“ Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts” Winston Churchill
Almighty Allah has created the whole universe which contains numerous animate and inanimate objects and each creation has its own importance. A nothing is useless. Among all other creatures, man has been elevated to the status of nobility. This status of nobility has put a huge responsibility on his shoulders to behave and act in likely manner. Since life is not a bed of roses rather it is the blend of ups and downs. It is the journey of upheavals. It is sometimes sweet but at times it is bitter. It offers boundless joy on the one hand and on the other it showers sorrows and inflicts pain. One experiences success in one field, but failures in the other. However during times of grief, sorrow and failure, one has to remain steadfast and hopeful. A well known dictum “ failures are the pillars of success” offers a positive aspect of the term ‘failure’ and encourages the person, who suffers it, to carry on with the efforts towards the goal and not to give in. No doubt man is born with the nature of committing mistakes. If a person repeats the same mistake, he is bound to fail. On the contrary, a person who does not do so rather learns from the mistake committed, is destined to succeed for sure.
A person who fails in one field doesn’t mean his complete failure. Since life provides ample opportunities to a person and it is up to that person to grab them at the right moment. Valuing time is an essential trait that makes a person disciplined. A disciplined person is unlikely to fail in achieving his goal. If so happens, he takes it as a countable step towards the goal. Hence the point of wisdom is to learn from the failures, take them as the countable steps and carry on with the renewed vigour in the journey to success.
In fact all the religions teach us that failures are the stepping stones to success and one should never lose hope rather learn from the failures. The religion of Islam is no exception. It too has a very thoughtful and hopeful outlook regarding failures, set backs and hardships. The teachings of Quran and the life of prophet Muhammad (Peace and blessings be up on Him) guides us on how to handle failure with patience, hope and renewed effort. Islam teaches us, failures are not punishments but opportunities to strengthen our patience (sabr) and trust in Allah. It is a moment to show patience and keep striving. Islam encourages that instead of seeing failures as an end, a believer is asked to analyse mistakes, repent if necessary and improve. To cut short, Islam also teaches that failures are not defeat, but stepping stones to growth, spiritual reward and eventual success.
Allama Iqbal (AR), a renowned philosopher and poet remarks,
“ Sitarun se aage jahan aur bhi hain
Abhi Ishq ke Imtihan aur bhi hain”
“beyond the stars are yet more worlds; There are still more tests of love to face.”
This shows that every failure is just a step and there are always higher goals to achieve.
Think of Thomas Edison, the great inventor. He failed more than a thousand times before he invented the light bulb. When asked about his failures, he said,” I have not failed. I’ve just found a thousand ways that won’t work.” Even Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam , Missile Man, faced several failures in his early projects at ISRO. But he did not give up. Instead, he used his failures as lessons and went on to make India proud. If we talk of Abraham Lincoln, he failed in business, lost elections multiple times and even suffered nervous breakdown. But, he never gave up. Finally, he became the 16th president of the USA and is remembered as one of the greatest leaders in history. All these stories teach us the lesson that failures is not the end- it’s the beginning of learning and every set back hides an opportunity.
Let me quote a story of a village student, who after failing three times in a high school board examination, got frustrated and left his home in disgust. As he walked through the outskirts of his village, he felt thirsty. He saw a few women with children, carrying water from a well. As he came close to the well, a stone caught his sight, whose surface was worn out by the clay pots that the women put on while drawing out water from the well. At once he learnt a lesson from this sight. He thought that if these fragile clay pots overpower the hard and strong stone by persistence, why can’t he pass the exam by putting in more efforts and by remaining persistent. He went back home with renewed hope and determination and began to prepare for the exam. With the result he passed the exam in first division. Not only this, he topped the graduation and went to foreign and pursued Doctorate Degree. This seemingly small sight taught him a great lesson of life that consistency and perseverance are an antidote to failure.
In conclusion, failure is not the final destination but a part of life’s journey. Students who face academic failures and set backs need to show resilience by seeking the requisite support, adjusting their strategies and continuing their educational journey. Moreover it is hard work, will power, adaptability and innovation that needs to be taken into account while boarding the life’s journey. It has been well said that who never fails in life has never tried to do something new and special. Need is to take failure a positive aspect not a negative one.

Email;--------------------hussainnisar717@gmail.com