After night there is day | The Sunday Guardian | April 18, 2010 | Page 12
In the early period of his mission, when Prophet Mohammad and his companions were in Mecca, they were facing great hardship. 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 93 of the Quran. It reads: "The glorious morning light is a witness; and the night when it darkens is a witness that your Lord has not forsaken you, nor is He displeased with you, and the future will indeed be better for you than the present." (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 symbolises the succession of positive and negative experience. In our life also there are dark nights and bright mornings, despair and hope, obstacles and ways out. They show that one should not get frustrated 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 man is to work in the present and be sure that someday success will come and bear aloft.
In the case of Prophet of Islam and his companions, this principal proved to be true in the complete sense of the word. In their present, they adopted his Quranic formula and then, later, they achieved an unprecedented success in their mission. This Law of Nature is eternal.
Individual success and group achievement are both covered by this principle. Quite simply, this principle means: work hard in the present and be hopeful about the future.