AN EXAMPLE

This likely happened in 1981. A young Muslim man met me in Delhi and began to cry as he shared his story. He was educated and had a good job, but for some reason, he lost it. This incident left him so despondent that he confessed to me that sometimes he thought of committing suicide. I told him there was no reason to despair. He was still young, and Insha’Allah, he would work for many more years. So why should he worry? I asked him for his diary and wrote this sentence in it: “A gardener sometimes uproots a plant from its place only to replant it in a better spot.”

Then I said, “Go to one of the Gulf countries and try to find work there.” He went to an Arab country and returned after a few days, saying that he couldn’t find a job. I told him that efforts are not made just once but repeatedly. On my insistence, he went again. This time, he found a good job there. He has been there for almost twenty years now and is very successful.

Numerous incidents teach us that success comes after effort. However, effort isn’t a one-time act; it’s an ongoing process. The act of striving should continue not only after failure but also after success. Additionally, effort must align with the intended goal. For example, when a doctor runs a clinic, it’s crucial that people don’t see him as being solely interested in money, with no concern for patients’ recovery.