Not made for defeat

EVERY human being wants to be successful in their life but success or failure is in the hands of Allah. However, whoever dedicates their life to the pursuit of excellence, innovation and research is sure to be successful. Success or failure in their own ways are a blessing from the Almighty. Islam guides us not to be despondent at any point in life from Allah’s blessings.

Success or failure hinges on struggle, it consists of efforts that are needed for achieving life-related objectives. If there is no struggle, there is no success. Success or failure cannot occur without confronting challenges, just as crops cannot grow without ploughing the land. For the Holy Quran says “That man can have nothing but what he strives for” (53:39). Thus, the struggle prepares us for success and forces us out of our comfort zones, fostering self-discovery, empathy and wisdom.

Struggle is considered a fundamental aspect of life. It is not merely a negative experience to be avoided, but rather a catalyst for personal growth and achieving meaningful goals. While struggle brings pain, it also brings purpose.

Struggle takes many shapes. Even those pursuing illicit goals — thieves, thugs and criminals — struggle to achieve their nefarious objectives.

If there is no struggle, there is no success.

Therefore, struggle needs to be ethical and legitimate; it should not seek to achieve any evil or malevolent objective. One must strive for betterment day in and day out. In other words, today must be better and tomorrow must be even more so. The stories of struggle of many individuals clearly prove that struggle with a focused mind and willpower leads a person to success and development.

It is also necessary to understand the requirements of the post-success period. Sometimes, success brings short-lived happiness, or even nightmares which ruin life. If a person becomes proud, arrogant or boastful because of their success, they ruin their life. Therefore, one must be humble, offering gratitude to Allah and sharing the benefits of success with others.

Similarly, failure is also a part of life. Sometimes, it is perceived as the end of the road, but it is far from that. Instead, it should be viewed as an opportunity — a chance to learn from our mistakes and correct course. No matter how many times we fail, the key to success lies in taking that next step forward. Each mistake provides valuable lessons, and self-assessment is the bridge to improving and achieving better results. While failure is always a possibility, it should not be accepted as an inevitable outcome or a justification for poor performance, but rather viewed as a learning opportunity.

This is amply explained in the story of Taimur Lang (Tamerlane), a 14th-century conqueror, who overcame severe physical disability — a crippled leg and hand from youth — to build a vast empire through sheer iron will, strategic brilliance and unmatched ruthlessness. His will to continue war was famously tested during a campaign when he was cornered, losing most of his army and taking refuge in a ruin.

A turning point came in his life while hiding. Saddened by his failures, he observed an ant attempting to carry a grain of corn up a high wall. The ant failed 69 times but continued, finally succeeding on the 70th attempt.

It also implies that man, being the crown of creation, is not made for defeat; he can be saddened, upset temporarily and embrace failure but he cannot be defeated. It signifies that while a person can be physically ruined, broken or destroyed by circu­mstances, his spirit, dignity and will to fight remain unde-feated.

Presently, we are facing many challenges, particularly in the education se­­ctor. We put unne­­-cessary pressure on children to stand first in their examinations, thus success becomes the only option. This is not right and needs to be curbed.

It is time to change the narrative and start teaching our children to accept failure, to take it as an opportunity for growth and not as a sign of weakness. Success is important, but resilience is just as critical. The challenges of life cannot always be conquered, and expecting children to emerge victorious in every endeavour puts undue mental strain on them.

Recent studies on mental health in Pakistan have shown a concerning rise in anxiety and depression among children, predominantly shaped by the fear of failure and other societal pressures.

Encouraging children to gracefully accept setbacks helps them build their inner strength to persevere and develop critical life skills such as humility, patience and self-awareness.

Our educational institutions and parenting strategies must cultivate this mindset shift.

The writer is an educationist with an interest in religion.

valianiamin@gmail.com

Published in Dawn, June 19th, 2026

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