Nafsiya Reflections: Finding Patience

We think that patience (sabr) is accepting harsh reality and living miserably; this is the life of a true believer. The meaning is to be troubled, but patient; to be in emotional pain, but patient, to live this way forever. (Or until we breathe our last “miserable” breath). The nature of Dunya is attachment. Material, relational, and emotional attachment. This is the way of Dunya... logically what we will be tested with.

[وَلَنَبْلُوَنَّكُم بِشَىْءٍۢ مِّنَ ٱلْخَوْفِ وَٱلْجُوعِ وَنَقْصٍۢ مِّنَ ٱلْأَمْوَٰلِ وَٱلْأَنفُسِ وَٱلثَّمَرَٰتِ ۗ وَبَشِّرِ ٱلصَّـٰبِرِينَ]

We will certainly test you with a touch of fear and famine and loss of property, life, and crops. Give glad tidings to those who patiently endure [Surah Al-Baqarah: Aya 155]

One will be tested with fear, discomfort, pain... To be tried with bad friends, misbehaving children, the loss of loved ones either by death or separation. To be tested with our health, face financial difficulties or lack of food or water, or to be persistent in our Ibadat, to be persistent in praying our five daily prayers with khosho’, to fast, or to hold our gaze. One also is to be tested through the so-called “little things” in life, holding our tongue when someone cuts us off on the highway, being understanding when our children are acting up, to forgive and finding patience when our spouses are being harsh. There is no perfect relationship or person on this earth. Whether it is friends, spouses, parents, or children. This is the imperfect Dunya and we are created to live in it (for now). We must go through the daily ups and downs with acceptance and Rida, contentment with what has come our way and will be coming our way. Hardships will come, no matter what. Whether it is personal, social, relational, material, etc. It is going to happen. Life is not meant to be easy. It is the house of trials, the house of hardship.

This is not our Jannah, neither was it ever meant to be. It is a hallway, a walkway, to our eternal life. We must put our trust in Allah (swt). Trust HIS (swt) plan. If we only knew or saw what Allah (swt) had planned for us in the akhirah, we would repeat every hardship in our life by choice! If not, ask for more! SubhanAllah.

Give glad tidings... Who is saying this? Allah (swt), The Creator of joy. The Creator of excitement, contentment, serenity. The ONE who has designed a place where no eye has seen, no ear has heard of, and has never and never will cross our minds. A place created for those who are patient. So, who is the patient?

[ٱلَّذِينَ إِذَآ أَصَـٰبَتْهُم مُّصِيبَةٌۭ قَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّآ إِلَيْهِ رَٰجِعُونَ]

Who say, when struck by a disaster, “Surely to Allah we belong and to Him we will ˹all˺ return.” [Surah Al Baqarah: Aya 156]

We belong to Allah (swt) and to HIM (swt) we will return. These are the patient ones who gain resilience and strength. They always see the purpose of this life. They are not blindsided by this Dunya. They are in balance, in body, tongue and heart, each expressing the same state of contentment in the Rida of Allah (swt), in acceptance of what HE (swt) has decreed, what HE (swt) has chosen for them, out of love. That is the power of the patient ones. One is to have this special connection with Allah (swt). Peace in the heart and body. It is dipping ourselves under water, under crushing waves, but feel and see nothing but calmness.

Allah (swt) is with us. For we are the most loved of His creation. HE (swt) will always give HIS servants what they need, whether we perceive it as “bad” or “good”. The hardship, the trial will not change. It is there for a purpose, and it will serve that purpose if we are patient. But if we choose not to be patient...

The Messenger of Allah (saw) said:

« عِظَمُ الْجَزَاءِ مَعَ عِظَمِ الْبَلاَءِ وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ إِذَا أَحَبَّ قَوْمًا ابْتَلاَهُمْ فَمَنْ رَضِيَ فَلَهُ الرِّضَا وَمَنْ سَخِطَ فَلَهُ السُّخْطُ»

“The greatest reward comes with the greatest trial. When Allah loves a people He tests them. Whoever accepts that wins His pleasure but whoever is discontent with that earns His wrath.”

We will earn HIS (swt) wrath, 'Lasamh Allah', God forbid. We will face it, be tested by it either way. But will have a completely different outcome in this life and the Akhirah, the Afterlife. This will lead to a true life of misery, with no hope, no sense of control, and lack of trust in this world, in Allah (swt). Astaghfirullah, auzthubillah! May Allah (swt) protect us from such a horrible fate. This is not the state of a true believer. Rather a believer knows that the trials and tribulations we face are from Allah (swt) the Almighty, the Most Just, the Most Merciful, and The Most Wise. We may see or have seen the outcome of trials we have endured in our lives. Tests that were the pivotal shifting point in our lives, the tests that changed our perception for the better, or that taught us a life lesson that we had not seen if not for those trials. We may also not see the lessons or the reasons behind such trials in this life, it isn’t meant to be seen, but we will surely see it in the Hereafter. When we stand before Allah (swt), proud of every moment we took for HIM, every emotion we felt for HIM, thankful for all the trials and hardships we faced in this short-lived life. Thankful for setting the intention to be patient, to have woken up saying, “Today I will face this world with patience, for Allah (swt) is with me. And will always be with me InshAllah!”

See, we think that Sabr is accepting harsh reality and living miserably. That this is the life of a true believer. We have forgotten that,

[إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ مَعَ ٱلصَّـٰبِرِينَ]

Allah is truly with those who are patient. [Al Baqarah : Aya 153]

Allah (swt) is with us... Allah (swt) chose us, chose us to face the hardship yet feel a piece of heaven from the beauty of our Sabr, from the magnificence of HIS presence. To find strength from HIM. The beauty of being near to HIM (swt).

Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah (swt) have mercy on him, said, “What can my enemies do to me? My paradise and my garden are in my heart wherever I go. They are with me and never leave me. If I am imprisoned, it is seclusion for worship. If I am killed, it is martyrdom. If they expel me from my land, it is tourism.”

This is the mindset of the patient. It is all a mentality. A shift in our way of thinking. A shift that changes the trajectory of our lives, transcending to a higher reality. It adds richness, tranquility, serenity, calmness to our lives... It adds barakah. A piece of heaven in our hearts. Beautiful patience to believe and trust in Allah (swt).

Ummah Voice Podcast