- Names of Allah
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- Names of Allah- 1996
- In this lecture, we will be explaining the thirty-first of Allah’s Beautiful Divine Names,
- Here is another Quranic Verse that shows clearly that Allah, All Mighty, is Ever Most Patient:
- When Allah, All Mighty, speaks about His Divine Self, He uses the singular pronoun “I” and not the plural pronoun “We”:
- Scientifically speaking, the Arabic word “Mateen” has to do with resistance against forces of pull.
- Another Quranic Verse that speaks about patience is:
Allâh’s Beautiful Name: As-Sabour:
In this lecture, we will be explaining the thirty-first of Allah’s Beautiful Divine Names, namely “As-Sabour (The Most Patient).
First of all, I would like to make clear that this Divine Name is not mentioned in Allah’s Book, the Holy Quran. It was actually mentioned in Prophetic Hadith in which Allah’s Messenger, (PBUH), speaks about Allah’s Beautiful Divine Names and Attributes. However, there are a lot of references to this Name in the Holy Quran.
Allah, All Mighty, is “As-Sabour” (The Most Patient) in the sense that He does not hasten His Punishment to those who disobey Him. In other words, Allah, All Mighty, always gives respite, but He never neglects. There are a lot of Quranic Verses that go to this effect. For example, Allah, All Mighty, says:
“And if Allah were to punish men for that which they earned, He would not leave a moving living creature on the surface of it (the earth); but He gives them respite to an appointed term; and when their term comes, then verily, Allah is Ever All-Seer of His slaves.”
When he has power over other fellow humans, man is usually inclined to punish severely those who arouse his anger. But Allah, All Mighty, is Ever Most Patient:
“And if Allah were to punish men for that which they earned, He would not leave a moving living creature on the surface of it (the earth); but He gives them respite to an appointed term.”
Delay of punishment, as in this Verse, means that Allah, All Mighty, is Most Patient. Also, another Quranic Verse, which we have mentioned before, goes
“And had it not been for a Word that went forth before, from your Lord, and a term determined, (their punishment) must necessarily have come (in this present world).”
The foregoing Verse shows clearly that severe punishment and complete destruction for the disobedient and deviant must have come in this present world unless a Word had gone before from the Lord, Allah, All Mighty, to delay punishment. But what was that Word? It is: “My Mercy overrides My Anger”. This is because Allah, Most Gracious, has created mankind in order to mercy them. Therefore, due to His Infinite Divine Mercy, He delays punishment for them and gives respite so that they may repent and reform. That is why Allah, All Mighty, says:
“And Allah would not punish them while you (O Muhammad) are amongst them, nor will He punish them while they seek (Allah’s) Forgiveness.”
So long as man seeks forgiveness from His Lord, the Lord’s Mercy is near to him; and the Lord’s Divine Mercy is Infinite. This respite is meant to give man a chance so that he may repent and reform, and consequently achieve happiness. It is meant to mercy him. In other words, if Allah were to punish people for their sins and misdeeds, if He, All Mighty, were to inflict a sever or destructive punishment on man as soon as he commits a sinful deed, He would not leave any human being on the surface of the earth alive. Once again, delay of Allah’s Divine Punishment shows clearly that Allah, All Mighty, is Ever Most Patient; and once again:
“And if Allah were to punish men for that which they earned, He would not leave a moving living creature on the surface of it (the earth); but He gives them respite to an appointed term; and when their term comes, then verily, Allah is Ever All-Seer of His slaves.”
Here is another Quranic Verse that shows clearly that Allah, All Mighty, is Ever Most Patient:
“And indeed (Many) Messengers before you were mocked at, but I granted respite to those who disbelieved, and finally I punished them. Then, how (terrible) was My Punishment!”
However, a serious question arises in this context: Does this Divine Name meet with (i.e. have a similar connotation) as, another Divine Name of Allah’s? The answer is: Yes, it does, it meets with Allah’s Divine Name “Al-Haleem” (the Most Forbearing). But how do other names differ from one another? Are other Names congruent? The answer is: Of course, not. But how do they differ? Consider this Quranic Verse:
“And indeed (Many) Messengers before you were mocked at, but I granted respite to those who disbelieved” Allah, All Mighty is Ever Most Patient, “and finally I punished them. Then, how (terrible) was My punishment!”
