The Virtues of Patience
By Imam ’Abdur-Rahmân ibn Hasan Âlush-Shaykh- (d.1285H) Adapted from Fathul-Majîd li Sharh Kitâbit-
Tawhîd (2/603-615); -
The Virtues of Patience
Imâm Ahmad (d.241H) said:
“Allâh has mentioned sabr (patient
perseverance) in over ninety places in
His Book.” [2]
And there occurs in the authentic
hadîth: “Sabr (patient perseverance) is
light.” [3] The Prophet sallallâhu ’alayhi wa
sallam also said: “No one has been given
anything more excellent and more comprehensive
than sabr.”[4]
’Umar - radiallâhu ’anhu - said:
“We considered the best part of our
lives to be that in which there
was sabr.” [5]
’Alî - radiallâhu ’anhu - said:
“Indeed sabr is from îmân (faith). Its
position is like that of the head with
respect to the rest of the body.” Then
he raised his voice and said: “Verily,
there is no îmân (faith) for the one who
has no sabr.” [6]
The Meaning of Patience
The word sabr (in the Arabic language)
is from sabara - to be patient and to
persevere, and it indicates to holding
back and restraining oneself. (In
the Sharî’ah sense) it implies: restraining
the soul from being agitated; restraining
the tongue from complaining and
restraining the hands from slapping the
cheeks, tearing the clothes and doing
other similar actions. This has been
mentioned by Ibn al-Qayyim (d.750H).
Thus, those afflictions which befall a
person are actually the cause of Allâh
wiping away his sins, and this is one of
the greatest blessings. So the occurrence
of afflictions are a source of mercy and
bounty, providing such a person does
not enter into that which is a cause for
even greater disobedience than before.
For this affliction will then become a
cause of great evil to the person’s Dîn.
Indeed, there are people who - when
afflicted with a trial or a affliction; such
as poverty, illness or starvation - causes
hypocrisy to sprout in them, or causes
their hearts to become diseased, or it
causes them to fall into ingratitude and
disbelief, or to abandon certain
obligations or commit certain prohibited
acts - all of which is extremely harmful to
one’s Dîn. So to remain safe from, and to
be protected against such afflictions and
trials, is better for a person, since the
afflictions and trials - rather than being a
source of blessings - becomes a source of
great injury. However, if the person
had sabr and remained obedient, then
such an affliction would have been the
cause of mercy and blessings from Allâh
- the Mighty and Majestic -which
necessitates praising Him.
So whosoever is afflicted with a calamity
and is provided with sabr, then this sabr is
a blessing for the person and a mercy for
him, since his sins are expiated due to it.
Likewise his Lord bestows upon him
praises and prayers, as Allâh - the
Majestic - says: “They are those on
whom are the blessings and praises
from their Lord and His mercy. They
[7]
And know that sabr (patient
perseverance) is of three kinds:
[i] sabr whilst (fulfilling) the orders of
Allâh, [ii] sabr whilst (abandoning and
keeping away) from the prohibitions of
Allâh, and [iii] sabrwith the Decree of
Allâh with respect to afflictions and
difficulties.
Guidance for the Hearts
Allâh - the Most High - says: “And
whosoever believes in Allâh, He
guides his heart aright. And Allâh
has full knowledge over
everything.” [8]
And this âyah begins with: “No
affliction occurs, except by the
permission of Allâh.” About this Ibn
’Abbâs said: “By the command of Allâh
- meaning: by His Will and His Power.”
[9]
So the meaning of this âyah is: No
affliction occurs except by
His Mashiyyah (Will), His Irâdâh(Desire)
and His Hikmah (Wisdom) - as Allâh
says: “No affliction occurs upon the
earth, nor in yourselves, except that
it is written before We bring it into
existence. Indeed, this is easy for
Allâh.” [10] And Allâh says: “Give
glad-tidings to those who have sabr.
