Patience is the calm endurance of hardships. Shaikh Tusi (r.a.) defines patience as “Sabr means restraining the self from agitation when confronted with undesirables.”

The word “Patience” or “Sabr” have been used 103 times in the Holy Qur’an.

Some of the Ayahs are reproduced below:

1.            Help yourselves (in your affairs) by patience and prayers. It is a difficult task indeed, but not for the humble ones. (2:45)

2.            We shall test you through fear, hunger, and loss of life, property, and crops. (Muhammad), give glad news to the people who have patience. (2:155)

3.            ….Allah is with those who exercise patience. (2:249)

4.            ….Who exercise patience, speak the truth, are devoted in prayers, spend their property for the cause of Allah, and seek forgiveness from Allah during the last part of the night. (3:17)

5.            When his son was old enough to work with him, he said: “My son, I have had a dream that I must sacrifice you. What do you think of this?” He replied: “Father, fulfill whatever you are commanded to do and you will find me patient, by the Will of Allah.” (37:102)

6.            …..Allah loves those who have patience. (3:146)

7.            …..If you have patience and piety, it will be a sign of firm determination. (3:186)

8.            Believers, have patience, help each other with patience, establish good relations with one another, and have fear of Allah so that you may have everlasting happiness. (3:200)

9.            (I swear) by the time, human beings are doomed to suffer loss (and fail), except the righteously striving believers who exhort each other to truthful purposes and to patience. (103:1-3)

Patience is the best of all good qualities; its name changes according to circumstances:

The name of patience about physical and sexual hunger is “Iffat”. Restrain during hardship is called Patience. Patience by abstaining from sins is called Taqwa. Patience about loss of wealth is called Zabte Nafs. Patience at the time of worldly loss and calamities is called “Wusate Sakr”. Patience during war is called “Shuja’at” or bravery.

Patience while controlling anger is called “Hilm”. Restrain about someone’s confidential talk is called “Raazdari” Patience against unnecessary leisure is called “Zuhd”. To be satisfied with little is called “Qina’at”

People who have faith have three qualities; Patience in hardship, thanking Allah for His bounties, and being happy in Allah’s Will.

The Noble Prophet (s.a.w.s.) said: “When man’s patience reaches its ends, ease and relief sets in for him.”

“(Muhammad), Exercise patience with no complaints” This was the directive of Allah to the Noble Prophet in Surah al-Ma’arij Ayah 5. Consequently, the Messenger and his Holy Progeny(a.s.) used to patiently face the persecution and torture inflicted upon them by their enemies.

The Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali (a.s.) said: “The Messenger of Allah said,

“Sabr is of three kinds: sabr at the time of affliction, sabr in regard to obedience, and sabr in regard to disobedience of Allah. And the third one is superior to the first two kinds.”

Imam Ali said: “Sabr is of two kinds: sabr on what you dislike and sabr on what you like”

Imam Ali ibnal Hussain (a.s.) said: “When calamities befall on you, be patient like a noble man. Do not complain to people about Allah. Because it is like complaining to cruel people about one who is the Most Beneficent and Most Merciful.”

“The relation between patience and belief is like the relation between head and the body.

There is no belief for him who has no patience.”

Imam Jaffer al-Sadiq (a.s.) said: “Whoever of the believers that bears patiently with a tribulation that befalls him, has the reward of a thousand martyrs. When the believer enters his grave, salat is on his right side, zakat on his left side, virtue faces him, with sabr taking him under his shelter. When the two angel’s in-charge of questioning enters upon him, sabr says to salat, zakat, and virtue: “Take care of your companion, and if you fail to assist him, I will take care of him.”

Whoever is unwillingly patient and does not complain, is counted among the common people, his share is, as Allah said: “Give good news to the patient” (2:155) Whoever meets afflictions with an open heart, showing patience with tranquility and dignity, is counted among the elite, his portion is as Allah said: “Surely, Allah is with the patient” (8:46)

Hazrat Bilal, the Muezzin of the Messenger: He was a slave from Abyssinia, Africaand when he converted to Islam, the Makkans tortured him and made him to lie down on the earth in the scorching heat of Arabia, asked him to deny Allah’s unity but he refused to deny. Later on, the Noble Prophet (s.a.w.s.) purchased him and he remained the Muezzin of the Messenger until his demise and left Madinah.

Benefits of Patience: Patience is good for human body as it entails healthy heart and tranquility as opposed to the lack of patience when one gets nervousness and restlessness making a person sick. Reward of patience is immeasurable in the Hereafter.

Famous Poet Hafiz Shirazee: “patience and success are friends of each other; success comes as a result of patience.”

Patience of Prophet Aiyyub: Patience of Prophet Aiyyub is famous because he continued to be patient in the face of every calamity which befallen on him. He lost all the wealth, became very sick as much as his wife also left him. He vowed that if ever he regained his health, he would strike her 100 times. Ultimately, Allah responded to his prayers and restored his lost wealth, his health and his family. When his wife returned, he remembered his vow to strike her, Allah helped him to rectify the oath: “We gave him back his family and doubled their number as a blessing from Us and as a reminder to the people of understanding. We told him, “Take a handful of straw. Strike your wife with it to comply with your oath.” We found him to be patient. What an excellent servant he was. He was certainly most repenting” (38:43-44)

Patience of the Holy Ahlul Bayt (a.s.) will be discussed in “PATIENCE -2

References:

Al-Kafi

Ghurarul Hikam

Wasiyyatnama by Shaikh Mamkani

Lantern of the path,  by Imam Jaffer al-Sadiq (a.s.)

Forty Hadees by Ayatullah Khumieni

Anecdotes of Reflections by Islamic Education Board

Moral values of Qur’an by Ayatullah Dasteghaib