Some religious scholars say: Someone who commits a mistake is more secure with a forbearing master than with a master who is patient. This is because a master who is patient only delays punishment, but a forbearing one pardons and forgives. From this point of view, Allah’s Divine Name “As-Sabour” (The Most Patient) meets with His Divine Name “Al-‘Afou” (the All-Pardoning). But putting punishment into effect may necessitate delay and giving respite. Aren’t there certain medical cases in which we must amputate an infected part or organ of the body? Even if the doctor were the father himself, he would not hesitate for one single moment to amputate such seriously damaged part or organ of his son’s body. You should also know that whatever happens must necessarily happen, because if it did not happen, it would be lack of wisdom on Allah’s Part. Whatever happens must necessarily happen, and its occurrence reflects Allah’s Infinite Divine Mercy, Grace, Justice, Kindness, Pardon and Patience. That is why when Allah, All Mighty, speaks about His Divine Self, He sometimes uses the plural pronoun “We” instead of the singular “I”:
“Verily, it is We Who have sent down the Reminder (the Quran), and surely, We shall guard it (from corruption).”
“Verily, it is We Who give life to the dead, and record that which they do and their traces; and all things We have recorded with numbers (as a record) in a Clear Book.”
“Verily, We created all things with Decree.”
When Allah, All Mighty, speaks about His Divine Self, He uses the singular pronoun “I” and not the plural pronoun “We”:
“Verily! I am Allah. There is no god but Me. So worship Me and perform prayer for Remembering Me.”
Allah, All Mighty, has a Divine Self and Divine Names. When He uses the singular pronoun “I”, this means that He intends to speak about His Own Divine Self; but when He uses the plural pronoun “We”, this means that He intends to speak about Divine Names. By the way, you must be 100% sure that all of Allah’s Divine Names are Most Beautiful, and that they are all associated with His Divine Acts, which contain His Divine Mercy, Justice, Might, Power, Majesty, Glory, among the other Beautiful Divine Names and Attribute of Allah.
A third Quranic Verse that confirms Allah’s Being the Most Patient goes
“And many a township did I give respite while it was tyrannical. Then, (in the end) I seized it (with punishment). And to Me is the Final Return.”
Someone may sometimes lose his balance when he sees that a strong powerful affluent wealthy disbeliever is being made even stronger, more powerful, more affluent, and wealthier. He wonders, “What’s this? How does Allah, All Mighty, make this person as such?” But how does Allah, All Mighty, answer such questions? The answer is very simple. If you see a disbeliever whom Allah increases in power, authority, wealth, strength, affluence, insolence, arrogance, tyranny, and pride, just remember Pharaoh. Did not Pharaoh say to his people, “I am your Lord, the All-High!” Where was Allah? How did Allah address such issue? The answer is to be found in Allah’s Words:
“Let not the free disposal (and affluence) of disbelievers throughout the land deceive you. (It is but) a brief enjoyment, but then their ultimate abode is Hell: and worst indeed is that place for rest.”
Allah, Glory to Him, says
“So, when they forgot that (warning) with which they had been reminded, We opened for them the gates of all (pleasant) things, until, while they were enjoying that which they had been given, We took them (in punishment) all of a sudden, and lo! They were plunged into destruction with deep regrets and sorrows.”
He, Praise to Him, also says
“Consider not that Allah is unaware of that which the wrong-doers do, but He gives them respite up to a Day when the eyes will stare in horror.”
Allah, All Mighty, is by no means unaware. Nay! He is fully Aware of all things; but He pretends to be unaware. In other words, in order to unveil man’s reality, He gives him respite and provides him with power, affluence, strength, authority, might, high social rank, prestige, …etc. But does a true believer rely on his power? Is a true believer deceived by his wealth? Is he deceived by his high social rank or prestige? No! Never! A wise believer always relies on his Lord, Allah, All Mighty, puts all his trust in Him, and depends on his sincere devotion and obedience to Him. In other words, you should feel safe and secure only when you obey Allah, All Mighty, and be dutiful to Him. This is because your ostensible human power, might, wealth, prestige, could be taken away from you in one single moment. Allah’s Donation is Marvelous, and so is His Taking away!
