The nature of patience and what has been reported regarding it.
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The Shaykh :: And patience is restraining the self from what should not be done. The scholars divided it into three categories, saying that patience is:
Patience in obeying Allah, patience in abstaining from the prohibitions of Allah, and patience with the decrees of Allah. Three categories:
Patience in obedience: Many people are lazy about prayer, for example, in congregational prayer. They do not go to the mosque and say, "I will pray at home and I have fulfilled the obligation." So they become lazy. We say, "My brother, restrain your self, hold it back, and make it effortful to pray in congregation." Many people, when they see that the zakah due on their wealth is large, become stingy and miserly, and they hesitate: should I pay out this large amount, or leave it, or delay it to another time, and so on. We say, "My brother, restrain your self, force it to pay the zakah." And so it is with the rest of the acts of worship. As Allah the Exalted said regarding prayer:[Al-Baqarah 2:45], most of Allah's servants find that acts of worship are heavy upon them, so they advise one another to be patient. Be patient in obedience, do not get bored, do not be lazy.
Likewise, patience in abstaining from sin: Some people, for example, are led by their selves to forbidden earnings, whether through riba (usury or interest), or through deception and lying, or through concealment of defects, or other types of what is forbidden. We say, "Be patient, my brother, restrain your self, do not deal in a forbidden manner." Some people are also tested by looking at women; you find one walking in the market, and whenever a woman passes by, he follows her with his gaze. We say, "My brother, be patient, restrain your self from this thing."
With the decrees of Allah: A person is struck with illness in his body, with the loss of some of his wealth, or with the loss of his loved ones. He becomes despondent, complains, and suffers. They advise one another among themselves: "Be patient, my brother, this is a decreed matter, and despondency does not benefit anything, and continuing in sadness does not remove it. Be patient; it is decreed that this thing did not exist in the first place." For example, if a person lost one million riyals and grieved over it and suffered from it, what do we say to him?
We say: "Be patient, my brother. It is decreed that this million did not exist. Did you not come out of your mother's womb without any clothes on you?"
It is decreed that this was not the case. Likewise, regarding children: if a person is tested with the death of his son, we say, "My brother, be patient. It is decreed that this son was not created." Then, as the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said to one of his daughters:Sahih al-Bukhari 6602 The matter is entirely with Allah and not with you. If Allah the Exalted takes His property, how can you blame your Lord? How can you complain?
These are the types of patience. The first is: patience in obeying Allah. The second is: patience in abstaining from the disobedience of Allah. The third is: patience with the decrees of Allah.
Which of these is the most difficult for souls?
This varies. For some people, performing obedience is difficult and is very heavy upon them. For some people, it is the opposite: obedience is easy for them, but leaving sin is difficult and arduous; it is a great hardship for them. And for some people, patience in obedience and patience in abstaining from sin are easy, but they cannot bear patience with calamities; they are unable to cope, until their condition may reach the point of apostasy, may Allah protect us from that. As Allah the Exalted said:[Al-Hajj 22:11]
So we take from this verse that Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, affirmed with the emphatic oath using "in" and the "lam" that all of the children of Adam are losers, indeed, they are in loss. Loss surrounds them from every side, except for those who are characterized by these four attributes:
Faith, righteous deeds, advising one another to truth, and advising one another to patience.
Al-Shafi'i (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "If Allah had not sent down to His servants any proof except this surah, it would have been sufficient for them", meaning it would have been sufficient for them as a warning, not sufficient as legislation, because it contains nothing of legislation. It contains no ritual purity, no prayer, no zakah, no Hajj, and no fasting. But it is sufficient for them as a warning. Every rational person knows that he is in loss unless he is characterized by these four attributes. Then he will try, to the extent he is able, to be characterized by these four attributes. We ask Allah to make us and you among the successful and the guided.
