Patience, the Key to Bear Calamities

عَنْ صُهَيْبٍ، قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «عَجَبًا لِأَمْرِ الْمُؤْمِنِ، إِنَّ أَمْرَهُ كُلَّهُ خَيْرٌ، وَلَيْسَ ذَاكَ لِأَحَدٍ إِلَّا لِلْمُؤْمِنِ، إِنْ أَصَابَتْهُ سَرَّاءُ شَكَرَ، فَكَانَ خَيْرًا لَهُ، وَإِنْ أَصَابَتْهُ ضَرَّاءُ، صَبَرَ فَكَانَ خَيْرًا لَهُ»

It was narrated that Suhaib said: "The Messenger of Allah said: 'How wonderful is the case of the believer, for all his affairs are good, and this does not apply to anyone but the believer. If something good happens to him, he is thankful for it and that is good for him; if something bad happens to him, he bears it with patience, and that is good for him.”^[1]

This Hadith shows that even if Allah wishes harm for a creature, He is still the Most Merciful in doing so. In fact, His wish of harm for a person could be a mercy for that person because the harm which afflicts a human being has good results; the return to Allah, and taking lessons from what took place.[2]

يقول الله تعالى: }وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا إِلَى أُمَمٍ مِنْ قَبْلِكَ فَأَخَذْنَاهُمْ بِالْبَأْسَاءِ وَالضَّرَّاءِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَضَرَّعُون { [الأنعام: 42].

“Verily, We sent (Messengers) to many nations before you. And We seized them with extreme poverty and loss of health so that they might believe with humility.”[6:42]

ويقول تعالى: }وَبَلَوْنَاهُمْ بِالْحَسَنَاتِ وَالسَّيِّئَاتِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَ { [الأعراف: 168].

“… And We tried them with good (blessings) and evil (calamities) in order that they might turn (to Allah)."[7:168]

When a Muslim truly believes in mercy and the wisdom of Allah which lies in the destiny in his/her life, he/she would treat it in the way that have mentioned in the above Hadith.

The Reward for Patience in Adversity

عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ، قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ: " إِنَّ اللَّهَ قَالَ: إِذَا ابْتَلَيْتُ عَبْدِي بِحَبِيبَتَيْهِ فَصَبَرَ، عَوَّضْتُهُ مِنْهُمَا الجَنَّةَ " يُرِيدُ: عَيْنَيْهِ

عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ: أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: " يَقُولُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى: مَا لِعَبْدِي المُؤْمِنِ عِنْدِي جَزَاءٌ، إِذَا قَبَضْتُ صَفِيَّهُ مِنْ أَهْلِ الدُّنْيَا ثُمَّ احْتَسَبَهُ، إِلَّا الجَنَّةُ "

عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ، قَالَ: مَرَّ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بِامْرَأَةٍ تَبْكِي عِنْدَ قَبْرٍ، فَقَالَ: «اتَّقِي اللَّهَ وَاصْبِرِي» قَالَتْ: إِلَيْكَ عَنِّي، فَإِنَّكَ لَمْ تُصَبْ بِمُصِيبَتِي، وَلَمْ تَعْرِفْهُ، فَقِيلَ لَهَا: إِنَّهُ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، فَأَتَتْ بَابَ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، فَلَمْ تَجِدْ عِنْدَهُ بَوَّابِينَ، فَقَالَتْ: لَمْ أَعْرِفْكَ، فَقَالَ: «إِنَّمَا الصَّبْرُ عِنْدَ الصَّدْمَةِ الأُولَى»

The patience required by the Shari'ah is that when a calamity strikes or grief is caused, then one should keep away from any verbal and physical deeds at this time. Because controlling oneself during the time of extreme grief and to differentiate between right and wrong becomes very difficult.[6] Therefore "Allah says: 'O son of Adam! If you are patient and seek reward at the moment of first shock, I will not approve of any reward for you less than Paradise.'"[7]

