The Secrets of Patience

U

Ummu Sufyaan

is in need of dua
Messages
7,926
Reaction score
1,403
Gender
Female
Religion
Islam
:sl:
this is beautiful...


The Secrets of Patience
Translation from Madaarij al-Saalikeen, By Ibn al-Qayyim​

The meaning of Sabr
In the Arabic language, Sabr means ‘to hold fast’ cease,’ or ‘choke.’ For example, in bedioun Arabic, to say “one has been killed by sabr,” means one chocked to death. Allah the Most High says, “Moreover, keep yourself paitent in the company of those [humble believers] who call upon their Lord [with devotion] in the morning and in the evening, desiring [only] His Face” [18:28]. Sabr in this verse means to ‘hold to.’

This sabr means to hold one’s self from anxiety (jaza’) and anger (tasakhkhut), to hold one’s tongue from complaint, and to hold one’s body from disgraceful movements.

Its is of three types: Patience in obeying God (namely perseverance), patience in avoiding God’s disobedience (namely resolve) and patience in God’s tests. The first two of these are related to voluntary acts, over which we as humans have control. The last pertains to what happens to us (by God’s decree) wherein we have no choice.

The Patience of Prophet Yusuf
I have heard Ibn Taymiyyah-may God purify his soul-say: [The Prophet] Yusuf's patience in resisting the temptation of the minister's wife was higher than his patience regarding his brothers' throwing him into the well and separating him from his father, for the latter happened to him without his choice. In such cases, a servant of God has no option but patience. But his perseverance in avoiding the seduction (of the minister's wife) involved his choice and pleasure (resulting from his volitional obedience to God) and struggling against his self. This is especially true because there were factors complicating the situation which made it all the harder for him. Not only was he young and full of powerful natural desire, he also was unmarried (thus lacking an appropriate way of satisfying those native urges). He was furthermore a stranger in the land with no relatives or friends to be ashamed before (had he fornicated).

Moreover, he was a slave, and in servitude one's moral restraint (wazi' ) is not as it is in freedom. Further, the woman (seeking to seduce him) was beautiful, of high status, and his owner, and she tempted him when her husband was out. On top of all this, she threatened him with imprisonment and humiliation if he were not to oblige her. Yet despite all these factors, he was patient out of his own choice, preferring what is with God. How much better it is compared to his patience in the well, wherein he had no choice?"

He [Ibn Taymiyyah] also used to say: "Patience through the performance of righteous acts is better and higher in status than patience in avoiding sins, for the benefit that comes from the performance of a righteous deed is dearer to the , Lawgiver (Allah) than the benefit that comes from abjuring sin.

Likewise, the ill that arises from the absence of righteous obedience is more hateful to God than the ill that arises from the presence of disobedience:" He has a treatise in this matter in which he has supported this opinion in 20 different ways, but this is not the occasion to mention them. Our purpose here is to discuss patience, its reality, its levels and ranks. Allah alone gives success.

Various ranks of patience:
Paitence is also of three sorts: Patience by Allah (billah), patience for Allah (lillah), and patience with Allah (ma'allah).

The first, patience by Allah, consists in seeking Allah's help and seeing Allah as the source of patience. For the patience of a servant is not in his own power but is his Lord's gift, as the Most High says, "So be patient [O Prophet]. Yet [know that] your patience shall not endure [through adversity], except with [the help of] God." [16: 127]. That is to say, if Allah does not give you patience, you shall not be patient.

The second, patience for Allah, means that the motivation of your patience must be the love of Allah, the will to seek His pleasure (wajh), and nearness to Him-not the desire to exhibit your self-control, to seek the praise of people, or for any other reasons.

The third, patience with Allah, is comprised of the servant's effort to keep with God's religious decrees and requirements, in terms of persevering with them, living with them, establishing them, going with them wherever they take one, and stopping wherever they stop. One's patience with Allah is to attach the "self" (nafs) to the things God commands and loves. This is the hardest and most demanding type of patience. It is the patience of the Siddiqoon (those of the highest degree of truthfulness and faithfulness).

The sage Al-Junayd said: "The journey from tills world to the Hereafter is easy and light for a believer when compared with renouncing people (for their rejection of faith) in front of Allah, which is hard. The journey from the self to Allah is harder still.
Yet to be patient with Allah is the hardest of all." He was asked about patience. So he said: "It is to swallow bitterness without frowning."

It has also been said that [patience] is "the endurance of the self in attacking adversities." And also "withstanding a calamity with a good attitude [patience] is like enjoying peace and felicity." Amr ibn Uthman said: "[Patience] is standing fast with God and meeting the calamity God has given with magnanimity and intent." The elite [worshippers of God] say: "[Patience] is to stand firm on the
commandments of the Book and the Sunnah."

