burden on humans that they are not able to bear. To remove these obstacles we have to focus mostly on self-change. Anger, for example, is an area that we have control over. We can even develop patience, unlike the common idea that some people are just born patients.