Introduction:
Life is full of ups and downs, and sometimes it feels like the challenges just keep coming. For Muslims, these tough times are not just random events but tests from Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) meant to make us stronger and more resilient. Each hardship and trial is a purposeful part of our spiritual journey, designed to help us grow in faith and character. One of the greatest tools we have to get through these moments is Sabr (patience). Rooted in the teachings of the Quran and Hadith, Sabr helps us stay calm and focused, even when things get tough. It teaches us to trust in Allah’s wisdom and timing, encouraging us to persevere with a positive and hopeful mindset. By learning to implement Sabr in our lives, we can find a sense of peace and calm that stays with us, no matter what life throws our way. This inner tranquility is a testament to our faith and reliance on Allah, guiding us through life’s storms with grace and strength.
Sabr
Brothers and sisters remember as well that this whole life according to our religion of Islam, is a life of test and trials and as such, every one of us will certainly be tested and tried, in different ways.
Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) says in the Glorious Qur’an:
إِنَّمَآ أَمْوَٰلُكُمْ وَأَوْلَـٰدُكُمْ فِتْنَةٌۭ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ عِندَهُۥٓ أَجْرٌ عَظِيمٌۭ ١٥
Your wealth and children are only a test, but Allah alone has a great reward.
(Surah At-Taghabun, Ayah 15)
إِنَّ فِى ذَٰلِكَ لَـَٔايَـٰتٍۢ وَإِن كُنَّا لَمُبْتَلِينَ ٣٠
Surely in this are lessons. And We always put people to the test.
(Surah Al-Mu’minun, Ayah 30)
Allah also says,
أَحَسِبَ ٱلنَّاسُ أَن يُتْرَكُوٓا۟ أَن يَقُولُوٓا۟ ءَامَنَّا وَهُمْ لَا يُفْتَنُونَ ٢
Do people think once they say, “We believe,” that they will be left without being put to the test?
(Surah Al- ‘Ankabut, Ayah 2)
In Surah Al Baqarah, Ayah 155-157, Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) says
وَلَنَبْلُوَنَّكُم بِشَىْءٍۢ مِّنَ ٱلْخَوْفِ وَٱلْجُوعِ وَنَقْصٍۢ مِّنَ ٱلْأَمْوَٰلِ وَٱلْأَنفُسِ وَٱلثَّمَرَٰتِ ۗ وَبَشِّرِ ٱلصَّـٰبِرِينَ ١٥٥
ٱلَّذِينَ إِذَآ أَصَـٰبَتْهُم مُّصِيبَةٌۭ قَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّآ إِلَيْهِ رَٰجِعُونَ ١٥٦
أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ عَلَيْهِمْ صَلَوَٰتٌۭ مِّن رَّبِّهِمْ وَرَحْمَةٌۭ ۖ وَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْمُهْتَدُونَ ١٥٧
We will certainly test you with a touch of fear and famine and loss of property, life, and crops. Give good news to those who patiently endure— who say, when struck by a disaster, “Surely to Allah we belong and to Him we will all return.” They are the ones who will receive Allah’s blessings and mercy. And it is they who are rightly guided.
When we deem into these above mentioned verses from the Glorious Qur’an, we realize that everything we have in this world is just a part of a test that Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) has made compulsory for us to go through. Merely exclaiming that we believe in Allah is not enough. We all will indeed be tested with everything and anything that we have in this world. Our wealth, our children, our parents, everything is a form of test for us. But we all must always remember that when Allah creates a lock, He creates a key for that lock as well. In Surah Al- Baqarah when Allah informs us that He will test us with fear, famine, loss or gain of property, life and crops, He even speaks about the ones who are patient over these tests. He apprises and enlightens us that the ones who go through these tests patiently are the ones who will receive Allah’s blessings and mercy and they are the ones who are rightfully guided. Therefore, a core and a major mechanism to overcome and be victorious in these tests and trials is Sabr. And that is why Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) says in the Glorious Qur’an:
وَٱسْتَعِينُوا۟ بِٱلصَّبْرِ وَٱلصَّلَوٰةِ ۚ
وَإِنَّهَا لَكَبِيرَةٌ إِلَّا عَلَى ٱلْخَـٰشِعِينَ ٤٥
And seek help through patience and prayer. Indeed, it is a burden except for the humble.
(Surah Al- Baqarah, Ayah 45)
Life is indeed difficult and we all need help. Facing these trials and problems without seeking the help of Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) is impracticable. Hence, here in this ayah Allah mentions Sabr (patience) and Salaah (prayer) being the path to receive help from Allah.
Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
كَانَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِذَا حَزَبَهُ أَمْرٌ صَلَّى
“If the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was distressed about anything, he would offer Salaah”.
(Sunan Abu Dawood, Book of Prayer, Hadith 1319)
Whenever our beloved Prophet ﷺ was troubled with anything, whenever something bothered him, he would rush to stand in Salaah. Salaah would make him calm, Salaah would make him conquer those problems, those fears, those frustrations. As such, patience and Salaah are the two things that Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) has ordained us to seek help in.
Allah says in the Glorious Qur’an:
فَٱصْبِرْ صَبْرًۭا جَمِيلًا ٥
So be patient (O Muhammad ﷺ), with a beautiful patience.
