Patience

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) has said, ‘Patience is the head of belief.”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) has said, ‘Patience is to belief as the head is to the body. If the head is gone the body is also destroyed. So also, if patience is vanished belief also goes away and is no more.’”

“Once Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) said, ‘O Hafs, whoever exercises patience does so only for a short time, and whoever expresses impatience, he does so only for a short time.’ “The Imam then said, ‘You must exercise patience in all of your affairs. Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, sent Muhammad (a.s.) and commanded him to exercise patience and kindness and said, “Bear patiently whatever they say, do not yield to them and distance them gracefully (73:10). Leave the prosperous disbelievers to Me. . . .” (73:11) ‘Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, has also said, “Virtue and evil are not equal. If you respond (to evil acts) by virtuous ones, you will certainly find that your enemies will become your intimate friends (41:34). Only those who exercise patience and who have been granted a great share of Allah’s favor can find such an opportunity.” (41:35) The Messenger of Allah exercised patience in suffering and hardships even when they (pagans) attacked him with bones (of large animals). He became very depressed, and Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, revealed to him, “We certainly know that you feel sad about what they say against you (15:97). Glorify and praise your Lord and be with those who prostrate themselves before Allah.” (15:98) They (pagans) rejected his message and caused him physical suffering so he became depressed. Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, sent him these words, “We certainly know that you (Muhammad) are sad about what they (the unbelievers) say. It is not you (alone) who has been accused of lying. The unjust have always rejected Allah’s revelations. (6:33) The Messengers who lived before you were also accused of lying, but they exercised patience. They were cruelly persecuted before We gave them victory. . . .” (6:34) The Holy Prophet held to patience firmly and they (pagans) spoke of Allah, the Most Blessed, the Most High, and called His words as lies. The Messenger of Allah said, “I remained patient about myself, my family and my honor, but I cannot remain quiet when they speak ill of my Lord.” Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, revealed to him these words, “We created the heavens, the earth and all that is between them in six days without experiencing any fatigue (50:38). (Muhammad), exercise patience against what they say. . . .” (50:39) The Holy Prophet thereafter exercised patience in all matters and then he was given the good news of Imamat (Divine Authority) given to his descendents who were described as (people) exercising patience. Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, has said, “We appointed from them as A ’immah (leaders) for their exercising patience to guide the others to Our commands. They had firm belief in Our revelations.” (32:24) ‘Thereupon the Messenger of Allah said, “Patience is to belief as is the head to the body.” Allah, the Majestic, the Glorious, appreciated this and He, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, revealed these words: “Thus, the promises of your Lord to the children of Israel all came true because of the patience which they exercised. He destroyed all the establishments of the Pharaoh and his people.” (7:137) The Messenger of Allah said, “This is good news and compensation.” Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, then made it lawful for him to fight the pagans. Allah then revealed these words, “Slay the pagans wherever you find them. Capture, besiege and watch out for them. If they repent, perform prayers and pay the religious tax, set them free. Allah is Allforgiving and All-Merciful.” (9:5). “Then slay them for it is the recompense that the disbelievers deserve.” (2:191) ‘Allah caused them to be killed by the (forces) of the Messenger of Allah and his friends, and made it a reward for his exercising patience in addition to the rewards reserved for him in the next life. Whoever exercises patience nobly will not leave this world before Allah grants him delight to his heart in the matters of his enemies, in addition to the reward that is reserved for him in the next life.’”

“Ali ibn al-Husayn (a.s.) has said, ‘Patience is to belief as the head is to the body. One who does not have patience has no belief.’”

“Patience holds the same position in faith as the head does in the body. When the head is lost, the body perishes. Similarly, when patience is lost, faith perishes.”

“I heard Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) saying, ‘A free person is free in all conditions. Even if hardships strike him he exercises patience, if afflictions batter him he does not break down even if he is taken as a captive and is overpowered and his comfort and prosperity are changed into poverty and hardships, just as in the case of Yusuf (Joseph) the truthful and trustworthy one (may Allah grant him blessings), whose freedom remained unaffected even though he was enslaved, taken as a captive and overpowered. The darkness and loneliness of the well did not harm him, nor did all that he went through until Allah granted him favors. He made the insolent tyrant into a slave for him after his being his king. He set him free and made a whole nation to be kind to him. This is how patience yields goodness. You must exercise patience and settle your soul upon patience and you will, certainly, be rewarded.’”

“Abu Ja’far (a.s.) has said, ‘Paradise is kept behind layers of hardship and patience. Whoever exercises patience in hardship in the worldly life will go to paradise. Hell is placed behind enjoyments and desires. Whoever allows his soul to indulge in enjoyment and desires will go to hell.’”

“When a believer is placed in his grave, prayer will be on his right al-Zakat (charity) on his left, and virtuous deeds will provide cover from above and patience will stay aside. When the two angels come to interrogate him, patience will say to the prayer, al-Zakat (charity) and virtuous deeds, ‘Help your friend. Were you to become helpless then I will take over.’”

“Once Amir al-Mu’minin (Ali ibn abu Talib) (a.s.) entered the Mosque and at the door of the Mosque he met a man who was depressed and sad. Amir al- Mu’minin (Ali ibn abu Talib) (a.s.) asked him ‘What has happened to you?’ He said, ‘It is due to the death of my father, mother and brother. O Amir al- Mu’minin, I am afraid my gall bladder may have ruptured.’ Amir al-Mu’minin (Ali ibn abu Talib) (a.s.) said, ‘You must be pious before Allah and exercise patience. Tomorrow (on the Day of Judgment) you will proceed to Him. Patience in the issues (in life) is like a head to a body. If the head departs the body is destroyed, likewise, in the issues (of life), if patience departs the issues, all affairs (of life) are destroyed.”’

