The Virtue of Patience

Allaah has made
patience like a horse that never gets tired, an army that can never be defeated
and a strong fortress that can never be breached. Patience and victory are twin
brothers, for victory comes with patience, relief comes with distress and ease
comes with hardship. Patience is of more help to the one who has it than men,
as it helps without any need for equipment or numbers and its relationship to
victory is like that of the head to the body. 

In the Qur'aan,
Allaah has guaranteed those who are patient that He will give them reward
without measure. 

"Only those who are patient shall receive their
reward in full, without reckoning." (39:10)

He tells
them that He is with them by guiding and supporting them and granting them a
clear victory. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):                                                                     

"Surely,
Allaah is with those who are As‑Saabiroon (the
patient)" [al-Anfaal 6:46]

Allaah tells us
that patience is better for those who are patient, as He says (interpretation
of the meaning): 

"But
if you endure patiently, verily, it is better for As‑Saabiroon (the patient)"
[al-Nahl 16:126]

Allaah tells us
if we are patient and pious, the plot of the enemy cannot do any harm, even if
he is powerful, as He says (interpretation of the meaning): 

"But
if you remain patient and become Al-Muttaqoon (the pious), not the least harm
will their cunning do to you. Surely, Allaah surrounds all that they do" [Aal 'Imraan 3:120] 

Allaah tells us
that the patience and piety of his Prophet Yoosuf brought him to a position of
power and strength, as He says (interpretation of the meaning): 

"Verily,
he who fears Allaah with obedience to Him (by abstaining from sins and evil
deeds, and by performing righteous good deeds), and is patient, then surely,
Allaah makes not the reward of the Muhsinoon (good‑doers) to be lost" [Yoosuf 12:90]

Allaah tells us
that He loves those who are patient, and that is the greatest encouragement. Allaah
says (interpretation of the meaning): 

"And
Allaah loves As-Saabiroon (the patient)" [Aal 'Imraan 3:146]

Allaah has
given glad tidings of three things to those who are patient, each of which is
better than that for which the people of this world envy one another. Allaah
says (interpretation of the meaning):

And
certainly, We shall test you with something of fear, hunger, loss of wealth,
lives and fruits, but give glad tidings to As-Sâbirun (the patient).Who, when
afflicted with calamity, say: "Truly! To Allâh we belong and truly, to Him
we shall return." They are those on whom are the Salawât (i.e. who are
blessed and will be forgiven) from their Lord, and (they are those who) receive
His Mercy, and it is they who are the guided-ones.Allaah exhorts His
slaves to seek help with patience and prayer when facing calamities that may
befall a person.  (2:155-157)

Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning): 

"And
seek help in patience and As-Salaah (the prayer) and truly, it is extremely
heavy and hard except for Al-Khaashi'oon [ i.e. the true believers in Allaah —
those who obey Allaah with full submission, fear much from His punishment, and
believe in His Promise (Paradise) and in His Warnings (Hell)]"[al-Baqarah 2:54] 

Allaah states
that the victory of attaining Paradise and being saved from Hell will be won
only by those who are patient, as He says (interpretation of the meaning): 

"Verily,
I have rewarded them this Day for their patience; they are indeed the ones that
are successful" [al-Mu'minoon 23:111] 

Allaah tells us
that the desire to earn His reward and to turn away from this world and its
adornments is attained only by those who are patient and are believers. Allaah
says (interpretation of the meaning): 

"But
those who had been given (religious) knowledge said: "Woe to you! The
reward of Allaah (in the Hereafter) is better for those who believe and do
righteous good deeds, and this none shall attain except those who are As‑Saabiroon (the patient in following the truth)" [al-Qasas
28:80]

Allaah tells us
that repelling evil with that which is better makes the evildoer become like a
close friend. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

"The
good deed and the evil deed cannot be equal. Repel (the evil) with one which is
better (i.e. Allaah orders the faithful believers to be patient at the time of
anger, and to excuse those who treat them badly) then verily he, between whom
and you there was enmity, (will become) as though he was a close friend" [Fussilat 41:34]

But this is
something that "none is granted it (the above quality) except those who
are patient — and none is granted it except the owner of the great portion (of
happiness in the Hereafter, i.e., Paradise and of a high moral character) in
this world" [Fussilat
41:35].

Allaah tells
us, and reinforces it with an oath, (interpretation of the meaning):

"By
Al‑'Asr (the time).

