The believer, by contrast, acts justly and does good when he has power; when subdued and defeated, he is patient and seeks Allah’s reward. As Ka'b ibn Zuhayr said in describing the believers in the poem he recited to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace—which begins, “Su'ād has departed…”:
“They do not exult when their spears strike home one day,
Nor are they overcome with anguish when struck in turn.”
One of the Arabs was asked about some aspect of the Prophet’s conduct, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and replied: “I saw him prevail without arrogance, and suffer defeat without impatience.”
Allah Most High says:
“They said, ‘Are you indeed Joseph?’ He said, ‘I am Joseph, and this is my brother. Allah has certainly been gracious to us. Indeed, whoever fears Allah and is patient—Allah does not let the reward of those who do good go to waste.’”
And Allah Most High says:
“And if you are patient and fear Allah, their plotting will not harm you at all.”
And Allah Most High says:
“Yes, if you are patient and fear Allah, and they come upon you at once, your Lord will reinforce you with five thousand angels bearing marks.”
And Allah Most High says:
“And if you are patient and fear Allah, that is indeed a matter requiring firm resolve.”
He mentions patience and fear of Allah in these four passages. Patience includes patiently bearing what has been decreed, while fear of Allah includes doing what is commanded and refraining from what is forbidden.
Whoever is granted both has been granted goodness in its entirety. The opposite is true of someone who reverses this: he does not fear Allah, but abandons obedience to Him, follows his own desires, and invokes divine decree as a justification. Yet when tested, he is not patient and gives no thought to divine decree. Such is the condition of the wretched, as one of the scholars said:
“When obeying, you are a Qadarī (affirming independent human agency); when sinning, a Jabrī (affirming compulsion). You adopt whichever doctrine suits your desires.”