The meaning of sabr
In the Arabic language, sabr means ‘to hold fast’ ‘cease,’ or ‘choke’. For example, in Bedouin Arabic, to say “one has been killed by sabr,” means one was choked to death. Allah the Most High Says (what means): “And keep yourself patient [by being] with those who call upon their Lord in the morning and the evening, seeking His countenance…” [Quran 18: 28]. Sabr in this verse means to ‘hold to.’
Thus sabr means to hold one’s self from anxiety (jaza') and anger (tasakhkhut), to hold one’s tongue from complaint, and to hold one’s body from disgraceful movements.
It is of three types: Patience in obeying Allah the Most High (namely, perseverance), patience in avoiding Allah’s disobedience (namely, resolve), and patience in Allah’s tests. The first two of these are related to voluntary acts, over which we as humans have control. The last pertains to what happens to us (by Allah’s Decree) wherein we have no choice.
The patience of the Prophet Yousuf, may Allah exalt his mention
I have heard Ibn Taymiyyah say: [The Prophet] Yousuf’s patience in resisting the temptation of the minister’s wife was higher than his patience regarding his brothers’ throwing him into the well and separating him from his father, for the latter happened to him without his choice. In such cases, a servant of Allah has no option but patience. But his perseverance in avoiding the seduction (of the minister’s wife) involved his choice and pleasure (resulting from his volitional obedience to Allah), and struggling against his self. This is especially true because there were factors complicating the situation which made it all the harder for him. Not only was he young and full of powerful natural desire, he also was unmarried (thus lacking an appropriate way of satisfying those native urges). He was furthermore a stranger in the land with no relatives or friends to be ashamed before (had he fornicated). Moreover, he was a slave, and in servitude one’s moral restraint (wazi’) is not as it is in freedom. Further, the woman (seeking to seduce him) was beautiful, of high status, and his owner, and she tempted him when her husband was out. On top of all this, she threatened him with imprisonment and humiliation if he were not to oblige her. Yet despite all these factors, he was patient out of his own choice, preferring what is with Allah. How much better it is compared to his patience in the well, wherein he had no choice?”
He [&Ibn Taymiyyah&&] also used to say: “Patience through the performance of righteous acts is better and higher in status than patience in avoiding sins, for the benefit that comes from the performance of a righteous deed is dearer to the Lawgiver (Allah the Most High) than the benefit that comes from abjuring sin. Likewise, the ill that arises from the absence of righteous obedience is more hateful to Allah the Most High than the ill that arises from the presence of disobedience.”
He has a treatise in this matter in which he has supported this opinion in 20 different ways, but this is not the occasion to mention them. Our purpose here is to discuss patience, its reality, its levels and ranks. Allah the Most High alone gives success.
Various ranks of patience
Patience is also of three sorts: Patience by Allah (billaah), patience for Allah (lillaah), and patience with Allah (ma‘allaah).
The first, patience by Allah, consists in seeking Allah’s help and seeing Allah as the source of patience. For the patience of a servant is not in his own power but is his Lord’s gift, as He the Most High Says (what means), “And be patient [O Muhammad], and your patience is not but through Allah. And do not grieve over them and do not be in distress over what they conspire.” [Quran 16:127].That is to say, if Allah does not give you patience, you shall not be patient.
The second, patience for Allah, means that the motivation of your patience must he the love of Allah, the will to seek His pleasure, and nearness to Him——not the desire to exhibit your self-control, to seek the praise of people, or for any other reasons.
The third, patience with Allah, is comprised of the servant’s effort to keep with Allah’s religious decrees and requirements, in terms of persevering with them, living with them, establishing them, going with them wherever they take one, and stopping wherever they stop. One’s patience with Allah is to attach the “self” (nafs) to the things Allah the Most High commands and loves. This is the hardest and most demanding type of patience. It is the patience of the Siddiqoon (those of the highest degree of truthfulness and faithfulness.)
The sage Al-Junayd said: “The journey from this world to the Hereafter is easy and light for a believer when compared with renouncing people (for their rejection of faith) in front of Allah, which is hard. The journey from the self to Allah is harder still.
Yet to be patient with Allah is the hardest of all. He was asked about patience. So he said: “It is to swallow bitterness without frowning.”
It has also been said that [patience] is “the endurance of the self in attacking adversities.” And also “withstanding a calamity with a good attitude [patience] is like enjoying peace and felicity.”
The elite [worshippers of Allah] say: “[Patience] is to stand firm on the commandments of the Book and the Sunnah.”