Those who - when afflicted with a
affliction - say: Indeed, we belong to
Allâh and to Him shall we return.
They are those on whom are the
blessings from their Lord and His
mercy. They are the ones who are
guided.” [11]
And Allâh’s saying: “And whosoever
believes in Allâh, He guides his heart
are the ones who are guided.” [27]
Such a person is also forgiven by his
Lord for his sins, and is raised to higher
ranks - all of this is due to the one who
has sabr.” [28]
The saying of the Prophet: “Whenever
Allâh intends evil for a servant, He postpones
the punishment until the Day of
Judgement.” means: such a person’s
punishment is delayed until the
Hereafter, where he will receive severe
punishment.
Al-’Azîzî (d.1070H) said:
“Such a person is not punished in this
world, so that in the Hereafter he can be
punished for his sins in a way that he
fully deserved.” [29]
In the above hadîth is a lesson and a
reminder that one must have good
expectations in Allâh and a good opinion
about Him with regard to what He has
decreed for a person, as Allâh - the Most
High - says: “It is possible that you
hate a thing and it is good for you,
and love a thing and it is evil for you.
Allâh knows and you do not
know.” [30]
Rewards are Proportional to
Afflictions
The Prophet sallallâhu ’alayhi wa
sallam said: “Reward is directly proportional to
the affliction. If Allâh loves a people, He inflicts
them with a calamity. Whoever accepts it, Allâh
is pleased with them, and whoever resents it,
Allâh is displeased with them.” [31]
Likewise, the Prophet sallallâhu ’alayhi wa
sallam said: “Whenever Allâh loves a people,
He sends affliction upon them. So whoever is
patient, is one of the patient-ones, and whoever
aright.” means: “Whosoever - when
afflicted with a affliction - knows it is by
the Decree of Allâh and His Power, and
thus patiently submits to it, then Allâh
rewards such a person by guiding their
heart aright. So this is the root cause of
all happiness, and the foundation of
excellence in this world and in the
Hereafter. And Allâh promises such a
person (a reward) for what He has taken
from them.” [12] And Allâh’s
saying: “And AIlâh has full
knowledge over everything.” is a
reminder that such a affliction is by His
Knowledge which necessitates His
Wisdom, which obligates sabr and being
contented with His Decree.
Abû Dhibyân said: We were with
’Alqamah [13] and this âyah was recited
to him: “And whosoever believes in
Allâh, He guides his heart
aright.” So he said: “It is the man who -
when afflicted with an affliction - knows
it is from Allâh, so he is pleased with it
and submits to it.” [14]
In the above narration is a proof that
actions are a part of îmân
(faith).
Sa’îd ibn Jubayr (d.104H) said
about: “And whosoever believes in
Allâh, He guides his heart
aright.” He said: “That (at the time of a
affliction) a person says: Indeed, to
Allâh we belong and to Him shall we
return.”
In the above âyah is an explanation that
having sabr is the cause for the heart’s
guidance; this being the reward for
the sâbir (the one having patience).
Complaining against the Decree of
resents it, is one of the resenters.” [32]
The meaning of the first hadîth is: the
greater the affliction, the greater the
reward. And it is said: Indeed, afflictions
bring about a reward as well as expiating
sins. This was the preferred saying of Ibn
al-Qayyim that the one afflicted with a
calamity is not only rewarded for it, but
his sins are expiated as well. However, if
this affliction was the cause of him doing
certain righteous actions - such as
having sabr, contentment with the Decree
of Allâh, repenting to Allâh or asking for
His forgiveness - then the person will be
rewarded for such actions as well.
Because of this it is said that the meaning
of the hadîth is: Indeed, the reward is
proportional to the affliction, providing
there is sabr and expectation of reward.
