Sabr is most commonly translated as patience and is something which has been praised several times in the Qur’an by Allah سبحانه وتعالى.
Allah سبحانه وتعالى says:
إِنَّمَا يُوَفَّى الصَّابِرُونَ أَجْرَهُم بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ
“Indeed, the patient will be given their reward without account.”
(39:10)
Allah سبحانه وتعالى also says:
وَبَشِّرِ الصَّابِرِينَ
“but give good tidings to the patient”
(2:155)
Those who are As-Sabireen will get their reward in full without any reckoning. The patient ones are those whose Darajah (rank) has been increased by Allah سبحانه وتعالى. There is so much goodness in As-Sabr to the extent that it leads to Jannah directly in some cases with one example described in this hadith:
Anas (ra) narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said that
«إِنَّ اللَّهَ قَالَ إِذَا ابْتَلَيْتُ عَبْدِي بِحَبِيبَتَيْهِ فَصَبَرَ عَوَّضْتُهُ مِنْهُمَا الْجَنَّةَ»
“Allah said, ‘If I deprive my slave of his two beloved things (his eyes) and he remains patient, I will let him enter paradise in compensation for them.’”
This is the degree to which Allah سبحانه وتعالى has elevated Sabr. Brothers and sisters, this is not an issue to be taken for granted. This is a serious one which can affect, which will affect anyone, due to Allah’s saying,
أَمْ حَسِبْتُمْ أَن تَدْخُلُواْ الْجَنَّةَ وَلَمَّا يَأْتِكُم مَّثَلُ الَّذِينَ خَلَوْاْ مِن قَبْلِكُم مَّسَّتْهُمُ الْبَأْسَاء وَالضَّرَّاء وَزُلْزِلُواْ حَتَّى يَقُولَ الرَّسُولُ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ مَعَهُ مَتَى نَصْرُ اللّهِ أَلا إِنَّ نَصْرَ اللّهِ قَرِيبٌ
“Or do you think that you will enter Paradise while such [trial] has not yet come to you as came to those who passed on before you? They were touched by poverty and hardship and were shaken until [even their] messenger and those who believed with him said, “When is the help of Allah?” Unquestionably, the help of Allah is near.”
(2:214)
He سبحانه وتعالى also says:
وَلَنَبْلُوَنَّكُمْ بِشَيْءٍ مِّنَ الْخَوفْ وَالْجُوعِ وَنَقْصٍ مِّنَ الأَمَوَالِ وَالأنفُسِ وَالثَّمَرَاتِ وَبَشِّرِ الصَّابِرِينَ
“And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits, but give good tidings to the patient,”
(2:155)
Also the saying of Allah سبحانه وتعالى:
لَتُبْلَوُنَّ فِي أَمْوَالِكُمْ وَأَنفُسِكُمْ وَلَتَسْمَعُنَّ مِنَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ الْكِتَابَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ وَمِنَ الَّذِينَ أَشْرَكُواْ أَذًى كَثِيرًا وَإِن تَصْبِرُواْ وَتَتَّقُواْ فَإِنَّ ذَلِكَ مِنْ عَزْمِ الأُمُورِ
“You will surely be tested in your possessions and in yourselves. And you will surely hear from those who were given the Scripture before you and from those who associate others with Allah much abuse. But if you are patient and fear Allah – indeed, that is of the matters [worthy] of determination.”
(3:186)
Every human being is tested with trials of some sort or face difficulties but people are differentiated upon As-Sabr whereupon those who uphold patience are those who will eventually gain and As-Sabr has been greatly recommended by Allah سبحانه وتعالى as He سبحانه وتعالى mentions,
Allah سبحانه وتعالى says:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ اصْبِرُواْ وَصَابِرُواْ وَرَابِطُواْ وَاتَّقُواْ اللّهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ
“O you who have believed, persevere and endure and remain stationed and fear Allah that you may be successful.”
(3:200)
He سبحانه وتعالى says:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ اسْتَعِينُواْ بِالصَّبْرِ وَالصَّلاَةِ إِنَّ اللّهَ مَعَ الصَّابِرِينَ
“O you who have believed, seek help through patience and prayer. Indeed, Allah is with the patient.”
