Life is all about ups and downs. From scholars to religious preachers, everyone talks about remaining positive in pessimistic times. However, the question of utmost importance is: how to remain positive in hard times? What are the ways to be followed for this? In this piece of writing I will suggest some ways which can be quite helpful in this endeavour.
As we are Muslims, we can never be pessimists. Allah and His book say that a true Muslim always is optimistic. He can never fall in despair. He has hope against hope. He always has a positive bent of mind. We have a plethora of examples in front of us, where in the times of pitch darkness and hopelessness, the positive bent of mind and hope helped people to come out and become a source of light for others. They scaled inaccessible mountains. They crossed bottomless seas in the hope that there is someone who would never abandon us. So, the first lesson is that Islam is all about positive bent of mind. It makes us hopeful and never leaves us in want.
In order to have a positive bent of mind, one must have the company of positive people. Positive people who can lift each other up in moments of crisis. When there is no hope, they pull you out from the depths of despair. The company of positive people acts as a catalyst in spreading the sense of positivity.
At the same time, we must avoid pessimistic thoughts and people. Pessimistic people act as a barrier to hope and make all bright things dull. In the times of despair, they increase the intensity of despair. In this way, they destroy the essence of positivity.
Fanaticism is the opposite of religion. Religion is about taking things in a positive manner. Pain, death, old age, etc, are not things to be hated but to be considered as a way of positivity and growth. Religion has always built the morale of those who have fallen into the pits of despair. In short, if we want to be positive in every situation, we have to face negativity and come out winning. We must strive to be a source of positivity. It may take time, but there is always the hope that one day we will be ourselves the champions of hope.

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Syed Fazil Bukhari