The types of patience are three: patience with the commands of Allah, patience from the prohibitions of Allah, and patience with the decrees of Allah.
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The Shaykh : Patience, in its original sense, is restraint. This is the original meaning: patience is restraint. Hence their saying, "So-and-so was killed in patience," meaning when he was held captive and then killed, he was killed while being restrained by force. So, what is patience in the language? It is restraint.
As for its meaning in the Shari'ah, it is: patience with the commands of Allah, patience from the prohibitions of Allah, and patience with the decrees of Allah. How many? How many aspects? Three.
Patience with the commands of Allah, patience from the prohibitions of Allah, and patience with the decrees of Allah.
Patience with the commands of Allah is that a person restrains himself to perform worship, because worship is heavy upon souls, except for whom my Lord has mercy. So he restrains himself to it. For example, he restrains himself to pray in congregation in the morning. He restrains himself when fasting; he compels himself to fast. He restrains himself to dutifulness to parents, to maintaining family ties, and so on, up to the many commands.
He restrains himself from the prohibitions of Allah. Is there anyone among you who can bring me a verse containing a prohibition?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : No, there is no prohibition there. A prohibition? No, no, it is not a prohibitive verse. Yes, please go ahead.
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Good, may Allah reward you.[An-Nisa 4:43] These are prohibitions. Also, Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, said: [An-Nur 24:31] Where is the prohibition? [An-Nur 24:31] This is a prohibition. A woman might say, "I see someone who displays her adornment and reveals her adornment, and my soul is inclined to do as she does." What do we say? The question is: what do we say?
We say, "Be patient, be patient from this forbidden thing. Do not follow the desires of those who have gone astray. Be patient, restrain yourself." Now, wailing is prohibited. Wailing over a deceased person: when a person dies, one should not wail over him. Among the things the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) took a pledge from the women not to do was wailing. So, if a person dies, and the woman is weak and cannot bear patience, and she wants to wail over him, we say, "Be patient, restrain yourself from wailing, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prohibited wailing and said: And we seek refuge in Allah. Be patient, restrain yourself. Good.
[Al-Isra 17:32] A prohibition? Good. If a person's soul is inclined to commit zina, either with his private parts, or with his eyes, or with his hearing—O Allah, protect us, O Lord of the worlds—we say, "Be patient, be patient. Do not look at women, do not take pleasure in the voices of women, do not commit zina with the eye and the ear as you would with the private parts. Be patient, restrain yourself."
So, patience with the commands, and patience from what? From the prohibitions.
The third: patience with the decrees of Allah. It is known that the decrees of Allah, Mighty and Majestic, are of two types: a type that is suitable for the soul and its nature, and a type that is not suitable. If Allah decrees for you a great profit in your trade, does it require patience or not? Yes, answer, O brothers. It does not require it. This is suitable for the person. If Allah decrees for him to get married, does it require patience or not?
The student: It does not require it.
The Shaykh : Why? Because it is suitable for the soul. If Allah, the Exalted, decrees that a person invites him to a meal, and he accepts the invitation and eats the food, do we say, "Be patient with this"? Why? Because it is suitable.
So, the decrees of Allah are the painful decrees that do not align with nature.
The decrees of Allah, the Exalted, are undoubtedly decrees of good and joy, and painful decrees. So we say, "Be patient, be patient with that."
If a person falls from a height and his leg is broken, is this one of the painful decrees or not? Good. We say, "Be patient, be patient, endure.[Ash-Sharh 94:5-6] Good.
If a person comes to a group of people calling them to Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, and he calls them to Allah but finds no response, what do we say? What? Be patient with this. And this includes patience with the commands of Allah and patience with the decrees of Allah, because their lack of response is among the decrees of Allah.
Good, so, O my brother, accustom yourself to patience. So that when a person is struck by illness, when he is struck by illness, we say, "Be patient, wait for relief. You were healthy yesterday, and now you are sick, and tomorrow... not tomorrow dead, even if healthy, in any case, wait for relief from Allah. Be patient and be calm."
Good, so patience is for three things? Say it.
The student: Patience with the commands of Allah, patience with the prohibitions, and patience with the decrees of Allah.
