Patience and Certainty Necessary During Challenging Times
In The Name of Allah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.
Allah, The Exalted, said:
فَٱصۡبِرۡ إِنَّ وَعۡدَ ٱللَّهِ حَقٌّ۬ۖ وَلَا يَسۡتَخِفَّنَّكَ ٱلَّذِينَ لَا يُوقِنُونَ
So be patient. Indeed, the promise of Allah is true. And let not those who have no certainty of faith, discourage you from conveying Allah’s Message (which you are obliged to convey)]. [Al-Rum. 60]
[فَٱصۡبِ– So be patient]- Meaning, obligatory is that which you have been commanded and in calling them to the (path of) Allah. Even if you see them turning away, this should not turn you away from the call. [إِنَّ وَعۡدَ ٱللَّهِ حَقٌّ۬ۖ – Indeed, the promise of Allah is true]- Meaning, there is no doubt about that. This is from that which aids a person to exercise patience because when a servant (of Allah) knows that his deeds will not be in vain and will find full reward for it (in the afterlife), then what he faces of hardship will become trivial, and it will become much easy for him to bear every difficulty.
[وَلَا يَسۡتَخِفَّنَّكَ ٱلَّذِينَ لَا يُوقِنُونَ – And let not those who have no certainty of faith, discourage you]- Meaning, their Iman is weak and their certainty is little, so, their forbearance becomes lacking as a result of that. Thus, beware out of fear of being discouraged by these people because unless you are not careful about their affair, they will discourage and lead you to not being firm in holding fast to the commands and prohibitions, and the soul may assist them in this affair – seeking to be similar and to be in agreement with them. [1]
Umar Ibn Al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, said: “The best life we have attained is through patience, and if patience was a man, he would have been an honourable (or a noble man)”. [2]
Ali Bin Abee Talib, may Allah be pleased with him, said: “Indeed, patience in relation to Iman is the same as the head to the body, thus, if the head is cut off, the body will perish”. Then he raised his voice and said, “Indeed, there is no (sound) Iman for the one who has no patience).” [3]
Ash-Sha’bee, may Allah have mercy upon him, reported that Shurayh [may Allah have mercy upon him] said, “Verily if I am afflicted by a calamity, I praise Allah four times. I praise (Allah) that it is not greater than what it was. I praise (Allah) as He blessed me with the patience to bear it. I praise (Allah) as He bestows on me (the ability) to remember what I hope for of reward, and I praise (Allah) for not placing this calamity in my religion”. [4]
Yahyah Bin Mu’adh, may Allah have mercy upon him, said, “Paradise is surrounded by hardships and you hate them, and Hellfire is surrounded by desires and you seek them, so you are nothing except like a severely ill patient. If your soul exercises patience with the reluctance to take medicine (and then take it), you gain wellness (wellbeing) through patience; but if your soul is anxious about what it faces (and thus you refrain from taking the medication), the illness with which it suffers will prolong”. [5]
Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy upon him, said: There are two (types) of strengths within the soul: the strength of abstinence and the strength of courage. The reality of patience is that one makes the strength of courageousness a means of action in what benefits him and the strength of abstinence a means of action in refraining from what is harmful to him. Among the people, there is one whose patience in carrying out what benefits him and being firm upon it is stronger than his patience in refraining from what is harmful to him; so he exercises patience in facing difficulty whilst carrying out acts of obedience, but he does