Explanation of the Author's Statement: The Chapter on Patience with the Decrees of Allah as Part of Faith
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The Shaykh : Then he said: "The Chapter on Patience with the Decrees of Allah as Part of Faith". The author (may Allah have mercy on him) specified patience, saying: "with the Decrees of Allah".
Know that patience means restraining. This is in the linguistic sense. From this comes the phrase "killed by patience," meaning killed while restrained and bound...
As for the technical definition, it is restraining the self. This is done by restraining the heart from dissatisfaction, the tongue from speech, and the limbs from action. What is meant are forbidden actions, forbidden speech, and forbidden dissatisfaction. It is restraining the self by restraining the heart from dissatisfaction, the tongue from speech, and the limbs from action. This is patience.
The scholars have divided patience into three categories. They said: It is patience with the obedience of Allah, patience from His disobedience, and patience with His decrees. Allah the Exalted said:[Al-Insan 76:23-24] This includes patience with the commands, because the Qur'an was revealed to him so that he might convey it, so he is commanded to be patient with? obedience. And He said: This is also patience with the obedience of Allah. And He said: [Al-Kahf 18:28] This is patience with the obedience of Allah.
As for patience from the disobedience of Allah, it is that a person restrains himself from sin. For example, the patience of Yusuf (peace be upon him) from responding to the wife of the Minister. The wife of the Minister invited him to herself in a place where she had authority, power, and control over him. And yet, he was patient and said:[Yusuf 12:33] This is patience from disobedience.
The third is patience with the decrees of Allah. This falls under the saying of Allah the Exalted:[Al-Qalam 68:48] For the decree of Allah is both a cosmic and a destined matter. Also included is His saying: [Al-Ahqaf 46:35] For this is patience with conveying the message and with the harm of his people. For this reason, He said: [Al-Ahqaf 46:35]. Okay, so patience has become three types. Which is the highest? They said: The highest is patience with obedience, then patience from disobedience, then patience with the decrees. This ordering is based on the nature of the things themselves, not on the person who is subject to them. Otherwise, patience from disobedience may be more difficult for a person than patience with obedience. For example, if a person is tested with a beautiful woman who invites him to herself in a place where no one sees but Allah, and he is a young man with strong desires, then patience from this sin is difficult. Is it not? It is among the most difficult things for souls. It is among the most difficult things for souls. A person might find praying one hundred rak'ahs easier than this. Is it not? But in terms of the nature of the things themselves, there is no doubt that patience with doing what is commanded is higher than patience with leaving what is forbidden, and patience with both is higher than patience with what is decreed. This is in terms of the nature of the things themselves. Likewise, a person may be struck by a calamity where patience with it is more difficult than patience with obedience. Is it not? For example, a close relative, a friend, or someone very dear to him may die, and you find that he endures great hardship in patience with this calamity. And with this, the objection raised by some people is refuted. They say: This ordering is questionable, because patience with some sins is more difficult than patience with some acts of obedience, and likewise, patience with some decrees is more difficult. We say: We mention the ranks regardless of the person who is patient. We mention the ranks in terms of what they are.
Why is patience with obedience more difficult? Because it entails compulsion and action. Patience entails compulsion and action. Is it not? You compel yourself to pray and you pray. You compel yourself to perform Hajj and you perform it. So it involves compulsion and action, movement, a type of fatigue and hardship. Then, what is in patience from disobedience? Just restraint. Compelling the self to refrain involves no movement; just leave it. As for patience with the decrees, there is no compulsion in it. The reason there is no compulsion is that this is something not in your choice. This is a matter decreed upon you, whether you will it or not. You have no control over it. So either you are patient with the patience of the noble, or you are resigned with the resignation of beasts. Did you understand?
This is in terms of the types of patience in themselves. As for the endurance of the person who is patient, people differ in this. They differ in it with a clear and apparent difference.
The student: Okay, for example, a person for whom... obedience and leaving sin is easy for him, and patience is not difficult... or the opposite...?
The Shaykh : No, he is rewarded according to the degree of hardship. A person is rewarded according to the degree of hardship. As he (peace and blessings be upon him) said to A'ishah: He is rewarded according to the degree of hardship, without doubt. So his endurance of this great and severe calamity, without doubt, affects his heart and may sometimes make him ill. He is greatly rewarded for this.
Okay, the author did not mention patience with obedience or patience from disobedience in the context of patience with the decrees of Allah.
Is patience with the decrees of Allah related to the oneness of lordship, the oneness of worship, or the oneness of the names and attributes? It is related to the oneness of lordship, because the management of creation and the determination of their affairs are among the implications of the lordship of Allah the Mighty and Majestic. So it is related to the oneness of lordship.
