Turning Loss into Gain

Man’s life is divided into two phases. In the
pre-death life, things are according to man’s needs. In the post-death period, things will be in accordance with man’s desires.

There are 114 Chapters in the Quran. Chapter 103 speaks of an important aspect of human life. The translation of this Chapter is as follows: “Time is a witness that man is in loss, except for those who believe and do good deeds and exhort one another to hold fast to the truth, and who exhort one another to steadfastness.”

Here, “time” refers to human history. This Quranic verse gives a picture of the whole of human history. The verse was revealed in the first quarter of the seventh century, that is, the period before the modern-day civilization. More than one thousand years before this development the Quran gave a sweeping remark that man has been in loss throughout human history. It is very strange that this statement proved to be true. Even the modern developed world is not an exception to this experience.

Loss, mentioned here, is not meant in the sense of physical loss, but in the sense of a feeling of loss. It is a historical experience that every person—rich or poor—does not find fulfilment in spite of achieving all worldly gains.

Why does one have this feeling of loss? It is because man, by nature, has unlimited desires but the achievable things in this world are limited. It is this gap between his desires and achievable things of the world that develops a feeling of loss. But this phenomenon is not an evil, it is rather a great blessing.

If this phenomenon is seen in the light of the Creation Plan of God, it can be explained successfully. Man is born with a high faculty—high taste and high desires. But as faculties do not find satisfaction in this world, it gives us a clue that man’s life is divided into two phases. In pre-death life, things are according to man’s needs. In the post-death period, things will be in accordance with man’s desires.

This situation is not an evil. After understanding this reality, man’s frustration gets transformed into hope. It gives one the strength to spend this waiting period as a beautiful period. For instance, if you have a first class air ticket and you are waiting in the lounge at the airport, the short waiting period would be spent pleasantly because you know that in a little while you would be travelling first class in the airplane. This thinking would surely turn your sense of loss into a sense of gain.