10. THE VIRTUES OF PATIENCE
The Messenger of Allah said, “Know that great good lies in bearing with patience what you dislike.” The narration of Umar, the freed-slave of Ghufrah, on the authority of ibn Abbas has an additional sentence before this phrase, “If you are able to work deeds for the sake of Allah, being content and in a state of certainty, do so. If you are unable, know that great good lies in bearing with patience what you dislike.”
The meaning of certainty here is to actualise faith in the decree. This is mentioned explicitly in the narration of his son, ‘Ali ibn Abdullah ibn Abbas, on the authority of his father which has the additional wording, ‘I asked, ‘Messenger of Allah, how can I act with certainty?’ He replied, ”That you know that what afflicted you could never have missed you and what missed you could never have afflicted you.“’ However, the isnad is da’if.
When you have consolidated the topic of certainty, attaining certainty in the heart of the decree and ordination necessitates the heart being at rest and at peace with it. This very meaning is articulated by the Qur’an:
“Nothing occurs, either in the earth or in your selves, without its being in a Book before We make it happen. That is so that you will not be grieved about the things that pass you by or exult about the things that come to you.”
In exegesis to this verse, Dahhak said, ‘He strengthened their resolve: “so that you will not be grieved about the things that passed you,” so grieve not about worldly effects (that have missed you), for We have not decreed them for you. “Or exult about the things that come to you, ” exult not about the worldly effects that We have granted you for they would never have been held back from you.’ This was recorded by ibn AbI al-Dunya.
Sa’Id ibn Jubayr explained the verse with the words, “‘So that you will not be grieved about the things that passed you by” of well-being and affluence, this because you know that it was decreed for you before He even created you.’ This was recorded by ibn Abi Hatim.
It is in light of this that one of the Salaf said, ‘Faith in the decree removes worry and distress.’ The Prophet alluded to this with his words, “Be desirous of all that would benefit you and seek Allah’s aid and do not despair. If you are afflicted with something, do not say, ‘If only I had done [this], such and such would have happened,’ rather say, ‘Allah decreed and did what He willed.’ [Saying], ‘If only,’ opens [the door to] the actions of Shaytan.”
Alluded to in this hadith is that if one were to, at the onset of affliction, remind oneself of the decree, the whisperings of Shaytan which lead to worry, distress and sorrow would go away.
Anas said, ‘I served the Prophet for ten years and he never once said to me about something I did, ”Why did you do that?” or about something I did not do, ”Why didn’t you do that?”‘ He said, ‘When one of his family would reprimand me, he would say, “Let him be, if something is decreed, it will happen.”‘ The hadith with this additional wording was recorded by Imam Ahmad.
Ibn AbI al-Dunya records with an isnad that is problematic that A’ishah said, ‘The most frequent words of the Prophet when he came home were, “Whatever matter Allah has ordained will happen.”‘ He also records, with an isnad that is mursal, that the Prophet said to ibn Mas’ud, “Do not worry too much, what has been decreed will happen, and what you are to be provided with will come to you.” The hadith of Abu Hurayrah has the Prophet saying, ” [Saying] , ‘La hawla wa la quwwata illa bi’llah’ is a cure for ninety nine ailments, the least of which is worry.”This was recorded by Tabararu and hakim.
Actualising this statement necessarily leads to relegating all affairs to Allah and believing that nothing will happen unless Al wills it. Faith in this removes worry and distress. The Prophet advised a man, saying, “Do not impugn Allah for something He has ordained for you.”
When the servant sees the workings of Allah’s wisdom and mercy through His decree and ordination and knows that He is not to be impugned for His decree, he will attain contentment at Allah’s ordination. Allah, Mighty and Magnificent, says,
“No misfortune occurs except by Allah’s permission. Whoever has faith in Allah – He will guide his heart.”
In an exegesis to this verse, Alqamah said, ‘This refers to a misfortune that befalls a person, but he knows that it is from Allah so he accepts it and is content.’
