Man strives and hopes for success. But success depends on the path he adopts to tread. If all his struggles and strivings go in the right direction, he is likely to win success; otherwise he would reap a big failure. This is as much true to spiritual life as to the worldly affairs.
In the Qur’ān, God says that only the code of life He has prescribed for man to follow can lead to falah (success). In other words, if all our strivings are aimed at the Truth, it is well and good. Contrary to it, if one rejects the Truth and strives on his own, depending on his own strength and wealth without submitting himself to God, success is all likely to elude him. He may reap little success but in ultimate analysis in the eyes of God, he will not be entitled to success in the real sense. In that case, in fact he would be ‘wandering in grievous error’.
The Qur’ān (13:14-15) says: “To Him is due the prayer aiming at the Truth. Those whom people invoke beside God cannot respond to them in any way. They are just like a man who stretches his open hands towards water, (hoping) that it will come to his mouth; but it will never reach it. The prayer of those without faith is nothing but wandering in grievous error. To God prostrate themselves, willingly or unwillingly, all those who are in the heavens and on earth, as do their very shadows, morning and evening.”
This ayah makes it abundantly clear that struggle for the Truth, in the way of God, is to win, while the effort made for any other being, power or principle is wrong and futile.
Thus we have to strive for the Truth, making concerted efforts to see to it that the Truth emerges supreme in our life, in our family and in society. While doing so we will have to struggle against evil inclinations of our nafs (soul) and dark whisperings of Satan, the Arch-enemy of man. Besides, we may also have to struggle against the evil forces and wrong traditions prevalent in our society. The Qur’ān calls this comprehensive, all-pronged struggle jihad or s’aee which means concerted and strenuous effort.
While making all these efforts just to earn the pleasure of God, we will have to practise sabr (patience and fortitude) and we will have to strive in the company of other seekers of Truth so that we may strive in unison and encourage one another to strive in the right direction. The Qur’ān (103:1-3) says: “I swear by the declining day, that man is a certain loser, except for those who have faith and do righteous deeds and counsel one another to follow the truth and counsel one another to be patient in adversity.”