PROBLEMS: A SOURCE OF SELF-DEVELOPMENT

PROBLEMS: A SOURCE OF SELF-DEVELOPMENT Avail the Opportunities E VERYONE faces different kinds of problems in life, be they rich or poor, learned or illiterate. According to the Quran, these problems are part of creation rather than an aspect of evil or form of suffering. The chapter Al-Balad (The City) of the Quran clearly states this fact: We have created man into a life of toil and trial. (90: 4) Why did God Almighty create problems or challenges? In the world of nature everything is beautiful and problem-free. The question then arises why were problems created for man to deal with? Why is man an exception to the rule of nature? What is the wisdom behind this scheme of creation? This factor is a great blessing for man. It is meant to give man a special status that was not given to other creatures in this world. That is, he has been given the opportunity for self-development. Other creatures’ lives are pre-determined in every respect. They have no options of any kind. They are as they were created. But man has total freedom. Man can make his own choices. In human life, troubles are like stepping-stones. Man was created with great intellectual potential, but this potential is in a dormant state. In such a situation, problems are challenges; they awaken our mind, activate our nature, and serve as an incentive to turn our potential into reality. Glaciers melt, but they melt according to the laws of nature; rivers flow, but they flow according to the shape of the earth; stars and planets move, but their orbits are pre-determined by the law of nature; trees grow, but their growth is also pre-determined. However, the case of human beings is quite different. Every person is a self-made person. Certainly, they were born under the laws of nature, but after birth, the development of their personality lies in their own hands. Man has the capacity to think for himself. He has the ability for selfplanning and self-development. He has the power to create his destiny by his own endeavours. This freedom sometimes creates problems for man, but these problems are the price of his freedom. And then, as a condition of this freedom,