In an authentic hadith, the Prophet said, ”There is nothing that Allah ordains for the believer except that it is good for him. Ifhe encounters times of ease, he is grateful and that is good for him. If he encounters misfortune, he is patient and that is good for him. This only holds true for the believer.”
The Qur’an also proves this,
“Say:’Nothing can happen to us except what Allah has ordained for us. He is our Master and it is in Allah that the believers should put their trust.’ Say: ‘What do you await for us except for one of the two best things?…”’12
Here, He informs us that nothing could happen to them except what He has decreed. This indicates that, regardless if what they encounter is hard or easy, it is the same to them. He then informs us that He is their Master and whoever is in such a position will not be forsaken by Allah; indeed He will take charge of effectuating good for him,
“Know that Allah is your Master, the Best of Masters and the Best of Helpers!”13
“What do you await for us except for one of the two best things?. . . “14
i.e. either aid and victory or martyrdom: both are best.Tirmidhi records on the authority of Anas that the Prophet said, ”When Allah loves a people, He tries them. Whoever is content will have good-pleasure, and whoever is displeased will have displeasure.
Abu’l-Darda said, ‘Allah loves that a [servant] be content with a matter when He ordains it.’ Ummu’l-Darda said, ‘Those who are truly content with the ordination of Allah are people who are content, no matter what is ordained. On the Day of Rising they will have such stations in Paradise as would make the martyrs envious.’
Ibn Mas’ud said, ‘By Allah’s justice and knowledge did He place relief and joy in certainty and contentment, and worry and distress in doubt and displeasure.’ This is also reported as a hadith of the Prophet but is da’if.
‘Umar ibn ‘Abdu’l-‘Aziz would say, ‘These invocations have left me with no further needs, only submission to the decree of Allah, Mighty and Magnificent. He would employ them in supplication frequently, saying, “O Allah make me content with your ordainment and bless me in your decree to the extent that I would not wish to hasten something I delayed or delay something I hastened . “‘
lbn Awn said, ‘In both times of ease and difficulty be content with Allah’s decree, it will decrease your distress and serve you better in your pursuit of the Hereafter. Know that the servant will never attain the reality of contentment until his contentment at times of poverty and tribulation is the same as his contentment at times of affluence and ease. How can you go to Allah to adjudge your affair and then be discontented when you find that His ordainment does not accord with your desires?! It is well possible that, were your desire to come to fruition, you would be destroyed! When His ordainment accords to your desires, you are content, and both cases arise because of your scant knowledge of the unseen. How can you go to Him for judgment when this is your condition! You have not been fair to yourself and neither have you hit the mark with regards to contentment.’
These are fine words. The meaning is that when the servant turns to Allah, Mighty and Magnificent, to aid him in a decision (istikhara), he should be content with what Allah chooses for him regardless if it conforms to his desires or not. This is because he, himself, does not know in which course the good lies and Allah, Glorious is He, is not to be impugned for His ordainment. It is for this reason that some of the Salaf, such as ibn Mas’ud and others, would order a person who feared that he would not be able to bear a decision which opposed his desires, to add the words, ‘in all well-being,’ to his istikhara since He could choose trial for him and he not be able to bear it. This has also been recorded from the Prophet but it is da’if.
Bakr al-Muzani narrates that a man would frequently make istikhara and as result was tried and was unable to bear it with patience, instead sinking into despair. So Allah revealed to one of their Prophets, “Tell My servant that if he lacks due resolve then why does he not ask for My decision [with the words], ‘in all well-being’?”
The hadith of Sa’d has the Prophet saying, “From the good fortune of a servant is His seeking a decision from his Lord, Mighty and Magnificent, and being content with what He ordains. From the misery of a person is his abandoning seeking a decision and his dislike of what He ordains.” This was recorded by Tirmidhl and others.
There are numerous ways to achieve contentment with the decree:
1. The servant having certainty in Allah and a firm trust that whatever He decrees for a believer will be good for him. As such he will be like a patient who has submitted to the ministrations of a skilled doctor: such a patient will be content with his ministrations be they painful or not because he has a complete trust that the doctor is doing only that which will be of benefit to him. This is what ibn Awn alluded to in his aforementioned words.
