One can only know Allah through His working hands in the scenes of our lives. But because His doing is sometimes confusing, and hard to understand, a wise tutor is always sought to help us out. This tutor of wisdom is patience, the al-Khadir of our journey.
One can only know Allah through His working hands in the scenes of our lives. But because His doing is sometimes confusing, and hard to understand, a wise tutor is always sought to help us out. This tutor of wisdom is patience, the al-Khadir of our journey.
When Moses -peace be upon him- asked al-Khadir to teach him from the guidance Allah taught him, al-Khadir told Moses that he can only acquire such divine knowledge through patience.
Also, when Ya’qub- peace be upon him- was informed of the tragic loss of his beloved Youssef his only resort was patience, and when the test got tougher by losing Youssef’s brother, Ya’qub grew his certainty and perseverance from patience: “Patience is most fitting, may Allah bring them all back to me” [Qur’an 12:83].
Patience is not only the weapon of the Prophets, but it is also fundamental to our own journey. It is our gateway to deeper understanding, wisdom, certitude, presence, peace and eventually paradise.
Allah (SWT) says: “Indeed, the patient will be given their reward without account” [Qur’an 39:10]. He also says: “Allah is with the patient” [Qur’an 8:46].
An adjective that is mentioned more than a hundred times in the Qur’an, patience holds the map to the long-lost world of ease and tranquillity.
Pearls of Patience
Although the utmost objective of humanity is the pursuit of happiness and peace, it is the search for meanings that wear us out. However, for the believers, our pursuit of happiness and peace is in finding and knowing Allah. Allah (SWT) says: “And I have not created the jinn and mankind except to worship Me” [Qur’an 51:56]. Ibn-Abbas interpreted “worship” in this verse as knowledge, because there is no way we can worship Allah without knowing Him.
However, one can only know Allah through His working hands in the scenes of our lives. But because His doing is sometimes confusing, and hard to understand, a wise tutor is always sought to help us out. This tutor of wisdom is patience, the al-Khadir of our journey.
When patience leads the scene, it holds us back from panic and judgements and opens a room for observing and understanding. Not only that, but it also redirects our worries and fear to where it could find comfort; to Allah. When patience guides us back broken, it recalls the one state we were created for: servitude. A state of weakness, neediness, ignorance, and helplessness, an invocation for shelter, consolation, and protection, a desperate urge for connection. It lights the way back to a long-forgotten presence with our Lord.
Patience opens the door, and get us accustomed to seeking Allah for shelter. That is how we develop a relationship with Him. Yet, this encounter is only the beginning of a life of understanding and steadfast. As we progress, so does our patience.
Levels of Patience
Like everything, patience is a growing muscle that levels up. Here are the levels of patience:
1) Bitter Patience
The initiation phase that most of us pass by, however, is bitter patience. In this stage, we hardly keep a grip but have nothing else to do. So we are patient, while still whining and complaining. The problem of staying here is that we are so consumed and focused on ourselves and our loss that we hardly have the brain for understanding and contemplating. We could easily miss the lesson while still be restless. A double loss situation.
2) Beautiful Patience
This stage comes as a result of the first one when our tests persist a little longer, and we pass the fretful state to adaptation and hence let go. At this point, beautiful patience guides us back to Allah, yet this time with less baggage and more energy to capture the wisdom and to entrust in His plan. We start experiencing a new proximity with Allah as the dust of distance is blown off. We are still not there fully, but we are calmer and less of a complainer. We have eventually accepted the blindfold of fate.
3) Thankful Patience
As attachments and clinging drop out of our hearts, we become ready. At this level, our hearts are yearning for better fulfilment. The wiped-out darkness is now replaced with the light of contentment, and certitude. As patience paved the road back to Allah, we became accustomed to decoding Allah’s messages and seeing His merciful arrangements within our lives. This acquired understanding reassures our hearts that whatever happens, happens for an underlying wisdom. We have witnessed and are thankful for Allah’s management. We are no longer concerned with ourselves because we are relying on an invincible ally.
However, to put things into perspective we should start with our “Nafs”, or self.
Practicing Patience
In the practical arena, patience is a synonym to withholding. In other words, patience is the art of withholding oneself from certain thoughts and actions.
It was narrated on the account of Abu Yahya Suhaib bin Sinan – may Allah be pleased with him- that the Prophet Muhammad – peace be upon him- said: “How wonderful is the case of a believer; there is good for him in everything and this applies only to a believer. If prosperity attends 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” (Reported by Imam Muslim). So, as per the Prophet -peace be upon him- training oneself to respond to Allah’s decrees is the essence of good in the life of a believer.
However, to master our response, we need to tame ourselves through these three practical steps:
1) Keeping oneself away from Allah’s prohibitions
Our “Nafs” feeds and flourishes on desires whether permissible or prohibited. Yet, the prohibited is always glamorous and craved. Training oneself to keep away from what Allah forbids is exercising to have a say upon your soul. So, when calamity strikes, we can easily choose patience as a response.
The Messenger- peace be upon him- said: “(Real) Patience is at the first stroke of the calamity.”
2) Upholding oneself to Allah’s obligations
Another very important and highly rewarded step is training yourself to abide by Allah’s obligations. When we train ourselves to surrender and obey, we can easily surrender to His decrees. Thus, redirecting our energy and attention from fidgeting to understanding.
3) Withholding oneself from complaining about Allah’s doing
When we surrender ourselves to the dictation of fate and let go of having a say in Allah’s doing, we eventually get a grip and stop whining. When this happens, we have finally been trained to trust Allah. Once we do that, we have found the way to comfort and tranquillity. Yes, this road is less travelled, but it sure is worth it.
May Allah guide our way to thankful patience and gift us with peace… Amen.