A doctor once told me a story of a mentally retarded female child who remained unable to speak for two years. It was clear that something was wrong with her brain, as was clearly seen in her unbalanced walk. In fact, the girl suffered from weakness in her motor nerves; and recovery seemed to be impossible. One day, she fell down and broke her leg, and was, therefore, taken to hospital, where she was given an anesthetic to relieve her from the unbearable pain that she had while they were setting her broken bone. Suddenly, after the operation was over, she came round all right and began to speak and walk in a good balanced normal way. The girl’s father was greatly amazed, and wondered, “What happened? What relationship is there between the surgical operation and the girl’s sudden and amazing recovery?” The answer is: Allah’s Divine Power is Infinite. Fracture of the girl’s leg was only a cause; and the anesthetic may have stirred or revived a certain part of her brain that was not functioning. Yes, indeed! Our Lord, Allah, All Mighty, is Amazing when He gives, and He is as Amazing when He takes away!
Here is another Quranic Verse that shows clearly that Allah, All Mighty, is Ever Most Patient:
“And those who reject Our Signs, We shall gradually seize them with punishment in ways they perceive not. And I respite them; certainly My Plan is Mateen (Strong).”
Scientifically speaking, the Arabic word “Mateen” has to do with resistance against forces of pull. Religiously speaking, when Allah, All Mighty, says
“And I respite them; certainly My Plan is Mateen (Strong)”
He means that no human being could ever escape from His Divine Power and Control. It is as if Allah’s Plan were an infinitely strong rope that could embrace all things and could never be broken.
Here is a fifth Quranic Verse that shows clearly that Allah, All Mighty, is Ever Most Patient:
“And your Lord is All-Forgiving, Owner of Mercy. Were He to call them to account or what they have earned, then surely, He would hasten their punishment. But they have their appointed time, from which they shall find no escape.”
Now, in the Holy Prophet’s biography, is there an incident that provides clear evidence of Allah’s Beautiful Divine Name “As-Sabour” (The Most Patient)? The answer is: Yes, it could be in the peace-treaty of Al-Hudaibiah, between Muslims and the disbelievers of Quraish. Allah, All Mighty, knew that among the disbelievers of Quraish, there were some believers who had secretly converted to Islam, and who were, therefore, known neither to Muslims nor to disbelievers of Quraish. Due to Allah’s Mercy upon those unknown Muslims, who secretly converted to Islam, and also upon disbelievers themselves, He caused delay of the conquest of Mecca by Muslims. This event manifests clearly Allah’s Beautiful Divine Name “As-Sabour” (The Most Patient). Yes, indeed! Allah, All Mighty, is Most Patient; and He, Glory to Him, bids us to be patient. To this effect, Allah, the Most Patient, says
“Therefore, be patient (O Muhammad), as did the Messengers of strong will, and be in no haste about them (disbelievers). It shall be as if, on the Day they see that they are promised, they had not tarried but for an hour of a single day. (Such is) a Message to be delivered! But shall any be destroyed except the people who are disobedient.”
He, Glory to Him, also says
“Verily, (many) Messengers, before you (O Muhammad), were belied; but with patience they bore the denial, and they were hurt, until Our Help reached them, and none can alter the Words (Decisions) of Allah. Surely, there has reached you the news about the Messengers.”
Now, what is the meaning of Allah’s Words
“And be patient for the sake of your Lord!”
They simply mean that patience can be for the sake of sh3er than Allah. For example, you might be a weak person persecuted and badly treated by your enemies, while you are completely helpless and unable to do anything. You might show patience not because you are really patient but only because you are helpless and powerless. This is not the kind of patience that Allah, All Mighty, desires us to have. He desires us to be patient when we are fully powerful and able to do retaliate or punish, but our true Faith in Allah, All Mighty, Most Patient, prevents us from so doing. This is exactly what Allah’s Words “
And be patient for the sake of your Lord!”
mean.
Sometimes, a person fancies that he can be patient, but in certain situations, he fails to be as such. He imagines that he can be patient, but suddenly he bursts in anger. How can we solve this problem? Allah’s Words:
“And endure patiently (O Muhammad): your patience is but from Allah; and grieve not over them and be not distressed because of that which they plot.”
mean that you can never be patient unless Allah, All Mighty, helps you to be so.
