Qa'ida fi al-Sabr - Ibn Taimiya - (74)

Qa'ida fi al-SabrIbn Taimiya

(Āl ʿImrān 3:200).

He praised the people of patience, saying: “the patient in hardship, adversity, and at the time of battle—those are the ones who are truthful, and those are the God-fearing” (al-Baqarah 2:177).

He informed us of His love for the patient: “Allah loves the patient” (Āl ʿImrān 3:146), and of His company with them: “Be patient; surely Allah is with the patient” (al-Anfāl 8:46).

He declared that patience is better for those who practise it: “If you endure patiently, that is surely better for the patient” (al-Naḥl 16:126).

He promised them a reward higher, fuller, and better than their deeds: “We shall most certainly reward those who are patient according to the best of what they used to do” (al-Naḥl 16:96); and, “Indeed, the patient will be paid their reward in full without measure” (al-Zumar 39:10).

He gave them glad tidings: “Give glad tidings to the patient” (al-Baqarah 2:155), and He informed that their reward is Paradise: “And He rewarded them for their patience with a Garden and silk” (al-Insān 76:12).

Allah has paired patience with the loftiest virtues of Islam. He coupled it with certainty: “We made from among them leaders who guided by Our command when they persevered and were certain of Our signs” (al-Sajdah 32:24). He coupled it with reliance upon Him: “How excellent is the reward of those who do good—those who are patient and place their trust in their Lord” (al-ʿAnkabūt 29:58–59). He coupled it with prayer: “Seek help through patience and prayer” (al-Baqarah 2:153).

He also linked it to God-consciousness in several verses, among them: “If you are patient and God-conscious, that indeed is of the matters requiring firm resolve” (Āl ʿImrān 3:186); “If you are patient and God-conscious, their plotting will never harm you in the least” (Āl ʿImrān 3:120); and His words in the story of Joseph: “Whoever is God-fearing and patient—surely Allah never lets the reward of those who excel go to waste” (Yūsuf 12:90).

Allah, exalted be He, further joined patience to righteous action: “Except those who are patient and perform righteous deeds—for them is forgiveness and a mighty reward” (Hūd 11:11); and He paired it with striving in His cause, in His saying:

[آل عمران ٢٠٠] . وأثنى على أهله، فقال تعالى: ﴿وَالصَّابِرِينَ فِي الْبَأْسَاءِ وَالضَّرَّاءِ وَحِينَ الْبَأْسِ أُولَئِكَ الَّذِينَ صَدَقُوا وَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْمُتَّقُونَ﴾ [البقرة ١٧٧] . وأخبر بمحبته للصابرين، فقال تعالى: ﴿وَاللَّهُ يُحِبُّ الصَّابِرِينَ﴾ [آل عمران ١٤٦] ، ومعيته لهم، فقال تعالى: ﴿وَاصْبِرُوا إِنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَ الصَّابِرِينَ﴾ [الأنفال ٤٦] . وأخبر أن الصبر خير لأصحابه، فقال تعالى: ﴿وَلَئِنْ صَبَرْتُمْ لَهُوَ خَيْرٌ لِلصَّابِرِينَ﴾ [النحل ١٢٦] . ووعدهم أن يجزيهم أعلى وأوفى وأحسن مما عملوه، فقال تعالى: ﴿وَلَنَجْزِيَنَّ الَّذِينَ صَبَرُوا أَجْرَهُمْ بِأَحْسَنِ مَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ﴾ [النحل ٩٦] وقال تعالى: ﴿إِنَّمَا يُوَفَّى الصَّابِرُونَ أَجْرَهُمْ بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ﴾ [الزمر ١٠] . وبشرهم فقال تعالى: ﴿وَبَشِّرِ الصَّابِرِينَ﴾ [البقرة ١٥٥] وأخبر أن جزاءهم الجنة فقال تعالى: ﴿وَجَزَاهُمْ بِمَا صَبَرُوا جَنَّةً وَحَرِيراً﴾ [الإنسان ١٢] . وقد قرن الله الصبر بالقيم العليا في الإسلام، فقرنه باليقين، قال تعالى: ﴿وَجَعَلْنَا مِنْهُمْ أَئِمَّةً يَهْدُونَ بِأَمْرِنَا لَمَّا صَبَرُوا وَكَانُوا بِآياتِنَا يُوقِنُونَ﴾ [السجدة ٢٤] ، وقرنه بالتوكل، قال تعالى: ﴿َنِعْمَ أَجْرُ الْعَامِلِينَ الَّذِينَ صَبَرُوا وَعَلَى رَبِّهِمْ يَتَوَكَّلُونَ﴾ [العنكبوت ٥٨، ٥٩] ، وقرنه بالصلاة في قوله تعالى: ﴿وَاسْتَعِينُوا بِالصَّبْرِ وَالصَّلاة﴾ [البقرة ١٥٣] ، وقرنه بالتقوى في عدة آيات منها: قوله تعالى: ﴿وَإِنْ تَصْبِرُوا وَتَتَّقُوا فَإِنَّ ذَلِكَ مِنْ عَزْمِ الأُمُورِ﴾ [آل عمران ١٨٦] ، وفي قوله تعالى: ﴿وَإِنْ تَصْبِرُوا وَتَتَّقُوا لا يَضُرُّكُمْ كَيْدُهُمْ شَيْئاً﴾ [آل عمران ١٢٠] ، وقوله تعالى في سورة يوسف: ﴿إِنَّهُ مَنْ يَتَّقِ وَيَصْبِرْ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لا يُضِيعُ أَجْرَ الْمُحْسِنِينَ﴾ [يوسف ٩٠] . وقرن الله ﵎ الصبر بالعمل، فقال: ﴿إِلاَّ الَّذِينَ صَبَرُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ أُولَئِكَ لَهُمْ مَغْفِرَةٌ وَأَجْرٌ كَبِيرٌ﴾ [هود ١١] ، وقرنه بالجهاد، في قوله