Concept of Success and Failure from Islamic and Conventional
Perspective.
Dictionary
Definition of Success and Failure:
Success can be defined as:
·
The
achievement of something desired, planned, or attempted.[1]
·
The favorable or prosperous termination of attempts or endeavors.
·
The attainment of wealth, position, honors, or the like.
·
A performance or achievement that is marked by success, as by the attainment of honors.
·
A person or thing that has had success, as measured by attainment of goals, wealth, etc.[2]
Failure can be defined as:
·
The condition or fact of not achieving
the desired end or ends.[3]
·
Non
performance of something due, required, or expected:
·
A subnormal quantity or quality; an insufficiency:
·
Deterioration or decay, especially of vigor, strength, etc
The
American Heritage Dictionary defines success as:
“The
achievement of something desired, planned, or attempted. Success can also mean
the identification of personal goals and achieving the desired result”.
Success
according to Western Scholars:
David McCullough defines success as:
“Real success is finding your lifework in the work
that you love”.
Zig Ziglar interpret success in the following
words:
“Success
means doing the best we can with what we have. Success is the doing, not the
getting; in the trying, not the triumph. Success is a personal standard,
reaching for the highest that is in us, becoming all that we can be.”
Wilfred Peterson perceives success as:
“Success
is focusing the full power of all you are on what you have a burning desire to
achieve.”[5]
Worldview Definition of
Success:
Americans
tend to define success by money, and by what money can buy. They are known
around the world as a rather materialistic country, always striving after
things and defining success by the accoutrements that money can buy .
Other
countries define success more in terms of whether their work supports their
family life. If they enjoy their work, and if it gives them an opportunity to
spend time with their family and have a balanced life, they’d consider
themselves successful..[6]
Success
and Failure in Life(Conventional perspective):
The
concept of success on the part of the human being is a very old topic, an
ancient topic. From culture to culture the concept of success can be different.
Thanks to the speed in communication and a certain global traffic of ideas, the
concept of success seems to be now almost universal. The concept is almost
reduced to one or two things—success in the field of one’s profession or in
terms of accomplishment. Success is largely gauged in terms of the pursuit of
knowledge, and in terms of economic pursuit. There is a drive for success in
terms of gaining more money and more recognition in society. [7]
Success
according to Conventional Perspective:
The conventional definition of success includes:
1. Collecting things – if you can, nice
things: First collect a car, then a house, then fill it up
with stuff. If you have one, maybe you need a better one. Better and better.
The better is seems, the more successful you must be. The pressure from society
is like an ominous presence.
2. Get a good, stable job that pays well:
3. Moving up in the company
4. Stability of consumption.[8]
The
multitude of definitions that success has merely means that it means different
things to different people. To some success may signify the amount of money
that they make. Having a nice car loaded with all the modern widgets is an
indicator of their place in the food chain. Material possessions may not mean
success to some individuals if they do not find peace and contentment in materialism.
Sometimes
success is measured by milestones. These are not the literal milestones of the
highway but rather the smaller goals that you set on the way to the bigger goal
of your final destination. In setting up a business say you set a goal within
your goal of starting
a restaurant, finding a good location first would be
a good milestone.[9]
The
problem is that many people measure their success and compare themselves with
others. They compare their appearance, contacts, I.Q., family background, and
education, to others not knowing that many successful people have had none of
these advantages.
Genuine
success is what people do with their own potential, their development and
improvement of it, and must be related to their individual objectives and
personal goals.
The
lessons of the ages have proved that success is more than just the accumulation
of wealth and by contrast no one can be a complete failure no matter how lean
their wallet as long as they live a life of daily progress toward goals and
service of others.[10]
Success defined by Dr. Linda Seger as:
“Success”
seems to be the magic word for what we chase after, prepare for, choose,
desire. It’s how we often define our lives. Money, fame, and power are often
what we have been told make up success”.
A
successful Person:
A
successful person is one who keeps on 'successing,' drawing the best out of
opportunities and circumstances where 'best' means bringing out the best in
yourself.
The
meaning of success lies in progressively choosing and reaching the right goals,
as in making sure to include healthy, fresh food in your diet.
The meaning of success
comes from within, one should not be deflected from their truth
by the expectations of others.[11]
The
Meaning of Failure according to Conventional Perspective:
The
word failure got so much meaning in it, it depends on persons
perception. A person is called failure when he is not up to the mark, in a
school this can b decided by exams, but in life or society, there wouldn’t be
written exams but one’s performance shows who is failure. If one’s performance
is not up to the mark then he is a
failure candidate, and Failure can be of two kinds
·
Personal failure.
·
Social failure.
personal
failure depends up on one’s expectation and achievement while social failure
depends on responsibilities and performance in the society. Personal failure
is not at all a failure, but social failure is the real failure.[12]
Failure
is one of those life experiences most of us would rather not like to encounter.
Generally we tend to connect failure with intense self-judgment and inner
criticism. The fear of failure is so strong, we often become hesitant to focus
on inner dreams because
of past failures.
The
only true failure is when we concede defeat and absolutely give up. Failure is
when we beat ourselves up and learn nothing from our setbacks. Confucius is
quoted as saying, “Our greatest glory is not in never falling but in rising
every time we fall.” If we embrace our failures along with our successes, learning from
each, we will grow and achieve. The only people who do not fail are those who
fail to try.[13]
Success
and Failure ( falah and khusran) in Islamic Perspective:
Islam
concerns itself with introducing definitions to every term and concept. The
concept of gain and loss ( falah and khusran) is really interesting specially
when we know that Islam considers life as a test and also looks to man's life as
a span for conducting a deal. Islam makes it clear that, in the eyes of
people, a loser is the one who loses some money or some worldly stuff. As for
Islam, the real loser is the one who is led by his lusts and whims away from
the straight path, the one who spends all his life in delusion. Man is weighed
in Islam, not by the stuff he has, but by the good deeds he has offered to
people around him and the happiness he has offered to humanity.
