Love of success is a natural phenomenon, from the very beginning of the creation every person wants that all of his efforts and attempts are crowned with success. No one desires to embrace the failure or defeat, even the defeated person is not ideal for anyone.
People have a lot of desires, strong wishes. They desire to own every beautiful and precious thing that comes in their ways. Even they want to be a Touchstone (philosopher’s stone) as it converts any metal it touches into gold. Holy Prophet (SAW) has explained this desire:
“If a son of Adam were to own a valley full of gold he would desire to have two. Nothing can fill his mouth except the earth. Allah turns with mercy to him who turns to him in repentance.” (Sahih Bukhari: Hadith No. 6439, pg 1176, Dar ul Kutub al Ilmiya, Bairoot)
No one wants to step forward to endeavor, struggle or even to move his eyelashes. He does not work hard and leaves everything on its fate. They believe that a miracle would happen to help them. He forgets the law of success mentioned in the Holy Quran: “And that man can have nothing but what he does (good or bad).” (An-Najam:39)
In fact, the majority of people waste their health and wealth of time. They do not value these two blessings in prosperity and health. As Holy Prophet said:
“There are two blessings in which many people incur a loss, health and free time.” (Sahih Bukhari: Hadith No. 6412, pg 1172, Dar ul Kutub al Ilmiya, Bairoot)
No success (the worldly or the heavenly) is achieved without moving hand; it is based on the struggle and hard work. As a poet says:
Action is man’s mirror, words don’t ever count;
In his work appears the extent of his mind;
The Jannah is surrounded with adversities if any other hardship doesn’t befall on him at least he has to worship Allah, offer prayers, keep fast for him, to do pilgrims and other good deeds. These acts of worships are hard work and adversity.
As Holy Prophet has said
The hell is surrounded with all kinds of desires and passions while Jannah is surrounded with adversities. (Sahih Bukhari: Hadith No. 6487, pg 1183, Dar ul Kutub al Ilmiya, Bairoot)
Philosophy of failure:
In individual or collective affairs, the basic cause of failure is not lack of resources. But lacking decision power, reluctance, mental tiredness, inactiveness, and maladjustment are the qualities that lead to failure. A person who does not make any effort he should be ready to face failure.
Everyone should keep these golden words of Hadhrat Muaviyah in his mind: “No one can be wise except the one with experience.” (Sahih Bukhari: pg 1124, Dar ul Kutub al Ilmiya, Bairoot)
It is the historical fact that for a number of times well equipped & great armies were defeated by the small armies. For example, Tariq bin Zayad who knew a good beginning is half of the battle. When he attacked Spain with the army of 12 thousand having rusty swords and ill-equipped but after he burnt the ships to focus on one point that do or die and without having any intention of running back from the battlefield. This positive approach worked for him and his army overcame on 1 lac Spanish soldiers. It was proven “Where there is a will there is a way”.
On the contrary Caliph Mustasam who had about 3 lac soldiers and was invited by Jalal ud din Khwarzmi to attack the Tatars but he did not dare to attack due to the fear that in case of defeat Tatars will make ruin Baghdad. And then without a fight, he was defeated and Baghdad was made the past story as out of 20 hundred thousand only 4 hundred thousand people were able to escape their lives. He (Mustasam) was like a person burning in the fire did not make any effort to escape; he can’t blame anyone for his death but to himself.
A right time to begin something
Here a question arises “What is the right time to begin something?
The answer is “Now”! It is the most important time because it is the only time when we have any power.
The much-needed thing is that a person should not daydream but if he had made up his mind to do a work and then with eagerness, passion, enthusiasm, he should make all his efforts.
Whenever a person intends any task he first tries to draw the sketch or make planner of the work as a famous proverb: Look before you leap. If the work is not crying for the spilled milk, he should start the work and never look back because where there is a will there is a way. But don’t count your chickens before they are hatched.
Results of human effort
Any human effort is not free out of three results. Failure and success are a massive part of life. Everything that is done can be interpreted as being successful, half-successful or a failure.
Success: Being successful means that the expectations that were given were outshined. It means he has achieved the desired result or his destination.
Half success: Sometimes a person does not achieve the complete success but still half of the work is done this is also not a total failure. So he should take it positively as half a loaf is better than none that means something is better than nothing.
Failure: Sometimes a person totally fails and nothing is achieved but still he must not be disappointed.
Every effort of the great people is not ever crowned with success. And neither the greatness of a man is confined in the success. They also face failure. The greatness and success is a result of consistency, struggle, confidence, and the way he handles the obstacles in case of failure.
In simple words “Success does not consist in never making mistakes but in never making the same one a second time.” Holy Prophet (SAW) has explained:
A believer is not to be stung twice (by something) out of one and the same hole.”(Sahih Bukhari: Hadith No. 6133, pg 1124, Dar ul Kutub al Ilmiya, Bairoot)
All the great men failed, and they failed often. Think of Thomas Edison. How many times did he fail to find the right filament for his light bulb? He faced failure about 300 times but never left the struggle. He said: “Failure is the opportunity to begin again, more intelligently.” Due to his consistency and hard work he registered 1300 inventions under his belt in his life.
If anyone fails after a lot of hard work he should not be dis-hearted. Every good action is not fruitful in this worldly life & temporarily. The result will be heavenly & eternal peace.
And if any action is judged in this scenario after a great hard work, enthusiasm, making a good policy and executing it sincerely in the best manner, he should not be disappointed as this is reality Allah Almighty does not waste the good deed of good people. As Holy Quran Says: Surely Allah wastes not the rewards of Muhsineen. (At-Taubah : 120)
Holy Prophet said:
How wonderful is the case of a believer, there is good for him in everything and this applies only to a believer. If prosperity gratitude to Allah and that may be good for him and if adversity befalls him he endures it patiently and that is better for him. (Sahih Muslim: Hadith No. 2999, pg 1144, Dar ul Kutub al Ilmiya, Bairoot)
Secondly, he comes to know this is a wrong way, he has to adopt another way by which he can achieve his task.
Failure is often a better teacher in life than success. Because we learn from our mistakes and hope we won’t have to go through them again. As quoted in Hadith: It is not good for a Muslim to be deceived by one hole twice.
In short, if a person has great ambitions & goals but he does not achieve those tasks, still he will gain many short goals. For example, a person sows a fruity tree if, in the end, it does not produce the fruit but still, he will not be deprived of shadow and it will decrease the pollution. Or anyone intends to illuminate the world with knowledge and wisdom but he fails in doing so still he will lit small candles which will give light in the small place. At least few persons will be educated and they will spread his mission. And it will become Sadaqa Jaria for him.
Conclusion:
Keep going until you shine,
Failures before that moment is totally fine,
The times you fail, it can turn you down,
The times you keep going, it’s the opposite of a frown,
You’ll reach success if you wait a bit,
To get there, there’s no reason to quit.