(Surah Al- Ma’arij, Ayah 5)
In this beautiful verse from the Glorious Qur’an, Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) tells His Prophet ﷺ to be patient with a beautiful patience. From this verse we need to consider the fact that patience has levels and the highest level is a beautiful patience. A beautiful patience is the one when people don’t even realize that we are being patient. Nobody other than Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) knows that we are being patient. This, my dear brothers and sisters is the perfect and the highest level of patience. Nobody can see that we are frustrated, nobody can see that we are agitated, nobody can see that we are angry. We have mastered it so much that only Allah knows about it.
But, how does one achieve patience? Well, there is no easy way, there is no magic trick to pull off this beautiful patience. But the main mechanism of achieving this patience is to want Patience from Allah (may He be glorified and exalted), to be eager to be patient, to be greedy to be blessed with patience.
In a very beautiful hadith recorded by Imam Bukhari in his Saheeh, our Prophet ﷺ tells us about being satisfied with what we have and having patience. He tells us about the ones upon whom patience is bestowed and the ones whom Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) will make self-sufficient.
أَنَّ أَبَا سَعِيدٍ، أَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّ أُنَاسًا مِنَ الأَنْصَارِ سَأَلُوا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَلَمْ يَسْأَلْهُ أَحَدٌ مِنْهُمْ إِلاَّ أَعْطَاهُ حَتَّى نَفِدَ مَا عِنْدَهُ فَقَالَ لَهُمْ حِينَ نَفِدَ كُلُّ شَىْءٍ أَنْفَقَ بِيَدَيْهِ “ مَا يَكُنْ عِنْدِي مِنْ خَيْرٍ لاَ أَدَّخِرْهُ عَنْكُمْ، وَإِنَّهُ مَنْ يَسْتَعِفَّ يُعِفُّهُ اللَّهُ، وَمَنْ يَتَصَبَّرْ يُصَبِّرْهُ اللَّهُ، وَمَنْ يَسْتَغْنِ يُغْنِهِ اللَّهُ، وَلَنْ تُعْطَوْا عَطَاءً خَيْرًا وَأَوْسَعَ مِنَ الصَّبْرِ ”.
Narrated Abu Sa`id: Some people from the Ansar asked Allah’s Messenger ﷺ (to give them something) and he gave to every one of them, who asked him, until all that he had was finished. When everything was finished and he had spent all that was in his hand, he said to them, ‘”(Know) that if I have any wealth, I will not withhold it from you (to keep for somebody else); And (know) that he who refrains from begging others (or doing prohibited deeds), Allah will make him contented and not in need of others; and he who remains patient, Allah will bestow patience upon him, and he who is satisfied with what he has, Allah will make him self-sufficient. And there is no gift better and vast (you may be given) than patience.”
(Sahih al-Bukhari, Book of Softening of Heart, Hadith 6470)
What a substantial hadith. Simple yet profound. Whoever actively desires to be patient, Allah will give him the patience he requires. It’s a hadith of utmost importance and I want us all to memorize this hadith so that we are prepared for when a calamity strikes us. There is no mechanism to acquire patience, other than wanting to be patient. Whoever wants Sabr, Allah will bestow the Sabr that he or she wants and requires. But in order to receive Sabr, we must demonstrate our willingness to Allah and we need to have that desire. We need to make sure and realize that patience comes from Allah. We need to believe in As-Saboor. We need to make dua to As-Saboor. We need to ask Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) for that patience and realize that Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) loves us and cares about us. We have to understand that whatever happens, happens for the best, even if we don’t understand it.
There is no greater remedy other than patience and fearing Allah, and thinking positively of Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, putting one’s trust in Him, delegating one’s affairs to Him and turning to Him in all times of calamity.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) says,
“Many people, when they see evil or when the Muslim ummah goes through a lot of trouble, panic, lose hope and start complaining as people who are beset by calamities do. But this is forbidden; rather what is enjoined is to be patient, to put one’s trust in Allah, to be steadfast in adhering to the religion of Islam and to believe that Allah is with those who fear Him and those who do good, and that the best end is for those who fear Him; whatever befalls him is because of his sins, so he should be patient, for the promise of Allah is true; he should seek forgiveness for his sins and glorify and praise his Lord morning and evening.”
(Majmoo’al-Fataawa, 18:295)
Let us all try to master this beautiful concept; because in reality Eemaan (faith) and Sabr (patience) are linked together. The one who has Eemaan has Sabr and the one who has no Sabr has not perfected his/her Eemaan. Let’s replace ingratitude with thankfulness and exchange resentment with beautiful patience because patience is the most beautiful strength that we can gift ourselves.
Conclusion:
At its core, Sabr is about more than just waiting for things to get better—it’s about trusting in Allah’s plan and staying strong in our faith. When we practice patience, we’re showing our reliance on Allah and our willingness to accept His will. This act of faith not only helps us get through difficult times but also brings a deeper sense of peace and contentment to our hearts. By practising Sabr in our daily lives, we open ourselves up to Allah’s blessings and mercy. Embracing patience allows us to navigate life’s challenges with grace and dignity, fostering resilience and inner strength. Let’s strive to be patient and steadfast, knowing that through this beautiful virtue, we can find true peace at heart. With sabr, we are better equipped to face any trial, secure in the knowledge that Allah’s wisdom and compassion are guiding us every step of the way.
