Book of Manners
The Virtue of Patience
Allah Almighty has said:
﴿وَلَنَبْلُوَنَّكُم بِشَيْءٍ مِّنَ الْخَوْفِ وَالْجُوعِ وَنَقْصٍ مِّنَ الْأَمْوَالِ وَالْأَنفُسِ وَالثَّمَرَاتِ ۗ وَبَشِّرِ الصَّابِرِينَ. الَّذِينَ إِذَا أَصَابَتْهُم مُّصِيبَةٌ قَالُوا إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ . أُولَٰئِكَ عَلَيْهِمْ صَلَوَاتٌ مِّن رَّبِّهِمْ وَرَحْمَةٌ ۖ وَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْمُهْتَدُونَ.﴾
“And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits, but give good tidings to the patient, who, when disaster strikes them
Allah has described the attribute of those who are patient as follows: when they face any calamity, they immediately express their acceptance of Allah’s decree. They say that we are Allah’s servants; our lives and our wealth all belong to Allah. Therefore, O Most Merciful of the merciful, if He deals with His servants and their possessions, there should be no objection to it.
A great reward for the patient is that the Lord of the worlds praises them, sends down mercy upon them, and these are indeed the people on the path of guidance. Because when they realized that they are servants of Allah and will return to Him, they never let go of patience in any circumstance.
﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اصْبِرُوا وَصَابِرُوا وَرَابِطُوا وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ﴾
“O you who have believed! Be steadfast, and advise each other to patience, and be ready for jihad so that you may succeed.”
﴿قُلْ يَا عِبَادِ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا رَبَّكُمْ ۚ لِلَّذِينَ أَحْسَنُوا فِي هَٰذِهِ الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةٌ ۗ وَأَرْضُ اللَّهِ وَاسِعَةٌ ۗ إِنَّمَا يُوَفَّى الصَّابِرُونَ أَجْرَهُم بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ﴾
“Convey my message that O my believing servants! Fear your Lord. Those who do good in this world will have a good reward. Allah’s earth is vast. Only those who are patient will be given their full and abundant reward.”
﴿وجَزَاهُم بِمَا صَبَرُوا جَنَّةً وَحَرِيرًا .مُّتَّكِئِينَ فِيهَا عَلَى الْأَرَائِكِ ۖ لَا يَرَوْنَ فِيهَا شَمْسًا وَلَا زَمْهَرِيرًا .وَدَانِيَةً عَلَيْهِمْ ظِلَالُهَا وَذُلِّلَتْ قُطُوفُهَا تَذْلِيلًا . وَيُطَافُ عَلَيْهِم بِآنِيَةٍ مِّن فِضَّةٍ وَأَكْوَابٍ كَانَتْ قَوَارِيرَا .قَوَارِيرَ مِن فِضَّةٍ قَدَّرُوهَا تَقْدِيرًا . وَيُسْقَوْنَ فِيهَا كَأْسًا كَانَ مِزَاجُهَا زَنجَبِيلًا .عَيْنًا فِيهَا تُسَمَّىٰ سَلْسَبِيلًا .وَيَطُوفُ عَلَيْهِمْ وِلْدَانٌ مُّخَلَّدُونَ إِذَا رَأَيْتَهُمْ حَسِبْتَهُمْ لُؤْلُؤًا مَّنثُورًا . وَإِذَا رَأَيْتَ ثَمَّ رَأَيْتَ نَعِيمًا وَمُلْكًا كَبِيرًا .عَالِيَهُمْ ثِيَابُ سُندُسٍ خُضْرٌ وَإِسْتَبْرَقٌ ۖ وَحُلُّوا أَسَاوِرَ مِن فِضَّةٍ وَسَقَاهُمْ رَبُّهُمْ شَرَابًا طَهُورًا . إِنَّ هَٰذَا كَانَ لَكُمْ جَزَاءً وَكَانَ سَعْيُكُم مَّشْكُورًا .﴾
“And He will reward them with Paradise and silk garments for their patience. They will sit on thrones reclining on them. Neither will they experience the heat of the sun nor the cold of winter. The shade of those gardens will be over them, and the fruits of those gardens will be brought near to them. And there will be vessels of silver and cups made of glass, the glass being as if it were silver, measured precisely by the cupbearer. And they will be given to drink a cup mixed with ginger from a spring in Paradise called Salsabeel. Around them will circulate young boys, eternally youthful. When you see them, you would think them scattered pearls. Wherever you look there will be blessings and a magnificent kingdom. They will wear green fine and thick silk garments, and they will be adorned with silver bracelets. And their Lord will give them pure drink. (It will be said) This is the reward for your deeds and the appreciation of your efforts.”
