 Patience
Patience is a sign of the the Muslim character.
Sabr comes from an Arabic root which means to detain, refrain and stop. There is an expression in Arabic which means "so and so was killed," "sabaran" which means he was captured and detained until he died. He further explains that in the spiritual sense, sabr means to stop ourselves from dispairing and panicing, to stop our tongues from complaining and to stop our hands from striking our faces & tearing our clothes at times of grief and stress."
Ibin Qayim divides patience into the following five categories;
Wajib Sabr:
1. Patience in doing the fard,
2. Patience in avoiding the haram, and
3. Patience in times of fitnah.
Mandub Sabr:
1. Patience in abstaining abstaining from Makruh (disliked),
2. Patience in performing mustahab (encouraged acts), and
3. Patience in restraining from revenge.
Haram Sabr:
1. Patience in abstaining from food and drink til death,
2. Patience from eatting haram meat when it is a necessity for sustaining life (only so much as is necessary to sustain the life)
3. Patience in refraining from begging (For this one: Ahmad said it is haram and Shafaii said in life and death instances, it is a must).
4. Patience in enduring things which lead to death (example: snakes, fire), and
5. Patience in the time of fitnah -- when Muslims are fighting.
Makruh Sabr:
1. Patience in abstaining from physical appetites to the extent one is hurt by it, and
2. Patience in doing makruh deeds.
Mubah (Permissible) Sabr:
1.Patience in abstaining from mubah deeds.
Allah Says:
Seek help in patience and prayer; and truly it is hard save for the humble-minded. (2:45)
O you who believe! seek assistance through patience and prayer; surely Allah is with the patient. (2:153)
Be sure we shall test you with something of fear and hunger, some loss in goods or lives or the fruits (of your toil), but give glad tidings to those who patiently persevere. (2:155)
If good befalls you, it grieves them, and if an evil afflicts you, they rejoice at it; and if you are patient and guard yourselves, their scheme will not injure you in any way; surely Allah comprehends what they do. (3:120)
Do you think that you will enter the garden while Allah has not yet known those who strive hard from among you, and (He has not) known the patient. (3:142)
And how many a prophet has fought with whom were many worshippers of the Lord; so they did not become weak-hearted on account of what befell them in Allah's way, nor did they weaken, nor did they abase themselves; and Allah loves the patient. (3:146)
O you who believe! be patient and excel in patience and remain steadfast, and be careful of (your duty to) Allah, that you may be successful. (3:200)
Say: O my servants who believe! be careful of (your duty to) your Lord; for those who do good in this world is good, and Allah's earth is spacious; only the patient will be paid back their reward in full without measure. (39:10)
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