By Imam Murtadha Gusau
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
All praise is due to Allah the Lord of all creation. May Allah grant His praise, manifest his virtue and elevate the status of the noblest of the Prophets and the Seal of the Messengers, our beloved Prophet Muhammad and protect him, the message of Islam, his family and all his companions from any harm in this life or the next. As for what follows:
Dear brothers and sisters! Know that, patience is to hold one’s soul from being impatient and displeased, holding the tongue from complaining and the body parts from harming himself or others. The patience is mentioned at many places in Qur’an and Sunnah of the beloved Prophet (Peace be upon him), which shows the virtues and greatness of Patience. In the Arabic language, (Sabr) Patience means to confine or contain.
Respected servants of Allah! Patience has great status in the sight of Allah Almighty and in Islam. Patience is of best of deeds actions, and has the great reward with no limit. Allah Almighty said in Noble Qur’an:
“Only those who are patient shall receive their rewards in full, without Hisab (without limit, calculation, and estimation).” [Qur’an, 39:10]
There is great reward only for those among us who are patient with the Decree of their Lord. In this world, we face many challenges, difficulties or trials and sufferings but we have to be patient because Allah Almighty loves those who did patience in a difficult time.
As Islam is a complete code of life and it guides and teach us in every sphere of life. So it teaches us we have to do patience in our difficult situation in this way we have the strong belief on Almighty Allah that He will never leave us alone. In Qur’an, Allah the Most High said:
“And be Patient. Surely, Allah is with those who are patient.”
Allah said to those who are facing challenges, difficulties or trials that He is with them by guiding and supporting them and granting them a clear victory. Allah Almighty said:
“Surely, Allah is with those who are As‑Sabirun (the patient).” [Qur’an, 8:46]
From this verse of Noble Qur’an, we can say that no matter what’s the situation we are facing we should be faithful and patient as Allah is with us, He will never leave us alone.
A person who loves Almighty Allah finds it much easier to be patient and to persevere. This is because he sees everything as coming from Allah, and if it comes from Allah, there must be a reason for it. A person who loves wants the Beloved to see him in the best of states, and so he proves the best of patience. Patience is a virtue, which enables the individual to proceed towards worthy goals.
So many times in our lives something happens to us and we feel that this is the worst thing that can happen to us. But then after the trial, when relief and ease come, we realise that the difficult times had happened for good to come. So, it is important that believers have to be patient and know that Allah Almighty is sufficient for us and is the best arranger of all our affairs. He will guide us to that which is good for us in this life and Hereafter too.
If we don’t get the reward of Patience in this world then it will surely be saved by Almighty Allah for the Hereafter that will never end. Our beloved Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) said:
“Whoever persists in being patient, Allah will make him patient. Nobody can be given a blessing better and greater than patience.” [Bukhari]
Respected brothers and sisters! Patience is the great virtue and significance of patience that we will recover with great rewards and benefits. Some of these rewards and benefits are immediate and others are longer-term. Among the many benefits of patience in Qur’an and Sunnah are the following:
There are more than hundred verses in the Noble Qur’an about the virtues and benefits of patience. Some of are given below:
• Those People who have patience are the rightful people to lead, so we can say leadership comes with patience as Allah Almighty said in Qur’an:
“And We made from among them leaders guiding by Our command when they were patient and [when] they were certain of Our signs.” [Qur’an, 32:24]
• With patience you will get all good things as Almighty Allah says in Qur’an:
“But if you endure patiently, verily, it is better for As-Sabirin.” [Qur’an, 16:126]
• If you are patient in all your sufferings then the patient ones will receive plenty of rewards for their good deeds. Allah the Most High said in the Noble Qur’an:
“Only those who are patient shall receive their rewards in full, without reckoning.” [Qur’an, 39:10]
• Allah is with those who are patient. He said in the Noble Qur’an:
“And be patient. Surely, Allah is with those who are As-Sabirin.” [Qur’an,8:46]
• Patience is something that is recommended by Almighty Allah which means it requires determination. Allah said in the Noble Qur’an:
“And verily, whosoever shows patience and forgives that would truly be from the things recommended by Allah.” [Qur’an, 42:43]
• Those who will remain patient will enter into Paradise. Allah said in Qur’an:
“Those will be rewarded with the highest place (in Paradise) because of their patience. Therein they shall be met with greetings and the word of peace and respect.” [Qur’an, 25:75]
There are so many examples related to Patience in the life of Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) that we should consider and practiced in our daily lives while facing some challenges, trials or difficulties. Some of the sayings of Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) related to patience are given below:
• The Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) said that the Patience is illumination.
