The Virtues of Patience

Guidance for the Hearts

Allâh – the Most High – says:

“And whosoever believes in Allâh, He guides his heart aright. And Allâh has full knowledge over everything.” ^[8]

And this âyah begins with: “No affliction occurs, except by the permission of Allâh.” About this Ibn ’Abbâs said: “By the command of Allâh – meaning: by His Will and His Power.”^[9]

So the meaning of this âyah is: No affliction occurs except by His Mashiyyah (Will), His Irâdâh (Desire) and His Hikmah (Wisdom) – as Allâh says:

“No affliction occurs upon the earth, nor in yourselves, except that it is written before We bring it into existence. Indeed, this is easy for Allâh.” ^[10]

And Allâh says:

“Give glad-tidings to those who have sabr. Those who – when afflicted with a affliction – say: Indeed, we belong to Allâh and to Him shall we return. They are those on whom are the blessings from their Lord and His mercy. They are the ones who are guided.” ^[11]

And Allâh’s saying: “And whosoever believes in Allâh, He guides his heart aright.”
means:

“Whosoever – when afflicted with a affliction – knows it is by the Decree of Allâh and His Power, and thus patiently submits to it, then Allâh rewards such a person by guiding their heart aright. So this is the root cause of all happiness,
and the foundation of excellence in this world and in the Hereafter. And Allâh
promises such a person (a reward) for what He has taken from them.” ^[12]

And Allâh’s
saying: “And AIlâh has full knowledge over everything.” is a reminder that such a
affliction is by His Knowledge which necessitates His Wisdom, which obligates sabr
and being contented with His Decree.

Abû Dhibyân said: We were with ’Alqamah ^[13] and this âyah was recited to him: “And
whosoever believes in Allâh, He guides his heart aright.” So he said:

“It is the man
who – when afflicted with an affliction – knows it is from Allâh, so he is pleased
with it and submits to it.” ^[14]

In the above narration is a proof that actions are a part of îmân
(faith).

Sa’îd ibn Jubayr (d.104H) said about: “And whosoever believes in Allâh, He guides
his heart aright.” He said: “That (at the time of a affliction) a person says:
Indeed, to Allâh we belong and to Him shall we return.”

In the above âyah is an explanation that having sabr is the cause for the heart’s
guidance; this being the reward for the sâbir (the one having patience).

Complaining against the Decree of Allâh

The Prophet sallallâhu ’alaybi wa sallam said:

“Two characteristics of the people are from disbelief: attack on one’s genealogy and bewailing the deceased.” ^[15]

Meaning: that these two characteristics are actions of kufr (disbelief), since these
are actions of jâhiliyyah (pre-Islâmic ignorance) which continue to remain in
people. And no one will remain safe from them, except for the one to whom Allâh
grants safety, and the one to whom Allâh grants knowledge and îmân (faith).

However – it should be known – that whosoever has within him a branch of kufr
(disbelief), then it does not cause the person to become a kâfir (disbeliever) with
absolute kufr; just as a person who has within him a branch of îmân (faith), is not
called a mu‘min (believer) with absolute îmân . Indeed , there is a difference
between the word kufr having the definite article attached to it (i.e. al-kufr) and
the word kufr without the definite article – as occurs in the saying of the Prophet:

“There is nothing between a servant and between al-kufr and ash-shirk, except
abandoning the Prayer.” ^[16]

The saying of the Prophet ﷺ: “Attack on one’s geneology,”
means: finding faults and defects. Entering into this also is a person’s false
denial of another man’s genealogy by saying: “This is not the son of such and such,”
and the person knew that this denial was false.

And his saying: “And bewailing the dead.” means: raising the voice in lamentation
and wailing and in enumerating the virtues of the deceased. All of this is a form of
complaining against the Decree of Allâh and is against having sabr – such as the
saying of the one bewailing: “He was my close friend,” or “he was my aid and
supporter.”

So in the above hadîth is a proof for the obligation of having sabr, and a proof
that there is a type of kufr (disbelief) which does not cause its doer to become a
kâfir.

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