﴿جَنَّاتُ عَدْنٍ يَدْخُلُونَهَا وَمَن صَلَحَ مِنْ آبَائِهِمْ وَأَزْوَاجِهِمْ وَذُرِّيَّاتِهِمْ ۖ وَالْمَلَائِكَةُ يَدْخُلُونَ عَلَيْهِم مِّن كُلِّ بَابٍ . سَلَامٌ عَلَيْكُم بِمَا صَبَرْتُمْ ۚ فَنِعْمَ عُقْبَى الدَّارِ.﴾
“There will be gardens of eternity where they will enter, along with their ancestors, spouses, and offspring who were righteous; angels will come to them from every gate. They will say, ‘Peace be upon you for your patience! How excellent is the reward of this home!'”
In these verses, Allah Almighty has showered great rewards and honors upon those who are patient. It means it is understood that patience is such a great deed that it leads to Allah’s pleasure and the attainment of His Paradise.
عن أبى سعيد الخدري رضي الله عنه: أن ناسا من الأنصار سألوا رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فأعطاهم، ثم سألوه فأعطاهم، حتى نفد ما عنده، فقال: ما يكن عندي من خير فلن أدخره عنكم، ومن يستعفف يعفه الله، ومن يستغن يغنه الله، ومن يتصبر يصبره الله، وما أعطي أحد عطاء خيرا وأوسع من الصبر
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Saeed Khudri رضي الله عنه that some people from the Ansar asked the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم for some (wealth). The Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم gave them something. They asked again, and the Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم gave them again, until what he had was finished. When the Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم had spent everything he had, he said to them: “Whatever comes to me, I do not keep it saved from you. Whoever tries to avoid asking, Allah will suffice him. Whoever adopts self-sufficiency, Allah will make him independent (of people). And whoever holds on to patience, Allah grants him the ability to be patient. No one has been given a gift better and more expansive than patience.”
عن صهيب رضى الله عنه قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم : عجبا لأمر المؤمن إن أمره كله له خير، وليس ذلك لاحد إلا للمؤمن، إن أصابته سراء شكر، فكان خيرا له، وإن أصابته ضراء صبر فكان خيرا له
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Suhaib (bin Sinan) رضي الله عنه that the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم said: “The matter of a believer is indeed strange; for every affair of his is good for him, and this is not the case with anyone except the believer. If prosperity befalls him, he is grateful to Allah, and that gratitude is good for him. And if adversity befalls him, he is patient, and that patience is good for him.”
أم سلمة زوج النبى صلى الله عليه وسلم تقول: سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول: ما من عبد تصيبه مصيبة، فيقول: إنا لله وإنا إليه راجعون، اللهم أجرني فى مصيبتي وأخلف لي خيرا منها – إلا أجره الله تعالى فى مصيبته، وأخلف له خيرا منها قالت: فلما توفي أبو سلمة، قلت: كما أمرني رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ، فأخلف الله لي خيرا منه، رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم.
It is narrated from Sayyida Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) that I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say: “If a person is afflicted with a calamity and says: ‘Indeed, we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we will return. O Allah! Reward me for my affliction and replace it for me with something better,’ then Allah will reward him for his affliction and grant him a better replacement in its place.” Sayyida Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: When Abu Salamah (may Allah be pleased with him) passed away, I prayed in the manner the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) had instructed me, and Allah granted me a better replacement than him, namely the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him).
عن أبى هريرة رضي الله عنه أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: يقول الله تعالى: ما لعبدي المؤمن عندي جزاء إذا قبضت صفيه من أهل الدنيا، ثم احتسبه إلا الجنة
It is narrated from our master Abu Huraira, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “Allah Almighty says: For My believing servant, when I take away from him the beloved things of this world, and then he intends reward for it (and is patient), there is nothing except Paradise.”
Sayyiduna Ata bin Abi Rabah, may Allah have mercy on him, says: Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them both, said to me: Shall I show you a woman of Paradise? I said: Why not? Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them both, pointed to a woman and said: This dark-skinned woman came to the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, and said: I am a patient of epilepsy, and during the seizure my ‘awrah (private parts) become exposed. Please pray to Allah for me (that Allah grants me health). The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: “If you are patient, Paradise will be for you, and if you wish, I will pray to Allah for you, and He may grant you health (in which case Paradise is not promised).” The woman said: I will be patient, but also pray to Allah that my ‘awrah does not become exposed during the seizure. The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, prayed for her accordingly.
When a Muslim exercises patience during a calamity or hardship, Allah Almighty forgives his sins. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:
ما يصيب المسلم من نصب ولا وصب، ولا هم ولا حزن، ولا أذى، ولا غم- حتى الشوكة التى يشاكها إلا كفر الله بها من خطاياه
“When a Muslim is afflicted with fatigue or illness, or experiences sorrow, grief, or distress—even if a thorn pricks him—Allah expiates his sins in return.”
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
ما من مسلم يصيبه أذى إلا حات الله عنه خطاياه كما تحات ورق الشجر
“When a Muslim is afflicted with any hardship (pain), Allah drops his sins just as a tree sheds its leaves.”
