As-Sabr (Patience) is mentioned in the Qur'an in more
than seventy places. This is because of the tremendous
importance that patience has in the deen. It has been
said that every good action has a limited reward, from
ten-fold up to seven-hundred fold, except for patience
whose reward has no limit. That is because of Allah's
words "Only the patient are paid their reward without
reckoning."
Allah mentions eight types of honor shown to the
patient:
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The first is love. Allah says, "And Allah loves the
patient."
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The second is help. He says, "Truly, Allah is with
the patient."
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The third is mansions in the Garden. He says, exalted
is He, "They will be recompensed with mansions
because of how they were patient."
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The fourth is a full and ample reward. Allah says,
"Only the patient are paid their reward without
reckoning."
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The other four are all mentioned in one ayah (in al-Baqarah) in which they (the patient) are given the
good news. Allah says, "Give good news to the
patient." And there is mention in the same ayah of
mercy, compassion, and guidance as rewards for the
patient ones. Allah says, "Those, there is on them
mercy and compassion from their Lord and those they
are the guided ones."
There are four aspects of patience:
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Patience in affliction, which is the act of
preventing the self from becoming discontented and
impatient;
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Patience in good fortune, which is to bind it fast to
gratitude, without overstepping the limits or
becoming proud and self-important because of the good
fortune;
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Patience in obedience by safeguarding it and becoming
constant in it;
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Patience (in refraining) from acts of disobedience by
withholding oneself from them.
Above patience there is surrender, which is abandoning
opposition and discontentment outwardly and abandoning
dislike inwardly.
Above surrender there is contentment with the decree,
which is the self's happpiness with the act of Allah;
it issues from love, for everything the Beloved does is
beloved.
Source: Book & Web Design
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