Similarly, in the hadîth of Sa’d: The
Prophet sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam was
asked: Who from mankind suffers the
greatest afflictions? He replied: “The
Prophets, then those most like them, then those
most like them. A person is afflicted with
calamities in comparisons to his Dîn, so if he is
firm in his Dîn, then his afflictions are strong
and if he is weak in his Dîn, then his afflictions
are lighter. A person is afflicted with calamities
until he is left walking upon the face of this
earth without any sins.” [33]
This hadîth and its like are from the
proofs for Tawhîd. Since if a person
knew that the Prophets and
the awliyâ (the friends of Allâh) are
themselves afflicted with calamities and
that none can remove these afflictions
from them except Allâh, then it will be
known that they can bring neither benefit
nor ward of harm to themselves - so how
can they ward off harm for others! Thus
rather than turning to the Prophets and
Allâh
The Prophet sallallâhu ’alaybi wa
sallam said: “Two characteristics of the people
are from disbelief: attack on one’s genealogy and
bewailing the deceased.” [15] Meaning: that
these two characteristics are actions
of kufr(disbelief), since these are actions
of jâhiliyyah (pre-Islâmic ignorance)
which continue to remain in people.
And no one will remain safe from them,
except for the one to whom Allâh grants
safety, and the one to whom Allâh
grants knowledge and îmân (faith).
However - it should be known - that
whosoever has within him a branch
of kufr (disbelief), then it does not cause
the person to become
a kâfir (disbeliever) with absolute kufr;
just as a person who has within him a
branch of îmân (faith), is not called
a mu‘min (believer) with absolute îmân .
Indeed , there is a difference between
the word kufr having the definite article
attached to it (i.e. al-kufr) and the
word kufr without the definite article - as
occurs in the saying of the
Prophet: “There is nothing between a servant
and between al-kufr and ash-shirk, except
abandoning the Prayer.” [16]
The saying of the Prophet sallallâhu
’alayhi wa sallam: “Attack on one’s
geneology,” means: finding faults and
defects. Entering into this also is a
person’s false denial of another man’s
genealogy by saying: “This is not the son
of such and such,” and the person knew
that this denial was false.
And his saying: “And bewailing the
dead.” means: raising the voice in
lamentation and wailing and in
enumerating the virtues of the deceased.
All of this is a form of complaining
righteous people for the removal of
harm, or relief from worries and grief,
one should turn directly to Allâh alone -
the One who is able to accomplish this.
Attaining Tranquility
And ar-Ridâ (the pleasure of Allâh) -
which occurs in the saying of the
Prophet sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam: “So
whosoever is pleased, then Allâh is pleased with
him.” - is one of the Attributes that Allâh
has described Himself with in various
places in His Book, such as His
saying: “Their reward are Gardens of
Adan, beneath which rivers flow, to
dwell therein forever. Allâh is well
pleased with them, as they are with
Him.” [34]
The way of the Salaf (the Pious
Predecessors) and those who follow
them from Ahlus-Sunnah (the followers of
the Sunnah) is to affirm those attributes
which Allâh has affirmed for Himself, or
which have been affirmed by His
Messenger sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam - in a
way which befits His Majesty and
Greatness - without tamthîl (likening
Allâh to any of His creation), and
without ta’tîl (divesting Allâh of His
Attributes). So when Allâh - the Most
High - is pleased with any one, then such
a person has acquired all good and
excellence and is safe from all evils.
Ar-Ridâ is: a servant’s surrendering his
affairs to Allâh, whilst having a good
opinion about Him and expecting His
reward. Such a person will then
experience tranquility and joy, love of
Allâh and reliance upon Him.
Ibn Mas’ûd - radiallâhu ’anhu - said:
“Indeed Allâh - from His Justice and
Fairness - made delight and tranquility
against the Decree of Allâh and is
against having sabr - such as the saying
of the one bewailing: “He was my close
friend,” or “he was my aid and
supporter.”
So in the above hadîth is a proof for the
obligation of having sabr, and a proof
that there is a type ofkufr (disbelief)
which does not cause its doer to
become a kâfir.