2. Looking to the reward that Allah has promised for contentment. The servant could well be so engrossed in pondering this that he forgets all about the pain he is facing. It is reported that a righteous woman from the Salaf tripped and broke a nail whereupon she laughed saying, ‘The delight of His reward has made me forget the bitterness of His pain.’
3. Immersing oneself in love of the One who sends tribulation, constantly being aware of His magnificence, beauty, greatness and perfection which is without limit. The potency of such awareness will cause the servant to drown in it such that he no longer senses pain much in the same way that the women who saw Yusuf forgot about the pain of cutting their hands. This is a higher station than those previously mentioned.
Junaid said that he asked Sirri if the lover senses the pain of tribulation to which he replied, ‘No.’ In these words, he is alul d ing to this station. It is in this light that a group of those facing tribulation said, ‘Let Him do what He wills with us. Even if He were to cut us up, limb by limb, we would only increase in our love.’
One of them said,
If ardent love tore me apart, limb from limb, The pain would only increase me in love. I will remain a prisoner to love,
Until, in the pursuit of your pleasure, I pass away.
Ibrahim ibn Adham left his wealth, property, children and servants. While performing tawaf, he saw his son but did not speak to him. He said,
I migrated from all people for the love of You.I bereaved my dependents that I may see You. If You tore my limbs apart, in my love The heart would still long for You.
A group of the lovers such as Fudayl and Fathi al-Mawsili, if they went to sleep without an evening meal and without a lamp being lit, they would cry in joy.
During the winter nights, Fath would gather his family and cover them with his cloak and say, ‘You made me go hungry so I have made my family go hungry. You have made me a stranger so I have made my family strangers. This You do with Your beloved and Your friends, am I one of them? Should I exult in joy?’
They entered upon one of the Salaf who was ill and asked him, ‘Is there anything you want?’ He replied, ‘That whatever He finds most pleasing, I find most pleasing.’
In this light, one of them said,
For Your sake, his punishment is sweet. For Your sake, his distance is closeness. You are like my very soul, Rather, You are more beloved! Sufficient is it in my love That I love only what You love.
Abu’l-Turab composed the following lines:
Be not deceived, the lover has signs. He has routes to the gifts of the Beloved: Taking delight at the bitterness of His trial, Being joyous at all that He does, His withholding is a gift accepted, Poverty is honour and generosity, transient.
They entered upon a man whose son had been martyred in Jihad and he wept saying, ‘I do not cry at his loss, I only cry when thinking what his state of contentment with Allah was when the swords struck!’
If Ghada’s people wish me dead, so be it By Allah, I have never begrudged the beloved’s wish! I am like a slave to them: I cannot object.
The point here is that the Prophet enjoined ibn Abbas to work deeds while in state of contentment if he was able to. If not, he said, “If you are unable, know that great good lies in bearing with patience what you dislike,” this then proves that being content with decrees that are hard to bear is not an obligation but rather a recommendation, a state of excellence. Whoever is unable to be content must instead be patient. Patience is obligatory, it must be present, and it contains great good. Alahl , Most High, has commanded patience and promised a great reward for it:
“The patient will be paid their wages in full with out any reckoning.”26
“Give good news to the patient: those who, when disaster strikes them, say, ‘We belong to Allah and to Him we will return.’ Those are the people who will have blessings and mercy from their Lord; they are the ones who are guided.”27
“Give good news to the humble hearted, whose hearts quake at the mention of Allah, and who are patient in the face of all that happens to them.”28
al-Hasan said, ‘The state of contentment is rare, but patience is the recourse of the believer.’ Sulayman al-Khawas said, ‘The station of patience is below that of contentment. Contentment is that a person, before the onset of tribulation, is content whether it is present or not. Patience is that a person, after the onset of tribulation, bears it steadfastly.’