It has been said that the ranks of sabr are five: Sabir, mustasaabir, mutasabbir, saboor, and sabbaar. The first, saabir, is the most general. Mustabir is of the one who has earned patience and is filled with it. Mutasabbir is of one who forces one's "self" to it [against all odds]. Saboor is of one whose patience is
great in comparison to others. And, finally, sabbar, is of one who has a great amount of patience-greater than any of the [people meant by these four] earlier [descriptions].

Regarding the words of Allah, the Most High, "Be patient (do sabr), encourage each other to be patient (do musabarah), and wait in patience (do murabatah), or: Be patience. And have outlasting patience. And be ever at the ready." [3:200]-it has been said that tills verse proceeds from the easier [and lesser]
command to the harder and nobler. This means that sabr is less than musabara, and musabara is less than murabatah.

The word 'murabatah' comes from rabt which means a tie or hold. Someone is called al-murabit because he ties his horse and waits for the enemy's assault. Hence, tills term has been used for anyone who ties and holds his "self" in discipline and waits for God's commandments.

The Prophet Muhammad, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, has said: "Shall I not inform you of that by which Allah erases sins and raises ranks? Perfecting ablution (wudhu), even when it is difficult, walking frequently to the mosques, and waiting for a salah after another [has finished]: That is ribaat! That is ribaat"
(Muslim, Malik, Tirmithi) He also said: "Waiting patiently for a single day in the path of Allah is better than tills world and all that is in it" (Bukhari, Ahmad).


To be continued, inshallah...
 
MO783 said:
:sl:

I wish I had paitence
Click to expand...

:wasalamex

Ibn Qayyim (r) said in his book Patience and Grattitide:

If one does not naturally possess the characteristic of patience, he can attaint this characteristic by acting as if he does possess it, until it evenrually becomes second nature.
 
As Salaam Alaykum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuhu

What a great reminder and very important. Allah Taala loves those who are patient! :)

Jazaak'Allah Khair sis.
 
:sl:
continued...

Regarding the words of Allah, Most High: "Be patient' (do sabr) , "encourage each other to be paitnet (musabarah); and "wait in patience" (do Murabatah): or alternatively: "Be patient. And have out lasting at the ready" [3:200]---it has been said that this verse preceeds from the easier [and lesser] comand to the harder and nobler. This means that sabr is less than musabarah is of a lower grade than murabatah.

The word 'murabatah' comes from the root 'rabt,’ which means a 'tie' or 'hold.' Someone is called muraabit when he "hitches" his horse and "waits" for the enemy's assault. Hence, this term has been used for anyone who binds and holds his "self" (nafs) [to something] in discipline, in wait of Allah's command.

The Prophet Muhammad, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, has said: "Shall I not inform you of that by which Allah erases sins and raises ranks? Perfecting ablution (wudhu), even when it is difficult, walking frequently to the masjids, and waiting for a salah after another [has finished]: This is ribat! This is ribat!" (Muslim, Malik, Tirmithi). He said, as well: "Abiding in patience, for even a single day, [while striving] in the path of Allah is better than this world and all that is in it" (Bukhari, Ahmad).

As to [the three commands in] this [last] verse [of Ali-Imran], it has been said: "Hold yourselves in obedience to God (isbiru). Moreover, persevere with your hearts in the midst of a test from God (saabiru). What is more, bind your innermost selves to yearning for God (raabitu)."

It has further been said of it: "Be patient in God. Be patient by God. And abide patiently with God." And also: "Be patient when blessed. Be more patient when tested and afflicted. And abide with the utmost patience when striving in the abode of an enemy, remaining ever mindful of the God of Earth and Heaven. Thus shall you prosper in the Eternal House."

Sabr, then, occurs with respect to your own self. Musabarah is to out do your opponent, or a calamity that afflicts you, in mustering determination. And murabatah means to stay strong and prepare [for future trials]. The last of these, ribaat, denotes, as well, the openings whence an enemy may attack. Thus ribaat also applies to vigilantly safeguarding the breaches and weak points of one's heart against the assaults of Satan, who could own it, ruin it, or unsettle it.
It has been [wisely] said: "Swallow patience, for if it kills you, you die a martyr, and if it sustains you, you live in honor."

Iman and paitence
In Bukharis book of Adab al-Mufrad, it is reported that "the Messenger of God was asked about faith. He said: 'It is patience and generosity.''' (Bukhari grades this tradition hasan. It is also narrated by Ahmad.) This, indeed, is the most inclusive way to express [the meaning of faith, as it encompasses all its stations from beginning to end. For two things are required of our nafs (self) [in this world]: To give all it has been commanded to give, which comes from generosity; and to abstain from whatever has been prohibited for it, [a resolve] which issues from patience.

