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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.
  • When it opposes desire: This includes four types:
    1. Acts of Obedience: Patience is needed in three stages of worship:
      • Beginning of worship: 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: 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.
    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.
    4. Uncontrollable Trials: 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).