Tender Hearts and Compassionate
Tears
The Prophet sallâllâhu ’alayhi wa
sallam said: “He is not one of us who strikes
the cheeks, tears the clothes and calls with the
call of jâhiliyyah (pre-Islâmic ignorance).” [17]
This is one of those textual threats
related in the Revelation. It is related
from Sufyân ath-Thawrî and Imâm
Ahmad that they disliked explaining the
meaning of such threats, so that people
would have fear of committing such
actions and would remain far away from
them. This narration is a proof that the
actions mentioned are against
completeîmân (faith).
Al-Hâfidh Ibn Hajar (d.852H) whilst
explaining the saying “Whosoever strikes
the cheeks,” said: “The cheeks have been
particularised since that is the most
common place of striking. However,
striking any other part of the face is just
the same.” [18]
The saying of the Prophet: “Tearing the
clothes,” implies: tearing open the clothes
from the chest. This was the practice of
the people of jâhiliyyah (pre-Islâmic
ignorance) as an expression of grieving
for the deceased.
Ibn Taymiyyah (d.728H) said
the fits of yaqîn(certainty)
and ridâ (pleasure). And He made grief,
anxiety and worry the result of doubt and
resentment.” [35]
The meaning of resentment being: “A
dislike for something, with the absence
of pleasure.” [36] Thus, whosoever
resents what Allâh has decreed, then
Allâh will resent that person; and this is
sufficient as a punishment from Allâh.
Also, from the above hadîth, some
Scholars have deduced
that ridâ(contentment and pleasure) with
the Decree of Allâh is obligatory - this
being the view of Ibn ’Aqîl. However, al-
Qâdî Abû Ya’lâ did not consider it to be
obligatory [but rather preferable], and
this was the preferred view of Shaykhul-
Islâm Ibn Taymiyyah and Ibn al-Qayyim.
[37]
Shaykhul-Islâm Ibn Taymiyyah said:
“Just as there is a specific command
attached to having sabr (patience), there
is, however, no such command for
having ridâ (contentment and pleasure).
Rather, there is a praise and an excellence
for those who have ridâ with the Decree
of Allâh.” He further said: “The
narration: ‘Whosoever does not
have sabr with My afflictions, nor
have ridâ with My Decree, has taken a
Lord other than Me.’ [38] This narration
is one of the Isrâ‘îliyyât and is not
authentically related from the
Prophet sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam.” [39]
Shaykhul-Islâm Ibn Taymiyyah also said:
“Indeed, there is a station higher than
[both sabr and] ridâ, and that is to
show shukr (gratitude) to Allâh for the
affliction, since this is the cause of
receiving excellence and bounties.” [40]
about: “And calls with the call of
jâhiliyyah.”: “It means to wail over the
deceased.” [19]
Ibn al-Qayyim - rahimahullâh - said:
“Included in calling with the call
of jâhiliyyah is calling to tribalism,
partisanship and party-spirit; being
zealous and bigoted towards
one’s madhhab (school of thought), party,
or Shaykh; giving precedence to one
over the other and calling to this; and
forming alliances and enmity based
upon this. All of this is from the calls
of jâhiliyyah.”
Abû Umâmah relates the the Messenger
of Allâh sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam cursed
the woman who strikes her face, tears
her clothes and wails over the deceased.
[20]
So this is a proof that these matters are
from the major sins. Also, whosoever
laments lightly-without being impatient
with Allâh’s Decree, nor complaining
against it, and says only that which is
true - then such lamenting is acceptable.
