Patience

Assalammu'alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu
Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim

Patience is beautiful

PATIENCE is Half of Iman

• Iman is in two halves: half is patience (sabr) and half is gratitude (shukr). Therefore Allah has mentioned patience and gratitude alongside one another:

"...Verily in this are signs for all who constantly persevere and give thanks."

[Ibrahim 14:5/ Luqman 31:31/ Saba' 34:19/ Ash-Shura 42:33]

The reasons why one half of iman is patience and the other half is gratitude are as follows: Iman is a term which covers words, deeds and intentions, all of which are based on one of two things, action or abstinence. Action refers to performing a deed in accordance with the instruction of Allah, which is reality of gratitude. Abstinance, as in refraining from wrong action, requires patience. The whole of religion is embodied in these two things: carrying out that which Allah has commanded, and refraining from that which Allah has prohibited.

• Iman is based on two pillars: Yaqin (conviction) and patience, which are reffered to in the following ayat:

"And We appointed, from among them, leaders, giving guidance under Our command, so long as they persevered with patience and continued to have faith in Our signs"

[as-Sajdah 32:24]

It is through faith that we know the reality of Allah's commands and prohibitions, of reward and punishment, and it is through patience that we carry out His instructions and abstain from which He has prohibited. A person can never come to believe in Allah's commands and prohibitions, and in reward and punishment, except through faith, and that is truly from Allah. And we can never carry out Allah's instructions and abstain from that which He has prohibited except through patience. Therefore, patience is half of iman, and the other half is gratitude.

• Human has two powers, the power of doing and the power of abstaining, which control all his/her behaviour. So, a person will do what he/she likes and abstain from what he/she dislikes. The whole of religion is doing or abstaining, carrying out the instructios of Allah or abstaining from that which He has prohibited, neither of which can be accomplished without patience.

• The whole of the religion is hope (raja'a) and fear (khauf), and the true believer is one who is both hopeful and fearful. Allah says:

"They used to call on Us with love and reverence, and humble themselves before Us"

[al-anbiya' 21:90]

The prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to pray: "Oh Allah, I have surrendered my soul to You, and turned my face to You. My (own) affair I commit to Allah and I seek your protection, in hope of You and in fear of You" [al Bukhari]

So, the believer is the one who is both hopeful and fearful, but hope and fear can only be based on the foundation of patience: fear should make the believer patient, and his/her hope should lead to gratitude.

• Any action done by human is either beneficial or harmful to him/her in this world and the next, or else it is beneficial to him/her in one world and harmful to him in the other. The best course for a human is to do what is beneficial to him/her in the Hereafter. This is the reality of iman: to do what is good for him/her, and that is gratitude; to abstain from that which harms him/her, and that is patience.
• Human is always in a situation where he/she has to carry out instruction from Allah, or avoid something which Allah has prohibited, or accept something that Allah has decreed. In all cases, he/she has to face the situation with patience and gratitude. Carrying out Allah's instructions is gratitude, and abstaining from prohibited things and being content with the decree of Allah constitutes patience.
• Human is constantly being pulled in two opposing directions: should he/she respond to the lure of this world of desires and pleasures, or should he/she answer the call of Allah and the Hereafter, with the eternal Paradise that Allah has prepared for his/her friend (wali)? Going against the call of whims and desire is patience, and responding to the call of Allah and the Hereafter is gratitude.
• Religion is based on two principles: determination and perseverence (patience), which are reffered to in the doa of the prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)" "Oh Allah, I ask you for perseverence in all my affairs, and I ask you for the determination to stay on the straight and narrow path"
• Religion is based on truth (haqq) and patience, which is reffered to in this ayat:

"...and they (join together) in the mutual teaching of truth, and of patience and consistency

[al-'asr 103:3]

Human is required to work according to the truth, both by him/herself and with others, which is the reality of gratitude, but he/she cannot do that without patience, therefore, patience is half of the iman.

Taken from Patience and Gratitude: An abridged translation of 'uddat as-sabirin wa dhakhirat ash-shakirin
by Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah
(translated by Nasiruddin al-Khattab)

wallahua'lam
all praise and gratitude is only for Allah, Lord of the universe