Chapter II: Patience and Gratefulness
PATIENCE IS HALF OF FAITH: There are two reasons and two necessities to show that patience is half of faith. The first reason is to confirm the basic principle of religion and to act according to it. There in there are two pillars of faith sure faith and patience. The meaning of sure faith is immutable- knowledge which God shows to a man about the fundamental principles of Islam. The meaning of patience is action to the requirements of the immutable faith. This grows knowledge that sin is injurious and virtue is beneficial and to give up sin and to gain virtue are not possible without patience. Patience is to put in to action the inclination of virtue after suppression of evil propensities. In this angle of vision, patience is half of faith. For this reason, the Prophet mentioned patience and faith together.
He said: You have been given but little of sure faith and patience.
(2) Second Reason. Faith arises out of knowledge which again arises out of the good deeds of a man. Man's actions are divided into two what is beneficial both is this world and in the next and what is injurious in both the worlds. Patience is necessary about what is injurious to men in both the worlds and gratefulness is necessary about what is beneficial in both the worlds. In this view, gratefulness is half of faith. Ibn Masud said:
Iman is divided into two - patience and gratefulness.
DIFFERENT KINDS OF PATIENCE: The first kind is to have patience over physical pains, such as patience in the difficult tasks of divine services and in the sudden accidents and dangers such as severe beating and serious disease. If patience is observed according to the dictates of religion, it is praise-worthy.
The second kind is to have patience at the inclination of evil and greed of passion. To have patience at the greed of belly and sexual passion is named Afat or self-control. Bravery is patience is battles. Forbearance is patience by appeasement of anger/ Expansion of breast is patience at turns of fortunes. Renunciation is patience from happiness and pleasures. Satisfaction is patience at present possessions. Most conducts of faith lie in patiences.
For this reason, when the Prophet was asked about faith, he
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i, replied that patience is faith as there is no act of faith more difficult than patience. The Prophet said: Pilgrimage is Arafat, in other words the acts of Arafat are more difficult out of the actions of pilgrimage. To forbear all these hardships is called patience.
God says: Those who keep patience in dangers, wants and struggles are the truthful ones and they are also the God fearing ones.
PATIENCE IN CONSIDERATION OF STRENGTH AND WEAKNESS