Now, is there a Quranic Verse that helps increase patience to the utmost? Yes, by joining together such great merits as firm belief in Allah and His Messenger, worship, performance of good righteous work, and mutual recommendation to the truth and patience. To this effect, Allah, All Mighty, declares that human beings are great losers
“except those who believe, do righteous good deeds, recommend one another to the truth, and recommend one another to patience.”
Patience is associated with such great things as worship, prosperity, good reward, and the truth. And perhaps the following Verse will clarify this point:
“O you who believe! Be patient, and vie you in patience; be steadfast; and fear Allah – haply so you will prosper.”
This Verse shows clearly that we have not only to be patient but also to help one another to become patient. That is why it is rightly said: Be helpful to your fellow human against Satan; and do not be helpful to Satan against your fellow human. In other words, if you help your fellow human, show him the right way, console him in case of distress, and provide him with financial assistance, you help him to be patient. In this context, the holy Prophet and Messenger, Moses, (PBUH), addressed his people
“Seek help from Allah, and be patient. Verily, the earth belongs to Allah. He gives it as a heritage to whom He wills of His slaves; and the good end is for the pious (and dutiful).”
However, the clearest Quranic Verse as regards patience, and the one that provides great comfort to the hearts of true believers, is this:
“And certainly, We shall try you with some fear, hunger, and loss of wealth, lives and fruits. And give glad tidings to the patient, who, when afflicted with calamity, say: ‘Truly! To Allah we belong, and truly, to Him we shall return.’ Such are those on whom are the Blessings from their Lord; and such are those who are the rightly guided ones.”
Upon whom are the misfortunes mentioned in the foregoing Quranic Verse inflicted? The answer is: upon true believers! Yes, indeed! Upon true believers! It is as though Allah, All Mighty, addresses true believers: O true believers! I shall try you with some fear, hunger, and loss of wealth; and I give glad tidings to those who are patient, to those who, when afflicted with a calamity, say, “Truly! To Allah we do belong, and truly, to Him we shall return.” In other words, those who are really patient are those who endure Allah’s tests and trials: because what does “to be patient” mean? It means that Allah, All Mighty, teaches you and enables you to understand things as they really are and to endure with patience. A patient person is, as it were, like someone who is fully grown up and mature, sits on a dentist’s chair and gives himself up to the dentist, i.e. surrenders himself to him, to do whatever he finds reasonable and necessary to do, because he is confident of his good knowledge and great experience, and because he is 100% sure that whatever the dentist does is certainly for his own benefit, even if he caused him pain for some time. This is the real meaning of patience: like someone who surrenders himself to a dentist, understands him very well, and endures with great patience the pains that he causes him, because he is 100% sure of his knowledge, truthfulness and great experience.
Actually, as human beings, we are imperfect and, therefore, commit lots of errors and mistakes. Due to His Infinite Divine Mercy, Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful, undertakes to teach us and bring us up to become pure and noble. Consider this Divine Hadith, in which Allah, All Mighty, says:
“By My Might and Majesty! I do not seize the soul of My slave, and I really desire to mercy him, except after I afflict him, for each evil sin that he has committed, with illness in his body, straitening in his sustenance, or misfortune in his wealth or children, until I make him as pure as an atom. If there still remains anything (evil) about him, I make harder for him agonies of death, until he encounters Me as (pure) as he was on the day his mother gave birth to him.”
The good happy end is when you get to the Abode of Peace (Paradise) peacefully and safely. The happy end is when you say most profoundly and sincerely, “Praise to Allah, Lord of all worlds!”, after you are made to inherit a Garden of Paradise, the vastness of which is as great as the heavens and the earth. A patient person is someone who understands his Lord, Allah, All Mighty, Most Gracious.
