Definition of Patience
Patience is the self-restraint from the prohibitions of Allah and its obligatory acts, as well as refraining from complaints to anyone other than Allah Almighty. It is the antithesis of despair and represents one of the significant blessings that Allah bestows upon His servants. A Muslim who remains steadfast in the face of trials in both religious and worldly matters earns a reward in accordance with Islamic law. Various scriptural texts from the Quran and Sunnah highlight the merits and tremendous rewards of patience.
Quranic Verses on Patience
Below are some Quranic verses that specifically address the concept of patience:
- Allah the Almighty states in Surah Al-Baqarah: {And seek help through patience and prayer; and indeed, it is difficult except for the humbly submissive}.
- Again in Surah Al-Baqarah: {O you who have believed, seek help through patience and prayer. Indeed, Allah is with the patient}.
- In Surah Al-Baqarah: {And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits, but give good tidings to the patient – Who, when disaster strikes them, say, ‘Indeed we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we will return’}.
- As mentioned in Surah Al-Imran: {Yes, if you remain patient and conscious of Allah, and the enemy comes upon you in haste, your Lord will send you five thousand angels, having marks [of distinction]}.
- Also in Surah Al-Imran: {Or did you think that you would enter Paradise while Allah has not yet made evident those of you who strive in His cause and made evident those who are patient}?
- In Surah Al-Imran: {And how many a prophet fought, with him fought a large band of worshipers. They were not disheartened by what afflicted them in the cause of Allah, nor did they weaken or submit. And Allah loves the patient}.
- Continuing in Surah Al-Imran: {O you who have believed, persevere and endure and remain stationed and fear Allah that you may be successful}.
- Allah also reassures in Surah Al-Anfal: {Now Allah has lightened your burden and He knows that among you is weakness. So if there are from you one hundred patient, they will overpower two hundred. And if there are a thousand of you, they will overpower two thousand by permission of Allah; and Allah is with the patient}.
- In Surah Hud: {Except for those who are patient and do righteous deeds; those will have forgiveness and great reward}.
- Similarly in Surah Hud: {These are from the news of the unseen that We reveal to you. And you were not with them when they took their pens to determine which of them would be responsible for Mary, nor were you with them when they disputed} so be patient; indeed, the final outcome is for the righteous}.
- And again in Surah Hud: {And be patient, for indeed, Allah does not allow the reward of the doers of good to be lost}.
- In Surah Yusuf, it’s stated: {They said, ‘Are you indeed Joseph?’ He said, ‘I am Joseph, and this is my brother. Allah has certainly favored us. Indeed, whoever fears Allah and is patient – then indeed, Allah does not allow the reward of the doers of good to be lost}.
- Allah mentions in Surah Ar-Ra’d: {And those who are patient, seeking the Face of their Lord, and establish prayer, and spend from what We have provided them, secretly and publicly, and repel evil with good – those will have the good consequence of Paradise}.
- Also in Surah Ar-Ra’d: {Peace be upon you for what you patiently endured. And excellent is the final home}.
- In Surah An-Nahl: {Whatever is with you will end, but what is with Allah is everlasting. And We will surely give those who were patient their reward according to the best of what they used to do}.
- In the same Surah: {And if you punish [an enemy], let it be through an equivalent of that by which you were harmed. But if you are patient, it is better for those who are patient}.
- Additionally in Surah An-Nahl: {And be patient, and your patience is not but through Allah. And do not grieve over them and do not be in distress from what they conspire}.
- Allah reassures in Surah Al-Mu’minun: {Indeed, I have rewarded them today for their patience; they are indeed the successful}.
- In Surah Al-Furqan, it states: {Those will be given the highest chambers [in Paradise] because of their patience, and they will be greeted therein with greetings and salutations}.
- In Surah Al-Qasas: {Those will be given double their reward for what they patiently endured, and they will be rewarded with good for what they used to spend}.
- Also in Surah Al-Qasas: {And those who were given knowledge said, ‘Woe to you! The reward of Allah is better for the one who has believed and done righteousness, and none will be granted it except the patient}.
- As noted in Surah Luqman: {O my son, establish prayer and enjoy what is right and forbid what is wrong and be patient over what befalls you. Indeed, this is of the matter [requiring] determination}.
- In Surah As-Sajda, it states: {And We made from them leaders, guiding by Our command when they were patient and [when] they were certain of Our signs}.
- Allah commands in Surah Az-Zumar: {Say, ‘O My servants who have believed, fear your Lord. For those who do good in this world is good, and the earth of Allah is spacious. Indeed, the patient will be given their reward without account}.
- In Surah Fussilat: {And it is not given except to those who are patient, and it is not given except to those who have a share in greatness}.
- As stated in Surah Ash-Shura: {And for the one who was patient and forgave, indeed, that is of the matters [requiring] determination}.
- In Surah Al-Ahzab: {Indeed, the Muslim men and women, the believing men and women, the devout men and women, the truthful men and women, the patient men and women, the humble men and women, and the charitable men and women, and the fasting men and women, and the chaste men and women, and the men who remember Allah often and the women who do so – for them Allah has prepared forgiveness and a great reward}.
- Finally, from Surah Al-Baqarah: {Righteousness is not that you turn your faces toward the east or the west, but [true] righteousness is in one who believes in Allah, the Last Day, the Angels, the Book, and the Prophets and gives his wealth, in spite of love for it, to relatives, orphans, the needy, the traveler, those who ask [for help], and for freeing slaves and establishes prayer and gives zakah and fulfills their promise when they promise and is patient in poverty and hardship and during battle. Those are the ones who have been true, and it is those who are the righteous}.
Hadiths on the Virtues of Patience
The following are some authentic hadiths that highlight the virtues of patience:
- As narrated by Suhayb ibn Sinan al-Rumi (may Allah be pleased with him), the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Amazing is the affair of the believer; indeed, all of his affairs are good. And this is not the case with anyone except for the believer. If something good comes to him, he is grateful; and that is good for him. And if something bad befalls him, he is patient; and that is good for him.”
- Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “No fatigue, nor disease, nor sorrow, nor distress, nor harm, nor even a thorn that pricks him, but that Allah expiates some of his sins because of it.”