السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
ربي اشرح لي صدري و يسر لي أمري واحلل عقدة من لساني يفقه قولي
ربي زدني علما وارزقني فهما
Many times, we are faced with situations that are not in our favor, or things don’t work out the way we want them to; in situations like these, what should we do? Should we lose our temper, and make a rash decision by reacting impulsively? Or, should we behave patiently and keep our temper under control, understanding that whatever Allah SWT does, is the best for us and every unfavorable situation is nothing but a test. The answer is undoubtedly to have patience and faith in Allah SWT’s wisdom.
The importance of patience can be understood from the fact that Allah SWT mentions patience in the Quran a number of times. And the best human being that ever lived, our beloved Prophet Mohammad SAW practiced patience throughout his life.
“But if you endure patiently, verily, it is better for As-Sabirun”- 16:126.
“O you who believe! Seek help in patience and As-Salat. Truly Allah is with As-Sabirun” -2:153.
On studying the seerah of our beloved Prophet Mohammad SAW, we learn a lot of valuable lessons. His personality, his character, his exceptionally intelligent mind, his way of dealing with different kinds of situations,his kindness; are all inspirations that leave us in awe. Any person, be it a leader, a parent, a merchant, a teacher, a spouse, or any other person can take inspiration from him and lead a balanced and content life. He is not only an inspiration for us Muslims, but an inspiration for the whole of mankind.
In a hadith narrated by Abu Sa’id Al-Khudri, Prophet Mohammad SAW said that, nobody can be given a blessing better and greater than patience. And it is crystal clear that he practiced what he preached. Prophet Mohammad SAW, practiced patience in the most beautiful manner.
THE DEATHS OF HIS LOVED ONES
Prophet Mohammad SAW’s life was full of hardships since childhood. A trial that he had to face since a young age was the death of his family. As a posthumous child, he lost his mother and grandfather at the age of six and eight respectively. All of his children except Fatima RA, passed away in his lifetime.
His uncle Abu Talib, who not only raised him like his own child but also supported him in his struggle of spreading the word of Islam; and the mother of all believers, Khadijah RA – his first and most beloved wife; both passed away in the tenth year of his Prophet-hood. The two most important and beloved people who supported him and his cause of spreading Islam, at a time when the majority was against him, passed away within a short span of two-three months.
One would think that a man who has suffered so many tragedies in his life would become a pessimist and have a bitter outlook towards life. But Prophet Mohammad SAW displayed exemplary patience throughout. He didn’t let these tragedies replace his positivity with negativity. He handled it with patience and absolute faith in Allah SWT. He endured every unfavorable situation with wisdom and patience.
THE QURAISH
Prophet Mohammad SAW endured every situation, patiently. His struggle of spreading the true word of Allah SWT required the most patience, and Allah SWT blessed him with that in abundance. The Quraish of Makkah opposed Prophet Mohammad SAW and his call to Islam since the day he openly proclaimed his mission, inviting people to Islam and condemning those that indulged in idolatry. This instilled anger and hatred in the hearts of the Quraish. They tortured Prophet Mohammad SAW as well as the new Muslims, and left no stones unturned in insulting and rebuking Prophet Mohammad SAW. Just so that he may give up on his mission of calling people to Islam.
The Quraish continued this horrible treatment with the Muslims and Prophet Mohammad SAW for years at length. They increased their torture after the death of Abu Talib even more. They abused the Prophet SAW, accused him of spreading lies and doing magic. Our beloved Prophet dealt with all of this and much worse things, with patience and faith in Allah SWT.
When we human beings are faced with a situation where we feel insulted by someone or someone misbehaves with us, we tend to get angry and upset. And in that anger we fight in retaliation and speak things that we regret later. Thereby, worsening the situation. What we need to do in a situation like this is to take inspiration from the life of our Prophet. We need to set aside our ego and have patience. A patient and calm mind can handle any situation no matter how difficult or bad, much more sensibly and with ease.
AT-TAIF
After having met with such repulsive response from the Quraish, Prophet Mohammad SAW decided to go to At-Taif to invite its inhabitants to Islam. Hoping he and his message would be received well, he traveled fifty miles from Makkah only to be received with greater contempt and rebuke. Not only was he verbally insulted but also physically assaulted by the people living there. He was pelted with stones, so much that he was drenched in his own blood.
What would a normal person do in a situation like this? Give up or seek revenge? What did our beloved Prophet SAW do? He practiced patience. He didn’t give up on his call to Islam. He didn’t seek revenge. He patiently continued his mission of inviting people to Islam. Knowing well that Allah SWT’s help is always there with His patient servants. His imaan was so strong that not even physical abuse could hinder his mission. Subhan Allah!
Prophet Mohammad was carrying out the biggest mission possible in the history of humankind. Spreading the final word of Allah SWT required a lot of courage and patience. And Allah SWT blessed him with both. No matter how intellectual a person is, how good his leadership and planning skills are, if he lacks patience he will not be able to put his plans into action and reap benefits. Prophet Mohammad SAW was a leader par excellence, because not only was he blessed with an exceptionally intellectual mind he was also blessed with patience. The leaders of present time, must take inspiration from him and endeavor to instill the virtue of patience for a more peaceful world.
The above few incidents give us a slight glimpse into the life of our Prophet SAW and how he practiced patience. While studying the seerah, it becomes clear that his love for Allah SWT and absolute faith in Him was so high that he persevered in his mission of spreading Islam with utmost patience. What he understood was that this life is a test from Allah SWT and the reward of patience is Jannah. This is exactly what we need to understand and implement in our lives.
We often find ourselves complaining about how difficult our lives are. Ignoring the innumerable blessings that Allah SWT has bestowed upon us. We whine about every little thing that goes against our plans and choices. So much ungratefulness, when we claim to love and follow the man whose life was full of hardships and tribulations, yet he remained patient and never complained. Faced with so much rebuke for the message that he was spreading, yet he endured every struggle keeping his faith in his Lord rock solid. If we wish to lead content lives it is imperative that we take inspiration from his life for so many things. There is a lesson for us all, in every aspect of the life of our beloved Prophet SAW. Patience being one of the most important lesson we need to learn and employ in a chaotic world like ours.
May Allah SWT bless us with patience, to deal with the tests and keep us firm upon the path of righteousness. All praise is due to Allah SWT, and may His peace and blessings be upon the last Prophet and Messenger.
REFERENCES:
- Quran
- islamqa.info
بارك الله فيكم
وجزاكم الله خيرا
سبحانك اللهم وبحمدك أشهد أن لا إله إلا أنت استغفرك و أتوب إليك
والسلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته
Written by: Iram Atiqulla
TEAM IR
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