Searching for Absolute Happiness in Dinsman’s playIt Is Not a Suicide

In the advent of becoming a modern nation, it is typical that achievement will be measured through power rankings and material fulfilment. One of the most important elements that most people forget is that the true meaning of happiness will define a strong soul in confronting greater challenges in life. Happiness is an area that is mostly subjective. However, that is the major centre of discussion in Disnman’s play, It Is Not A Suicide. In this play, the main character is going through a traumatic experience whereby Adam is trying to redefine the meaning of happiness using his own interpretations. This paper focuses on Dinsman’s absurd theatre style which is prominent in this play. His experiments had successfully highlighted a situation that portrays the weaknesses of humans when the concept of happiness had been misperceived. The confusions become the central thrust of the entire play, where meaning of life is questioned. The painful situation portrayed in the play reflects that humans live in a superficial, empty and meaningless life. The issues raised by the playwright had called for a special attention that the Malay Muslim perception of the concept of happiness should be realigned according to the Islamic teachings specifically. Hence, it becomes an important aspect that should be discussed at the fundamental level. For the purpose of this paper, the discussion will be carried out through the lens of Naquib Al-Attas’ Concept of Happiness. It is hoped that this paper will highlight some solutions that would help to guide many in understanding the importance of finding the true meaning of happiness in order to gain a well-balanced life in this present world and the hereafter.