Further, Allah, transcendent and exalted, has enjoined [three beautiful virtues] in His Book: "Beautiful patience" (sabr jameel) (12: 18), ''beautiful pardon (as-safhul jameel) (15:85), " and "beautiful parting" (hajr jameel) (73: 10).

I have heard Ibn Taymiyyah, may God purify his soul, say: Beautiful patience, as such, is unaccompanied by complaint. Beautiful pardon, as such, is unaccompanied by anger. And a beautiful parting, as such, is unaccompanied by harm.

Ibn Uyaynah said regarding Allah's words-"And [thereby] We made from them exemplary leaders, guiding [their people] by Our command-when they had endured patiently, and [when] they had certainty [in the truth] of Our [revealed] verses" [32:24-]: "It means that they lived by the summit of all virtues-namely, patience-so Allah made them leaders."

Complaining to Allah, however, does not negate patience, for Yaqub (Jacob), upon him be peace, the father of Yusuf (Joseph), swore adherence to beautiful patience [upon losing his beloved son]-and never does a prophet violate his promise. Yet he said: "I complain of my anguish and my grief only to Allah. For I know from Allah what you do not know" [12:86].
Similarly, Ayyub (Job) promised Allah to be patient, but nonetheless implored Him: "Indeed, [unbearable] ailment has touched me, and You are the most merciful of the merciful!" [21:83].

The thing that does negate patience, however, is complaining of Allah. A righteous man heard another protesting to someone about his poverty and need [in a way that smacked of ingratitude to Allah], so he said to him: " Do you complain of the One who is merciful to you to one who is not!"Then he recited [the lines]:
When calamity befalls you, then patience!
For of your state is He ever all-aware. Yet when you bewail your misfortune unto Adam’s offspring
Then it is but against the All-Merciful you do complain-and to one for whom
mercy is not there!

While the descriptions of it are many, the knowledgeable have no disagreement that sabr's most obvious meaning is to ''hold one's nafs" in a condition that it likes not-and such is the most difficult of the spiritual stations for the commonality of people. And thus is it the loneliest (awhash) place along the path of divine love.

Patience is hard to come by for ordinary people because the common man, [which means one who is] just setting out upon the path [of drawing near unto Allah], is spiritually unfit. So when faced with trials, at once he gives in to wailing and complaining. Meeting calamity gracefully is tough for him. That is to say, patience is difficult for him [to call up], for he has neither undergone the spiritual training (riyadhah) to make him capable of it, nor is he like those [spiritual athletes] who love [this competition unto] Allah-and who, therefore, find pleasure in being tested in the way of the Beloved.

The Source of Patience: Fear of God and Modesty before Him
Fear of Divine retribution helps deliver one to patience against sinning and thus to avoid it. And avoiding sin aids one to guard one's faith and thus [to preserve] the vitality of one's eman. For sinning decreases faith and eventually reduces it altogether, diminishing its brightness and grandeur, extinguishing its light, and enervating its power or blighting its fruit. The relationship between sinning and faith is ineluctable. This is necessarily known, as a sound report from the Prophet, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam, states: "A fornicator is not a believer while fornicating. The imbiber of alcohol is not a believer while imbibing. A thief is not a believer while stealing. And one who carries off another's valued property is not a believer while doing so. Beware! Beware! For repentance is accessible only afterward." (Bukhari, Muslim, Ahmad)

Modesty, in the sense of having shame before Allah [at the contemplation of sin] (al-haya) is the mark of those of noble character and pure souls. Whoever possesses it is better than one who is patient [in the face of sin] merely because of fear in anticipation of divine retribution.

For shame before Allah is a sign of one's self-control and the attentiveness of one's heart. It holds in reverence and glorification unto Allah what the motive of fear does not. For when one is prompted by fear, his heart is filled with terror, while the heart of one moved by modesty-that is, godly shame-is filled with Allah. The fearful one worries for his own self and wishes to protect it, while the modest one who has shame before Allah is concerned for Allah and in awe of His greatness.

Fear and godly modesty are both spiritual stations of faith. Yet modesty, in the sense of godly shame, is closer to excellence-for if one reaches such a lofty place from whence it is as if he sees Allah, there emanate, and burst open from his heart, veritable springs of such modesty (al-haya).
 
AsSalamOAlaikum WaRehmatuAllah WaBarkatuhu

Wow, i love this topic, inshaAllah we can all add a couple of drops on patience in our lives.....this hadith was Heart-Softner....

"Abiding in patience, for even a single day, [while striving] in the path of Allah is better than this world and all that is in it" (Bukhari, Ahmad)."
Click to expand...

SubhaanAllah!!!

JazakAllah Khair

FiSabilillah
 

Similar Threads

Back
Top