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The Prophet's Inexhaustible Patience, A Muslim Reflects
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One of the marvelous qualities of beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of God be upon him) was his infinite patience. God was with Muhammad, as He is always with those who patiently persevere:
(God is certainly with those who patiently persevere.) (Al-Baqarah 2:153)
The Qur'anic word used for patience is sabr, and there is no English equivalent for it. We can convey the idea of sabr only by phrases such as endurance against afflictions, patience with delay, perseverance against hardships, steadfastness in the face of setbacks, courage against hostilities, self-restraint against provocations, will power against temptations, and equanimity or calmness of mind as regards fortunes and misfortunes.
In all the meanings indicated by the above
expressions, the Prophet was a perfect model to his followers. Indeed his
life presents before us the shining example of a man of extraordinary
endurance: His father died before his birth; his mother died when he was
only six years old; and his grandfather who took up his guardianship also
died soon.
During the early days of his preaching, the people
of Makkah had approached him through his uncle Abu Talib and made very
tempting offers to him, such as the leadership of the City of Makkah, the
most beautiful girl in marriage, and wealth of immense proportions.
And imagine the day when the Prophet had to leave his home, his city, and his people and emigrate to another place! The Hijrah, as the emigration of the Prophet from Makkah to Madinah is known, was a great sacrifice and a painful decision for the Prophet at the time when he undertook it. But his personal comforts, likes, and dislikes had no value in the face of the immense task before him. One remembers the time when he and his Companion Abu Bakr were almost overcome by their pursuers in the Cave of Thawr. When Abu Bakr in dismay told the Prophet that they were only two persons against the enemy, he told him with unflinching faith in the Almighty not to grieve, as God was with them. God in the Qur'an admonishes the Muslims:
(If you will not aid him [Prophet Muhammad], God certainly aided him when those who disbelieved expelled him, he being the second of the two, when they were both in the cave, when he said to his companion: Grieve not, surely God is with us. So God sent down His tranquility upon him, strengthened him with hosts that you did not see, and made lowest the word of those who disbelieved; and the word of God, that is the highest; and God is Mighty, Wise) (At-Tawbah 9:40) In the matter of complete reliance on God and faithful submission to Him, the Prophet was an unparalleled model to all Muslims. For he taught his followers: When you ask for anything, ask it from God, and if you seek help, seek the help of God. Know that if the people were to unite to do you some benefit, they could benefit you only with what God had recorded for you, and that if they were to unite to do you some injury, they could injure you only with what God had recorded for you. The pens are withdrawn and the pages are dry.(At-Tirmidhi)
The source of the Prophet's courageous determination in the face of all the traumatic experiences he suffered was his strong faith in God and his dependence on Him. The Prophet's conviction that God was with him when he was struggling with adverse circumstances, is evident from this teaching: Strange are the ways of a believer for there is good in every affair of his, and this is not the case with anyone else except in the case of a believer; for if he has an occasion to feel delight, he thanks (God); thus there is a good for him in it, and if he gets into trouble and shows resignation (and endures it patiently), there is a good for him in it. (Muslim)
Do Patience and Gentleness Go Hand in Hand? (Thus it is due to mercy from God that you deal with them gently, and had you been rough and hard-hearted, they would certainly have dispersed from around you) (Aal `Imran 3:159) An incident at the Prophet's mosque in Madinah demonstrates how lenient and kind the Prophet was to ignorant people. Abu Hurairah reports: " A bedouin urinated in the mosque and some people rushed to beat him. The Prophet said, 'Leave him alone and pour a bucket of water over it. You have been sent to make things easy and not to make them difficult'(Al-Bukhari). Once a man approached the Prophet seeking advice, and the Prophet said, "Do not get angry." The man asked for advice several times and the Prophet replied every time, "Do not get angry" (Al-Bukhari). The questioner was probably one disposed to a quick temper, and so the Prophet was stressing the need to control his anger. the Prophet also said, "He who is deprived of forbearance and gentleness is, in fact, deprived of all good" (Muslim).
We may remember the day of Makkah Victory: The
Prophet reentered the city after 10 long years of living in Madinah, and
practically there was no opposition as he was accompanied by an overwhelming
number of Muslims. The whole of Makkah lay at his feet as he marched in. His
enemies stood in surrender awaiting his verdict, and he could very well have
cried "havoc" or "let slip the dogs of war" as the triumphant commanders of
those days used to do.
Such kindness and generosity could not have been in vain, as the whole of
the community of Makkah thereafter embraced Islam, a feat that could never
have been achieved by the use of force. And certainly this superb act of
forgiveness was in keeping with the Qur'anic injunction
(Let
there be no compulsion in religion)
(Al-Baqarah
2:256).
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