“Once abu al-Hassan (a.s.) said to me, ‘What is holding you back from performing Hajj?’ I said, ‘May Allah keep my soul in service for your cause, I am indebted a great deal and my properties are gone. It is my debt that is holding me down and is worse than the loss of my properties. If someone from our people does not help me out I will not be able to do it myself.’ The Imam said, ‘If you exercise patience you will be envied, otherwise Allah will execute his measures whether you agree or not.’”

"There are two kinds of patience. There is patience during a calamity which is good and beautiful, but what is better than that is patience against committing what Allah (swt) has forbidden for you. There are also two types of dhikr. There is dhikr of Allah (swt) during a time of calamity, and the more virtous form of dhikr which is during (the temptation of) committing what Allah (swt) has forbidden for you so it acts as a barrier (from sinning)."

“The Messenger of Allah has said, ‘A time will come upon people when kingdom can be achieved only by committing murders and tyranny. Wealth can only be achieved through usurpation and stinginess. Love and harmony can be established only by exclusion of religion and by following desires. Those living at such a time must exercise patience in poverty despite the accessability of wealth to them, be patient against the hatred of people toward them even though they can establish love and harmony. They must exercise patience in humiliation even though they can rise with respectable (position). To each one of such persons Allah will grant a reward equal to the reward for fifty truthful people of those who have acknowledged my message.’”

“Abu Ja’far (a.s.) has said, ‘When my father Ali ibn al-Husayn (a.s.) was about to leave this world he held me against his chest and said, “My son, I recommend you with the same recommendation with which he (my father) advised me at the time that he was about to leave this world and with the recommendation that his father had made to him, O my son, hold to the truth with patience even if it is very bitter.”’”

“Abu Ja’far (a.s.) has said, ‘Patience is of two kinds: to exercise patience in hardship, which is good and graceful, yet, the best of patience is that which is exercised to stop one from committing what Allah has prohibited.”’

reported to me Yahya ibn Salim al-Ta’ifi who has said that informed me ‘Amr ibn Shamir al-Yamani in a marfu ’ manner from Amir al- Mu’minin (Ali ibn abu Talib) (a.s.) who has said the following: “The Messenger of Allah has said, ‘Patience is of three kinds: patience at the time of suffering hardship, patience in performing acts of obedience (worship) and patience to stop one from committing what Allah has prohibited. For one who exercises patience at the time of suffering hardship until one passes it by with grace and goodness Allah writes down three hundred degrees. Each is distant from the other as the sky and the earth. Whoever exercises patience in performing the acts of obeying (worshipping) Allah writes for him six hundred degrees. Each is apart from the other as the core of the earth to the Throne. Whoever exercises such patience that stops one from committing what Allah has prohibited, Allah writes for him nine hundred degrees. Each is apart from the other as is the core of the earth to the end of the Throne.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) ordered me to meet al-Muffadal and offer him condolences for Isma’il (son of the Imam), ‘Convey my greetings of peace to him and tell him that we have suffered the death of Isma’il but have exercised patience. You must also exercise patience as we have done. We wanted one thing but Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, decided that another thing happen, and we are submissive to the command of Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) has said, ‘Whoever among the believers exercises patience at the time of suffering hardship he will have a reward equal to the reward of a thousand martyrs.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) has said, ‘Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, granted a favor to a people but they did not appreciate it and that favor turned against them in the form of a burden. He tried another nation with hardships and sufferings but these people exercised patience and the trouble turned into bounties for them.”’

“About the words of Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, ‘Believers, have patience, help each other with patience. . . .,’ (3:200) the Imam has said, ‘It means to exercise patience in suffering hardship.’” In the narration of ibn abu Ya’fur from Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) it says, “Exercise patience in suffering afflictions.”

“The Imam said, ‘Had patience not been created before misfortune, it would have torn the believer into pieces like an egg hit against a rock.’”

“The Messenger of Allah has said that Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, has said, ‘I have made the world a borrowing (place) for My servants. Whoever gives Me a loan I will return it ten times over up to seven hundred times over, and more if I so wish. Those who do not lend Me a loan I will take something forcibly from them. If they then exercise patience I will give three such rewards of which if I gave only one to My angels they would all become happy with Me.’ The narrator has said that Abu ‘Abdillah (a.s.) recited the words of Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy: ‘. . . those who when suffering hardship say, “We are the servants of Allah and to Him we shall all return,” (2:156) it is they who will receive blessing, [one of the three rewards], and mercy from Allah, [the second of the three rewards], and who have recieved the right guidance (2:157) [the third of the three rewards]. Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) then said, ‘This is when Allah takes something from one forcibly.’”

“Abu Ja’far (a.s.) has said, ‘The courage to exercise patience in times of need and poverty with chastity and self-sufficiency is more than the courage needed to give charity.’”

“Once I said to abu Ja’far (a.s.) ‘May Allah grant you favors, what is graceful patience?’ The Imam said, ‘That is the patience in which there is no complaint before the people.’”

“Abu Ja’far (a.s.) has said, ‘One who does not prepare himself in patience to face the hardships of life, will remain helpless.’”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) has said, ‘We are strong to exercise patience, and our (Shi’a) followers are stronger than we are.’ I then said, ‘May Allah keep my soul in service for your cause, how have your followers become stronger than you are?’ The Imam said, ‘It is because we exercise patience in the matters that we already know, but our (Shi’a) followers exercise patience in matters of the reality of which they have no knowledge.’”