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 ﷺ 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 Sharîah 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). [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] sabr with the Decree of Allâh with respect to afflictions and difficulties.
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