It has been said that the ranks of sabr are five: Saabir, mustabir, mutasabbir, saboor, and sabbaar. The first, saabir, is the most general. Mustabir is of the one who has earned patience and is filled with it. Mutasabbir is of one who forces one’s “self” to it [against all odds]. Saboor is of one whose patience is great in comparison to others. And, finally, sabbaar, is of one who has a great amount of patience— greater than any of the [people meant by these four] earlier [descriptions].
Regarding the words of Allah, the Most High (which mean): “O you who have believed, persevere and endure and remain stationed and fear Allah that you may be successful.” [Quran 3:200] —it has been said that this verse proceeds from the easier [and lesser] command to the harder and nobler. This means that sabr is less than musaabara, and musaabara is less than muraabatah.
The word ‘muraabatah’ comes from rabt which means a tie or hold. Someone is called al-muraabit because he ties his horse and waits for the enemy’s assault. Hence, this term has been used for anyone who ties and holds his “self” in discipline and waits for Allah’s commandments.
The Prophet Muhammad has said: “Shall I not inform you of that by which Allah erases sins and raises ranks? Perfecting ablution (wudhou’), even when it is difficult, walking frequently to the mosques, and waiting for a prayer after another [has finished]: That is ribaat! That is ribaat!” (Muslim, Maalik, At-Tirmithi) He also said: “Waiting patiently for a single day in the path of Allah is better than this world and all that is in it.” (Al-Bukhari, Ahmad)
Just as disobedience is the reason behind all forms of misery and wretchedness, patience with disobedience is the reason behind all forms of success and superiority. It is the patience of those who love Allah The Almighty and know His might and majesty. It is the patience of those young people beset by desires and evil objects that are beautified for them and the call, "Come! Everything is ready for you," gets louder in their ears but they raise the slogan {I seek the refuge of Allah. Indeed, He is my Master, who has made good my residence. Indeed, wrongdoers will not succeed.} Such people have rightly venerated Allah The Almighty and recognized His favors upon them and therefore they are too bashful to let Allah The Almighty watch them disobeying Him.
If they fall into the trap of disobediences that sullies them, they soon purify themselves with tears of repentance and regret. They are the pious people. In the Quran, Allah The Almighty mentioned that it is one of the characteristics of the pious people that they might commit immorality. Nevertheless, the difference between the pious and the wretched is that when the former commits an act of disobedience, he immediately asks for forgiveness, repents and returns to his Lord with hope and fear. Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {And hasten to forgiveness from your Lord and a garden as wide as the heavens and earth, prepared for the righteous. Who spend [in the cause of Allah ] during ease and hardship and who restrain anger and who pardon the people - and Allah loves the doers of good; And those who, when they commit an immorality or wrong themselves [by transgression], remember Allah and seek forgiveness for their sins - and who can forgive sins except Allah ? - and [who] do not persist in what they have done while they know.} [Quran 3: 133-135]
We need to take into consideration the reality of life and not speak from lofty towers. This is because reality forces us to say that there are many evil things and desires and the youth easily find seduction everywhere. Do you not agree with me?
Hence, the Messenger of Allah told us that there will be days of patience and knew about the desires and seductive means that would follow, and therefore he promised the patient a double reward. Once, the Messenger of Allah said to his Companions, may Allah be pleased with them: "‘After you there will come the days of patience (i.e., days which require patience). During those (days) the reward for the one who adheres to the Commands of Allah will be equivalent to the reward of fifty of you.’ They said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, the reward of fifty of them?’ He said: ‘Nay, it is the reward of fifty of you.’”
Does not this great reward eagerly urge us to be patient with this perishable life in order to attain the pleasure of the immortal life?
You should know that if you prefer desires, comfort, play and entertainment, they quickly end. Nevertheless, the consequences will be great, unrelenting pain whose suffering and torture are harder, more difficult and continuous than the suffering of keeping patience with the prohibitions of Allah The Almighty as well as obedience to Him and contradicting one's personal desires for His sake. [Al-Fawaa’id by Ibn Al-Qayyim]
The rewards of those who are patient:
To those young people who are patient with obeying their Lords; to those young people who were called to disobedience and they responded, "We fear Allah" truly, your reward is great. Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {Indeed, the patient will be given their reward without account."} [Quran 39: 10]
The following are some aspects of their reward:
Being loved by Allah The Almighty: What would you do if you knew that Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, loves you? What would you do if you knew that the Prophet, sallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, loves you? What would you do if you knew that Allah, the King of the Universe, loves you? Have you not heard before the verse in which Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {And Allah loves the patient} [Quran 3: 146]?
