The Virtues of Patience

The religion of Allah Taa'la is 100% complete and was brought to us by the best of mankind, the Holy Prophet . Allah Taa'la used the Holy Prophet to perfect this religion of His, meaning that the Prophet was the perfect example for us to follow.

The Prophet taught us what to do in every stage in life. This is one of the qualities that makes the religion of Islam very unique and standout from other religions which are practiced in many parts of the world.

The religion of Islam tells us what to do as soon as we open our eyes in the morning and throughout the remainder of the day and night till we close our eyes and go to sleep. For this and many other reasons the religion of Islam is the most complete.

Not only is this religion complete on telling us how to live our lives, but there is reward for all the good deeds we do and punishment for all the sins we commit.

I would like to discuss the rewards and virtues of one particular good deed: Patience. First I would like to put forward an example of the Prophet being patient. The story takes place in the city not far away from Mecca , known as Ta'if. The Prophet went there to preach Islam to the locals. The Prophet approached the leaders of Ta'if and called them towards Islam. Not only did the leaders reject the call to Islam but they reacted in such a way that they set young children upon the Prophet to taunt him, stone him and chase him out of Ta'if. The Holy Prophet bled till his footwear was drenched in blood. The Angel Jibra'eel Alayhis Salaam came to the Prophet and said, “If you wish, then I will give the order for two angels to crush the residents of Ta'if between the two mountains in which it lies.” The Prophet replied in the negative and said, “I am hopeful that their descendants will accept Islam.” Allahu Akbar. This was the patience of the Prophet

Let's put ourselves in that position, an innocent man leaving his young children and wife at home to present the gift of Islam to strangers; risking life and limb in the hot desert. What would we do if we had been beaten so severely that our feet were soaking in our blood? Will we be able to control our anger to the extent that we don't attempt to frighten the perpetrators in the slightest or even show them deterring effects when given complete control and resources to do so?

He did not have to turn the other cheek as numerous rocks were hitting both and cutting the rest of his blessed body also. Showing impeccable foresight his response was prayer for the generations to come. Allah be praised.

(incidently in answer to some common sayings regarding the Prophet going to a mountain if the mountain did not come to him, the Mountain could have miraculously moved in any direction but due to the Prophet ' s concern for people's well being Prophet Muhammad did not ask it to do so. The Prophet also used to meditate in solitude in the cave Hira in Mount Noor on the outskirts of Makka, there would not have been any solitude if the mountain was in the crowded area of Makkah. Our beloved Prophet did not have an ultra ego nor any such whimsical desire to needlessly require something let alone trouble anyone in the process to acquire it. Other theologies also include Prophets and personalities retreating to a place of seclusion for spiritual purposes however the Miraculous Quran was only revealed to the Best of Mankind who would exemplify its teachings by being a practical example.)

Back to the topic in hand, Allah mentions in the Qur'an:

“Indeed Allah is with those who are patient.”

Patience is of three types:

(i) Patience upon obedience – To be patient when finding it hard obeying Allah Taala's rules.

(ii) To be patient when a trouble befalls you.

(iii) To be patient when finding it hard to abstain from sins.

Every believer should have the above types of patience. The Prophet mentioned in a Hadith that patience is from Allah and hastiness is from the Devil.

The first type of patience is when obeying Allah and finding it difficult to do so. For example, waking up early for the fajr prayers. We should be patient and show gratitude when carrying out these deeds.

The second type of patience is when a trouble befalls you. For example, a vehicle accident or the loss of property. We should be patient at these times.

The third type of patience is when finding it hard to abstain from sins. For example, when a person listens to music and then finds out it is not allowed in Islam to listen to music, this person tries his utmost best to refrain from listening to music, even if he has the urge to do so.

Being patient is a great virtue and comes with a great reward.

May Allah Taa'la accept and reward us for every good deed we do. Ameen