not exercise patience in refraining from urges towards what he is forbidden. And among them, there is one whose patience in refraining from things that are in opposition to the religion is stronger than his patience in carrying out acts of obedience, and among them there is one who does not exercise patience in both affairs. The best of people are those who fulfil both affairs. Many people patiently bear the hardship of praying Tahajjud during hot and cold nights, and the difficulty in fasting; but they do not exercise patience in refraining from looking at forbidden things. Many people exercise patience in refraining from looking at the forbidden things and inclination towards [forbidden] images, but they do not exercise patience in commanding good and forbidding evil. [6]
We ask Allah:
اللَّهُمَّ بِعِلْمِكَ الْغَيْبَ وَقُدْرَتِكَ عَلَى الْخَلْقِ أَحْيِنِي مَا عَلِمْتَ الْحَيَاةَ خَيْراً لِي وَتَوَفَّنِي إِذَا عَلِمْتَ الْوَفَاةَ خَيْراً لِي، اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ خَشْيَتَكَ فِي الْغَيْبِ وَالشَّهَادَةِ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ كَلِمَةَ الْحَقِّ فِي الرِّضَا وَالْغَضَبِ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ الْقَصْدَ فِي الْغِنَى وَالْفَقْرِ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ نَعِيماً لَا يَنْفَذُ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ قُرَّةَ عَيْنٍ لَا تَنْقَطِعُ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ الرِّضِا بَعْدَ الْقَضَاءِ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ بَرْدَ الْعَيْشِ بَعْدَ الْمَوْتِ، وَأَسْأَلُكَ لَذَّةَ النَّظَرِ إِلَى وَجْهِكَ وَالشَّوْقَ إِلَى لِقَائِكَ فِي غَيْرِ ضَرَّاءَ مُضِرَّةٍ وَلَا فِتْنَةٍ مُضِلَّةٍ، اللَّهُمَّ زَيِّنَّا بِزِينَةِ الْإِيمَانِ
وَاجْعَلْنَا هُدَاةً مُهْتَدِينَ
O Allah! By Your Knowledge of the unseen and by Your Power over creation, let me live if life is good for me, and let me die if death is good for me; O Allah! I ask You to grant me (the blessing of having) fear of You in private and public, and I ask You (to make me utter) a statement of truth in times of contentment and anger, and I ask You for moderation when in a state of wealth and poverty, and I ask you for blessings that never ceases, and I ask You for the coolness of my eye that never ends, and I ask You (to make me pleased) after (Your) decree; and I ask You for a life of (ease, comfort, tranquillity, etc) after death; I ask You for the delight of looking at Your Face (i.e. in the Hereafter) and yearning to meet You without any harm and misleading trials (coming upon me). O Allah! Adorn us with the adornment of Iman, and make us (from those who are) guided and guiding (others). [7]
اللَّهُمَّ أَصْلِحْ لِي دِينِي الَّذِي هُوَ عِصْمَةُ أَمْرِي
وَأَصْلِحْ لِي دُنْيَايَ الَّتِي فِيهَا مَعَاشِي
وَأَصْلِحْ لِي آخِرَتِي الَّتِي فِيهَا مَعَادِي
وَاجْعَلِ الْحَيَاةَ زِيَادَةً لِي فِي كُلِّ خَيْرٍ
وَاجْعَلِ الْمَوْتَ رَاحَةً لِي مِنْ كُلِّ شَرٍّ
O Allah! Rectify my religion for me, which is the safeguard of my affairs; rectify my worldly [affairs], wherein is my livelihood; and rectify my Afterlife to which is my return; and make life for me [as a means of] increase in every good and make death for me as a rest from every evil. [8]
[1]An Excerpt from Tafseer as-Sadi
[2]An Excerpt from “As-Sabr Wath-Thawaab Alayhi”. By Ibn Abee Ad-Dunyaa. page23
[3]An Excerpt from “As-Sabr Wath-Thawaab Alayhi”. page 124
[4]Siyar A’laam An-Nubulaa 4/105
[5]Sifatus Safwa 4/94
[6]An Excerpt from “Uddatus Saabireen”. page 37
[7]https://salafidawah.uk/2021/01/01/o-allaah-let-me-live-if-life-is-good-for-me-and-let-me-die-if-death-is-good-for-me/
[8]https://salafidawah.uk/2020/12/29/o-allaah-rectify-my-religion-for-me-which-the-safeguard-of-my-affairs-a-tremendous-supplication/