O you who are patient with obedience, Allah The Almighty loves you. He loves a person who wakes up from his deep sleep, removes the bedcovers, stands up with his limbs shivering from the cold, performs ablution correctly and responds to the call of Allah The Almighty for prayer. Allah The Almighty loves someone who severs his (unlawful) relationship with a girl and seeks a way of satisfying Him.
The prize of the heavens: Words cannot describe the great scene that will be granted to the person who was patient out of love for Allah The Almighty. You put your foot in a garden the vastness of which is like the heavens and earth and forget all forms of misery, trial, fatigue and tiredness that you experienced in this worldly life. The angels are receiving you from everywhere because you are the guest of The Most Merciful. Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {Gardens of perpetual residence; they will enter them with whoever were righteous among their fathers, their spouses and their descendants. And the angels will enter upon them from every gate, [saying], "Peace be upon you for what you patiently endured. And excellent is the final home."} [Quran 13: 23-24]
Patience is better for the patient: In a Hadeeth (narration), the Messenger of Allah said: "Strange is the matter of the believer as all his matters are good, and this is only for the believer. If a good thing befell him, he would be grateful (to Allah) and this would be good for him; and if an evil thing befell him, he would be patient and this would be good for him."
Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {But if you are patient - it is better for those who are patient.} [Quran 16: 126]
How to achieve patience?
There are several means through which a Muslim can achieve this noble value and great act of worship. The following are the most important means:
• Reflect on the great reward of patience. One has to reflect on the good reward for those who are patient in the two worlds.
• Seek help from Allah The Almighty who Says (what means): {Is He [not best] who responds to the desperate one when he calls upon Him and removes evil and makes you inheritors of the earth?} [Quran 27: 62]
Allah The Almighty is able to grant you this noble quality and make it one of your characteristics. So you should constantly ask Him to grant you this.
• It is something beautiful that the young man reviews the biographies of those who are guiding beacons in patience. There are also youths who live among us now steadfast on obedience and far away from disobedience. When you constantly reflect on them, your soul yearns to join them and become among those who are patient. So, you should not say that their way is difficult, because the Helper is Able. Rather, you should ask The One Who gave them, seek from Him because He is your Lord and theirs. It could happen that a poor man finds a treasure and an unimportant person obtains a great virtue. [Al-Mud-hish by Ibn Al-Jawzi]
Allah The Almighty Says (what means) through the words of Ya‘qoob, may Allah exalt his mention: {So patience is most fitting. And Allah is The One sought for help against that which you describe.} [Quran 12: 18]
Allah The Almighty describes His closest allies and beloved ones with a quality. Do you know what it is?
Allah The Almighty praises those who have this attribute in the best way. Do you know what it is?
Allah The Almighty promises those who have this virtue with the greatest reward. Do you know what it is?
You will immediately recognize this trait when you know that those who have it, unlike others, will be given their reward in full without account.
It is patience, which is half of faith. Faith is two parts: one-half is patience and the other half is gratitude. Since most people claim to love Allah The Almighty, He wants to test them and assess their sincerity. Therefore, He imposed on them acts of obedience, forbade them from committing vices and predestined for them certain types of trial. The result was that some people succeeded and others failed. Those who were successful were patient. They were patient, obeying their Lord and avoiding disobedience. When they did disobey Allah The Almighty, they immediately returned to Him and repented. Therefore, they tasted the sweetness of contentment and Allah The Almighty showered them with tranquility and reassurance.
When you socialize with such people, you observe that they are happy. Why should it not be so when Allah The Almighty praised those who are patient in the best way, promised them the greatest reward and, unlike others, will reward them without account?
Those who are impatient are overwhelmed with worries and sorrows. Why should it not be so when the Prophet said in the Hadeeth (narration): "Verily, the greatness of the reward is tied to the greatness of the trial: When Allah loves a people, He puts them to trial. Whoever accepts it, will enjoy the pleasure of Allah; and whoever is displeased with it, will incur the displeasure of Allah." To which type do you belong?
The stage of patience:
The stage of adolescence can be called the stage of patience because during this stage the youth experience many physical, mental and emotional changes. The youth either control all these changes and are guided in the right direction to correctly utilize them and turn them into talents and resources which boost improvement, a spirit of achievement and other constructive purposes, causing this stage to pass peacefully. However, if they are neglected they turn into stormy winds which blow contrary to what the ships desire.
