Patience is a trait and charity that has great virtue. Patience concerns mental attitude and determination in realizing goodness seriously, continuously, until it is carried out well and achieved as expected.
Being patient doesn’t mean being strong enough to wait. Patience is continuously doing something until the expected goal is achieved. Not jumud, silent, not moving, and not trying. Patience is synonymous with hard work and maximum effort. Not waiting and giving up, but serious and tough (resilience).
Patience is full of enthusiasm and hard work, like someone who wants to realize their high dreams. Ibn al-Qayyim said, in Fawaid al-Fawaid, high ideals can only be achieved with high enthusiasm and the right intentions. So anyone who doesn’t have both, finds it difficult to achieve their dreams.
Ibn al-Qayyim explains:
“If a person’s enthusiasm for achieving his goals is very high, then his enthusiasm will only be related to his high goals, and not related to anything else. If his intentions are correct, then his intentions will move him to take a path that can convey him to his goals. his goals. Thus, the intention will clear the path he will go through, while the spirit will focus it on the goals he wants to achieve. If this path is connected to the goal or ideals he wants to achieve, then it is certain that the goals or ideals will be achieved.”
Patience is like that. Continuously realizing dreams with enthusiasm by exerting all efforts until the ideals or goals are achieved. Then, whatever has been achieved, is accepted with sincerity and qanaah (satisfied with the provisions of Allah SWT). Don’t be ungrateful, because you feel like you have tried hard and not achieved the desired results. If you are grateful, your blessings will increase. If you’re in disbelief, then Allah SWT will punish you. The Word of Allah SWT:
وَاِ ذْ تَاَ ذَّنَ رَبُّكُمْ لَئِنْ شَكَرْتُمْ لَاَ زِيْدَنَّـكُمْ وَلَئِنْ كَفَرْتُمْ اِنَّ عَذَا بِيْ لَشَدِيْدٌ
“And [remember] when your Lord proclaimed, ‘If you are grateful, I will surely increase you [in favor]; but if you deny, indeed, My punishment is severe.’ (QS. Ibrahim [14]: 7)
Whatever the results achieved, we must be grateful. That’s where the value is that makes our actions or efforts rewarding. It’s not just the results we achieve, but also the values: patience, sincerity, and gratitude to Allah SWT. These are the main values.
We are commanded to continuously do good with the intention of Allah SWT. In the Qur’an, Allah SWT. said:
قُلْ يٰعِبَا دِ الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوا اتَّقُوْا رَبَّكُمْ ۗ لِلَّذِيْنَ اَحْسَنُوْا فِيْ هٰذِهِ الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةٌ ۗ وَاَ رْضُ اللّٰهِ وَا سِعَةٌ ۗ اِنَّمَا يُوَفَّى الصّٰبِرُوْنَ اَجْرَهُمْ بِغَيْرِ حِسَا بٍ
Say, “O My servants who have believed, fear your Lord. For those who do good in this world is good, and the earth of Allah is spacious. Indeed, the patient will be given their reward without account.” (Qs. Az-Zumar [39]:10).
In Tafsir Ibn Kathir it is explained, Allah SWT commands His faithful servants to continually obey and fear Him. And those who are patient will receive rewards without calculation, as al-Auza’i said, “They are given without weighing and without measuring.” While Ibn Juraij said, “The rewards of their deeds will not be counted, in fact they will be given additional ones.”
Be patient in doing good deeds continuously in order to fear (taqwa) Allah SWT. Patience is not being passive, giving in, and waiting without doing anything. Patience is being active, continuing to move and making continuous efforts until you achieve the expected results or goals. Patience is not remaining helpless but putting in all your efforts until you achieve the goal you want to achieve.
Patience does not stand alone, but simultaneously with prayer (shalat). Patience coupled with prayer, becomes a medium for the arrival of Allah SWT’s help. The two are inseparable. This is as He said:
يٰۤاَ يُّهَا الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوا اسْتَعِيْنُوْا بِا لصَّبْرِ وَا لصَّلٰوةِ ۗ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ مَعَ الصّٰبِرِيْنَ
“O you who have believed, seek help through patience and prayer. Indeed, Allah is with the patient.” (Qs. Al-Baqara [2]: 153).
Ibn Katsir explained that the best means that can help in dealing with various calamities are patience and prayer. As exemplified by Rasulullah Saw., when facing problems, he prayed.