Books of the holy Prophet’s biography relate that after the Prophet’s death, there were some troubles and discords among some Muslims; and there seemed to be a great apostasy from Islam. Even more, the whole city of Medina caught up in chaos and was under a great threat. Before his death, Allah’s Messenger, (PBUH), had prepared an army for the conquest of Syria and made the venerable Companion, Usamah, may Allah be pleased with him, its leader. Due to the great troubles and discords the city of Medina was caught up in, some of the venerable Companions suggested strongly that the Caliph, Abu Bakr As-Siddeeq, may Allah be pleased with him, should not send the Muslim army to conquer Syria. If fact, Omar Bin Al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, adopted the same idea and communicated it to Abu Bakr, who desired to give the Prophet’s Companions a decisive lesson, so he took Omar’s beard with his hand and shook it violently saying, “May your mother be bereaved of you, son of Al-Khattab! A giant before Islam, but a dwarf after Islam?!” When other Companions saw what Abu Bakr did and said to Omar, they were frightened and regretted such a bad idea, and they obeyed Abu bakr. But why did Omar show patience when Abu Bakr held his beard and shook it strongly, and even reproached him severely? The answer is: simply because he understood Abu Bakr’s wise and sincere intention.
Ibn ‘Ata’illah As-Sakandari said: “If Allah unveils to you the wisdom behind deprivation, deprivation turns out to be a real donation.” Allah’s Deprivation may sometimes turn out to be a real Donation; and Allah’s Donation may sometimes turn out to be a real deprivation. But when does man show patience? And who is patient? It is only those who know Allah, All Mighty, are patient. Those who fail to know Allah never show adequate patience. They are easily irritated and become furious and aggressive in both word and behavior. In other words, showing patience towards Allah’s Divine Decree and Foreordainment is the token of your firm belief in Him. Remember: each good deed is rewarded ten folds as good, and nothing that man does is left unheeded. However, the patient are, as Allah, All Mighty, says
“Say (O Muhammad) to My slaves who believe: ‘be afraid of your Lord and keep your duty to Him. Good is (the reward) for those who do good in this present world; and Allah’s earth is spacious! Only those who are patient shall receive their reward in full, without reckoning.”
Yes indeed! Those who are patient shall receive their reward in full without reckoning on the Day of Judgment. They, as it were, address the Lord, All Mighty, Most Gracious: “O Lord! Treat me the way You like! I shall endure with patience. You are my Lord! No one has the right to be worshipped but You! You are my Guardian and Protector in this present world and the Hereafter! Treat me as You like, for I am Your slave, and I shall be patient.” Things are bearable in the present world, but disgrace on the Day of Judgment is really unbearable. In This context
the Holy Prophet, (PBUH), stood up among his venerable Companions and delivered an impressive speech, saying, “Verily, Allah has given a slave (of His) the chance to choose either that He grants him of the enjoyments of this present world whatever He wills or of that which He has with Him; and he (the slave) has chosen that which is with Him.” Abu Bakr began to cry, saying, “We sacrifice our fathers and msh3er for you!”
Then, Allah’s Messenger, (PBUH), said, “If there is someone whose back I have lashed, here is my back: let him avenge himself on me. And if there is someone whose money I have taken, here is my money: let him take from it.” Then, a man stood up, saying, “O Messenger of Allah! I am a hypocrite, so beseech Allah to pardon me.” Omar Bin Al-Khattab stood up to reproach the man who scandalized himself, saying, “May your mother be bereaved of you! Why did you scandalize yourself?!”
What concerns us in this context is what the Prophet, (PBUH), said to Omar: “O Omar! Leave the man alone! Scandal in this present world is more bearable than scandal in the Hereafter!” To make this point clear, let us have the following example: If a young student stole his friend’s pen, and the friend discovered that, it would be easy for the student to apologize to his friend. But things would be much harder and more scandalous if the issue were disclosed before the students of the class or the whole school.
Scandal in this present world, hard and disgraceful as it is, is far easier and more bearable than that in the Hereafter, where all creatures shall witness those profligates, polytheists and atheists being disgracefully scandalized.
In this context
Abi Thar narrated: I said: “O Messenger of Allah! Why don’t you use me (i.e. make me one of your judges, leaders or rulers)?” Allah’s Messenger, (PBUH), tapped his holy hand on my shoulder, saying, “O Aba Thar! You are weak, and such a thing is a great responsibility, which will be disgrace and regret on the Day of Resurrection, except those who shoulder it duly and fulfill all that they have to fulfill.”
Yes, indeed! It is a great responsibility.
Once again, a patient person is someone who, as it were, says: “O Lord! Help me reform and repent before I die! O Lord! Do not make me die until You have purified me of all of my sins and misdeeds!” It is really wise to purify ourselves from defects and faults, because Allah, All Mighty, describes the Day of Judgment:
“The Day whereon neither wealth nor sons shall avail, except him who comes unto Allah with a sound heart (i.e. a heart that is free from polytheism and hypocrisy).”
