Patience, known as Sabr "صبر " in Arabic, is a highly esteemed virtue in Islam, encompassing a range of qualities and behaviors in response to life's challenges and adversities. It is a comprehensive term that implies restraint, endurance, perseverance, and steadfastness.
Defining Patience, it is the ability to endure difficult circumstances, such as pain, suffering, or adversity, without being overwhelmed by negative emotions like anger or despair. It involves maintaining a calm and composed demeanor, controlling one’s impulses, and persevering in the face of hardship.
In the Qur'an, Allah has commanded the believers at several place to exercise restraint if wrong and wait for the Divine help, for nothing is better than what our Lord has in store for us.
"O you who have believed, persevere and endure and remain stationed and fear Allah that you may be successful." Surah Al-Imran (3:200)
The life of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is a wonderful example of being patient. Born when his father has already died, raised by his mother but she too left for her heavenly abode when he was six. And then raised by his uncle. He earned reputation of a very dependable, honest and just man as a trader. But when he was selected by the Lord of the universes to being the last of the prophets, he was suddenly left all alone. From age of forty till his demise twenty three years later, his life was full of tests and trials, hardships, extreme confrontation by the pagans of Makkah. He was many a time physically assaulted, stoned and almost gagged to death. Yet he persevered and never responded in retaliation as far his personal self was concerned. On the family side, he lost his all three sons, saw his daughters coming home divorced by their husbands, and yet he never complained and displayed a very high standard of patience.
He along with his family, friends and companions also endured the hardship when they were ousted from Makkah and left to themselves in the Shi'b Abi Talib (Arabic: شِعب أبي طالب, Valley of Abu Talib) - a valley between the Mount Abu Qubays and the Mount Khandama in Makkah. They were marooned and isolated and left at their own for more than three years without any aid, food or even water and shelter. Yet, the revered Prophet and his companions displayed a very high degree of patience and endured it as a test of their faith by the Almighty Allah.
Such is the patience and perseverance that is expected of a believer in the face of adverse circumstances, or to endure the cruelty unleashed by the men in power or in position of authority. While he himself endured the hardships, he advised his companions, friends and family to follow the suit too.
Herein under we are sharing many a hadith attributed to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ on the subject of patience / sabr, advices that were coming from a person who knew himself what is pain and hardship and how to endure these:
- Enduring a calamity with Patience has immense rewards for a believer (Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: Hadith # 2999)
- Allah will expiate sins of those who remain patient even in most difficult times
May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى) grant us the ability to persevere and help us to be patient under all odds and troubled times. Let us continue to look up to our Lord for guidance and help when confronted with times that are beyond our capability to bear.
May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى) also help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door.
وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ
(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”
That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.
May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.
Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully. It will also help the Muslims to have grasp over social issues and their answers discussed in the Qur'an and other matter related to inter faith so that they are able to discuss issues with non-Muslims with authority based on refences from Qur'an.
Note: When we mention God in our posts, we mean One True God, we call Allah in Islam, with no associates. Allah is the Sole Creator of all things, and that Allah is all-powerful and all-knowing. Allah has no offspring, no race, no gender, no body, and is unaffected by the characteristics of human life.
For more hadiths on varying subjects, refer to our reference page: Sunnah and Hadith of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to know more about Hadiths and Sunnah of Prophet of Allah. You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.
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