What is Sabr?

By Imâm Ibnul Qayyim 

The Meaning of Patience!

In the Arabic language, 'Sabr' means ‘to hold fast, cease, or choke’. For example, in Bedouin Arabic, to say 'one has been killed by sabr,' means one is choked to death. Allaah سُبحانه وتعالى says,

وَاصْبِرْ نَفْسَكَ مَعَ الَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ رَبَّهُم بِالْغَدَاةِ وَالْعَشِيِّ يُرِيدُونَ وَجْهَهُ

"Moreover, keep yourself patient in the company of those (humble believers) who call upon their Lord (with devotion) in the morning and in the evening, desiring (only) His Face."

(Al-Kahf 18:28)

Sabr in this verse means to ‘hold onto’.

Thus, Sabr means to hold oneself from anxiety (jaza) and anger (tasakhkhut) , to hold one’s tongue from complaint, and to hold one’s body from disgraceful movements.

It is of three types: Patience in obeying Allaah (namely, perseverance), patience in avoiding Allaah’s disobedience (namely, resolve), and patience in Allaah’s tests. The first two of these are related to voluntary acts, over which we as humans have control. The last pertains to what happens to us (by Allaah’s decree) wherein we have no choice.

The Patience of the Prophet Yusuf عليه السلام

I have heard Ibn Taymiyyah رحمه الله say:

“(The Prophet) Yusuf’s patience in resisting the temptation of the minister’s wife was higher than his patience regarding his brothers’ throwing him into the well and separating him from his father, for the latter happened to him without his choice. In such cases, a servant of Allaah has no option but patience. But his perseverance in avoiding the seduction (of the minister’s wife) involved his choice and pleasure (resulting from his volitional obedience to Allaah), and struggling against his self.

Which type of Patience is Better?

 

Ibnul Qayyim رحمه الله wrote:

Here there is an issue which people debated about:

Which type of patience is better – patience in refraining from sin or patience in obeying Allaah?

One group of people suggested that the former is better, and they said that patience in refraining from sin is the attitude of the Siddeeqeen, as some of the Salaf said,

‘Good deeds are done by righteous and immoral alike, but no one has the power to refrain from sin except a Siddeeq’,

and because the motive to commit sin is greater than the motive to stop being obedient – because the motive to commit sin is pleasure, but the motive to stop being obedient is laziness and sloth; and undoubtedly the motive to commit sin is stronger.

Patience...!

Duties of a Muslim Towards a Non-Muslim

Question: What is the duty of a Muslim towards a non-Muslim, whether he is a dhimmi in a Muslim country or in his own country, and the Muslim is living in the land of that non-Muslim? The duty I would like to have clarified is interactions of all kinds, starting with greeting and ending with celebrating the non-Muslim’s festivals with him. Is it permissible to take him as a friend at work only? Please advise us, may Allaah reward you.

Answer by Sheikh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz رضي اللّه عنـه: Praise be to Allaah. The duty of the Muslim towards a non-Muslim includes a number of things:

Firstly: Da‘wah or calling him to Allaah, سُبحانه وتعالى.

He should call him to Allaah سُبحانه وتعالى and explain to him the reality of Islaam when possible, with regard to whatever issues he has knowledge about, because this is the greatest kindness that he can give to his fellow-citizens and to those whom he meets of Jews, Christians and others who may be Mushrikeen (polytheists), because the Prophet صلّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلّم said:

“The one who guides others to goodness will have a reward like that of the one who does it.”

And he صلّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلّم said to ‘Ali رضي اللّه عنـه, when he sent him to Khaybar and instructed him to call the Jews to Islaam:

Love before Marriage

Imaam Ibnul-Qayyim رحمه الله said:

“And the cure for this deadly illness (i.e. love before marriage) is for the person that is afflicted to realize that this love is only due to his/her own delusions and ignorance.

So, upon such a person is to first and foremost strengthen their Tawheed and reliance upon Allaah, and secondly to increase in worship and busy themselves with it, so much so that they do not have any spare time to let their minds wander and think about their beloved.

The Deen is sincerity

Is such a person not nourished night & day by his Beloved?

Ibnul Qayyim رحمه الله:

“…is such a person not nourished night and day by his Beloved?”

There is an interesting section of ‘Zad al-Ma’ad’ (2/33 of the printing with al-Arna’ut’s checking) where Ibnul Qayyim رحمه الله talks about Sawm al-wisal, which is that the Prophet صلّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلّم would sometimes fast an entire 24-hour day without breaking his fast. When asked by the Companions why he had forbidden them from doing so while he himself would practice it, he replied: “I am not like anyone of you. During the night, my Lord provides me with food and drink.”

Ibnul Qayyim رحمه الله mentions that there are two interpretations to what the Prophet صلّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلّم meant when he said this. The first is that he is literally provided with food and drink, and the second is that he is being nourished spiritually by Allaah. The stronger of the two interpretations is the second, because if the Prophet صلّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلّم was being provided with actual food and drink, he would no longer be fasting at all, let alone continuously.

He then proceeded with a beautiful exposition of how it is that the servant can be nourished by Allaah without eating or drinking anything. Although Ibnul Qayyim رحمه الله wrote this in regards to the Prophet’s continuous fasting, it is something that can actually apply to any fasting person, such as ourselves:

What is Ihsaan?

كَنْزُالأَطْفاَل

(The Children's Treasure)

Taught by: Umm Hyatt al-Ameriki  حفظها الله

LESSON # 11

Q 17)  مَا هُوالإحْسان؟ - What is Ihsaan?

أن تَعْبُدالله:

كَأنَّك تراه *

فإن لم تَكُن تراه فإنَّهُ يَراك *

Answer:  It is to worship Allaah as if you see Him and even if we don't see Him, know that He sees you. Ihsaan has to do with actions that are 'hasan' (good) and perfection within that action. So, Ihsaan is from perfecting your actions (if you made this action good). 

Sheikh A'ala Sheikh حفظه الله mentioned in his book with regards to the explanation of this hadeeth in 'Forty Hadeeth' that every Mu'min (believer), every servant has some level of Ihsaan. He mentioned that no action is considered correct except with the presence of Ihsaan. So, he said every Muslim has a level of Ihsaan.

Read & Download Lesson #11

The Meaning of Worship..

Great blessings from Allaah due to direct consequences of tests & trials!

Ibnul Qayyim رحمه الله said:

…If you ponder Allaah’s wisdom in that with which He tests His slaves and chosen ones, by means of which He directs them to achieve the highest goals and reach the highest positions, which they could not have achieved without these tests and trials… all these tests and trials are in fact a kind of honour, for while they appear to be trials and tests, in fact they are mercy and blessings.

How many great blessings from Allaah are the direct consequences of tests and trials?

Think about the story of our father Adam, and how his test ended with him being chosen and brought close to Allaah, and repenting and being guided and raised in status.