The difference between patience and contentment is that patience is to restrain the soul and to prevent it from displeasure while sensing discomfort or pain. Contentment necessitates that the heart readily accepts what it is facing and, even if it were to feel some pain at what it is facing, the sense of contentment will lessen it, perhaps even remove it altogether. This is because the heart has felt the soothing breath of certainty and cognisance.
This is why a large group of the Salaf Such as umaribn Abdu’l Aziz, Fudayl, Abii Sulayman and ibn al-Mubarak would say, ‘The person who is content does not desire a state other than the one he is in whereas the patient does.’ This state of being is reported from a group of the Companions, amongst whom were Umar and ibn Masud.
Abdu’l-Aziz ibn Abu Ruwwad said, ‘Amongst the Children of Israel there was a devout worshipper who saw a dream in which he was told that so-and-so would be his wife in Paradise. So he went to her as a guest for three nights to see what she did. She would sleep while he prayed by night and she would eat while he fasted. When he left her, he asked her about the greatest deed she felt she did. She replied, “I do no more than what you have seen except that I have one quality: If I am in trying times, I do not want to be in times of ease. If I am ill, I do not wish to be healthy. If I am hungry, I do not wish to be full. And if I am in the sun, I do not wish to be in the shade.” He said, “By Allah, this is a quality that is beyond the reach of the servants!”‘
Patience is to be shown at the onset of calamity as is authentically reported from the Prophet. Contentment is shown after the onset of calamity as the Prophet said in his supplication, “I ask You for contentment after the decree.” This is because a servant could well resolve to be content at the decree before it occurs, but the resolve dissipates when he actually faces it. Whoever is content after the decree has befallen is one who is truly content.
Therefore, in summary, patience is obligatory and must be present. Beyond patience there is displeasure and malcontent and whoever is displeased at the decree of Allah, his lot will be dis pleasure. Moreover, the pain he will face and the malice of his enemies will be far greater than his despair, just as one of them said,
Despair not at any mishap that befalls Allow not the malice of the enemy free hold People, through patience will you see your hopes When you meet the opposing army, stand firm!
The Prophet said, “Whoever inculcates patience in himself, Allah will grant him patience. Allah has not granted anyone a gift better and more expensive than patience.”
‘Umar said, ‘The best times of our lives have been those accompanied by patience.”Ali said, ‘Patience with respect to faith is like the head with respect to the body: a person who has no patience has no faith.’
al-hasan said, ‘Patience is one of the treasures of Paradise. Alal h only confers it to those He ennobles.’ Maymiin ibn Mihran said, ‘No Prophet or anyone else has ever attained good except through patience.’ Ibrahim al-Taymi said, ‘Allah does not gift a servant with patience at harm, patience at tribulation and patience at calamity except that He has conferred on him the best (gift] after faith in Allah, Mighty and Magnificent.’ He derived this from the saying of Allah, Most High,
“. . • rather, those with true devoutness are those who have faith in Allah and the Last Day, the Angels, the Book and the Prophets, and who, despite their love for it, give away their wealth to their relatives and to orphans and the very poor, and to travellers and beggars and to set slaves free, and who establish prayer and pay zakat; those who honour their contracts when they make them, and are patient in poverty and illness and in battle. Those are the people who are true. They are the people who have taqwa.”38
‘Umar ibn ‘Abdu’l-‘Aziz said, ‘Allah does not grant a blessing to a person only to take it away, leaving patience in its place, except that the replacement was better than what was removed.’ Then he recited,
“The patient will be paid their wages in full with out any reckoning.”39
One of the righteous would have a piece of paper which he kept in his pocket. Every hour he would look at it and read it. Written therein were the words,
“So wait patiently for the judgement of your Lord – you are certainly before Our eyes. “40
Beautiful patience is a servant’s keeping his tribulation to himself and not telling anyone about it. Allah, Most High says,
“But beauty lies in patience.”41
In exegesis to this, a group of the Salaf said that it referred to patience that was not accompanied by any form of complaint.Ahnaf ibn Qays had lost his sight for forty years, yet he told no one. Abdu’l-Aziz ibn Abii Ruwwad became blind in one eye for twenty years, then, one day, his son looked at him carefully and said, ‘Father, one of your eyes is blind!’ He replied, ”Yes my son, for the past twenty years have I been content with Allah.” Imam Ahmad would never complain of any illness that afflicted him to anyone. It was mentioned to him that Mujahid would dislike moaning while ill, so he stopped doing it and never did so till the day he died. He would exhort himself saying, ‘Be patient or you will regret!’
