JUM’AH DIGEST: EXERCISING SABR

Sabr is an Arabic word meaning patience. Patience is a virtue in which cannot be excluded in attaining success. Islamically, Muslims are enjoined to exercise patience in the face of hardship.

Allah in the only Qur’an has promised that with every hardship ease follows. With which to be able to enjoy rewards from Allah patience has to be excercised.

Some people think they should cocoon themselves and isolate themselves from the people and leave the evil (munkar), and leave those who commit it and watch our sanctities being violated, the Hudud of Allah (penal code) suspended and Jihad abolished. They do not take a stand on these things. They stay away from them and abandon the duty of forbidding the evil and this is what some people think is patience.

Yet others think patience in Islam means to keep away from harm and avoid the risk of being exposed to it in case the enemies of Allah pursue them. They do not dare to speak the truth or undertake the actions that are pleasing to Allah. Instead, they remain silent, crouching in a corner somewhere and saying to themselves that they are patient.

The verse below is an evidence that Allah will reward those that exercise patience in double fold.

The rewards of those who exercise patience will be doubled:

أولئك يؤتون أجرهم مرتين بما صبروا

These shall be granted their reward twice, because they are steadfast…” [al-Qasas 28:54].