Adolescents experience a state of rapid and successive
physical, mental and emotional changes. When the adolescent interacts with the external environment -- friends and peers in particular -- they are mostly inclined to imitation and following their friends' stance to avoid being 'the odd-one-out'. If their friends and companions move in the wrong direction, the adolescent is required to be patient in order not to fall into their misguided ways along with them.
Adolescents are in dire need of worship and religiousness in their lives. Many psychological field studies indicate that male and female adolescents in different countries have this innate direction and inclination. Consequently, we observe that often, many adolescents hasten to perform acts of worship and different acts of obedience . However, sometimes, they do not continue doing so, mostly due to other external influences which surround the youth such as bad friends or a family which neither helps, nor cultivates, nor encourages piety. Therefore, an adolescent must be patient, give precedence to the Hereafter over this worldly pleasure and seek the reward of Allah The Almighty Who Says (what means): {But what is with Allah is better and more lasting.} [Quran 42: 36]
Here we will discuss two types of patience:
First: Patience with obedience:
It is the highest degree of patience when one is patient regarding obeying Allah The Almighty in terms of observing His obligations regularly and performing them in the most perfect way. When the Athaan (call for prayer) is made, you are in the Masjid in order to perform the obligatory prayer. When you are with your family, you are the dutiful and obedient son who obeys his parents' orders and seek their happiness.
What motivates the youth to be patient with regard to obeying his Lord?
The most important reason that motivates the youth to be patient in obeying his Lord is to determine his goal in life in advance. There should be no lesser goal than entering the Paradise of Allah The Almighty. The least thing that a Muslim should hope for is to enter Paradise. That is because if one does not enter Paradise, this means that he will inevitably enter Hell. (We seek refuge with Allah The Almighty from this).
One will not obtain this unless he is patient with regard to obeying Allah The Almighty. That is because one cannot attain what Allah The Almighty has unless He is satisfied. Therefore, when you see a young man performing acts of worship regularly and perfectly, you should know that he is seeking a goal and trying to achieve it. This means that when one determines his goal, this helps him to correctly utilize his potential for patience in obeying Allah The Almighty.
When we talk about patience regarding obedience, we should not forget the story of Ibraaheem (Abraham), may Allah exalt his mention, the intimate friend of Allah The Almighty, who offered himself for the fire and his son for sacrifice. It is a unique form of patience, unparalleled throughout human history. When a kind father, who was deprived of having children for many long years offers his son to be slaughtered while keeping patience with the commands of Allah, this is truly a unique form of patience. Also, reflect on the situation of the dutiful son and obedient youth, Ismaa‘eel (Ishmael), may Allah exalt his mention, who was brought up on obedience to Allah The Almighty. He said, as Allah The Almighty Says (what means) through his words: {O my (dear) father, perform whatever you are commanded; you will soon find me, in case Allah (so) decides, among the patient.} [Quran 37: 102]
Second: Patience on avoiding disobedience:
Sins and acts of disobedience are very harmful. Undoubtedly, their damaging effect on one's heart is like the effect of poison on the body and this has different degrees. Any evil or ailment afflicting a person in both the two worlds is due to sins and acts of disobedience.
What was the reason behind the banishment of our first parents from Paradise, the abode of pleasure, bliss and happiness, to the abode of pain, sadness and disasters? What was the reason behind taking Satan away from the kingdom of heaven, expelling him from the mercy of Allah The Almighty, cursing him and deforming him both outwardly and inwardly? What was the reason behind drowning all the inhabitants of earth until the water reached the mountain tops? What was the reason behind sending the barren wind to the people of ‘Aad, which turned them into lifeless corpses, as if they were hollow trunks of palm trees? That wind also destroyed everything it passed by, including homes, farms, plants and animals. It made them an example for all nations until the Day of Judgment.
What was the reason behind sending the Shriek against the people of Thamood until their hearts were cut within their chests and they all died? What was the reason behind lifting the villages of the people of Loote, may Allah exalt his mention, up to the heavens until the angels heard the barking of their dogs and then it was turned upside down and all the people died? Then they were rained upon with stones of hard clay. They were punished in ways different from all other nations and those who follow their example will have the same punishment, which is not very far from the wrongdoers. [Al-Jawaab Al-Kaafi by Ibn Al-Qayyim]
Was not disobedience the reason behind all this? Man should realize the loss he incurs and the wrong he does when he disobeys Allah The Almighty. The fact is that we are in dire need for patience, both with acts of disobedience and sins.
