Page 66 - Quick Grasp of Faith 1

64 QUICK GRASP OF FAITH - 1

68. In what sense does Allah appreciate
patience?

In the Qur’an, Allah tells man to be patient for His sake.
In a verse, it is commanded: “Be steadfast for your Lord.”
(Surat al- Muddaththir: 7) One of the most significant qualities
of man which is inseparable from the good morals he upholds
and the good deeds he performs to gain Allah’s approval is
patience.
Yet, we must distinguish between patience and “toler-
ance”. Tolerance is the virtue of enduring any inconvenience
that is unpleasant or painful. However, patience, as referred to
in the Qur’an, is not a source of difficulty for the believer. The
believer exercises patience in order to gain the approval of
Allah, therefore he does not suffer any distress because of his
patience; on the contrary, he derives spiritual pleasure from it.
Also, patience is an attribute that covers all the charac-
teristics of a believer as set forth in the Qur’an, for a person
may be humble, generous, sacrificing and obedient, but these
qualities will be truly valuable only if he perseveres with
patience in maintaining them. This means that patience is an
attribute which renders all other attributes of a believer valu-
able and valid.

69. What does “putting trust in Allah” mean?
Putting trust in Allah is counting on Allah knowing that
everything on the earth takes place under Allah’s control and
that no one can help or harm the individual unless He so wills.
The believers know that Allah is the Almighty and anything He