In another verse, patience is combined with making tasbih and tahmid to Allah SWT. This shows that patience is always related to closeness and relationship with Allah SWT. As He said:
فَا صْبِرْ عَلٰى مَا يَقُوْلُوْنَ وَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ قَبْلَ طُلُوْعِ الشَّمْسِ وَقَبْلَ الْغُرُوْبِ
وَمِنَ الَّيْلِ فَسَبِّحْهُ وَاَ دْبَا رَ السُّجُوْد
“So be patient, [O Muhammad], over what they say and exalt [Allah] with praise of your Lord before the rising of the sun and before its setting, and [in part] of the night exalt Him and after prostration.” (QS. Qaaf [50]: 39-40)
According to Ibn al-Qayyim in Fawaid al-Fawaid, this verse shows what supports patience, namely increasing prayer beads and tahmid.
Furthermore, patience varies according to the object. Ibn Kathir explained that there are three types of patience. First, be patient in abandoning various forbidden things and sinful acts. Second, be patient in obeying and drawing closer to Allah SWT. Third, be patient in accepting and facing various disasters and trials.
Be patient in staying away from and abandoning what Allah SWT has forbidden. It’s a necessity and there’s no need to question it anymore. In this case it is closely related to taqwa. This is as stated by Allah SWT:
يٰۤـاَيُّهَا الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْا اتَّقُوا اللّٰهَ حَقَّ تُقٰتِهٖ وَلَا تَمُوْتُنَّ اِلَّا وَاَ نْـتُمْ مُّسْلِمُوْنَ
“O you who have believed, fear Allah as He should be feared and do not die except as Muslims [in submission to Him].” (Qs. Ali Imran [3]:102).
Taqwa is carrying out all the commands of Allah SWT. and stay away from all His prohibitions. There is no need to look for reasons why it is forbidden. Do it with full obedience. So the meaning of patience here is to refrain from committing sins and not violating what Allah SWT has forbidden.
In carrying out the commands of Allah SWT. we must be patient and sincere, because if not we will feel heavy. Carrying out the various commands of Allah SWT, if it is not based on the values of patience and sincerity, will feel difficult. All obligations will feel like a difficult burden. However, if we do it patiently and sincerely we will not feel tired. We do not expect anything, other than the blessing of Allah SWT. If we expect praise, rewards, we will feel tired and burdened. Once again, patience, sincerity and gratitude are the main values.
As for being patient in facing trials, it returns to faith. To the extent of the strength of our faith, to that extent we are patient in facing trials. Therefore, the power of faith must be cultivated because it is a source of strength and optimism.
For example, the patience of a teacher in educating his students. Teachers educate as best as possible, with great patience. What matters is the child himself, ultimately returning to the guidance of Allah SWT. Teachers are not givers of guidance, teachers are only guardians. Leave it to Allah SWT. The teacher’s job is to educate children to the maximum. If the intention is to educate children to be smart, that is wrong. It goes back to guidance from Allah SWT. We as teachers only do what is best for our children or students. We also pray for our children or students to receive guidance from Allah SWT. so that they become pious children.
As humans, patience does have its limits, but what this means is delaying, not giving up and surrendering. We switch or do other alternatives. Achievement targets can also be lowered. That doesn’t mean giving up, waiting, and resigning yourself to doing nothing. Keep trying your best. This means that patience is maintained. That is why Allah SWT loves patient people, because they never give up on Allah SWT’s mercy. Allah SWT. said:
وَكَاَ يِّنْ مِّنْ نَّبِيٍّ قٰتَلَ ۙ مَعَهٗ رِبِّيُّوْنَ كَثِيْرٌ ۚ فَمَا وَهَنُوْا لِمَاۤ اَصَا بَهُمْ فِيْ سَبِيْلِ اللّٰهِ وَمَا ضَعُفُوْا وَمَا اسْتَكَا نُوْا ۗ وَا للّٰهُ يُحِبُّ الصّٰبِرِيْنَ
“And how many a prophet [fought and] with him fought many religious scholars. But they never lost assurance due to what afflicted them in the cause of Allah, nor did they weaken or submit. And Allah loves the steadfast.” (Qs. Ali Imran [3]: 146).
Hopefully we will be included in the group of people who are patient and continue to maintain a relationship with Allah SWT. (hablumminallah) so that our relationships with fellow humans, work and daily activities run well. Because if our relationship with Allah SWT is good, our relationship with fellow humans will be good, and the work we do will be good. It may be that our relationships with fellow humans become bad and our work is not optimal, because we don’t pay enough attention to our relationship with Allah SWT. Keep our hearts to always remember Allah SWT. and always try to get closer to Him. God willing, relations with fellow humans will be good, and the results of our work will also be good.