And now to the questions, and we begin with Al-Ayyam, please go ahead.
and advise one another to patience
وتواصوا بالصّبرPatience in obeying Allah, patience in abstaining from the prohibitions of Allah, and patience with the decrees of Allah. Three categories:
Patience in obedience: Many people are lazy about prayer, for example, in congregational prayer. They do not go to the mosque and say, "I will pray at home and I have fulfilled the obligation." So they become lazy. We say, "My brother, restrain your self, hold it back, and make it effortful to pray in congregation." Many people, when they see that the zakah due on their wealth is large, become stingy and miserly, and they hesitate: should I pay out this large amount, or leave it, or delay it to another time, and so on. We say, "My brother, restrain your self, force it to pay the zakah." And so it is with the rest of the acts of worship. As Allah the Exalted said regarding prayer:
and indeed, it is difficult except for the humbly submissive [to Allah]
وإنّها لكبيرة إلاّ على الخاشعينLikewise, patience in abstaining from sin: Some people, for example, are led by their selves to forbidden earnings, whether through riba (usury or interest), or through deception and lying, or through concealment of defects, or other types of what is forbidden. We say, "Be patient, my brother, restrain your self, do not deal in a forbidden manner." Some people are also tested by looking at women; you find one walking in the market, and whenever a woman passes by, he follows her with his gaze. We say, "My brother, be patient, restrain your self from this thing."
With the decrees of Allah: A person is struck with illness in his body, with the loss of some of his wealth, or with the loss of his loved ones. He becomes despondent, complains, and suffers. They advise one another among themselves: "Be patient, my brother, this is a decreed matter, and despondency does not benefit anything, and continuing in sadness does not remove it. Be patient; it is decreed that this thing did not exist in the first place." For example, if a person lost one million riyals and grieved over it and suffered from it, what do we say to him?
We say: "Be patient, my brother. It is decreed that this million did not exist. Did you not come out of your mother's womb without any clothes on you?"
It is decreed that this was not the case. Likewise, regarding children: if a person is tested with the death of his son, we say, "My brother, be patient. It is decreed that this son was not created." Then, as the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said to one of his daughters:
told the messenger to tell her, "It is for Allah what He takes, and it is for Allah what He gives, and everything has its fixed time (limit). So (she should) be patient and look for Allah's reward."
مرها فلتصبر ولتحتسب فإنّ لله ما أخذ وله ما أعطىThese are the types of patience. The first is: patience in obeying Allah. The second is: patience in abstaining from the disobedience of Allah. The third is: patience with the decrees of Allah.
Which of these is the most difficult for souls?
This varies. For some people, performing obedience is difficult and is very heavy upon them. For some people, it is the opposite: obedience is easy for them, but leaving sin is difficult and arduous; it is a great hardship for them. And for some people, patience in obedience and patience in abstaining from sin are easy, but they cannot bear patience with calamities; they are unable to cope, until their condition may reach the point of apostasy, may Allah protect us from that. As Allah the Exalted said:
And of the people is he who worships Allah on an edge. If he is touched by good, he is reassured by it; but if he is struck by trial, he turns on his face [to the other direction]. He has lost [this] world and the Hereafter. That is what is the manifest loss.
ومن النّاس من يعبد الله على حرف فإن أصابه خير اطمأنّ به وإن أصابته فتنة انقلب على وجهه خسر الدّنيا والآخرة ذلك هو الخسران المبينSo we take from this verse that Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, affirmed with the emphatic oath using "in" and the "lam" that all of the children of Adam are losers, indeed, they are in loss. Loss surrounds them from every side, except for those who are characterized by these four attributes:
Faith, righteous deeds, advising one another to truth, and advising one another to patience.
Al-Shafi'i (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "If Allah had not sent down to His servants any proof except this surah, it would have been sufficient for them", meaning it would have been sufficient for them as a warning, not sufficient as legislation, because it contains nothing of legislation. It contains no ritual purity, no prayer, no zakah, no Hajj, and no fasting. But it is sufficient for them as a warning. Every rational person knows that he is in loss unless he is characterized by these four attributes. Then he will try, to the extent he is able, to be characterized by these four attributes. We ask Allah to make us and you among the successful and the guided.
And now to the questions, and we begin with Al-Ayyam, please go ahead.