Verses on Patience

Patience

As stated in the Holy Quran: “And give good tidings to the patient, who, when disaster strikes them, say, ‘Indeed we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we will return.’ Those are the ones upon whom are blessings from their Lord and mercy, and it is those who are truly guided.” Patience is considered the key to relief. Despite its challenges, it serves as a pathway to triumph and success. Numerous Quranic verses highlight the importance of patience and reward for the patient. Notably, poets and philosophers throughout history have emphasized patience in their works, resulting in an extensive literary heritage in Arab culture that encourages and promotes this vital virtue.

Be patient through the arduous journeys at dawn

Your journey towards obedience in the early morn.

I have witnessed the outcomes of experience through the days,

Patience yields outcomes with praiseworthy effects.

And few are those who strive in matters that trouble them,

And so, patience begets victory.

Ease your heart, for every matter shall pass;

And shed the clouds of worry that have beset you.

For every worry has relief that follows,

And every distress, when it tightens, will expand.

Indeed, suffering, no matter how prolonged,

Will be cut short by death, or it will eventually cease.

There are three situations where patience is most challenging;

When the cleverest of minds are left bewildered.

Being forced to leave a beloved homeland,

And the parting from dear ones and the loss of a beloved.

Time has taught me, and patience has guided me;

Contentment has sufficed me, and despair has enriched me.

Experience has sharpened my wisdom through the years,

Until I refrained from what once restrained me.

When fate strikes you with calamity,

Allow patience to settle in and expand your heart.

For the twists of time are astonishing;

One day you will see ease, and another, hardship.

Patience is more commendable for a young man

Than anxiety that tears the veil of dignity.

So remain patient, for the reward is only for those who endure,

Through the trials of time; for time will always bring challenges.

If you cannot avert the calamity of fate,

Then endure it with patience and seek reward;

For no one attains their desires in life except

Through either foolishness or despairing wisdom.

Thus, patience is the finest garment you don,

In times of hardship; and consolation is the noblest practice.

If a man’s patience is tested by misfortune,

He must surely find solace and peace.

So take heart, for patience is more admirable.

Time cannot be relied upon in moments of uncertainty;

If being distressed could bring ease to one’s distress,

Then consolation would be the first response in every calamity,

In hardship and trials, patience is noblest;

For each individual is ultimately bound by fate,

And nothing befalls a person without God’s decree.

It suffices a person, even if their desires are unmet,

To remain steadfast in patience.

With beautiful patience during unforeseen events,

Patience only benefits you when others endure as well;

Indeed, patience is the best support

In times when hardship befalls you.

I perceive patience to be commendable, with diversity in its practice;

What if one lacks the means to practice patience?

In that case, patience becomes imperative and obligatory.

So hold on to patience tightly, for it serves as a shield,

With efforts that cannot be diminished.

It is the escape from adversity when difficulties surround,

In a life filled with misfortunes that leave no escape.

Embrace beautiful patience and be content;

For the end of the world is inevitable.

And accepting divine decree is essential, for our life

Depends on that acceptance, amidst a fleeting existence.

And life conditioned by destiny demands acknowledgment,

In ignorance and delusion.

I kissed your forehead with longing; grant me

O fortress of patience, faith that strengthens me;

From the rays of your eyes, let there be a guiding sun

To illuminate the dawn from the darkness of despair.

If God wills our separation in this life,

In the Garden of Eternity, I hope you’ll meet me,

Together with the Seal of the Prophets, O my mother, and his lineage,

So that we may behold the radiant ones together.

If you ask how I am, I will tell you,

I am patient in the face of time’s harsh trials;

Concerned that no sadness is apparent in me,

So that enemies may not gloat or loved ones may grieve.

Be patient a little, for after hardship comes ease;

Every matter has its appointed time and management.

For to the right, in our situations, there is hope,

And above our estimation is God’s estimation.

What a waste it is to lack patience in a wound that I nurse;

For I wish to forget what cannot be forgotten.

And my evasion from seeing the one who occupies my sight;

For wherever I look, my eyes will meet them!

I have endured, and endurance is not a disgrace for a young man;

If it does not contain faults or blemishes.

And if there were not a more just witness in patience,

How could the virtue of patience be praised?

O one with little patience and endurance,

Man is created in hardship;

So realize that you are meant for it;

And in love, you find solace.

All in the universe are engaged,

With the one, the Lasting God;

Yet the ignorant are distracted from him,

Distracted eternally.

While the knowledgeable, in their engagements with Him,

Do not seek anything aside from Him;

And all that appears to their eyes

Is merely attributes that manifest.

Poems on Patience

Among the beautiful poems composed on the theme of patience, we have selected the following:

Let the Days Do What They Will

By Imam Al-Shafi’i

Let the days do what they will,

And be at peace when judgment is rendered;

Do not despair in the face of the calamities of nights,

For the occurrences of this world do not last.

Be a man of resilience in the face of hardships,

With generosity and loyalty as your traits.

Even if your flaws are many among people,

And you may wish they were covered.

Cover every defect with generosity,

As it is said, generosity conceals all shame.

Do not ever show humiliation to your enemies,

For the mockery of enemies is its own affliction.

Do not expect kindness from a stingy person,

For there is nothing to offer the thirsty in the fire.

Your sustenance is not diminished by patience,

Nor is it increased by hardship.

Neither sorrow endures forever, nor joy,

Nor are you destined for misery or bliss.

And whoever is met by death in their path,

When judgment descends, space closes in.

Let the days deceive every moment,

For medicine does not ward off death.

Patience Exists

By Abu Al-Ala Al-Ma’arri

Patience exists, even if the “Baa” is broken,

Yet through its calmness, it is lost.

The patient one is praised for achieving,

Not the one whose failure is tied to shortcomings.

Indeed, oblivion has denied you, in its way,

In its magnificence, as if stars were a bunch.

The prize is granted to the unfair female,

A gift from God, and from the horse’s love.

And the currency is given to the dinar as a token,

Would that he, after beauty, could be adorned.

Night does not bear the weight of the sleepless,

Nor does it accompany sadness, while one sleeps.

Patience Prevents Me From Seeing the Full Moon

By Al-Farazdaq

Patience prevents me from seeing the full moon,

Nor does the sun remind me of the victorious.

Two resemble the son of Layla, and whoever resembles

The son of Layla diminishes the light of the stars.

He was a man of authority, they did not hide him,

When it was time to pass, between the door and the curtain.

As if Tamim has never been struck by a tragedy,

Nor did an event occur before the day of the son of Ghalib.

Had the mountains known pain and wilt,

They would remain long on the tips and the peaks.

Video about Patience

Watch the following video to learn more.

Patience