THE POWER OF PATIENCE

 

 

 

THE POWER OF PATIENCE

Believers, seek strength in patience and prayer. God is with those who are patient.” (Holy Quran 2:153)

Patience is mentioned frequently in the Holy Qur’ān. God is aware that patience is an essential element in maintaining a steady and balanced pace in the face of the inevitable hardships and adversities of life. It is a prime requirement for the Muslim community in its universal responsibility for establishing God’s order on earth.

Patience is required on the personal level for observing one’s religious duties, for resisting temptation, misfortune, poverty, oppression and injustice, and for carrying out one’s responsibilities towards the establishment of the Islamic way of life in society. Patience and perseverance are required to remain always on the alert, ready to give whatever sacrifice may be needed. When those who are hostile to God’s cause seem to wield power, when falsehood seems too strong, when help seems to be endlessly delayed and the destination too far away patience and perseverance are the most important qualities to have. They are also needed to face those who are deviant, erring, harsh and persistent in their opposition to the truth.

When victory seems far away and the going gets really tough, people tend to lose heart and give up. To avoid that state of despair, God links patience with prayer, as an inexhaustible source of strength and energy. The two combine to infuse the heart with boundless confidence and fortitude and to impart to the believer total tranquillity, happiness and inner peace.

When man, weak as he is, faces a task that seems beyond his limited resources, when he faces the powers of evil, when he finds temptations and allurements very hard to resist, when tyranny and corruption are too powerful, seeking support from God Almighty is the only way forward. As the goals of one’s endeavour seem to recede and life becomes shorter and shorter, despair starts to creep into one’s heart and mind. As the twilight of one’s life approaches and all achievements seem trivial and meaningless, one realizes the value and significance of prayer. It is a spring that never ceases to flow with spiritual strength and tender compassion.

The value and role of prayer lie in its being the direct link between God and mankind.

It is the means by which man, an insignificant mortal, draws strength, reassurance and help from God’s infinite power and everlasting mercy. It is the source from which man, a frail creature, replenishes his energy and renews his power and strength to face and resist his own inner temptations and prejudices, as well as the temptations and pressures of the world around him. It is the key to the treasures of God’s grace, and the fountain of light which illuminates man’s heart with inner peace and tranquillity and leads him through the darkness of doubt and confusion to the certainty of faith and trust in God Almighty. It is an occasion for rest, serenity and peace of mind. It is no wonder, therefore, that the Holy Prophet Muĥammad (peace be upon him) used to resort to prayer whenever things became difficult to cope with.

He used to ask Bilāl, his Companion, to make the call to prayer, saying: “Bring us its comfort.”

Worship is the essence of the Islamic way of life, which revolves around its mysteries and hidden qualities. It is a source of sustenance in the long journey of life; it purifies the heart and gives the human spirit its inner powers. It goes hand in hand with responsibility and obligation, because it is the key to our appreciation of our responsibilities and obligations in life and to the satisfaction and benefits we draw from fulfilling them.

When God Almighty commissioned Muĥammad for his great and historic task, He said to him: “Stand up in prayer at night, all except for a small portion of it; or half the night or a little less, or a little more, and recite the Qur’ān in a calm and distinct manner. We are about to address you with words of surpassing gravity” (73: 2-5)

Prayer during the night and recitation of the Holy Qur’ān were the essential means of preparing Prophet Muĥammad for the stupendous task of conveying God’s message to mankind. Prayer opens the human heart to hope and enlightenment, reinvigorates one’s relationship with God, mitigates the struggle for life, and provides one with inspiration and confidence.

For the believers in that small fledgling Muslim community, poised to embark on their momentous task, thesūrah reinforces that reassurance by saying: “God is with those who are patient.” God is always there to provide the believers with help and comfort, to lend them His support and replenish their sapping morale and fading enthusiasm. It is noteworthy that the verse starts by making its address exclusively to the believers, and concludes by reassuring them that patience ensures God’s help.

Numerous reports have been handed down that tell us how highly the Prophet himself viewed the qualities of patience and perseverance, and how deeply he had thought about them. Some of them are quite relevant to our discussion.

