—“O you who believe, be patient, outdo one another in patience, remain stationed, and fear Allah so that you may prosper” (Āl ʿImrān 3:200).

The second category is to exercise patience by abstaining from Allah’s prohibitions—holding oneself back from everything He has forbidden. The soul, ever inclined to evil, urges a person toward wrongdoing, so he must restrain it. This includes lying, cheating in business dealings, consuming wealth unlawfully through usury or any other means, fornication, drinking alcohol, theft, and the many other acts of disobedience. A person must confine himself from them so as not to commit them, and this too demands effort and the curbing of one’s desires and passions.

The third category is to show patience toward the painful decrees of Allah, for His decrees concerning a person are either favorable or painful. Favorable decrees call for gratitude, and gratitude is itself an act of obedience, so patience in that regard falls under the first type. Painful decrees—those that do not suit a person and cause him distress—require patience: he may be afflicted in his body, in his wealth through its loss, in his family, or in his community. Calamities are many and varied, and they demand endurance and struggle. One must restrain himself from the forbidden forms of complaint—whether by tongue, heart, or limbs—because when a calamity strikes, a person may adopt one of four attitudes:

1. He becomes resentful;
2. He exercises patience;
3. He attains contentment; or
4. He offers thanks.