In The Name of Allah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.

The Messenger [peace and blessings of Allah be upon him] said, “Verily ahead of you is the era of patience during which (one’s firm) adherence (to the religion) will be the reward of fifty men”. [1]

Imam Muhammad Ibn Abdil Wahhaab [may Allah have mercy upon him] said: Know, may Allah have mercy upon you, that it is obligatory upon you to have knowledge of the four matters: (i) Knowledge (al – ‘ilm), which is knowledge and awareness of Allah, and knowledge of His Prophet, and knowledge of the religion of Islam with the proofs. (ii) Action upon that. (iii) Calling to that. (iv) Patiently persevering and bearing any harm encountered upon that way. The proof is the saying of Allah [The Most High]:

وَٱلۡعَصۡرِ
إِنَّ ٱلۡإِنسَـٰنَ لَفِى خُسۡرٍ
إِلَّا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ وَتَوَاصَوۡاْ بِٱلۡحَقِّ وَتَوَاصَوۡاْ بِٱلصَّبۡرِ

By time, mankind is in loss, except for those who truly believe and worship Allah alone, and do righteous deeds, performing that which is obligatory upon them and avoiding that which they are forbidden and enjoin one another with patient perseverance upon obedience to Allah and in facing harm and trials. [Surah Al ‘Asr]

Ash Shaafi’ee [may Allah have mercy upon him] said, “If Allah had sent down to His creation no other proof besides this Surah, it would have been sufficient for them”. [2]

Imam Ibn Qayyim [may Allah have mercy upon him] said: Imam Ash-Shaafi’ee [may Allah have mercy upon him] said, “If all the people pondered upon this Surah, it would have sufficed them”. [3]

[وَتَوَاصَوۡاْ بِٱلۡحَقِّ وَتَوَاصَوۡاْ بِٱلصَّبۡر – and do righteous good deeds, enjoin one another to the truth and enjoin one another to patience].

Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim [may Allah have mercy upon him] said: This leads to the station of upright leadership and strength in the religion, just as Allah says: [وَجَعَلۡنَا مِنۡہُمۡ أَٮِٕمَّةً۬ يَہۡدُونَ بِأَمۡرِنَا لَمَّا صَبَرُواْ‌ۖ وَڪَانُواْ بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَا يُوقِنُونَ – 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 Ayat (proofs, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.)]. [Surah As-Sajdah. Verse 24] So, through patience and certainty upright leadership in religion is attained.

Patience is two types: Patience when facing what has decreed, such as calamities. Patience when fulfilling the divine legislated acts of worship has two aspects- commands and prohibitions. The fulfillment of commands is related to patience in intent and action [i.e. acts of obedience] and the second is related to patience in keeping away from what one intends and wants to do [i.e. persevere whilst keeping away from evil]. As for patience [when facing the calamities decreed by Allah], it is shared by both a believer and a disbeliever, a righteous person and a wicked sinner, and one is not rewarded if it is not connected to Iman [i.e sound belief] and Ikhtiyaar [i.e. the person willingly chooses to exercise patience as an act of worship devoted to Allah]. The Prophet [peace and blessings of Allah be upon him] said about his daughter (whose son was on his death bed), “She should be patient and hope for Allah’s reward”. [Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree. Number 1284]

Allah [The Exalted] says: [ إِلَّا ٱلَّذِينَ صَبَرُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ أُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ لَهُم مَّغۡفِرَةٌ۬ وَأَجۡرٌ۬ ڪَبِيرٌ۬ – Except those who show patience and do righteous good deeds, those: theirs will be forgiveness and a great reward (Paradise)]. [Surah Hud. Verse 11]

Allah [The Exalted] says: [بَلَىٰٓ‌ۚ إِن تَصۡبِرُواْ وَتَتَّقُواْ – Yes, if you hold on to patience and piety]. [Surah Al Imran. Verse 125] [a] Allah says: [وَإِن تَصۡبِرُواْ وَتَتَّقُواْ – But if you remain patient and hold on piety]. [Surah Al Imran. Verse 120] [b]

Patience without sound belief and piety is like a bodily strength that is devoid of sound belief and piety. So the level of one’s certainty in what has been divinely legislated determines the level of patience when facing calamities decreed by Allah (i.e. a person will return to what Allah has legislated in the divine revelation regarding how to deal with calamities). [c]

Allah [The Exalted] says: [فَٱصۡبِرۡ إِنَّ وَعۡدَ ٱللَّهِ حَقٌّ۬‌ۖ وَلَا يَسۡتَخِفَّنَّكَ ٱلَّذِينَ لَا يُوقِنُونَ – So be patient (O Muhammad). Verily, the Promise of Allah is true, and let not those who have no certainty of faith, discourage you from conveying Allah’s Message (which you are obliged to convey)]. [Surah Ar-Rum. Verse 60]

Allah commanded the Messenger [peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him] to exercise patience and not to be like those who do not have certainty due to lack of patience, because indeed their lack of certainty is due to their lack of patience, and they fear and frighten their people. Had they attained certainty and truth, they would have exercised patience – neither fear nor frighten others. So, the one whose certainty is little, his patience will be little, and the whose patience is little will fear and frighten others. The person who has certainty and patience is self-possessed because he has intelligence and common sense, and the one who neither has certainty nor patience is lightheaded, so desires and lust fling him here and there just as the wind does with something light. And Allah’s Aid is sought! [d] [4]

