---
type: domain
dependency: ''
start: ''
status: designed
objective: have good traits
sidebar_label: Patience
---

# Patience is Unique to Humans

When religious motivation overcomes desire, the station of patience is attained; this requires certainty.

# Levels of Patience

Patience varies based on one's ability to resist desire:

1. **Highest Level**: A person fully subdues their desire.
2. **Lowest Level**: Desire dominates, shown by two signs:
	* The person wishes to repent but finds it too difficult and lacks motivation, falling into despair.
	* The person feels no urge to repent, with their mind trapped by desire, using reason only to justify indulgence.
3. **Intermediate Level**: The person struggles with desire, sometimes succeeding, sometimes failing.

# The Need for Patience in All Situations

Patience is needed in every aspect of life, as everything a person faces aligns with or opposes their desire.

* **When it aligns with desire**: Patience with blessings is rare, as most are only patient in adversity. [Practicing gratitude helps develop this patience.](Objective/good%20traits/Gratitude.md)
* **When it opposes desire**: This includes four types:
	1. **Acts of Obedience**: Patience is needed in three stages of worship:
		  * [**Beginning of worship**](Processes/Renew%20your%20intentions%20and%20say%20basmalla.md): Ensuring sincerity and avoiding showiness or selfish motives.
		  * **During worship**: Performing it correctly, with proper etiquette and focus. (Applied through the processes of good traits and worship actions described in the system.)
		  * [**After worship**](Processes/Hide%20your%20good%20deeds.md): Practicing humility, avoiding showing off.
	2. **Acts of Disobedience**: This involves resisting temptation by implementing the processes related to the bad traits and [seeking the lawful](Objective/worship/Seeking%20the%20lawful.md).
	3. **Situational Reactions**: When events are beyond one's control but allow for choice in response. So you can choose to be patient or not, for example, [when someone wrongs you](Processes/Accept%20accusations%20or%20forgive%20transgressions%20against%20you.md).
	4. [**Uncontrollable Trials**](Processes/Attitude%20in%20affliction.md): Events beyond control, like losing loved ones or health. Patience here is among the highest forms. Ibn 'Abbās noted that patience in the Qur'ān has three levels:
		  * Patience in fulfilling obligations (300 degrees),
		  * Patience in avoiding prohibitions (600 degrees),
		  * Patience in unexpected tribulations (700 degrees).