I would like to reiterate that those who are patient shall receive their reward without reckoning. Another Quranic Verse that speaks about patience is:
“And obey Allah and His Messenger, and do not dispute (with one another) lest you should lose courage and your strength departs. And be patient. Surely, Allah is with those who are patient.”
Yes, indeed! Allah is with those who are patient in the sense that He, All Mighty, supports them with victory, power, success and protection:
“And be patient. Surely, Allah is with those who are patient.”
The Almighty Lord, also says
“And many a Prophet fought (for the Cause of Allah), and along with him did fight large bands of religious learned men. But they never lost heart for that which did befall them nor gave in. And Allah loves those who are patient.”
Yes, indeed! Allah, All Mighty, loves those who are patient; and He, Glory to Him, supports them with His Divine Care, Protection and Help. He gives them their rewards in full without reckoning. But why does He love them? The answer is: simply because they accepted His treatment. By the way, the best way to treat an illness is without using an anesthetic, but if the ill person feels a lot of pain or refuses treatment, the doctor has to follow a longer and more dangerous kind of treatment. When Allah, All Mighty, sees that His slave endures with patience, it becomes clear to Him that such slave has accepted His Divine Treatment and has surrendered himself to His Divine Decree and Foreordainment. This is the real meaning of patience.
Patience is a really great thing! But due to their being aloof from the Lord, Allah, All Mighty, people in the West are usually before either of two choices to make: to get what they aspire after, or to get so frustrated that they suffer from serious psychological disorders or even, sometimes, commit suicide. Psychological disorders, such as frustration, melancholy, schizophrenia, …etc, afflict those who undergo certain difficulties or misfortunes while they do not know Allah, All Mighty.
In short: Beware of being patient except for the sake of Allah; otherwise you shall not be well rewarded. For example, a powerful tyrannical person might harass you, and you might show patience; therefore, Allah, All Mighty, says
“And those who remain patient, seeking their Lord’s Countenance, perform prayer and spend out of that which We have bestowed on them, secretly and openly, and repel evil with good, for such there is a good end, the Gardens of Eden, which they enter: they and those who acted righteously from among their fathers, wives, and offspring; and angels shall enter unto them from every gate, (saying): “peace be upon you, for you persevered in patience! Excellent indeed is such final home.’”
Yes, indeed! Those who are patient for the sake of their Lord shall be admitted into Paradise, the uppermost rank that all human beings aspire after, the Abode of Peace, the vastness of which is as great as the heavens and the earth, the Never Ending Bliss, the Abode wherein there are no such evil things as worry, fear, illness, competition, envy, …etc. So, what is the price of Paradise?
Allah, All Mighty, will greet people of Paradise, saying
“Peace be with you, for you persevered in patience”
i.e. your patience was the price for Paradise:
“Peace be with you, for you persevered in patience.”
Consider the patience of a true believer! He is always patient: when he is ill, when he has a problem at home, when he is cruelly treated, when his income is little, when he has problems at work, and when he faces any of the problems of life, simply because he sees Allah’s Divine Power in all things.
By the way, patience is only when you are unable to repel transgression or injustice. In other words, if you are able to repel transgression or injustice but you do not do, you are not considered as patient but rather negligent and even sinful.
Here is another issue that I would like to make clear: Some people say that all things that happen are under Allah’s Divine Decree and Foreordainment, and, therefore, we can change nothing. The answer is: This in not true! If all matters are under Allah’s Divine Decree and Foreordainment, His Divine Decree and Foreordainment can solve them. To make this point clear, I would like to tell you this story:
When the venerable Companion and Caliph, Omar Bin Al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, came to Syria, he was informed that there was a plague therein. Therefore, he abstained from entering it. Some of the Prophet’s Companions said, “O Commander of the Faithful! Do you intend to flee from Allah’s Divine Decree?” He answered, “Yes, I do. I intend to flee from Allah’s Divine Decree into Allah’s Divine Decree. If you had a herd of sheep, and if there were two pieces of land: one is green and another is barren, where would you graze your sheep? If you grazed them in the green piece of land, it would be by Allah’s Divine Decree, and if you graze your sheep in the barren piece of land, it would also be by Allah’s Divine Decree. I avoid the barren piece of land by Allah’s Divine Decree, and I choose the green piece also by Allah’s Divine Decree.” Such is valid scientific thinking! If you can take your ill son to a doctor, for example, why should you choose to keep him at home without adequate medical treatment under the pretext of patience? This is negligence and not patience. It is not of Allah’s Divine Decree to keep your son at home and deprive him of adequate medical treatment! But if you are unable, for one reason or another, to take your son to a doctor, you are not to blame.
