In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
Counsels on Patience
The Messenger of Allah, many blessings and peace be upon him, has said: 'Patience is the commander of the believer's soldiers.' And: 'There is much good in the patient endurance of that which one finds unpleasant.' And in his advice to Ibn 'Abbas: 'Know that victory comes with patience, relief with hardship, and that with each difficulty comes ease.'Know that happiness depends on the occurrence of nearness to Allah, which in turn depends on always following the truth and avoiding falsehood. The soul is by its very nature inclined to detest truth and lean towards falsehood. The determination of the seeker of felicity is thus always in need of patience, sometimes to force the soul to follow the truth and sometimes to force it to avoid falsehood.
Patience is of four kinds:
Firstly, patiently enduring one's perseverance in acts of obedience. This is realized inwardly through sincerity and presence of the heart, and outwardly through holding constantly to them, showing zeal, and performing them in the correct and lawful way. This kind of patience is helped by remembering Allah's promised rewards, both immediate and to come, for obedience. The man who keeps to this kind of fortitude reaches the station of nearness where he will find indescribable sweetness, pleasure, and intimacy in acts of obedience. The one to whom this happens must not rely on it in preference to Allah.
Secondly, patient endurance in renouncing sins. This is realized outwardly by avoiding them and by keeping away from the places where they might be committed, and by preventing the soul from discoursing upon them and from inclining to them, for the very beginning of a sin is a thought. As for remembering previous sins, if this results in fear or remorse it is good, if not then refraining from it is better. This kind of patience is helped by remembering Allah's threats of punishment in this world and the next for disobedience. The one who keeps to this kind of patience will be honored by Allah with finding all disobedience so repugnant that entering the Fire would be easier for him to bear than the committal of the smallest sin.
Thirdly, patient endurance of unpleasant things. These are of two kinds:
The first comprises those which come from Allah without an intermediary, as for example illness, infirmity, loss of wealth, or the death of dear relatives or friends. [This kind of patience] is realized inwardly by forsaking restlessness, which is to become annoyed and irritated, and outwardly by not complaining to any creature. This is not incompatible with describing an illness to a physician, or with one's eyes overflowing with tears at a time of loss; but it is, however, incompatible with slapping one's cheeks, rending one's clothes, wailing, and such like. This kind of patience is helped by the knowledge that impatience is painful in itself, in addition to its leading to punishment and the loss of reward. Complaining to one who can neither benefit nor protect his own self is foolish, and such are all creatures.
Furthermore, to complain is evidence of not finding one's sufficiency in Allah, in Whose Hand is the Dominion [Malakut] of all things, [Qur'an, Yaa-sin 36:83] and also of omitting to remember those verses which relate to the worth of patient endurance of losses, infirmities, and afflictions, and that Allah the Exalted knows better than a man that which is of most benefit to him. He has said, Exalted is He: We shall try you with something of fear, hunger, and diminution of wealth, lives, and fruits. And give good tidings to those who have patience, who when stricken by hardship say 'We belong to Allah, and to Him we shall return!' Allah will send blessings and mercy on them, those are they who are guided. [Qur'an, Al-Baqarah 2:155-157] Allah will give the one who perseveres in this kind of patience to taste the sweetness of surrender and find rest in the serenity of contentment [rida]. We will mention contentment, Allah willing, in due course.
The second kind of unpleasant things comprises those which are caused by other men, whether by way of offenses to oneself and one's honor, or of some act of withholding. Complete patience in this regard means preventing oneself from hating the offender, if he is a Muslim, or wishing him to come to harm, preventing one's tongue from praying to Allah against him, and not reproaching him at all, which thing should be accomplished either by forbearance and fortitude, through one's reliance on Allah's assistance, or by reconciliation, in the wish for His reward. This kind of patience is helped by knowledge of that which has been handed down regarding the merit which is in suppressing one's anger, enduring injuries, and forgiving others. Allah the Exalted has said: The wage of the one who is forgiving and reconciling falls on Allah, He does not love the unjust. And whoso defends himself after he has suffered wrong, for such there is no way [of blame] against them. The way [of blame] is only against those who oppress men, and transgress in the earth without right, for such there is a painful torment. But those who endure patiently and forgive, indeed that is the great thing. [Qur'an, Ash-Shura 42:40-43]
The Prophet, may blessings and peace be upon him, has said: 'Allah fills the heart of the one who suppresses his anger when able to carry out its demands with serenity and faith.' And: 'A herald will call on the Day of Rising: "Let those whose reward must be granted by Allah arise!" and there shall arise those men who were forgiving of others.'The one who perseveres in this kind of patience will be honored by Allah with a goodly character, which is the source of all virtues and the foundation of all perfections.
The Prophet has said, may blessings and peace be upon him: 'Nothing shall weigh more heavily in the Balance than a goodly character; a servant may attain through his goodly character the rank of the one who [frequently] prays and fasts.' And: 'The ones I shall love most who will sit the closest to me on the Day of Rising are those among you who are the best in character.' Ibn al-Mubarak, may Allah have mercy on him, said: 'Good character is to have an engaging face, to be generous with good works, and to refrain from doing harm.' And the imam al-Ghazali, may Allah spread his benefit, has said: 'Good character is a disposition deeply ingrained in the soul from which beautiful acts spring easily.'
Fourthly, patient renunciation of desires, which are all those boastfully worldly things to which the soul inclines. Perfect patient denial is attained by inwardly stopping the soul from thinking and leaning towards them, and outwardly restraining it from seeking or coming close to them. This kind of patience is helped by knowledge of the distraction from Allah and His worship which comes from seeking and fulfilling desires, the risks of falling into the suspect and prohibited things and the arousal of greed for the world and the wish to remain therein so as to be able to enjoy its pleasures. Abu Sulayman al-Darani has said: 'To abandon a single desire is of more benefit to the heart than a year's worship.' Allah will honor the one who grows accustomed to denying himself his desires by removing the love of these things from his heart until he attains the state described by a certain gnostic, who said: 'My desire is that I should not desire, so that I may abandon that which I do not desire, and thus not be deprived of that which I desire.'2
And providential success is from Allah
Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wassallam.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
1 Sabr may mean fortitude, patience, equanimity, or patient endurance, according to the context.
2 'My desire is that I should not desire anything of the world, so that I may be given to detach myself from it and thus become worthy of that nearness to Allah which is my most profound desire.
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