And his saying: "with the Decrees of Allah". "Decrees" is the plural of "decree." The term "decree" is used for the decreed matter and for the action of the One who decrees. It is used for the decreed matter and for the action of the One who decrees. Take note. As for the action of the One who decrees, you must be satisfied with it and patient. As for the action of the One who decrees, this is why a person says: "I am satisfied with Allah as my Lord and with Islam as my religion."
As for the decreed matter, patience is obligatory and satisfaction is recommended. Did you understand?
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : Is it clear now? As for the decree, which is the action of Allah, you must be satisfied with it. You must be satisfied, not just patient. You are satisfied with the decree of Allah because it proceeds from wisdom. You are not satisfied with Allah as your Lord unless you are patient with His decree, which is His action.
As for patience with the decreed matter, this is obligatory, and satisfaction is recommended, not obligatory.
An example of this: Allah the Blessed and Exalted decreed that your car would burn. We now have a decree and a decreed matter. What is the decree?
The student: The burning.
The Shaykh : No, the burning is the decreed matter. The decree is that Allah decreed that it would burn. You must be satisfied with this, because it is part of being fully satisfied with Allah as your Lord. How can you be satisfied with Him as your Lord and then be dissatisfied with His action? As for the decreed matter, which is the burning of the car, patience is obligatory, and satisfaction is recommended. The difference between them is: in patience, a person feels some hardship from himself, but it does not exceed the limits. In satisfaction, he sees that the occurrence of this thing and its non-occurrence are on the same level.
Okay, "Patience with the Decrees of Allah, and the saying of Allah the Exalted:[At-Taghabun 64:11]".
As for this, the decreed matter should actually be divided in reality. The decreed matter may be acts of obedience, it may be acts of disobedience, and it may be pure actions of Allah. So, acts of obedience require satisfaction. Is it not? Acts of obedience require satisfaction. And acts of disobedience do not permit satisfaction. That is, with the decreed matter. But with the decree of Allah for them, satisfaction is required. Is it not? Yes. For this reason, Ibn al-Qayyim said in his poem:
"And for this we are satisfied with the decree, and we are dissatisfied with the decreed when it consists of disobedience" So if you look at this man who committed a sin, if you look at him with the eye of divine decree and destiny, are you satisfied? Is it not?
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : You are satisfied, because the One who decreed this is Allah, and He has wisdom in that decree. And if you look at his action and this sin, then it is not permissible for you to be satisfied with it. You must not be satisfied with sins. And this increases your clarity in the difference between the decree and the decreed matter.
The student: ...
The Shaykh : We said the actions are acts of obedience and acts of disobedience.
Know that patience means restraining. This is in the linguistic sense. From this comes the phrase "killed by patience," meaning killed while restrained and bound...
As for the technical definition, it is restraining the self. This is done by restraining the heart from dissatisfaction, the tongue from speech, and the limbs from action. What is meant are forbidden actions, forbidden speech, and forbidden dissatisfaction. It is restraining the self by restraining the heart from dissatisfaction, the tongue from speech, and the limbs from action. This is patience.
The scholars have divided patience into three categories. They said: It is patience with the obedience of Allah, patience from His disobedience, and patience with His decrees. Allah the Exalted said:
(23) Indeed, it is We who have sent down to you, [O Muhammad], the Qur'an progressively. (24) So be patient for the decision of your Lord
إنا نحن نزلنا عليك القرآن تنزيلا فاصبر لحكم ربكAnd enjoin prayer upon your family and be patient with it
وأمر أهلك بالصلاة واصطبر عليهاAnd keep yourself patient [by being] with those who call upon their Lord in the morning and the evening, seeking His countenance
واصبر نفسك مع الذين يدعون ربهم بالغداة والعشي يريدون وجههAs for patience from the disobedience of Allah, it is that a person restrains himself from sin. For example, the patience of Yusuf (peace be upon him) from responding to the wife of the Minister. The wife of the Minister invited him to herself in a place where she had authority, power, and control over him. And yet, he was patient and said:
He said, "My Lord, prison is more to my liking than that to which they invite me. And if You do not avert from me their plan, I might incline toward them and [thus] be of the ignorant."
رب السجن أحب إليّ مما يدعونني إليه وإلا تصرف عني كيدهن أصب إليهن وأكن من الجاهلينThe third is patience with the decrees of Allah. This falls under the saying of Allah the Exalted:
Then be patient for the decision of your Lord
فاصبر لحكم ربكSo be patient, [O Muhammad], as were those of determination among the messengers and do not be impatient for them
فاصبر كما صبر أولوا العزم من الرسل ولا تستعجل لهمand do not be impatient for them. It will be - on the Day they see that which they are promised - as though they had not remained [in the world] except an hour of a day. [This is] notification. And will [any] be destroyed except the defiantly disobedient people?
