Outline:

1) Introduction

2) Main body

i) Self-confidence, self-identification, and  self-reliance

ii) Two categories of self-identification

iii) Individual self-identification 

iv) Examples of individuals and nations having identified themselves

v) Self-identification at national level

vi) Reasons for lack of self-identification

vii) Disastrous results of not identifying self

viii) Positive results of identifying oneself

3) Conclusion

        ‘Allah will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves’ (Al-Quran).

The Holy Quran gives clear judgment that it is only the “inner self” which can change the condition of the man. This inner self can be the best friend if used in a proper way and can be the worst enemy if used through wrong means. Maulana Rumi clarifies this verse in his poetry, ‘Find sweetness first in your own heart, then you will find sweetness in every heart’. The light of this sweetness needs a pure and transparent heart, which can focus the inner feelings and realities. Iqbal explains this concept in his poetry in a very comprehensive way with the introduction of a new term “Khudi or self-confidence “.

Iqbal says:

                  ’ Apnay Man may doob k paa ja suragh-e-zindagi

                   Tou agar mera nhi banta na ban apna tou ban’.

This self-confidence is not limited only to the life of an individual rather it is a universal concept which applies equally to nations as a whole. If a nation identifies its potential and self-honor, it will be successful in achieving a status that other nations would only dream but if the same nation adopts the path of laziness and comfort then it will lose that high position and will turn to be the slaves in the hands of others.

The self-reliance, self-confidence, and self-identification are the cornerstones of a successful individual as well of a prosperous nation. People and opponents always try to pull you down but one should keep himself up for such situations and Instead of blaming others one should be focused on his work, only then a person can succeed.

Self-identification can broadly be classified into two categories; Individual self-reliance and national self-reliance. Same conditions of hard work, punctuality, and self-confidence are applicable to both the individual and nation as a whole.

Iqbal, Jinnah and many other such great people are perfect examples for us in terms of identifying our own strengths and weakness. Iqbal was a person who identified his soul but not free of cost. He had to pay a heavy price for that. He instead of focusing on the outer face of the world was focused on his work through his devotion and punctuality. This resulted in his achievement as one of the greatest poets of all time. Jinnah was also a man of great caliber. Jinnah had to work very hard for what he achieved at the end. His untiring struggle for the separate Muslim homeland finally paid off in the form of Pakistan. This was due to his self-confidence and self-reliance that he finally got what was looking like a distant dream.

Now we will move towards the other form of self-confidence and self-identification which is at the level of the nation. Nations require courageous leadership but with that a resilient nation to move through the hardships of the time. China with its strong leadership and self-reliant nation traveled many miles on the path of progress. Mao Zai Dang revolutionized the nation on the idea and slogan of self-reliance and self-sustenance. The nation stood behind the great man and went through all the hardships without tumbling in the journey. Now China is one of the leading economies of the world and is expected to take over America in terms of economic power in coming years. Other such examples can be taken from Korea, Singapore, and Malaysia. All of these countries were on the verge of economic disaster when they started to overcome all the difficulties. Now all of these countries are considered to be the hub of economic across the globe. This development is due to their national self-dependence and self-reliance instead of going to IMF or other institutions.

The above examples showed that self-identification at both the individual level and national level is dependent upon self-confidence and self-reliance. This lack of some qualities can further add to the lack of their identification. The lack of proper education and discipline destroys self-confidence both at individual and national level. An illiterate man cannot identify the powers he has in his inner-self and cannot use them for positive purposes. The other major reason is the willpower that a person may have. Even though education is a high priority for identifying self-confidence yet some people may identify their inner-selves without being educated. This may be due to their high willpower and dedication for work. They may find it very hard to do something extraordinary compared to illiterate people but ultimately he will overcome if he has a strong will. Lack of self-confidence is also a major hurdle in the path of identifying oneself. One should be open to the inner criticism and inner peace in order to cope with problems.

Iqbal says:

‘Khudi Ko Kar Buland Itna k har taqdeer say pehly

Khuda bandy say khud pochy Teri Raza kya hai’

This provides the very essence of the identification of self-confidence. You must attain Godly attributes in order to reach a level which others find hard to achieve. 

On the national level, lack of leadership is also a major hurdle. Leadership should guide people to be self-centered instead of looking for donations and loans. Lastly, positivity at both the individual and national level is of the primary importance.

Without self-identification, one could even imagine of the success whether it is in an individual capacity or as a nation. Without this capability, people destroy the world. The destruction and violence that is going around are if blame on other factors is equally to be blamed on lack of self-identification. We instead of becoming our friends are becoming our enemies. Terrorists even though are our human brothers but they are destroying this world with their own hands. Their lack of vision that how much this environment is important for us is clearly evident in their use of weapons at will. Similarly, the use and sale of weapons by big powers is also a quest to destroy our world with our own hands. The rapid industrialization and emission of carbon gases is yet another worrying part of the whole process. The lack of self-identification at the individual has also given rise to many bad qualities. The lack of hard work, lack of punctuality and lack of peace are some of the disastrous results of not identifying our inner-selves.

We need to set aside our differences as humans and instead of wasting our energies on war strategies and bullet making we should be more concentrated on our environment. This self-identification if achieved will turn this earth into heaven. This race towards industrialization should be properly planned according to the human nature otherwise, this will put the very basic human species into danger.

On the individual level, self-identification will help us in finding the peace that we want instead of looking only for material benefits. The peace which we can achieve is in the inner-soul of humans and even God is in the inner-self of a human if he tries to find him.

It is now up to us to decide whether we want to be our friends or enemies. The former is the only options we can choose and for that, we must identify ourselves both on the individual level and on the collective level.