meaning of patience during hardships??

[sophie22]

salam, what does it mean to be patient during hardships? like i know obviously one shouldn't curse Allah when a calamity hits him but what else? should they not complain of their situation to others, should they only complain to Allah? what does one have to do in order to be patient during hardhips? thanks and please make dua for me that Allah grants me my requests quickly without any delay, its apreciated.

[Hamza Asadullah]

salam, what does it mean to be patient during hardships? like i know obviously one shouldn't curse Allah when a calamity hits him but what else? should they not complain of their situation to others, should they only complain to Allah? what does one have to do in order to be patient during hardhips? thanks and please make dua for me that Allah grants me my requests quickly without any delay, its apreciated.

Asalaamu Alaikum, jazakallahu khayr for your question. What it means to be patient through hardships is to accept the decree of Allah and not to question it saying: "Why me"? to Allah. We should accept that Allah has inflicted this hardship on us in order to test us so that he may differentiate the strong and firm believer to the weak.

By being patient it also means that we should not complain to others about our hardships trials and misfortunes but we should remain steadfast and thank Allah and ask him to make us patient and fim. We should put all of our trust in Allah and know that he is doing what is best for us.

No Muslim is afflicted with harm because of sickness or some other inconvenience, but that Allah will remove his sins for him as a tree sheds its leaves. (Bukhari)

We should know that these afflictions will disolve our sins like salt dissolves in water and it maybe that on the day of judgement a person who was tested so much that he may little or no sins left.

No one is granted a gift better and more comprehensive than patience. (Bukhari and Muslim)


We should ask of Allah to remove our burden as long as it is better for us but those with the firmest of beliefs want to be tested more so that they may gain closeness to Allah because it is trials and hardships which bring a believer closest to Allah.

It is trials and hardships which cause a person to be the best of the believers and gain the highest ranks of Jannah. It is trials and beliefs which make a person a strong firm believer.

O ye who believe! seek help with patient perseverance and prayer: for Allah is with those who patiently persevere. (2:153)

Seek (Allah's) help with patient perseverance and prayer. (2:45)

So when we experience trials and hardships then Allah is wanting us to be patient and persevere and turn towards him in prayer. As well as the 5 daily Salaah we should turn towards him in the latter portions of the night at Tahajjud time for this is a time when Allah showers his mercy the most. We should beg and cry to him and ask of him for forgiveness and also thank him abundantly.

And during part of the night (also) celebrate His praises and (so likewise) after the postures of adoration. (50:40)

But man has been created impatient:

Truly man was created very impatient: fretful when evil touches him, and niggardly when good reaches him. (70:19-21)

There are two categories of people that we should never fall into regarding trials and hardships:

1. One is he who asks of Allah when affliction hits him but when the affliction is over then it is as though Allah never helped him and he hows ungrattitude to Allah.

When trouble touches a man he cries unto Us (in all postures) lying down on his side or sitting or standing. But when We have solved his trouble he passes on his way as if he had never cried to Us for a trouble that touched him! Thus do the deeds of transgressors seem fair in their eyes! (10:12)

2.The second is he who when calamity strikes him he breaks down and becomes indifferent to Allah and his commands as if he is owed a comfortale life.

Among men is he who worships Allah, while remaining on the borderline; if any good befalls him, he is satisfied; but if a trial afflicts him, he utterly turns away. He will incur loss both of this world and the Hereafter. That indeed is a clear loss. (21:11)

The story of Yaqub (As) or Job (As) is a perfect example of the purpose of tests. He was such a firm and strong believer that shaythan asked Allah to test him that is faith may weaken but even after Yaqub (As) lost everything from wealth, health, wife and family he was even stronger in faith and belief.

Sameway we are tested to see if we will become stronger believers and closer to Allah or whether we will lose our imaan and become closer to shaythan and our nafs (desires).

The best people are those who are tested the most and come out of their tests stronger in faith. Those who were tested the most were the Prophets because they were the best of people.

So if a trial and hardship comes our way then we should see it as a blessing in disguise and should remain patient and steadfast and put our full trust, hopes and reliance in Allah and know that victory will be ours in the end.

Verily with every difficulty, there is relief. (94:6)

Verily, the Hereafter will be better for thee than the present. (93:4)

There is even reward for past trials and hardships:

If any Muslim man or woman suffers a calamity and keeps it in his memory, even if it happened a long time ago, saying each time it is remembered:

Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi raaji'oon

'We belong to Allah and to Him do we return,' Allah, who is Blessed and Exalted will give a fresh reward each time it is said, equivalent to the reward when it happened. (Ahmad)

So we need to view this life as a test ground and tests and calamitys as ways of Allah the main examiner testing us to see how well we will be able to do in this test.

Imam Ibn'l Qayyim (Rahimahullah) said:

The divine decree related to the believer is always a bounty, even if it is in the form of withholding (something that is desired), and it is a blessing, even if it appears to be a trial, and an affliction that has befallen him is in reality a cure, even though it appears to be a disease!

Unfortunately, due to the ignorance of the worshipper, and his transgressions, he does not consider anything to be a gift or a blessing or a cure unless he can enjoy it immediately, and it is in accordance with his nature. If he were only given a little bit of understanding, then he would have counted being withheld from as a blessing, and the sickness as a mercy, and he would relish the trouble that befalls him more than he relishes his ease, and he would enjoy poverty more than he enjoys richness, and he would be more thankful when he is blessed with little than when he is blessed with a lot.

We should realise that we are only going to be tested for a very short while compared to the eternal rewards that await us as after death we can enjoy the fruits of our patience FOREVER!
May Allah enable us to be steadfast and patient through trials and hardships and come out firmer and stronger believers. Ameen