After Deprivation

actions and not God’s. For if one were to see God’s work, instead of complaining, he would set himself to use it. In this world, after every failure, the possibility of new success remains. All that is required is that one should seize that possibility and make himself successful once again. In Al-Risala (December 1988), the story of Canadian athlete Ben Johnson (b. 1961) was published. In the world championship race, he won first place with great success. However, the very next day, his gold medal was taken away, and a harsh decision was announced: he would be barred from all competitions for the next two years. For Ben Johnson, this was the greatest setback of his life. But he did not waste time protesting against the “unjust judges.” Instead, he immediately began to plan anew for his training. In November 1988, Italy’s television network filmed an interview at his residence in Toronto, which was later reported in newspapers. According to The Times of India (29 November 1988), the world champion sprinter wept as he told the television camera that he had never knowingly broken any sporting rule. Yet he continued his training and dreamed of returning at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona. He said that his athletic record on the track was the result of thirteen years of continuous hard work. He appeared visibly distressed. Remembering the painful moments after the Seoul Olympics, he broke down in