Editors’ note: You can be born with pessimism and you can pick it up from the environment – it is quite contagious. Not every pessimist sees himself as such and many people go through life with the wrong premise about themselves, thinking they are optimistic when the opposite is true. There is a difference between worry and pessimism. To feel despairing about one’s failure to achieve – for example, to feel one may never succeed in this Work – is pessimism. This is a negative state and shows lack of faith. We should keep plodding on, trusting in Allah.