(2:153)
Due to His overwhelming mercy for His servants, Allah سبحانه وتعالى gave us an incentive to remain patient which is the Kaffaarah of our sins at the time of a calamity or tragedy or a disease befalling us.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
«أَجَلْ مَا مِنْ مُسْلِمٍ يُصِيبُهُ أَذًى، إِلاَّ حَاتَّ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ خَطَايَاهُ، كَمَا تَحَاتُّ وَرَقُ الشَّجَرِ»
“Yes for no Muslim is afflicted with any harm but that Allah will remove his sins as the leaves of a tree fall down.” (Agreed upon)
He ﷺ also said:
«مَا مِنْ مُصِيبَةٍ تُصِيبُ الْمُسْلِمَ إِلاَّ كَفَّرَ اللَّهُ بِهَا عَنْهُ، حَتَّى الشَّوْكَةِ يُشَاكُهَا»
“No calamity befalls a Muslim but that Allah expiates some of his sins because of it, even though it was the prick he receives from a thorn.”
Subhanallah, brothers and sisters, we may not realise the importance and significance of As-Sabr but we must at least consider its great rewards. However, the problem with As-Sabr is the misunderstanding of it and what it implies to be patient.
We need to ponder on the subject of patience in order to remove the confusion some Muslims have about its reality and meaning. Some people think they should restrict themselves and isolate themselves from the people and leave the Munkar and leave those who commit it and watch Muslim blood being spilt, Muslim lands and resources being robbed and exploited, the Hukm of Allah سبحانه وتعالى being tempered with and Jihad become a controversial and taboo issue.
That is when you see Muslim when questioned about the reality of the Muslims today, they say: “Make dua akhi, what can we do?” Muslims do not dare to speak against Munkar and Kufr and are afraid of the authorities with the risk being imprisonment and torture. Instead, they remain silent, crouching in a corner of the masjid and saying: “I am patient”. This is NOT the Sabr for which Allah سبحانه وتعالى has promised Jannah.
The Prophet ﷺ used to ask the following dua:
«اللهمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْهَمِّ وَالْحَزَنِ وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ العَجْزِ وَالْكَسَلِ وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْجُبْنِ وَالْبُخْلِ وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ غَلَبَةِ الدَّيْنِ وقَهْرِ الرجال»
“Oh Allah, I seek refuge in You from worry and grief, from helplessness and laziness, from cowardice and stinginess, and from overpowering of debt and from oppression of men.”
As-Sabr means you speak and act upon the truth and bear the hardship that results in the path of Allah without deviation, weakness or giving in.
Also, As-Sabr does not exist without the Taqwa of Allah سبحانه وتعالى as mentioned in the Quran,
إِنَّهُ مَن يَتَّقِ وَيِصْبِرْ فَإِنَّ اللّهَ لاَ يُضِيعُ أَجْرَ الْمُحْسِنِينَ
“Indeed, he who fears Allah and is patient, then indeed, Allah does not allow to be lost the reward of those who do good.”
(12:90)
Patience is also correlated with Jihad fee Sabilillah (in the sake of Allah),
وَكَأَيِّن مِّن نَّبِيٍّ قَاتَلَ مَعَهُ رِبِّيُّونَ كَثِيرٌ فَمَا وَهَنُواْ لِمَا أَصَابَهُمْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللّهِ وَمَا ضَعُفُواْ وَمَا اسْتَكَانُواْ وَاللّهُ يُحِبُّ الصَّابِرِينَ
“And how many a prophet [fought and] with him fought many religious scholars. But they never lost assurance due to what afflicted them in the cause of Allah, nor did they weaken or submit. And Allah loves the steadfast.”