2.
Verily, man is in loss,

3.
Except those who believe (in Islamic Monotheism) and do righteous good deeds,
and recommend one another to the truth [ i.e. order one another to perform all
kinds of good deeds (Al‑Ma'roof) which Allaah
has ordained, and abstain from all kinds of sins and evil deeds (Al‑Munkar) which Allaah has forbidden], and recommend one another to patience (for the
sufferings, harms, and injuries which one may encounter in Allaah's Cause
during preaching His religion of Islamic Monotheism or Jihad)"[al-'Asr 103]

Allaah will
divide His creation into two categories: those who are on the right hand and those
who are on the left hand; those who are on the right hand are those who
recommend one another to patience and mercy.

Allaah has
chosen the people of patience and gratitude to benefit from His signs and be
distinguished by this great good fortune. He says in four places in His Book
(interpretation of the meaning): 

"Truly,
therein are Ayaat (evidences, proofs and signs) for every patient, thankful
(person)"

[Ibraahem 14:5;
Luqmaan 31:31; Saba 24:19; al-Shoora 42:33] 

Allaah has made
forgiveness and reward conditional upon doing righteous deeds and being
patient, and that is easy for the one for whom He makes it easy. Allaah
says:  

"Except
those who show patience and do righteous good deeds: those, theirs will be
forgiveness and a great reward (Paradise)" [Hood 11:11]

Allaah tells us
that patience and forgiveness are among the things recommended by Allaah and
those who pay heed to this will never lose, as He says (interpretation of the
meaning): 

"And
verily, whosoever shows patience and forgives, that would truly be from the
things recommended by Allaah" [al-Shoora
42:34]

Allaah
commanded His Messenger to wait patiently for His Decision, and told him that
his patience is not but from Him, and by virtue of patience all calamities
become easy, as He said (interpretation of the meaning):

"So
wait patiently (O Muhammad) for the Decision of your Lord, for verily, you are
under Our Eyes"[al-Toor 52:48]

And He said
(interpretation of the meaning):

"And
endure you patiently (O Muhammad), your patience is not but from Allaah. And
grieve not over them (polytheists and pagans), and be not distressed because of
what they plot.

 Truly, Allaah is with those who fear Him (keep
their duty unto Him), and those who are Muhsinoon (good‑doers)" [al-Nahl 16:127-128]

And
seek help in patience and As-Salât (the prayer) and truly it is extremely heavy
and hard except for Al-Khâshi'ûn [i.e. the true believers in Allâh – those who
obey Allâh with full submission, fear much from His Punishment, and believe in
His Promise (Paradise,) and in His Warnings (Hell, )]. (2:45)

Patience is the
foundation of the believer's faith which has no other foundation. The one who
has no patience has no faith, and if he has any, then it is only a little faith
and it is very weak, and such a person worships Allaah as it were upon the edge
(i.e. in doubt): if good befalls him, he is content therewith; but if a trial
befalls him he turns back on his face ( i.e. reverts to disbelief after
embracing Islam). He loses both this world and the Hereafter. All he gets from
them is a losing deal.

The best life
is attained by the blessed through patience, and they rise to the highest
degrees through their gratitude. So they fly on the wings of patience and
gratitude to gardens of delight (i.e., Paradise). That is the bounty of Allaah
that He bestows upon whomsoever He will, and Allaah is the Owner of Great
Bounty.  End quote from ' Uddat
al-Saabireen by Ibn al-Qayyim, p. 3-5.

With regard to
the ahaadeeth which speak of the virtue of patience, they include the
following: 

Al-Bukhaari  narrated that Abu Sa'eed al-Khudri (may Allaah
be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said: "…whoever is patient
Allaah will bestow patience upon him, and no one is ever given anything better
and more generous than patience."

And Muslim narrated
that Umm Salamah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said: I heard the Messenger
of Allaah (S) say: "There is no Muslim who is
stricken with a calamity and says what Allaah has enjoined – 'Verily to Allaah
we belong and unto Him is our return. O Allaah, reward me for my affliction and
compensate me with something better' – but Allaah will compensate him with
something better."  

And Muslim narrated
that Suhayb (may Allaah be pleased with him)said: The Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "How wonderful is the affair of
the believer, for his affairs are all good, and this applies to no one but the
believer. If something good happens to him, he is thankful for it and that is
good for him. If something bad happens to him, he bears it with patience and
that is good for him."

'Umar ibn 'Abd
al-'Azeez (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: Allaah has not bestowed any
blessing upon His slaves then taken it away and replaced it with patience, but
what He has compensated them with is better than what He has taken away. 

Complied from various sources