Start a huge, foolish project, like Noah (AS), it makes absolutely no difference what people think of you: Moulana Rumi
Here I write about a friend who has greatly inspired me for a long time. However, it is not his post or the position he holds now that entices me, but the struggle to reach it and the upheavals he had to undertake. I am writing it now because I felt this is the right time to write about him.
Last week, the result of NEET was declared, and a poor boy Umar Ganaie, who had to work many odd jobs to feed his family made it in a maiden attempt without any coaching, which indeed was an example for the likes of many who weave excuses after failure. The NEET qualifier from Pulwama district, who, according to his interview, would work as a painter during the day and study at night and had reduced his sleep to only three hours, didn’t startle me even a bit, given that all the achievers in the world have to go through that same struggle without making excuses. Although there is something that I appreciate about these achievers, it is their courage and their faith, which most people, especially the young ones, lack in huge quantity and quality. They say that nothing comes for free; for everything, you have to pay the price, sometimes a huge one. The price may not be cash but your sacrifices in the form of mental, emotional, physical, and so on and so forth.
Now, meet my friend Dr. Iqbal Malik. They were eight members in the family with a meagre income from his father who would lead prayers in a local masjid at Zirhama in the Kupwara district. Dr Iqbal, who works as an Assistant Professor at Degree College Pampore in the faculty of Islamic studies and holds the position of HOD of the department now, had big dreams despite being deprived of quality education. He did his schooling at a local government school and college in his native district. During his school and college years, he would simultaneously work as a part-time labourer to continue his studies, and for his Masters, he chose IUST Awantipora. Soon after his Masters, he qualified for the NET and JRF and left for further studies. He felt the need to go to the Central University of Punjab, where he studied extensively for 18 long hours a day. However, being from a poor background, he was stigmatized and hurled with so many toxic words, like “you can’t achieve your goal; you’ve gone nuts” and other vindictive words, by his immediate relatives, society and its people. But he didn’t lose hope but kept working, growing, and elevating himself. As they say, hard work pays; so before being awarded a Ph.D. degree, he was already appointed as an Assistant Professor by JKPSC in 2016.
I keep asking him about his journey and the road, which was tougher than tough, and he always replies with these lines: “There is no fear in dreaming big, provided you are courageous, disciplined, dedicated, honest, and have consistency. The world belongs to only those who have the above ingredients. Rest live to pass days.”
He further adds that he has never been satisfied even after reaching the target position; for him, satisfaction is death, and he wants to soar higher and higher until he dies like ‘Uqab’, since stagnant water stinks and is considered impure by the jurisprudence of Islam.
Writing about him has the purpose of showing that one should never lose hope and should never be hampered because of economic conditions, as when one dream big, only death has the power to stop him, for the rest are lies. As mentioned already, failure always comes with excuses, but an achiever shuns them and blames himself/ herself for not handling them properly, for he knows external agencies have no role in either case, be that success or failure, and it is in the mind of the one who has taken the road to be positive, stay strong, and do the required handwork to reach the target, for nothing comes free, not even paradise.
Students, who are the future of the nation, must work hard, dream big, and imbibe the unstoppable passion for their dreams by working on them rather than spending time on mobile phones, Instagram, and other social media sites. Remember, it is your mind and your thinking that stop you from achieving; otherwise, you are a born winner, provided you realise its requirements and be away from the validation of people; whose only role is to pull you back and stop you to reach your target or dream.
Remember, you will always find them with a tinge of madness, for they know they need to validate themselves than seek it from society or be people-pleasers. Would like to end this article with the beautiful quote of Moulana Rumi, “Start a huge, foolish project, like Noah (AS)…it makes absolutely no difference what people think of you.”
The author can be arched at mu************@***il.com