What did Allah’s Messenger, (PBUH), say when he was badly received in At-Ta’if? He turned to the Lord, Allah, All Mighty, invoking:
“O Allah! It is to You that I complain of my weakness and helplessness and the disrespect that I receive from people!”
He (PBUH) left Mecca, whose people gave a deaf ear to his Call for Islam, for At-Ta’if, whose people would, hopefully, accept it. But he (PBUH) was very badly received in At-Ta’if; therefore, he complained to the Lord of his weakness and helplessness and showed great patience and perseverance. And you, as a human being, may quite often be helpless in the face of serious troubles and problems. If you can move, you must move; but if you are completely helpless, you must show adequate patience and perseverance. In other words, patience is acceptable only in case of helplessness.
Also, the venerable Companion and Caliph, Omar, may Allah be pleased with him, reiterated that patience is a great Divine Favor that Allah, All Mighty, bestows upon His believing slaves. Whenever he was afflicted with a misfortune, he would invoke: “Praise to Allah because of three things: Praise to Allah because it is not in my Faith, Praise to Allah because it is not more grievous that it is, and Praise to Allah because I have been inspired (and given the ability) to endure it with patience.” In this context, Allah, All Mighty, says
“And endure with patience, your patience is but from Allah. And grieve not over them and be not distressed because of that which they plot.”
Yes, indeed:
“And endure with patience, your patience is but from Allah.”
Here is another Verse, dear reader:
“And you take vengeance on us only because we believed in the Signs of our Lord when they reached us! Our Lord! Pour out on us patience and cause us to die as Muslims.”
Also, there is another Quranic Verse that I like very much. In this Verse, Allah, All Mighty, tells us about patience of the holy Prophet Job, (PBUH). He, Glory to Him, says
“And make in your hand a bundle of thin grass and strike therewith (your wife), and break not your oath.’ Truly, We found him patient. What an excellent slave. Verily, he was ever oft-returning in repentance (to Us).”
But why does Allah, All Mighty, tell us about Job’s patience?
“Truly, We found him patient.”
Sometimes, Allah, All Mighty, sends you a misfortune in order to try you and see what your attitude will be. Whatever the circumstances might be, you should always show adequate patience.
“Truly, We found him patient.”
Allah tries man by destroying some of his things, frustrating some of his efforts, foils some of his works and intentions. In other words, man is under constant Divine Observation and Care! What was Job’s attitude? The answer is:
“Truly, We found him patient.”
The best and most beautiful attitude of a true believer when he receives bad news is to say, “Praise to Allah, Lord of all worlds. O Lord! To You belongs all Praise. Such is Your Divine Wisdom. Such is Your Divine Decree. Such is Your Divine Foreordainment. I am contented with Your Wisdom. O Allah! Inspire me to be patient.” This is the best and most beautiful attitude of a true believer. By the way, you should never think that some human beings are exempt from Divine Trial! But man passes Allah’s Divine Trial when he shows adequate patience and perseverance.
In fact, Faith is all patience. To his effect, some Prophetic Hadiths go
“Faith consists of two halves: one half is patience the other is thankfulness”
and
“Faith is patience.”
Paradise has a price; and its price is that Allah, All Mighty, has given man a certain human nature and disposition. All religious obligations are against his natural disposition. In other words, Allah implants in you love for wealth, and then He bids you to spend it. Allah implants in you love for comfort and luxury, and then He bids you to get up before dawn and stand up to offer prayers to Him. He implants in you curiosity, i.e. the love to know all things about other fellow humans, and He bids you to shun slander and word trafficking. In fact, all religious obligations need that you should fight against your instincts and natural dispositions; and the fight against your instincts needs patience. Therefore, religion is all patience. Now, who is a disbeliever? A disbeliever is someone who follows his own desires and caprices, and his ambitions and interests. Who is a true believer? A true believer is someone who opposes his own desires, caprices, ambitions and interests that clash with Allah’s Commandments and Religion.