The Prophet’s Companion, Khabbāb ibn al-Aratt, said: “A group of us once appealed to God’s Messenger while he was resting in the shade of the Ka`bah. We said, ‘Would you please appeal to God to help us? Would you kindly pray for us?’ He replied, ‘In days gone by, believers like yourselves used to be put in ditches and have their heads sawed in halves, and have their flesh scraped off the bone with iron combs. They withstood all that torture, held on to their faith, and never wavered. I swear that God Almighty will establish this religion so that a man can travel from San ‘ā’ [in western Yemen] to Ĥadramawt [in eastern Yemen] fearing none but God, and the wolf for his sheep. But you are impatient!” [Related by al-Bukhārī, Abū Dāwūd and al-Nasā’ī]

Another Companion of the Prophet, `Abdullāh ibn Mas`ūd says: “I can almost see God’s Messenger in the same position as an earlier prophet who was beaten by his people until he bled. But even while he was wiping the blood off his face he said: ‘Lord, forgive my people, for they do not know the truth.’” [Related by al-Bukhārīand Muslim]

The Holy Prophet is also quoted as saying: “A Muslim who mixes with people and puts up with their maltreatment is better than one who neither mixes with people nor suffers their abuse.” [Related by al- Tirmidhī]

Source: In the shade of the Quran

 

TO ALLAH (The One & Only God) WE RETURN


The Ayah and it's Meaning
Inna Lillahi wa inna ilayhi Raji'un -- Truly, to Allah we belong and truly, to Him we shall return. [Noble Quran 2:156]
The translation of the verses mentioned before and after this ayah is:
And certainly, We shall test you with something of fear, hunger, loss of wealth, lives and fruits, but give glad tidings to As-Sabirin (the patient). [Noble Quran 2:155]


Who, when afflicted with calamity, say: "Truly, to Allah we belong and truly, to Him we shall return.'' [Noble Quran 2:156]
They are those on whom are the Salawat (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. [Noble Quran 2:157]

When do we recite this ayah?

A prevalent perception in our society is that the words Inna Lillahi wa inna ilayhi Raji'un are only recited at the time of someone's death. However, this perception is not correct. This ayah is to be said in cases where a person has suffered any kind of loss, be it the death of a person (Muslim or non-Muslim) or any living creature, loss of wealth or property, deterioration of health, etc.
There is one Hadith where the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is quoted to have said "Inna Lillahi wa inna ilayhi Raji'un" when the lamp went off at night. Ayesha (May Allah be pleased with her) asked him, "O Messenger of Allah. Is this also a calamity?" Allah's Messenger replied, "Yes. Whatever hurts or causes difficulty to a Muslim is a calamity and on bearing it patiently, it carries Allah's promise of reward."


The Virtues of reciting the Ayah

As mentioned before, Allah (The One & Only God) asks us to be those who are patient [As-Sabirun] during calamities by reciting the ayah "Inna Lillahi wa inna ilayhi Raji'un". In the very next ayah Allah (The One God) tells us of the reward for this practice:
They are those on whom are the Salawat (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. [Noble Quran 2:156]


Muslim narrated in his Sahih that Umm Salamah said:
I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say: "There is no person who is afflicted with a calamity and says, 'Verily to Allah we belong and unto Him is our return. O Allah, reward me for my affliction and compensate me with something better' - but Allah (The One God) will reward him for his affliction and compensate him with something better." She said: When Abu Salamah died, I said: Who is better than Abu Salamah, the companion of the Messenger of Allah? Then Allah caused me to say it and I said it. She said: Then I married the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him).
Alhamdulillah (praise be to Allah), who could be a better husband than the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)?

It is narrated in the Hadith that the Messenger of Allah said: "When a man's child dies, Allah, may He be exalted, says to His angels: 'Have you taken the soul of the child of My slave?' They say, 'Yes.' He says, although He knows best, 'Have you taken the apple of his eye?' They say, 'Yes.' He says: 'What did My slave say?" They say: 'He praised You and said "Inna Lillahi wa inna ilayhi Raji'un" (Verily to Allah we belong and unto Him is our return).' Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, says: 'Build a house for My slave in Paradise and call it the house of praise.'" [Narrated and classed as good Hadith by al-Tirmidhi and al-Albani].


A Reminder

Truly, to Allah (The One & Only God) we belong and truly, to Him we shall return.
This ayah reminds us that whatever is in this world belongs to Allah (The One God) and is a Blessing from Him. If, for example, a person had given some money as loan to his friend for some time and now he wants the money back. Is the person doing anything wrong in wanting back his own money? Similarly when a person dies, Allah (The One God) is only taking back the soul of His creation. By reciting this ayah at the time of someone's death, we remind ourselves that the creation has returned to his Creator. We also should bear in mind that just as the departed soul we ourselves will one day return to our Lord and be answerable for our deeds on the Day of Judgment before our entry into Paradise (Allah willing) or the Hellfire. With this is mind we should always strive to attain Allah's Mercy, for no one but Allah (The One & Only God) knows the appointed time of death.

In a Hadith, Allah's Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) says, "How wonderful is the case of a believer; there is good for him in everything and this applies only to a believer. If prosperity comes to him, he expresses gratitude to Allah and that is good for him; and if adversity befalls him, he endures it patiently and that is better for him." [Muslim]