The Quran gives a bunch of examples of people who were thinking of themselves and were thought of by others as being winners. However, in reality, they were real losers. The story of Qarun and the story of the man of the two gardens are two clear images of such people. Qarun was a tycoon bewildered with his wealth and treasures and sinking to his heels in caring for them thinking that it is the real success to have treasures. Some people, watching from afar, wished once to have the same kind of success, assuming that this is the real bliss.
In the Quran, the fallacy of thinking that those who have might are the winners is totally cleared, since it is stated that the party of Allah, who are pious are always victorious and this is the real victory. [14]
The Quran gives a bunch of examples of people who were thinking of themselves and were thought of by others as being winners. However, in reality, they were real losers. The story of Qarun and the story of the man of the two gardens are two clear images of such people. Qarun was a tycoon bewildered with his wealth and treasures and sinking to his heels in caring for them thinking that it is the real success to have treasures. Some people, watching from afar, wished once to have the same kind of success, assuming that this is the real bliss.
In the Quran, the fallacy of thinking that those who have might are the winners is totally cleared, since it is stated that the party of Allah, who are pious are always victorious and this is the real victory. [14]
In
Sahih Muslim, a hadith reported by Abu Hurairah R.A states that the Prophet,
peace and blessings be upon him, tried once to show his Companions how to weigh
people and how to see who is a real loser and who is a real winner. Thus, he asked:
"Do
you know who is a bankrupt?"
Affected
by the worldly criterions, they answered:
"To
us, a bankrupt is the one who has no money or stuff."
So,
the Prophet said to them:
"A real bankrupt is the one who
brings so many good deeds; fasting, Hajj, prayer, but alongside he brings with
them slandering for this, backbiting that, beating such. People will thus
gather around him to take from his good deeds in compensation of what he has
done, till his good deeds are gone. By then, their bad deeds will be given to
him till he ends up being cast into the Hell-Fire."[15]
Concept
of Success In Islam:
Islam
treats the term ‘success’ in a much deeper and vaster meaning of the term than
simply attaining something as transient as wealth, or fame or position! Islam treats
wealth, or fame, or position in the life of this world as a distribution of the
bounty of the Merciful Lord to any amongst His slaves as He Pleases, and not a
barometer of success.
Islam
treats the term ‘success’ in all its true manifestations; and guides to a path
which will lead to ‘success’ or the accomplishment of one’s aim in this
transient world, and in the eternal Hereafter; without separating the success
of the world from the Hereafter! Islam guides to a Straight Path,
which leads to success both in this world, and in the Hereafter. But
without a doubt, Islam advocates and encourages its believers to strive and
prefer the success of the Hereafter; for that is indeed what
Allah Subhanah calls the Supreme Success. Allah describes successful
people in Quran as:
Success is really attained by the
believers - 23:1.[16]
Thus,
the elements of success as described by Allah Subhanah in the
Glorious Quran relate to two basic and fundamental criterias:
·
Reprieve from
fear,
·
Reprieve from
grief.
And
it is these two fundamental elements of success which are constantly promised
to those who shall be fortunate enough to achieve the Supreme Felicity or
Success in the life of the Hereafter.
Allah
Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 43 Surah Zukhruf verse
68
“My devotees! no fear shall be on you that
Day, nor shall ye grieve”[17]
The
one and only way to attain true success in the life of this world, is to aim
and strive towards achieving success in the life of the Hereafter! Success in
the life of this world, is nothing but a simple by-product of the
success in the Hereafter.
And
the simple formula of success, as stated by the Merciful Lord in His
Glorious Quran, is that one sincerely believes in Allah Subhanah,
follows and stands firm on the Path approved by Allah Subhanah.
Allah
Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 4 Surah Nisaa verse
69.
“And
whoever obeys Allah and the Messenger - those will be with the ones upon whom
Allah has bestowed favor of the prophets, the steadfast affirmers of truth, the
martyrs and the righteous. And excellent are those as companions.”[18]
In
the above beautiful Aayahs of the Glorious Quran,
Allah Subhanah Himself States Who are the
Truly Succesful in His Sight:
The
Prophets are successful
The
‘Siddiqeen’ or the ‘sincere lovers of the Truth’ are successful
The
‘Shohadaa’ or the ‘martyrs’ and thus the ‘witnesses of Truth’ are successful
The
‘Saaleheen’ or the righteous doers of good are successful.
The
True Believers are successful.
Concept of Failure in Islam:
Failure
is the exact opposite of success! It is indeed amazing that the people who
strive their utmost all their lives in the accumulation of wealth and fame of
this world and give little or no importance to their everlasting life in the
Hereafter, thinking they are following the pursuit of success; will reach their
destination One Day only to realize that they followed nothing but a mirage and
dreams of falsehood![19]
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter
57 Surah Hadid verse 20:
“Know
that the life of this world is but amusement and diversion and adornment and
boasting to one another and competition in increase of wealth and children -
like the example of a rain whose [resulting] plant growth pleases the tillers;
then it dries and you see it turned yellow; then it becomes [scattered] debris.
And in the Hereafter is severe punishment and forgiveness from Allah and
approval. And what is the worldly life except the enjoyment of delusion.[20]”
The
Qur’aan depicts the state of those who refused to follow the path of success
and insisted on following the path of evil and failure, and described their
situation on the Day when results will be shown, and it will be known who
succeeded and who failed:
-----------------------------
