In the early period of his mission, when the Prophet of Islam and his Companions were in Makkah, they were facing great hardships that led to despair and frustration. It was a grim situation. The Companions started asking whether their mission had strayed into a blind alley. At this critical time, God Almighty revealed chapter ninety-three of the Quran. It reads:“By the glorious morning light; and by the night when it darkens, your Lord has not forsaken you, nor is He displeased with you, and the Hereafter will indeed be better for you than the present life; (93:1-4)

These Quranic verses refer to a phenomenon of nature. Due to the rotation of the planet earth on its axis, there is a constant succession of day and night. This natural phenomenon gives us a great lesson for our life. The succession of day and night symbolizes the succession of positive experience and negative experience.

In our life as well there are dark nights and bright mornings, despair and hope, obstacles and ways out. These show that one should not become the victim of frustration by looking only at one’s present. One must be hopeful about the future.

The present is temporary, like the night, and it is certain that after some days there will be a bright future. So, the best policy for a person is to work in the present and be sure that someday success will come and bear him aloft.

In the case of the Prophet of Islam and his Companions, this principle proved to be true in the complete sense of the word. In their present, they adopted this Quranic formula and then, in the later days, they achieved unprecedented success in their mission.

This law of nature is eternal; it applies to individuals as well as to groups of people. Individual success and group achievements are both covered by this common principle. Quite simply, this principle means: work hard in the present and be hopeful about the future.

Life is divided into two parts: the period of struggle and the period of achievement. The period of struggle is like night and the period of achievement is like day. Night certainly leads into morning, and this is true likewise of human life. One’s struggle is bound to create a bright future. The only policy we are required to adopt is ‘wait and see.’

Problems: Blessing in Disguise

The British MP Enoch Powell once said: “For a politician to complain about the media is like a ship’s captain complaining about the sea.” This comment by the British MP is true. It applies not only to politicians, but to all human beings, both men and women.

The truth is that life is a challenge and everyone, regardless of their sphere of action, is faced with this problem. There is no escaping from it. If the captain of a ship takes the waves of the ocean to be a problem, he will be beset by frustration. But, when he takes the situation as a challenge, he will be able to face it with optimism.

The same is true of every individual. According to the law of nature, everyone is faced with problems, both inside and outside the home. If he takes problems as problems, he will lose hope and end in failure. However, if he takes the problems that arise as challenges, he will consider them in a level-headed way and, by using his powers of reasoning, will be able to solve them successfully.

The existence of problems in life is not an evil. It is rather a blessing in disguise. In actual fact, it is problems that activate our minds. The occurrence of problems always leads to brainstorming; they save us from intellectual stagnation by stimulating intellectual awakening. The fact that problems result in creative thinking is the greatest blessing for all human beings. If you attribute problems to the instrumentality of others, you will become negative in your thinking. On the contrary, if you regard problems as integral to the law of nature, you will tackle them in a cool and calm fashion.

Problem-oriented thinking develops a negative mindset. On the other hand, challenge-oriented thinking develops a positive outlook, which is far more precious than gold or diamonds.