The virtues of patience and its importance to Allah, appears from this Hadith and that showing patience according to religious commandment will prove as a mean of deliverance[8] which applied clearly in the next Hadith of Umm Salamah (the wife of the Prophet) when she was previously married to Abu Salamah’s, she narrated that Abu Salamah told her that he heard the Messenger of Allah (May Allah grant peace and honor on him and his family) say: "There is no Muslim who is stricken with a calamity and reacts by saying as Allah has commanded: 'Inna lilllahi, wa inna ilayhi raji'un, Allahumma 'indakah-tasabtumusibati, fajurni fiha, wa 'awwidniminha (Truly, to Allah we belong, and truly, to Him we shall return.  O Allah, with You I seek reward for my calamity, so reward me for it and compensate me),' but Allah will reward him for that and compensate him with something better than it." She said: "When Abu Salamah died, I remembered what he had told me from the Messenger of Allah g and I said: 'Inna lilllahi, wa inna ilayhi raji'un, Allahumma 'indakah-tasabtumusibati, fajurnifiha, wa 'awwidniminha (Truly, to Allah we belong, and truly, to Him we shall return.  O Allah, with You I seek reward for my calamity, so reward me for it) ' But when I wanted to say wa 'awwidniminha (and compensate me with better), I said to myself. 'How can I be compensated with something better than Abu Salamah?' Then I said it, and Allah compensated me with Muhammad (peace be upon him) and rewarded me for my calamity."[9]

This Hadith make it crystal clear that:

مَالِكٌ، عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ أَسْلَمَ، عَنْ عَطَاءِ بْنِ يَسَارٍ؛ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ: «إِذَا مَرِضَ الْعَبْدُ بَعَثَ اللهُ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى إِلَيْهِ مَلَكَيْنِ. فَقَالَ: انْظُرَا مَاذَا يَقُولُ لِعُوَّادِهِ. فَإِنْ هُوَ - إِذَا جَاؤُهُ - حَمِدَ اللهَ وَأَثْنَى عَلَيْهِ. رَفَعَا ذلِكَ إِلَى اللهِ. وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ. فَيَقُولُ: لِعَبْدِي عَلَيَّ، إِنْ تَوَفَّيْتُهُ، أَنْ أُدْخِلَهُ الْجَنَّةَ. وَإِنْ أَنَا شَفَيْتُهُ أَنْ أُبْدِلَهُلَحْماً خَيْراً مِنْ لَحْمِهِ، وَدَماً خَيْراً مِنْ دَمِهِ. وَأَنْ أُكَفِّرَ عَنْهُ سَيِّئَاتِهِ».

Yahiya related to me from Malik from Zayd ibn Aslam from Ata ibn Yasar that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "When the slave is ill, Allah ta'ala sends two angels to him." He said, "They look at what he says to his visitors. If he praises Allah and lauds Him, when they come to him, they take that up to Allah, the Mighty, the Majestic, and He knows best, and He says, 'If I make my slave die, I will make him enter the Garden. If I heal him, I will replace his flesh with better flesh and his blood with better blood and I will efface his evil actions.'"^[11]

Patience primarily means not to complain to anyone other than Allah, not to let the heart feel angry with one's fate, and not to let the organs express wrath, sorrow, grief and the like in a forbidden way. Relying on this principle, whenever man lets himself do such prohibited actions, it means that he is not one of the patients.[12] What helps Muslim to attain this level is realizing the great reward for how much patience he/she could accomplish,

عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الخُدْرِيِّ، وَعَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ: عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: «مَا يُصِيبُ المُسْلِمَ، مِنْ نَصَبٍ وَلاَ وَصَبٍ، وَلاَ هَمٍّ وَلاَ حُزْنٍ وَلاَ أَذًى وَلاَ غَمٍّ، حَتَّى الشَّوْكَةِ يُشَاكُهَا، إِلَّا كَفَّرَ اللَّهُ بِهَا مِنْ خَطَايَاهُ»

Narrated Abu Sa'id Al-Khudri and Abu Hurairah: The Prophet (peace be upon him)said, "No fatigue, nor disease, nor sorrow, nor sadness, nor hurt, nor distress befalls a Muslim, even if it were the prick he receives from a thorn, but that Allah expiates some of his sins for that ".[13]