The Shaykh : Perfect. Patience with the commands of Allah, patience from the prohibitions of Allah, and patience with the decrees of Allah.
and enjoin one another to patience
وتواصوا بالصبرAs for its meaning in the Shari'ah, it is: patience with the commands of Allah, patience from the prohibitions of Allah, and patience with the decrees of Allah. How many? How many aspects? Three.
Patience with the commands of Allah, patience from the prohibitions of Allah, and patience with the decrees of Allah.
Patience with the commands of Allah is that a person restrains himself to perform worship, because worship is heavy upon souls, except for whom my Lord has mercy. So he restrains himself to it. For example, he restrains himself to pray in congregation in the morning. He restrains himself when fasting; he compels himself to fast. He restrains himself to dutifulness to parents, to maintaining family ties, and so on, up to the many commands.
He restrains himself from the prohibitions of Allah. Is there anyone among you who can bring me a verse containing a prohibition?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : No, there is no prohibition there. A prohibition? No, no, it is not a prohibitive verse. Yes, please go ahead.
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Good, may Allah reward you.
O you who have believed, do not approach prayer while you are intoxicated until you know what you are saying or in a state of janabah, except those passing through [a place of prayer], until you have washed [your whole body]
يا أيها الذين آمنوا لا تقربوا الصلاة وأنتم سكارى حتى تعلموا ما تقولون ولا جنبا إلا عابري سبيل حتى تغتسلواAnd tell the believing women to reduce [some] of their vision and guard their private parts and not expose their adornment except that which [necessarily] appears thereof
وقل للمؤمنات يغضضن من أبصارهن ويحفظن فروجهن ولا يبدين زينتهن إلا ما ظهر منهاnot expose their adornment
ولا يبدين زينتهنWe say, "Be patient, be patient from this forbidden thing. Do not follow the desires of those who have gone astray. Be patient, restrain yourself." Now, wailing is prohibited. Wailing over a deceased person: when a person dies, one should not wail over him. Among the things the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) took a pledge from the women not to do was wailing. So, if a person dies, and the woman is weak and cannot bear patience, and she wants to wail over him, we say, "Be patient, restrain yourself from wailing, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) prohibited wailing and said:
The wailer, if she does not repent before her death, will be raised on the Day of Resurrection from her grave, wearing a shirt of pitch and a coat of scab
النائحة إذا لم تتب قبل موتها تقام يوم القيامة يعني من قبرها وعليها سربال من قطران و درع من جربAnd do not approach unlawful sexual intercourse
ولا تقربوا الزنىSo, patience with the commands, and patience from what? From the prohibitions.
The third: patience with the decrees of Allah. It is known that the decrees of Allah, Mighty and Majestic, are of two types: a type that is suitable for the soul and its nature, and a type that is not suitable. If Allah decrees for you a great profit in your trade, does it require patience or not? Yes, answer, O brothers. It does not require it. This is suitable for the person. If Allah decrees for him to get married, does it require patience or not?
The student: It does not require it.
The Shaykh : Why? Because it is suitable for the soul. If Allah, the Exalted, decrees that a person invites him to a meal, and he accepts the invitation and eats the food, do we say, "Be patient with this"? Why? Because it is suitable.
So, the decrees of Allah are the painful decrees that do not align with nature.
The decrees of Allah, the Exalted, are undoubtedly decrees of good and joy, and painful decrees. So we say, "Be patient, be patient with that."
If a person falls from a height and his leg is broken, is this one of the painful decrees or not? Good. We say, "Be patient, be patient, endure.
(5) For indeed, with hardship [will be] ease. (6) Indeed, with hardship [will be] ease.
فإن مع العسر يسرا إن مع العسر يسراIf a person comes to a group of people calling them to Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, and he calls them to Allah but finds no response, what do we say? What? Be patient with this. And this includes patience with the commands of Allah and patience with the decrees of Allah, because their lack of response is among the decrees of Allah.
Good, so, O my brother, accustom yourself to patience. So that when a person is struck by illness, when he is struck by illness, we say, "Be patient, wait for relief. You were healthy yesterday, and now you are sick, and tomorrow... not tomorrow dead, even if healthy, in any case, wait for relief from Allah. Be patient and be calm."
Good, so patience is for three things? Say it.
The student: Patience with the commands of Allah, patience with the prohibitions, and patience with the decrees of Allah.
The Shaykh : Perfect. Patience with the commands of Allah, patience from the prohibitions of Allah, and patience with the decrees of Allah.