Patience is moderate steadfastness against misfortunes. It is also defined as compelling oneself to stand the necessities of the Sharia including the matters to do and the matters not to do. It indicates wisdom, broadmindedness, high morality, and great steadfastness. In more than seventy places in the holy Quran, Allah refers to and praises patience. He promises the patient of His contentment and liking:
Allah loves those who have patience. (1) He promises He should always support them: Allah is with those who have patience. (2) He promises He should grant them abundance reward: Allah will recompense the deeds of those who have exercised patience, without keeping an account. (3) He promises He should confer upon them with a variety of kindness: We shall test you through fear, hunger, loss of life, property, and crops. (Muhammad), gives glad news to the people who have patience and in difficulty saying, “We are the servants of Allah and to Him, we shall all return.” It is they who will receive blessings and mercy from Allah and who follow the right guidance. (4)
Imam al-Baqir (PBUH) said: Paradise is surrounded by misfortunes and patience. He who shows steadfastness against the misfortunes of this world will be in Paradise. Hell, likewise, is surrounded by lusts and appetites. He who allows himself to have these lusts and appetites will be in Hell. (5) In his final hours, my father embraced me to the chest and said, son, stand the right even if it is bitter, for if you do it you will be granted your rewards without interrogation. (6)
Imam as-Sadiq (PBUH) said: The rank of patience for faith is as same as the rank of the head for the body. When there is no patience, there will be no faith. (7) The believer who shows steadfastness against misfortune that befalls him will be given the rewards of one thousand Martyrs. One may ask how people of patients are given the rewards of one thousand Martyreds who are the heroes of patience in the fields of jihad. To answer this wonderment, we say that people who practice patience deserve the rewards of those Martyreds although Allah will grant them more rewards. Amir ul-Mu’minin (PBUH) said: He who is not saved by steadfastness will surely be killed by impatience. (8)
Categories of Patience
Steadfastness against Misfortunes and Calamities
This category of patience is the greatest because it implies self-dignity, wide-mindedness, unruffledness, and progression. Man is naturally the subject of misfortunes that befall him unwillingly while he has no ability to stop them. The best thing that such a man may practice in such states is to armour himself with steadfastness without which man will surely collapse and become a palatable bite of griefs: Give glad news to the people who have patience and in difficulty say, “We are the servants of Allah and to Him, we shall all return.” It is they who will receive blessings and mercy from Allah and who follow the right guidance. (9)
Amir ul-Mu’minin (PBUH) said: If you practice patience, the destined calamity will befall you while you are rewarded. But if you lose your temper, the destined calamity will befall you while you sin. (10) It is worth mentioning that patience which is described as nice stands for the steadfastness against inescapable calamities, such as the loss of a dear person, usurpation of wealth, or persecution of the enemy. Submission to calamities, while the ability to protect oneself against them is available, is a sort of foolhardiness that is denied by Islam. The thing that divests the virtue of patience is excessive intolerance, such as excessive complaint and grumbling. To give vent to mental pains by means of moderate weeping and to complain about the suffering of disease are among the necessities of vital emotions. The Prophet (PBUH&HP) said when his son Ibrahim died: The eyes shed tears and the heart grieves, but we will say nothing that may displease the Lord. Within the folds of history, there are many stories carrying glorious examples from the past generations who practised patience remarkably: It is narrated that Khosrow the Persian king, once, was angry with Bozorgmehr; therefore, he detained him in a gloomy house and ordered to enchain him with iron.
Several days later, the king sent some people to investigate his state. As they visited him in that gloomy house, they found him tranquil and cheerful. They were astonished; therefore, they wondered: How can you enjoy such peace of mind while you are in such a miserable state? He answered: In fact, I have made, mixed, and used six senses of humour that helped me keep such a manner. The first humour is trust in Allah.
The second is to believe that every destined matter will inevitably occur. The third is the fact that steadfastness is the best thing that the inflicted person should opt for. The fourth is the fact that what should I do if I do not practice patience, since I will not make impatience prevail on me. The fifth is that there may be some others who suffer harsher calamities. The sixth is that relief may come at any moment. (11) Imam ar-Rida narrated the following story on the authority of his father (PBUH): One day, Prophet Solomon said to his companions: Although Allah has granted me a kingdom that no one will ever have its like, made the wind, humankind, jinn, birds, and beasts subservient to me, taught me the languages of birds, and granted me a part of everything, I have never passed a whole daytime with pure pleasure. Tomorrow, I want to go to the surface of my palace in order to watch my kingdoms.