أَخْبَرَنَا مَالِكٌ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَبْدِاللَّهِ بْنِ عَبْدِالرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ أَبِي صَعْصَعَةَ، أَنَّهُ قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ سَعِيدَ بْنَ يَسَارٍ أَبَا الحُبَابِ، يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ، يَقُولُ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «مَنْ يُرِدِ اللَّهُ بِهِ خَيْرًا يُصِبْ مِنْهُ»

Narrated Hurairah say, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'Allah afflicts (with trials) the one for whom He desires good.'" [14]

مَالِكٌ، عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ سَعِيدٍ؛ أَنَّ رَجُلاً جَاءَهُ الْمَوْتُ فِي زَمَانِ رَسُولِ اللهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ: هَنِيئاً لَهُ مَاتَ وَلَمْ يُبْتَلَ بِمَرِضٍ.فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم: «وَيْحَكَ. وَمَا يُدْرِيكَ لَوْ أَنَّ اللهَ ابْتَلاَهُ بِمَرِضٍ، يُكَفِّرُ بِهِ مِنْ سَيِّئَاتِهِ؟»

Yahiya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Said that death came to a man in the time of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. A man said, "He was fortunate," as he had died without being tried by illness. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Alas for you, what will let you know that if Allah had tried him with illness, He would have wiped out his wrong actions." [15]

عَنْ أُمِّ الْعَلَاءِ، قَالَتْ: عَادَنِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَأَنَا مَرِيضَةٌ، فَقَالَ: «أَبْشِرِي يَا أُمَّ الْعَلَاءِ، فَإِنَّ مَرَضَ الْمُسْلِمِ يُذْهِبُ اللَّهُ بِهِ خَطَايَاهُ، كَمَا تُذْهِبُ النَّارُ خَبَثَ الذَّهَبِ وَالْفِضَّةِ»

It was narrated that Umm Al-'Alã' said: "The Messenger of Allah visited me when I was sick, and said: 'Be of good cheer, O Umm Al-'Alã', for when a Muslim falls sick, Allah takes away his sins as the fire takes away the dross of gold and silver."^[16]

عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ - قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ: قَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ مَهْدِيٍّ السَّلَمِيُّ - عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ جَدِّهِ - وَكَانَتْ لَهُ صُحْبَةٌ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ: «إِنَّ الْعَبْدَ إِذَا سَبَقَتْ لَهُ مِنَ اللَّهِ مَنْزِلَةٌ، لَمْ يَبْلُغْهَا بِعَمَلِهِ ابْتَلَاهُ اللَّهُ فِي جَسَدِهِ، أَوْ فِي مَالِهِ، أَوْ فِي وَلَدِهِ» قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ: زَادَ ابْنُ نُفَيْلٍ: «ثُمَّ صَبَّرَهُ عَلَى ذَلِكَ - ثُمَّ اتَّفَقَا - حَتَّى يُبْلِغَهُ الْمَنْزِلَةَ الَّتِي سَبَقَتْ لَهُ مِنَ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى»

It was narrated from Muhammad bin Khãlid– Abu Dãwud said: Ibrahim bin Mahdi said: "As-Sulam!" – from his father, that his grandfather, who was a Companion of the Messengerof Allah , said: "I heard the Messenger of Allah say: 'If a certain status has previously been decreed by Allah for a person, and he does not attain it by his deeds, Allah afflicts him in his body, or wealth, or children."

Abu Dawud said: Ibn Nufail (one of the narrators) added: "Then He makes him bear it with patience." Then they (the two narrators) were in accord: "Until He causes him to reach the status that Allah had.[17]

 
Besides this, other Hadiths also confirm the fact that not only the pains, trials and sicknesses suffered in this world, but also the agony of death, the punishment of the grave and the trying conditions on the Day of Judgment shall, for some believers, be the cause of the atonement of their sins, while for others they shall become the source of the raising of their ranks in the Hereafter. As a result, a party of the believers shall emerge absolutely cleansed of all their sins and enter Paradise.[18]