Islamic Character Qur'an

Six Benefits of Patience from the Qur'an

Bismillah

Imam Ahmad rahimahullah said, “Allah has mentioned patience in the Qur’an in 90 places.”

Patience in the Qur’an: Six Benefits

1. Instruction: Patience is enjoyed upon the Believers.

وَاصْبِرْ وَمَا صَبْرُكَ إِلَّا بِاللَّهِ

And endure patiently, your patience is not but from Allah. (16:127)

وَاصْبِرْ لِحُكْمِ رَبِّكَ فَإِنَّكَ بِأَعْيُنِنَا

So wait patiently for the Decision of your Lord, for verily, you are under Our Eyes. (52:48)

2. That which is opposite to patience is forbidden

فَاصْبِرْ لِحُكْمِ رَبِّكَ وَلَا تَكُن كَصَاحِبِ الْحُوتِ إِذْ نَادَىٰ وَهُوَ مَكْظُومٌ

So wait with patience for the Decision of your Lord, and be not like the Companion of the Fish – when he cried out (to Us) while he was in deep sorrow. (68:48)

3. Patience is made a condition of success and prosperity

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اصْبِرُوا وَصَابِرُوا وَرَابِطُوا وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ

O you who believe! Endure and be more patient, and guard your territory by stationing army units permanently at the places from where the enemy can attack you, and fear Allah, so that you may be successful. (3:200)

4. The reward of those who exercise patience is doubled

أُولَـٰئِكَ يُؤْتَوْنَ أَجْرَهُم مَّرَّتَيْنِ بِمَا صَبَرُوا وَيَدْرَءُونَ بِالْحَسَنَةِ السَّيِّئَةَ وَمِمَّا رَزَقْنَاهُمْ يُنفِقُونَ

These will be given their reward twice over, because they are patient, and repel evil with good, and spend out of what We have provided them. (28:54)

إِنَّمَا يُوَفَّى الصَّابِرُونَ أَجْرَهُم بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ

Only those who are patient shall receive their reward in full, without reckoning. (39:10)

Sulayman ibn Qasim said, “the reward of every deed is known, except for the reward of patience which will be like heavy rain.”

5. Patience and emaan are pre-requisites for leadership in religion

وَجَعَلْنَا مِنْهُمْ أَئِمَّةً يَهْدُونَ بِأَمْرِنَا لَمَّا صَبَرُوا ۖ وَكَانُوا بِآيَاتِنَا يُوقِنُونَ

And We made from among them (Children of Israel), leaders, giving guidance under Our Command, when they were patient and used to believe with certainty in Our Ayat. (32:24)

6. Patience is the way to earn the Companionship of Allah

وَاصْبِرُوا ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَ الصَّابِرِينَ

And be patient. Surely, Allah is with those who are patient. (8:46)

-Taken from “Patience and Gratitude” by Ibn al-Qayyim

About the author

Amatullah

Amatullah is a student of the Qur’an and its language. She completed the 2007 Ta’leem program at Al-Huda Institute in Canada and studied Qur’an, Tajweed (science of recitation) and Arabic in Cairo. Through her writings, she hopes to share the practical guidance taught to us by Allah and His Messenger and how to make spirituality an active part of our lives. She has completed her undergraduate degree in Social Work and will be completing a Masters program in 2014. Her experiences include working with immigrant seniors, refugee settlement, and accessibility for people with disabilities.

18 Comments

  • excellent topic, to do justice to the online listeners, i think this could be broken down to small knowledge blurbs that can be made available in podcasts under certain categories.

  • assalaamu alaykum from glasgow sidi suhaib

    May this message reach you in good health and Iman.

    I had your email last year but i know you change your email every other month lol

    how are you keeping? ramadhan mubarak when it comes( in scotland inshaallah saturday is the first day)

    As you may be aware ever ramadhan we do a slot on our local radio station called radio ramadhan and the programme is Q&A when we ask our scholar question related to a certain topics depending on the topic for that evening. This year the programmes can be recorded or live as well where people call in to ask questions. Would it be possible to allocate you show this year?

    Also to let you know that i will inshaAllah be getting married in dec and walima in january if you can attend which would be a great pleasure.

    hope all else is well

    hope to hear from you soon

    take care

    your br in islam

    naeem ali

    wa salaams

  • And seek assistance through patience and prayer, and most surely it is a hard thing except for the humble ones, Quran 2:45. Truly has God said, indeed its difficult. Thanks for the selective verses of the Quran on patience – its indeed and eye-opener.

  • Regarding what you said about the ayah

    So wait with patience for the Decision of your Lord, and be not like the Companion of the Fish – when he cried out (to Us) while he was in deep sorrow. (68:48)

    It’s okay to call out to our Lord for help. As we know, Prophet Yunus was not patient with his people. So it may be that when Allah tells us not to be like him it was when he lost patience with his people, not when he was calling out for help to his Lord in the fish.

    And Allah knows best.

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