Just like the lamenting of Abû Bakr [21]
and Fâtimah [22]radiallâhu ’anhumâ when
the Messenger of Allâh sallallâhu ’alayhi
wa sallam died. There is a text also from
Imâm Ahmad concerning this. [23]
However, this is not a proof for the
prohibition of crying, since there occurs
in an authentic narration: That when the
Messenger of Allâh sallallâhu ’alayhi wa
sallam came to know about the death of
his son Ibrâhîm, he said: “The eyes shed
tears, the heart grieves, but we do not say except
that which pleases our Lord. O Ibrâhîm! It is
because of you that we are grieving.” [24]
In the two Sahîhs Usâmah bin Zayd
relates: That the Messenger of
References
1. Edited and adapted from Fathul-Majîd li Sharh Kitâbit-
Tawhîd (2/603-615); Chapter: From îmân (faith) in Allâh
is to have sabr(patience) with the Decree of Allâh.
2. Related by Ibn al-Qayyim in Madârijus-
Sâlikîn (2/152).
3. Related by Muslim (no.223) and Ahmad (5/343),
from Abû Mâlik al-Ash’arî radiallâhu ’anhu.
4. Related by al-Bukhârî (no.1469) and Muslim
(no.l053), from Abû Sa’îd al-Khudrî radiallâhu ’anhu.
5. Related by al-Bukhârî (1 l/303) in ta’lîq form, and it
has been related in connected form by Imâm Ahmad in
az-Zuhd with a Sahîh isnâd - as al-Hâfidh Ibn Hajar
mentioned in Fathul-Bârî (11/303).
6. Related by al-Lâlikâ‘î in Sharh Usûl I’tiqâd Ahlus-
Sunnah wal-Jamâ’ah (no.1659), al-Bayhaqî in Sh’abul-
Îmân a n d Abî S h a y b a h i n Kitâbul-Îmân (no.130),
with a slightly different wording.
7 . M a dâ r i j u s-Sâ l i kî n (2/156) of Ibn al-Qayyim.
8. Sûrah at-Taghâbun 64:11
9. Tasfîr Qur‘ânul-’Adhîm (g/164) of Ibn Kathîr.
10. Sûrah al-Hadîd 57:22
11. Sûrah al- Baqarah 2:155-157
12. Tasfîr Qur‘ânul-’Adhîm (8/163).
13. Related by Ibn Jarîr at-Tabarî in Jâmi’ul-Bayân ‘an
Tabîlil-Qur‘ân (28/123), ’Abdur-Razzâq in
his Tafsîr (3/95) and also as-Suyûtî in ad-Duwul-
Manthûr (8/183). Its like is also related by al-Bukhârî
in ta’lîq form (8/652) from Ibn Mas’ûd.
14. Taba’bîbut-Tabdbîb (7/276) of Ibn Hajar al-’Asqalânî.
15. Related by Muslim(no.67) and Ahmad (2/377),
from Abû Hurayrah radiallâhu ’anhu.
16. Related by Muslim (no.82), Abû Dâwûd (no.4679)
and at-Tirmidhî (no.2621), from Jâbir ibn
’Abdullâh radiallâhu ’anhu.
17. Related by al-Bukhârî (no.1294) and Muslim
(no.103), from Ibn Mas’ûd radiallâhu ’anhu.
18. Fathul-Bârî (3/164) of Ibn Hajar.
19. Itqidâ as-Sirâtul-Mustaqîm (l/204) of Shaykhul-Islâm
Ibn Taymiyyah.
20. Sahîh: Related by Ibn Mâjah (no.1584) and also Ibn
Hibbân (no.737). Al-Bawsîrî authenticated it
in Masâbibuz-Zajâjah(1/521).
21. Related by Ahmad (6/31), from ’Âishah radiallâhu
’anhâ.
22. Related by al-Bukhârî (no.4462) and Ibn Mâjah
(nos.1629- 1630), from Anas radiallâhu ’anhu.
23. As az-Zarkashî mentions in Sharh Mukhtasarul-
Kharqî (2/356).
24. Related by al-Bukhârî (no.1303) and Muslim
(no.2315), from Anas and Asmâ bint Yazîd radiallâhu
’anhumâ.
25. Related by al-Bukhârî (no.1283) and Muslim
(no.923).