If you say that religion is all patience, I say, “Yes, indeed!” In other words, Faith is patience and tolerance. Patience is a passive virtue, while tolerance is an active one. Patience is of three types: Patience against committing sinful deeds, patience for performing acts of obedience, and patience towards Allah’s Cosmic Commands. Therefore, it is naïve to think that only the poor need to be patient. Nay! The rich need more to be patient, because the rich have many more choices to make than the poor; and the traps in which the rich are prone to fall in are a lot more numerous and dangerous than those that the poor are. In other words, it is a thousand times easier for a weak poor person to be patient than a strong wealthy one, because the former is essentially unable to do anything, while the latter can do millions of things. That is why Allah, All Mighty, says
“Every Self shall taste of death; and We try you with evil and good, a trial. And unto Us you shall be returned.”
“And We try you with evil and good, a trial”
means that you are tried and tested with both good and evil things. In other words, wealth, youth, strength, power, …et, can be subjects of trial for you. In fact, I spent more than two months, delivering sermons in which I tackled the subject of patience in An-Nabulsi mosque. The final conclusion is: religion is all patience. For example, courage is patience, while cowardice and running away is in conformity with man’s love for life. The human body is inclined to sleep and be comfortable; but after he comes back home exhausted in the late evening, after a long day’s toil, a true believer has to offer the late evening prayers to the Lord before he goes to bed. This is a kind of patience. When a true believer gets up very early in the morning - when it is very cold outside but the bed is warm and comfortable - yet he performs ablution and goes to the mosque to offer the Dawn Prayer, this is also a kind of patience. In other words, you are tried each and every moment of your life. A beautiful but indecently dressed woman may pass by. If you look at her, you respond to your sexual desire for women; but if you lower your gaze and suppress the desire to look at her, then you are patient. Hence, patience is to suppress your lusty desires and caprices; and you are supposed to be patient at each and every moment of your life.
Some knowledgeable religious scholars say: If Allah places you in the position of thankfulness, you should be of those who are thankful; and if He places you in the position of patience, you should be of those who are patient. In weal, you should be thankful, and in woe, you should be patient. You should be contented with whatever Allah gives you.
This means that in your relationship with the Lord, Allah, All Mighty, you should be either thankful or patient. But I would like to clarify a very delicate point, namely that a true believer should always ask Allah for safety and ease. To this effect
Anas Bin Malik narrated that a man came to Allah’s Messenger, (PBUH), asking, “O Messenger of Allah! Which supplication is the best?” Allah’s Messenger, (PBUH), said, “Ask your Lord for pardon and safety in this present world and the Hereafter.” Then, on the next day, the man came to him again, asking, “O Messenger of Allah! Which supplication is the best?” Allah’s Messenger, (PBUH), said, “Ask your Lord for pardon and safety in this present world and the Hereafter.” Then, on the third day, the man came to him again, asking, “O Messenger of Allah! Which supplication is the best?” Allah’s Messenger, (PBUH), repeated, “Ask your Lord for pardon and safety in this present world and the Hereafter. If you are granted pardon and safety in this present world and the Hereafter, then, you are really prosperous.”
O Allah! We do ask You for pardon, safety and constant well-being in religion, in this present world, and in the Hereafter!
Remember what Allah’s Messenger invoked the Lord, Allah, All Mighty, in At-Ta’if:
“If You are not angry with me, I do not care; and here I am, at the threshold of Your Door, (beseeching) until You are pleased with me, but Your bestowing well-being upon me is more spacious for me.”
Dear reader! Ask your Lord for pardon, safety and constant well-being in this present world and the Hereafter. If you are granted them in this present world and the Hereafter, you are really prosperous and happy, if Allah so wills.
To wrap up, Allah, All Mighty, is Most Patient towards His slaves even if they disobeyed Him; and His Name “As-Sabour” (The Most Patient) is in consistence with His Divine Name “Ar-Rahman” (The Most Gracious) in the sense that His Infinite Divine Mercy embraces all things in this present world and the Hereafter. Allah speaks the Truth; and He guides to The Straight Path.