(3:146)
Furthermore, it is the patience over affliction and the Qada, which leads one to be steadfast and firm and rooted on the Deen of Allah سبحانه وتعالى. It leads a person to grasp the Quran fully and not to deviate due to the excuse of patience. It brings the ‘Abd (servant) closer to his ‘Ibaad (worship),
وَذَا النُّونِ إِذ ذَّهَبَ مُغَاضِبًا فَظَنَّ أَن لَّن نَّقْدِرَ عَلَيْهِ فَنَادَى فِي الظُّلُمَاتِ أَن لَّا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنتَ سُبْحَانَكَ إِنِّي كُنتُ مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ
“And [mention] the man of the fish, when he went off in anger and thought that We would not decree [anything] upon him. And he called out within the darknesses, “There is no deity except You; exalted are You. Indeed, I have been of the wrongdoers.”
(21:87)
It is this kind of patience which strengthens the resolve and brings the path to Jannah closer. It is the patience of Bilal when faced with torture from his master who kept on saying “Ahad, Ahad”. It is the patience of Mus’ab ibn Umayr who remained steadfast on the rejection from his parents and continuing the Da’wa to being the first missionary for Islam and persevered on his task. It is the patience of Khabbab who when being beaten by the Siba’a gang didn’t give up but he became a reference for his fellow companions and it is the patience of the family of Yaasir:
« «صبرًا ياآل ياسر، فإن موعدكم الجنة
“Have patience O family of Yaasir for indeed your abode is the Jannah.”
It is the patience of Khubayb who when being caught and kept prisoner by the infidels didn’t even once complain and remained calm and put all his trust and tawaqqul in Allah سبحانه وتعالى till he was executed and it is the patience of Zayd: “By Allah, I would not want to be safe and secure among my family while even a thorn hurts Muhammad.”
It is the patience of those who restrain the hand of the tyrant without fearing any for the sake of Allah:
«كلا والله لتأخذن على يد الظالم ولتأطرنه على الحق أطراً ولتقصرنه على الحق قصراً أو ليضربن الله قلوب بعضكم ببعض وليلعنّكم كما لعن بني إسرائيل«
“Nay, by Allah, you have to enjoin the good and forbid the wrong, and restrain the hand of the tyrant, and to force him on the truth and to confine him to the truth, otherwise Allah will be about to strike the hearts of some of you against others, then He will curse you as He cursed Banu Israel.”
It is the patience of the Sahaabah (ra) who withstood anything which befell them even the three years of boycott. It is the patience of the Muhajireen and the Ansar who struggled against the Mushriks, the Romans and the Persians. It is the patience of the brave and courageous Mujahideen. It is the patience of those who enjoin the good and forbid the evil and remain steadfast on any hardship they face. It is the patience of the sincere Mujahideen who didn’t hesitate to reject Western colonialism and who persevered on their road. It is the patience of the Da’wa Carriers who withstand all sorts of torture and pain all for the sake of Allah سبحانه وتعالى and His Deen. And it is the patience of those who are struggling to raise the Raya of Islam and to implement the system of Islam on Earth.
Brothers and Sisters, remain steadfast on the Deen and join our noble cause to establish the Khilafah on the Prophetic method. Indeed, those who are patient and obey Allah سبحانه وتعالى and His Rassul ﷺ will be the successful ones,
وَعَدَ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مِنكُمْ وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ لَيَسْتَخْلِفَنَّهُم فِي الْأَرْضِ كَمَا اسْتَخْلَفَ الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ وَلَيُمَكِّنَنَّ لَهُمْ دِينَهُمُ الَّذِي ارْتَضَى لَهُمْ وَلَيُبَدِّلَنَّهُم مِّن بَعْدِ خَوْفِهِمْ أَمْنًا يَعْبُدُونَنِي لَا يُشْرِكُونَ بِي شَيْئًا وَمَن كَفَرَ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ فَأُوْلَئِكَ هُمُ الْفَاسِقُونَ
“Allah has promised those who have believed among you and done righteous deeds that He will surely grant them succession [to authority] upon the earth just as He granted it to those before them and that He will surely establish for them [therein] their religion which He has preferred for them and that He will surely substitute for them, after their fear, security, [for] they worship Me, not associating anything with Me. But whoever disbelieves after that – then those are the defiantly disobedient.”
(24:55)
Shafick Albeerdy