The Virtues of Patience
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Allāh has made patience like a horse that never gets tired, an army that can never be defeated and a strong fortress that can never be breached. Patience and victory are twin brothers, for victory comes with patience, relief comes with distress and ease comes with hardship. Patience is of more help to the one who has it than men, as it helps without any need for equipment or numbers and its relationship to victory is like that of the head to the body.
In the Qur’an, Allāh has guaranteed those who are patient that He will give them reward without measure.
He tells them that He is with them by guiding and supporting them and granting them a clear victory. Allāh says:
“Surely, Allāh is with those who are As‑Saabiroon (the patient)” [al-Anfaal 8:46]
Allāh has made leadership in terms of religion conditional upon patience and certain faith, as He says:
“And We made from among them (Children of Israel), leaders, giving guidance under Our Command, when they were patient and used to believe with certainty in Our Ayaat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.)”. [al-Sajdah 32:34]
Allāh tells us that patience is better for those who are patient, as He says: “But if you endure patiently, verily, it is better for As‑Saabiroon (the patient)”. [al-Nahl 16:126]
Allāh tells us if we are patient and pious, the plot of the enemy cannot do any harm, even if he is powerful, as He says: “But if you remain patient and become Al-Muttaqoon (the pious), not the least harm will their cunning do to you. Surely, Allaah surrounds all that they do”. [Aal ‘Imraan]
Allāh tells us that the patience and piety of His Prophet Yusuf brought him to a position of power and strength, as He says: “Verily, he who fears Allāh with obedience to Him (by abstaining from sins and evil deeds, and by performing righteous good deeds), and is patient, then surely, Allāh makes not the reward of the Muhsinoon (good‑doers) to be lost”. [Yusuf 12:90]
Allāh has connected success to patience and piety, and the believers understand that. Allāh says: “O you who believe! Endure and be more patient (than your enemy), and guard your territory by stationing army units permanently at the places from where the enemy can attack you, and fear Allāh, so that you may be successful". [Aal ‘Imraan 3:200]
Allāh tells us that He loves those who are patient, and that is the greatest encouragement. Allāh says: “And Allāh loves As-Sabirun (the patient)”. [Aal ‘Imraan 3:146]
Allāh has given glad tidings of three things to those who are patient, each of which is better than that for which the people of this world envy one another. Allāh says: “but give glad tidings to As‑ Sabirun (the patient).
Who, when afflicted with calamity, say: ‘Truly, to Allāh we belong and truly, to Him we shall return.’
They are those on whom are the Salawaat (i.e. who are blessed and will be forgiven) from their Lord, and (they are those who) receive His Mercy, and it is they who are the guided ones”. [al-Baqarah 2:155-157]
Allāh exhorts His slaves to seek help with patience and prayer when facing calamities that may befall a person. Allāh says: “And seek help in patience and As-Salaah (the prayer) and truly, it is extremely heavy and hard except for Al-Khashi‘un [i.e. the true believers in Allāh — those who obey Allāh with full submission, fear much from His punishment, and believe in His Promise (Paradise) and in His Warnings (Hell)]”. [al-Baqarah 2:45]
Allāh states that the victory of attaining Paradise and being saved from Hell will be won only by those who are patient, as He says: “Verily, I have rewarded them this Day for their patience; they are indeed the ones that are successful”. [al-Mu’minun 23:111]
Allāh tells us that the desire to earn His reward and to turn away from this world and its adornments is attained only by those who are patient and are believers. Allāh says: “But those who had been given (religious) knowledge said: “Woe to you! The reward of Allāh (in the Hereafter) is better for those who believe and do righteous good deeds, and this none shall attain except those who are As‑Sabirun (the patient in following the truth)”. [al-Qasas 28:80]
Allāh tells us that repelling evil with that which is better makes the evildoer become like a close friend. Allāh says: “The good deed and the evil deed cannot be equal. Repel (the evil) with one which is better (i.e. Allāh orders the faithful believers to be patient at the time of anger, and to excuse those who treat them badly) then verily he, between whom and you there was enmity, (will become) as though he was a close friend”. [Fussilat 41:34]
But this is something that “none is granted it (the above quality) except those who are patient — and none is granted it except the owner of the great portion (of happiness in the Hereafter, i.e., Paradise and of a high moral character) in this world” [Fussilat 41:35].