“As-Sabr (the patience) is illumination.” [Muslim]
• The one who’s beloved ones or relatives die and endures patiently, Allah will also admit him to Paradise as a recompense of his patience. He (Peace be upon him) said:
“Allah says, ‘I have nothing to give but Paradise as a reward to my servant, a true believer, who, if I cause his dear friend (or relative or love ones) to die, and remains patient (and hopes for Allah’s Reward).’” [Bukhari]
• The reward of being patient while the true believer is afflicted with any kind of calamities and trials. Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) said:
“No fatigue, nor disease, nor sorrow, nor sadness, nor hurt, nor distress (or any difficulties or calamities) befalls a Muslim, even if it were the prick he receives from a thorn, but that Almighty Allah expiates some of his sins for that.” [Bukhari]
• The Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) said:
“The believer who mixes with people and bears their annoyance with patience will have a greater reward than the believer who does not mix with people and does not put up with their annoyance.” [Ibn Majah]
• Be mindful of Allah and be patient as Prophet (Peace be upon him) said:
“Verily, patience is at the first strike.” [Bukhari]
Dear brothers and sisters! Know that, wallahi There is great judgment behind the challenges, difficulties, trials and tests we go through in our difficult time. All the calamities we face and the troubles which come on our way are character builders which make us stronger than before. I pray, may Allah gives us the strength to face difficulties and challenges with Patience! Ameen
Respected servants of Allah! In Islam, wallahi having patience comes with many benefits and rewards. Patience is an admirable quality which helps us connect with Allah Almighty, speak and act upon the truth, and to endure with strength through hardships.
Sometimes patience translates literally as endurance, although it is more accurately likened to perseverance and/or persistence. It makes up one of two parts of faith (the other being shukr, which means thankfulness and gratitude). The importance of patience is a recurring theme in the Noble Qur’an with the word ‘sabr’, appearing more than hundred times in the scriptures.
Patience in Islam is not about adopting a passive attitude. The Qur’an does not teach us to remain silent, but neither does it encourage confrontation. Life is a mix of challenges, with everyone having the freedom to do as they wish and live the life that they see fit. This, of course, means that there will be times when another person’s freedom is not compatible with our own.
However, only Allah Almighty has the power to take that freedom away – this is not something that any human has and this must be respected. Instead, this means showing patience to any challenges faced and managing patience to face them successfully. Doing so brings reward in the eyes of Allah the Most High. Allah Almighty said:
“Indeed, he who fears Allah and is patient, then indeed, Allah does not allow to be lost the reward of those who do good.” [Surah Yusuf: 90]
All Prophets adopted this same attitude, because “there is no altering the creation of Allah” [Qur’an, 30:30]. Allah Almighty is the original creator of the heavens, the earth and all those who live in it; it is not for any human to attempt to change the creation.
To adopt the same values of the Prophets means adopting the culture of patience and avoiding confrontation where possible. There is beauty in all of Allah’s Almighty creations and we must see the positive more than the negative.
“And how many a Prophet [fought and] with him fought many religious scholars. But they never lost assurance due to what afflicted them in the cause of Allah, nor did they weaken or submit. And Allah loves the patient ones.” [Qur’an, 3:146]
We can adopt the teachings of the Noble Qur’an into our way of life in many ways, guiding us now and into the hereafter. A physical journey, whether you are walking, driving or otherwise, is rarely a straight line from point A to B, with many twists and turns required for one reason or another.
Think about this in terms of personal and professional development. There will always be hardships along the way and it is how we deal with these setbacks, displaying patience, which ensures we can see a difficult situation from all angles and gain experience for the future. Confrontation rarely gets you anywhere and conflict, more often than not, closes one door without necessarily opening another – this helps no one.
The Noble Qur’an teaches us to control our anger as otherwise, it will become a distraction. We should adopt a positive mentality and, in the event of disagreement or provocation, we should remember the power of forgiveness and reconciliation.
Dear brothers and sisters! Part of patience is the discovery of truth, which is why patience in Islam is not simply sitting away in the corner and allowing the world to pass you by. Life presents many challenges and, unfortunately, there remains those who face many more challenges than the average person. Those that suffer from poverty, crisis and war, face the biggest challenges of all and the discovery of this truth, as well as taking action to help, purifies the soul.
Respected servants of Allah! With our contributions, The Nagazi-Uvete Islamic Center, in Okene, Kogi State, Nigeria works tirelessly to ensure that the people most in need are safe and well in the most desperate of times. The Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) teaches us that it is not enough to recite the words of the Noble Qur’an but to not act upon them. Without the discovery of truth, there is no awakening and without your continued kind donations, supports and prayers, there is no support for innocent lives. Allah Almighty said:
“For those who do good in this world is good and the earth of Allah is vast. Only those who are patient will be paid back their reward without measure.” [Qur’an, 39: 10]
And all praises and thanks are due to Allah alone, Lord of the worlds. May the peace, blessings and salutations of Allah be upon our noble Messenger, Muhammad, and upon his family, his Companions and his true and sincere followers.
Murtadha Muhammad Gusau is the Chief Imam of Nagazi-Uvete Jumu’ah and the late Alhaji Abdur-Rahman Okene’s Mosques, Okene, Kogi State, Nigeria. He can be reached via: [email protected] or +2348038289761.
This Jumu’ah Khutbah (Friday sermon) was prepared for delivery today, Friday, Shawwal 30, 1442 AH (June 11, 2021).
