Maulana Wahiduddin Khan | Quranic Wisdom
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;" (The Quran, 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.
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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.'