Allāh tells us, and reinforces it with an oath:
“By Al‑‘Asr (the time).
Verily, man is in loss,
Except those who believe (in Islamic Monotheism) and do righteous good deeds, and recommend one another to the truth [i.e. order one another to perform all kinds of good deeds (Al‑Ma‘roof) which Allāh has ordained, and abstain from all kinds of sins and evil deeds (Al‑Munkar) which Allāh has forbidden], and recommend one another to patience (for the sufferings, harms, and injuries which one may encounter in Allah’s Cause during preaching His religion of Islamic Monotheism or Jihad)”. [al-‘Asr 103]
Allāh will divide His creation into two categories: those who are on the right hand and those who are on the left hand (al-Waaqi’ah 56:8); those who are on the right hand are those who recommend one another to patience and mercy.
Allāh has chosen the people of patience and gratitude to benefit from His signs and be distinguished by this great good fortune. He says in four places in His Book: “Truly, therein are Ayaat (evidences, proofs and signs) for every patient, thankful (person)”. [Ibraahem 14:5; Luqmaan 31:31; Saba 24:19; al-Shoora 42:33]
Allāh has made forgiveness and reward conditional upon doing righteous deeds and being patient, and that is easy for the one for whom He makes it easy. Allāh says: “Except those who show patience and do righteous good deeds: those, theirs will be forgiveness and a great reward (Paradise)”. [Hood 11:11]
Allāh tells us that patience and forgiveness are among the things recommended by Allāh and those who pay heed to this will never lose, as He says: “And verily, whosoever shows patience and forgives, that would truly be from the things recommended by Allāh”. [al-Shoora 42:34]
Allāh commanded His Messenger to wait patiently for His Decision, and told him that his patience is not but from Him, and by virtue of patience all calamities become easy, as He said: “So wait patiently (O Muhammad) for the Decision of your Lord, for verily, you are under Our Eyes”. [al-Toor 52:48]
And He said:
“And endure you patiently (O Muhammad), your patience is not but from Allāh. And grieve not over them (polytheists and pagans), and be not distressed because of what they plot. Truly, Allāh is with those who fear Him (keep their duty unto Him), and those who are Muhsinoon (good‑doers)”. [al-Nahl 16:127]
Patience is the foundation of the believer’s faith which has no other foundation. The one who has no patience has no faith, and if he has any, then it is only a little faith and it is very weak, and such a person worships Allāh as it were upon the edge (i.e. in doubt): if good befalls him, he is content therewith; but if a trial befalls him he turns back on his face (i.e. reverts to disbelief after embracing Islam). He loses both this world and the Hereafter (al-Hajj 22:11). All he gets from them is a losing deal.
The best life is attained by the blessed through patience, and they rise to the highest degrees through their gratitude. So they fly on the wings of patience and gratitude to gardens of delight (i.e., Paradise). That is the bounty of Allāh that He bestows upon whomsoever He will, and Allāh is the Owner of Great Bounty.
‘Uddat al-Saabireen by Ibn al-Qayyim, p. 3-5.
Al-Bukhaari (1496) and Muslim (1053) narrated that Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri (may Allāh be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allāh (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) said: “…whoever is patient Allāh will bestow patience upon him, and no one is ever given anything better and more generous than patience.”
And Muslim (918) narrated that Umm Salamah (may Allāh be pleased with her) said: I heard the Messenger of Allāh (S) say: “There is no Muslim who is stricken with a calamity and says what Allāh has enjoined – ‘Verily to Allāh we belong and unto Him is our return. O Allāh, reward me for my affliction and compensate me with something better’ – but Allāh will compensate him with something better.”
And Muslim (2999) narrated that Suhayb (may Allāh be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allāh (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) said: “How wonderful is the affair of the believer, for his affairs are all good, and this applies to no one but the believer. If something good happens to him, he is thankful for it and that is good for him. If something bad happens to him, he bears it with patience and that is good for him.”
‘Umar ibn ‘Abd al-‘Azeez (may Allāh be pleased with him) said: Allāh has not bestowed any blessing upon His slaves then taken it away and replaced it with patience, but what He has compensated them with is better than what He has taken away.
And Allāh knows best.
May Allāh grant us patience and the benefits of Patience. Aameen.
