Patience in Islam

A famous English proverb says “God helps those who help themselves” but being a Muslim I would mould the proverb into “Allah helps those who are patient”.

Islam attaches great importance to patience. There are many verses in the Holy Quran and ahadith that emphasize the importance and virtues of patience. Islam and patience go hand in hand; every attribute of Islam has an element of patience associated with it. Humans are faced with difficulties and challenges now and then. Struggle is important to overcome them but patient is the key to success.  If people start wrangling on such occasions then advancement in human progress would become intricate. Therefore Islam has placed great emphasis on patience, so that by avoiding all unpleasantness, man may continue his onward journey towards the higher goal.

The holy Quran stresses the need for patience in the following ayahs:

“Indeed Allah is with those who are patient.”

 “Endure with fortitude whatever befalls you.”

“.. have patience. God is with those that are patient.”

Allah chooses whether good or evil befalls a person. What we fail to realize in the whole situation is that whatever occurred could have been in our support or in opposition. But what lies in the end is the reward and it is only for those who are patient with the Decree of Allah. The Quran has to about this is:

“...and it may be that you dislike a thing that is good for you and that you like a thing that is bad for you.  God knows but you do not know.” (Quran 2:216)

Human nature is spontaneous and abrupt. We panic and become impatient. A small affliction occurs and we start complaining i.e. shakwah appears on our tongues within seconds. Shakwa is contrary to sabr (patience). If Allah can send miseries in our lives, He can also protect us from them. Patience is mandatory exercise in trying situations. . It is a virtue, which enables the individual to proceed towards worthy goals, undeflected by adverse circumstances or repeated provocations. If he allows himself to become upset by opposition, taunts or other kinds of unpleasantness, he will never reach his goals. He will simply become enmeshed in irrelevancies. Stick with patience and the reward is yours.