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Footnote a: The full verse: [بَلَىٰٓ‌ۚ إِن تَصۡبِرُواْ وَتَتَّقُواْ وَيَأۡتُوكُم مِّن فَوۡرِهِمۡ هَـٰذَا يُمۡدِدۡكُمۡ رَبُّكُم بِخَمۡسَةِ ءَالَـٰفٍ۬ مِّنَ ٱلۡمَلَـٰٓٮِٕكَةِ مُسَوِّمِينَ -Yes, if you hold on to patience and piety, and the enemy comes rushing at you; your Lord will help you with five thousand angels having marks (of distinction). [Surah Al Imran 125]

Footnote b: The full verse:

إِن تَمۡسَسۡكُمۡ حَسَنَةٌ۬ تَسُؤۡهُمۡ وَإِن تُصِبۡكُمۡ سَيِّئَةٌ۬ يَفۡرَحُواْ بِهَا‌ۖ وَإِن تَصۡبِرُواْ وَتَتَّقُواْ لَا يَضُرُّڪُمۡ كَيۡدُهُمۡ شَيۡـًٔا‌ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ بِمَا يَعۡمَلُونَ مُحِيطٌ۬

If a good befalls you, it grieves them, but if some evil overtakes you, they rejoice at it. But if you remain patient and become pious, not the least harm will their cunning do to you. Surely, Allah surrounds all that they do. [Surah Aal Imran. Verse 120]

Footnote c: Sa’eed Bin Jubayr [may Allaah have mercy upon him] said, “Patience is the person’s acknowledgment that what has afflicted him is from Allaah, seeking for reward from Allaah and hoping for Allaah’s good recompense. Indeed, a man may be in a state of distress whilst he is being whipped, but you see nothing from him except patience”. [As-Sabr Wath-Thawaab Alayhi. By Ibn Abee Dunya page 113]

Regarding the statement “Patience is the person’s acknowledgment that what has afflicted him is from Allah”, Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim [may Allah have mercy upon him] said, “It is as if this statement is an explanation of the statement “Innaa lil laah – to Allah we belong”. So, the person acknowledges that he belongs to Allah and his owner does whatever He wants with him.

Regarding the statement “Seeking for reward from Allah”, Imaam Ibnul Qayyim said, “It is as if this statement is an explanation of the statement “Wa Innaa Ilayhi Raaji’oon – and to Him (i.e. Allah) we shall return”, meaning we shall return to You so that you reward us due to our patience and the reward for being patient during calamity will not be lost”.

Regarding the statement “Indeed, a man may be in a state of distress whilst he is being whipped, but you do not see from him except patience”, Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim said, “Patience is not that one bears the whip, rather it is to restrain the heart from getting angry with Allaah’s decree and to restrain the tongue from complaining about Allah. Whoever is whipped and his heart is displeased with Allah, then he is not patient”. [Iddat As-Saabireen pages 183-184]

Footnote d: Imaam Ibnul Qayyim [may Allah have mercy upon him] said: A man asked Imaam Ash-Shaafi’ee [may Allaah have mercy upon him] and said, “What would be better – that one is granted strength and the authority to establish the path of Allaah and His Messengers without any hindrance from those who belie or oppose Allaah and His Messengers, or face trials [at first]?’’ So, Ash-Shaafi’ee said to him, “One will not be given strength and the authority to follow the path of Allah without any hindrance from those who belie or oppose Allah and His Messengers until after facing trials; for indeed Allah tried Nooh, Ibraaheem, Moosaa, Eesaa and Muhammad [peace and blessings of Allah be upon them] and after they exercised patience, they were granted authority and strength to establish the path of Allah without hindrance’’. Therefore, one should never think that he will escape pain. [Al-Fawaa’id’ pages 293-300]

He also said, “The person who has no certainty in faith [or lacks certainty] does not remain firm, rather he acts carelessly, whereas certainty is that firm Iman in the heart based on [sound] knowledge and action. It may be that a person has sound knowledge but does not exercise patience during calamities; rather he is swayed by emotion. Al-Hasan Al-Basri [may Allah have mercy upon him] said: If you wish to see someone with insight but has no patience, you will see him; and if you wish to see someone who has patience but not insight, you will see him; but if you see a person who had insight as well as patience, then he is the one mentioned by Allah in the Ayah: [وَجَعَلۡنَا مِنۡہُمۡ أَٮِٕمَّةً۬ يَہۡدُونَ بِأَمۡرِنَا لَمَّا صَبَرُواْ‌ۖ وَڪَانُواْ بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَا يُوقِنُونَ – 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 Ayat (proofs, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.)]. [Surah As-Sajdah’ Ayah 24] [Al-Fawaa’id’ pages 293-300]

[1] Saheeh Al-Jaami 2234

[2] Translation of the “Explanation of the Three Fundamental Principles” By Shaikh Abu Talhah [may Allah have mercy upon him and his wife]

[3] An Excerpt from Miftaah Daarus Sa’aadah. page 61

[4] An Excerpt from At-Tibyaan Fee Aqsaamil Qur’an 83-88