Thus, do not let anybody visit me so that nothing will ruin my pleasure. The next day, he took his stick in his hand, went to the highest point in his palace, and leaned on his stick watching his kingdoms cheerfully. Suddenly, a young handsome man came to him from one of the corners of his palace. Who permitted you to enter my palace on this day that I have dedicated to my seclusion? asked the prophet (PBUH). I entered here with the permission of the lord of this palace, said the young man. Well, said Solomon, the lord is worthier of this than I am. Who are you? I am the angel of death, answered the young. What for are you here? asked Solomon. I am here for grasping your soul, answered the angel. Do it, then, said the prophet, This is surely the day of my pleasure. Allah has rejected for me to have pleasure other than meeting Him. Hence, the angel grasped the soul of the Prophet Solomon while he was leaning on his stick. (12)
Standing the Obedience and Perseverance against the Disobedience to Allah
Man, naturally, rejects the obligatory regulations that delimit his freedoms, even if such regulations are put in for sake of achieving his pleasure. Thus, man does not submit to such regulations except by means of inducement, encouragement, warning, or threat. Seeing that the practising of acts of obedience to Allah and the avoidance of acts of disobedience to him are two difficult deeds, to stand the obedience to Allah and to persevere against the disobedience to Him are within the most important obligations: Imam as-Sadiq (PBUH) said: Stand the acts of obedience to Allah and practice the perseverance against the acts of disobedience to Him. This world is only one hour: you cannot find the taste of pleasure or bitterness of all that which passed, and you can never realize that which has not come yet. Hence, show steadfastness in that hour and you will be surely happy. (13)
On the Day of Resurrection, a group of people will go straightly to knock on the door of Paradise. As they are asked about their identities, they will answer they are people of patience. As they are asked about the fields of their patience, they will answer that they stand the acts of obedience to Allah and persevere against the acts of disobedience to Him. Then, Allah will say, They have told the very truth. Let them be in Paradise. This is the indication of Allah’s saying: Allah will recompense the deeds of those who have exercised patience, without keeping an account(14). (15) Patience is of two forms: steadfastness against misfortunes. It is good and fair. What is better and fairer is the ability to avoid what Allah has forbidden. (16)
The patience of the Graces
This category of patience stands for self-control against the inducements of ingratitude. As a matter of fact, steadfastness against tragedies of this life is not preferable to self-control against pleasures, passions, and charms of this world. The neglect of steadfastness against misfortunes results in destroying impatience. Likewise, negligence of self-control in luxury results in ingratitude and exaggeration, which are both detestable: The human being still tends to rebel when he becomes wealthy. (17) Patience of graces means to observe the rights of such graces and exploit them in the fields of charity, such as helping the miserable, aiding the persecuted, settling the believers’ needs, and avoiding slips of ingratitude and vanity.
Advantages of Patience
Patience is the shelter of the grievous because it supplies tranquillity. It is also security against intolerance and anxiety. Without patience, the afflicted people would fall in and become prey to mental and physical defects. Patience, too, is the expected hope due to which Allah has prepared great rewards.
How to Acquire Patience?
To acquire patience it is recommended:
(1) To look at the virtues and nice traits of patience.
(2) To ponder over the disadvantages that impatience leaves on people’s lives. Impatience does not settle a need, save from acts of Allah, or change a reality. It only results in wearisome. In his How to Stop Worrying and Start Living, Dale Carnegie says: In the last eight years, I have read every book, magazine, and article that dealt with worry. Do you want to know the wisest and most beneficial advice that I extracted through such a prolonged survey? It is to satisfy yourself with the inescapable.
(3) To sympathize with the actuality of this life, which is based upon troubles and concerns. Indeed, this world is not the abode of comfort. It is a transitory place of test for believers. Like students who exhaust themselves in the tests for sake of obtaining high grades, the believers in this world are examined for recognizing the scope of their faith and conviction: Do people think they will not be tested because they say, We have faith? We had certainly tried those who lived before them to make sure who was truthful in their faith and who were liars. (18)
(4) To learn lessons from the sufferings of the great persons who exercised patience for sake of Allah purely, and:
(5) To practice matters of entertainment that help in alleviating the pains and relaxing the nerves, such as travelling, visiting charming views, and reading amusing stories.
NOTES:
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1. The Quran 3:146
2. The Quran 8:46
3. The Quran 39:10
4. The Quran 2:155-7
5. al-Wafi; vol. 3, page 65
6. Ibid
7. Ibid
8. Nahj ul-Balaghah
9. The Quran 2:155-7
10. Nahj ul-Balaghah
11. Safinat ul-Bihar; part 2 page 7
12. Safinat ul-Bihar; part 1 page 614
13. al-Wafi; part 3 page 63
14. The Quran 39:10
15. al-Wafi; part 3 page 65
16. al-Wafi; part 3 page 65
17. The Quran 96:6-7
18. The Quran 29:2-3
