Life
is a strain to which every believer is called to deal with a lot of patience.
God commands the believer repeatedly in the Holy Quran to persevere in patience
and constancy in the face of disasters and hardships of life. In that patience
lies the happiness of the hereafter.
"If
Allah gives you His help, none can overcome you. If He forsakes you, who is
there then that can assist you after Him? In Allah the believers must put their
trust." (3:161)
Misfortunes and calamities that visit the believer from God, such as, impatience and frustration cannot eliminate them. The believer must put absolute and clear trust in Allah to be spared from all harm because no one else can help him except God. Anything that affects the Muslim, be it exhaustion, disease, sorrow, pain, suffering or distress, "surely, God is with those who are patient." (2:154)
The
Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "A thorn prick earns him (the
believer) from his Lord the forgiveness of a portion of his sins."
The
believer who is tried by any mishap must have the firm belief that the life of
this world is but a temporary event at which he must cope. It is his duty to
overcome all the trials of this mortal life in order to achieve final
salvation.
"Surely
We have made whatever is on the earth an embellishment for it, so that We may
try them (as to) which of them is best in works." (18: 8)
This
verse should inspire joy in the heart of the believer. The more the believer
tries to show patience in the trials of this world, the more he is considered
among the best. However, he must continue to develop patience and hope, because
it is then that he will achieve the highest degree of spirituality.
"And
when We make people taste of mercy, they rejoice. But if a misfortune befalls
them because of what their own hands have brought forth, they despair." (30:37)
When
he suffers a misfortune, the believer must get rid of this weakness. Instead,
he must have the firm belief that God sends a calamity for the purification of
a portion of his sins. Now, he must put complete trust in God for that is the
remedy for his misfortune.
"And
when harm afflicts men, they invoke their Lord, turning to Him in repentance.
Then when He makes them taste of mercy from Him, lo! some of them ascribes
partners with their Lord." (30:34)
There
is also this group of believers who pray for God to come out of trouble, but
after being rescued by Him, they assign to Him (for lack of gratitude) other
creatures in worship.
The
true believer must have the firm belief that no creature of Allah has the
ability to pervade the mystery of life except God.
"Besides
difficulty is, of course, facility! Besides difficulty is, of course, facility!"
(94:6-7)
It is
of great importance for the believer to remember that in any circumstance of
life, whether in prosperity or in adversity, in joy or in sorrow, he must
continue to persevere in patience while turning to his Creator, for whatever
misfortune or happiness comes from Allah.
"It
is We Who have sent down to you the Qur'an. Endure is what your Lord has decreed,
and obey not the sinner among them, or the ingrate. And remember the name of
your Lord, morning and afternoon." (76: 24-26)
Man is
constantly tested in his knowledge, his wisdom, freedom, wealth, etc., and God
ordered him to show good faith (and patience) when he undergoes trials. He
should not obey or follow the incredulous ones when he is tried. Instead, he
must wait patiently for the decision of the Lord because everything is
predestined, predetermined by Him.
The
Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said that Allah has said that:
"People insult fate but it is I who holds fate in My power day and
night."
Any
event that the believer may suffer with patience is a form of reward from God.
Thus, (according to Anas) the Holy Prophet said that God said: "When I
afflict a servant of Mine with respect to his two most beloved things (meaning
his eyes), and he endures it patiently, I grant him paradise in return."
(Hadith)
These two sayings that follow show the greatness of patience:
"When a small child dies, Allah tells the angels that they have taken away the child and the heart of His devotee. The angels will say, `Yes, the same has been done.' Then Allah will ask, "What My Devotee has said." The angels will say that he recited: "We belong to Allah and we are to return to Him."
Then
Allah will say, "Build a house for his devotee in Paradise and name it,
"The House of Praise." (Hadith - Tirmidhi)
Otherwise,
if the servant complains, like the infidels, of the loss of a family member and
he does not resign himself consistently to the will of Allah, not only will he
be punished, but also the deceased.
"The
deceased upon whom one lament will be punished because of those
lamentations" said the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him).
"By
the time! Man is indeed in loss, except those who believe and do righteous
deeds, and exhort one another to truth and enjoin patience." (103: 2-4)
May
Allah pour down upon us patience, so that His promise be realised when He said:
"Have a beautiful patience, because you'll get a nice reward."
(Revelation) —Ameen.
---Friday Sermon of 30 July 2010 [17 Shabaan 1431 Hijri] delivered by Imam-Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam International Hazrat Muhyiuddin Al Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim (aba) of Mauritius.