ولا تستعجل لهم كأنهم يوم يرون ما يوعدون لم يلبثوا إلا ساعة من نهار بلاغ فهل يهلك إلا القوم الفاسقونWhy is patience with obedience more difficult? Because it entails compulsion and action. Patience entails compulsion and action. Is it not? You compel yourself to pray and you pray. You compel yourself to perform Hajj and you perform it. So it involves compulsion and action, movement, a type of fatigue and hardship. Then, what is in patience from disobedience? Just restraint. Compelling the self to refrain involves no movement; just leave it. As for patience with the decrees, there is no compulsion in it. The reason there is no compulsion is that this is something not in your choice. This is a matter decreed upon you, whether you will it or not. You have no control over it. So either you are patient with the patience of the noble, or you are resigned with the resignation of beasts. Did you understand?
This is in terms of the types of patience in themselves. As for the endurance of the person who is patient, people differ in this. They differ in it with a clear and apparent difference.
The student: Okay, for example, a person for whom... obedience and leaving sin is easy for him, and patience is not difficult... or the opposite...?
The Shaykh : No, he is rewarded according to the degree of hardship. A person is rewarded according to the degree of hardship. As he (peace and blessings be upon him) said to A'ishah:
Your reward is according to your effort.
أجرك على قدر نصبكOkay, the author did not mention patience with obedience or patience from disobedience in the context of patience with the decrees of Allah.
Is patience with the decrees of Allah related to the oneness of lordship, the oneness of worship, or the oneness of the names and attributes? It is related to the oneness of lordship, because the management of creation and the determination of their affairs are among the implications of the lordship of Allah the Mighty and Majestic. So it is related to the oneness of lordship.
And his saying: "with the Decrees of Allah". "Decrees" is the plural of "decree." The term "decree" is used for the decreed matter and for the action of the One who decrees. It is used for the decreed matter and for the action of the One who decrees. Take note. As for the action of the One who decrees, you must be satisfied with it and patient. As for the action of the One who decrees, this is why a person says: "I am satisfied with Allah as my Lord and with Islam as my religion."
As for the decreed matter, patience is obligatory and satisfaction is recommended. Did you understand?
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : Is it clear now? As for the decree, which is the action of Allah, you must be satisfied with it. You must be satisfied, not just patient. You are satisfied with the decree of Allah because it proceeds from wisdom. You are not satisfied with Allah as your Lord unless you are patient with His decree, which is His action.
As for patience with the decreed matter, this is obligatory, and satisfaction is recommended, not obligatory.
An example of this: Allah the Blessed and Exalted decreed that your car would burn. We now have a decree and a decreed matter. What is the decree?
The student: The burning.
The Shaykh : No, the burning is the decreed matter. The decree is that Allah decreed that it would burn. You must be satisfied with this, because it is part of being fully satisfied with Allah as your Lord. How can you be satisfied with Him as your Lord and then be dissatisfied with His action? As for the decreed matter, which is the burning of the car, patience is obligatory, and satisfaction is recommended. The difference between them is: in patience, a person feels some hardship from himself, but it does not exceed the limits. In satisfaction, he sees that the occurrence of this thing and its non-occurrence are on the same level.
Okay, "Patience with the Decrees of Allah, and the saying of Allah the Exalted:
And whoever believes in Allah - He will guide his heart
ومن يؤمن بالله يهد قلبهAs for this, the decreed matter should actually be divided in reality. The decreed matter may be acts of obedience, it may be acts of disobedience, and it may be pure actions of Allah. So, acts of obedience require satisfaction. Is it not? Acts of obedience require satisfaction. And acts of disobedience do not permit satisfaction. That is, with the decreed matter. But with the decree of Allah for them, satisfaction is required. Is it not? Yes. For this reason, Ibn al-Qayyim said in his poem:
"And for this we are satisfied with the decree, and we are dissatisfied with the decreed when it consists of disobedience" So if you look at this man who committed a sin, if you look at him with the eye of divine decree and destiny, are you satisfied? Is it not?
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : You are satisfied, because the One who decreed this is Allah, and He has wisdom in that decree. And if you look at his action and this sin, then it is not permissible for you to be satisfied with it. You must not be satisfied with sins. And this increases your clarity in the difference between the decree and the decreed matter.
The student: ...
The Shaykh : We said the actions are acts of obedience and acts of disobedience.