One of the Gnostics visited a sick person who was saying, ‘Ah! Ah!’ He asked, ‘Who from?’ One of them said,
The soul is beset with iless Yet it hides its malady from those who visit The inner self has not been just if it complains Of its desires to other than its beloved
Yahya ibn Mu’adh said, ‘If you love your Lord and He decreed hunger and nakedness for you, it would be obligatory for you to bear it and withhold it from creation. The lover patiently bears harm from his beloved, so why would you present your complaints to it for something it has not done to you?’
In my view, deeds from any besides You are hateful. You do acts and they, coming from You, are beautiful.
The Messenger of Allah and his Companions would tie rocks to their bellies against the hunger they faced. Uwais would collect broken pieces of bone from the rubbish heap with dogs crowding around him trying to do the same. One day a dog barked at him and he said, ‘Dog, do not harm one who does not harm you, eat what is close to you and I will eat what is close to me. If I enter Paradise, I would be better than you, and if I enter the Fire, you would be better than me.’
Ibrahim ibn Adham would collect ears of grain along with the poor. Seeing that they disliked his competing with them in acquiring them, he thought, ‘I have abandoned property at Balkh to compete with the poor in collecting grain?’ After that he would only ever gather grain amongst the animals who would pasture in that land.
Imam Ahmad would collect grain with the poor. Sufyan al Thawri was once employed to look after two camels while on the road to Mecca. He cooked food for some people and it tasted so bad that they beat him for it. Fath al-Mawsili would build fires for people for a wage.
For Your sake did I leave the land To the malicious, to the envious. Master, for how long will I remain in Your good grace My life rushes by, my need is not fulfilled.
Another said,
Much subjugation and toil have I seen pursuing Your grace. Much patience was I born for You in the face of illness and frailty. Abandon me not, I cannot do without You. If you wish a wage, take my soul. For Your good pleasure I have born ardent love. My heart is deeply in love, my tears choke me. The love of You makes all that I face easy to bear. A person does not sense blessing if he has not faced hardship.
In their view, the tribulations of this world would be blessings. One of them said, ‘The true jurist is one who sees tribulation as a blessing and ease a misfortune.’ It is mentioned in a Judaeo Christian narration, ‘If you see someone affluent approaching, say, “A sin whose punishment has been hastened on!” If you see someone poor approaching, say, “A sign of the righteous, welcome!”‘
One of the Salaf said, ‘When I am afflicted with calamity, I praise Allah four times: I praise Allah for it not being worse than it is, I praise Allah for nourishing me with the ability to bear it patiently, I praise Him for granting me the accord to say, “To Allah we belong and to Him we return,”‘ and I praise Him for not making the tribulation in my religion.’ Looking to relief through patience is an act of worship since tribulation never remains forever.
Patiently bear every calamity, take heart, Know that harm never endures forever. Be patient, just as the nobles were patient: It is a fleeting event; here today, gone tomorrow.
If the most severely afflicted person were to be dipped but once in the bliss of Paradise and then asked, ‘Have you ever seen calamity? Have you ever encountered calamity?’ He will reply, ‘My Lord, no!’
0 soul, patience only for a few days! Their length? A few flitting dreams! 0 soul, pass through this world quickly; Turn away from it, true life lies ahead!
Another said,
It is only an hour, then it will depart. All of this will go, it will disappear.
By ibn Rajah al-Hanbali
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