26. Sahîh: Related by at-Tirmidhî (no.2398) and al-
Hâkim in al-Mustadrak (1/340), from Anas radiallâhu
’anhu. It was authenticated by Shaykh al-Albânî in as-
Allâh sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallamwent to
one of his daughters, who had with her
a young child that was dying. So she
raised the child and placed the child in
his lap, who was gasping for air. On
seeing this, tears rolled down the
Prophetsallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam’s eyes.
So Sa’d said: O Messenger of Allâh!
What is this? So he replied:“This is mercy
which Allâh puts into the hearts of His
servants. And Allâh is merciful to those of His
servants that show mercy to others.” [25]
Trials Faced by the Believers
The Messenger of Allâh sallallâhu ’alayhi
wa sallam said: “Whenever Allâh intends to
do good to a servant, He hastens to punish him
in this world. And whenever Allâh intends evil
for a servant, He postpones the punishment
until the Day of Judgement.” [26]
His saying: “Whenever Allâh intends to do
good to a servant, He hastens to punish him in
this world.” means: that he is punished by
being inflicted with afflictions and
difficulties due to the sins he has
committed, due to which he is cleansed
from them all, and in the Hereafter he
has no sins to account for.
Shaykhul-Islâm Ibn Taymiyyah said:
“The occurrence of afflictions are
actually a form of blessing, since they
are an expiation for sins committed and
they call for a person to have sabr - for
which he is duly rewarded. Likewise
they cause the person to turn to Allâh in
repentance, being humble and
submissive before Him, whilst at the
same time turning away from hoping in
any of the creation. There are - besides
these - other great advantages.
Sahîhah (no.1220).
27. Sûrah al-Baqarah 2:155-157
28. Abridged from Majmû’ul-Fatâwâ (10/48) of Ibn
Taymiyyah.
29. As-Sirâjul-Munîr (l/88) of al-’Azîzî.
30. Sûrah al-Baqarah 2:216
31. Hasan: Related by at-Tirmidhî (no.2398) and Ibn
Majâh (no.4021), from Anas radiallâhu ’anhu. It was
authenticated by al-Albânî in as-Sahîhah (no.146).
32. Sahîh: Related by Ahmad (5/427), from Mahmûd
ibn Lubayd radiallâhu ’anhu. It was authenticated by al-
Mundharî in at-Targhîb wat-Tarhîb (4/283), al-
Haythamîin Majma’uz-Zawâ‘id (2/291) and Ibn Hajar
in Fathul-Bârî (10/108).
33. Sahîh: Related by Ahmad (l/172), at-Tirmidhî
(no.2398) and Ibn Mâjah (no.4023). It was
authenticated by al-Albânî in as-Sahîhah (no.143).
34. Sûrah al-Bayyinah 98:8
35. Related by Ibn Abî Dunyâ in Kitâbur-Ridâ (no.94)
and also al-Bayhaqî in Shu’Abûl-Îmân (no.205).
36. An-Nihâyah fî Gharîbil-Hadîth (2/350) of Ibn al-
Athîr.
37. Madârijus-Sâlikîn (2/171,184) of Ibn al-Qayyim.
38. Da’îf Jiddan: Related by at-Tabarânî in al-
Kabîr (22/320), Ibn Hibbân in al-Majrûhîn (1.324) and
al-Khatîb in at-Talkbîs(39/2) all by way of Sa’îd ibn
Ziyyâd. Al-Haythamî said in al-Majma’ (7/207): “In it is
Sa’îd ibn Ziyyâd who is matrûk(abandoned).” And al-
Hâfidh al-‘Irâqî said in Takbrîjul-Ihyâ (3/296):
“Its isnâd is weak.” And al-Manâwî said: “Da’îf Jiddan
(very weak)” as occurs in ad-Da’îfah (no.505).
39. Ibn al-Qayyim related this in Madârijus-
Sâlikîn (2/171).
40. Majmû’ul-Fatâwâ (11/260) of Ibn Taymiyyah.