What Is the Meaning of Hilm (Forbearance), and Is It Innate or Acquired?
Answered by Shaykh Anas al-Musa
Question
What is the meaning of hilm (forbearance), and is it an innate trait or an acquired characteristic?
Answer
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
All praise is due to Allah, Lord of all worlds. Peace and blessings be upon the Messenger sent as a mercy to the worlds, our Master and Prophet, Muhammad, and his Family and Companions.
Definition of Hilm (Forbearance)
In Arabic, hilm (forbearance) refers to patience and the avoidance of haste; it is the opposite of recklessness.
In Islamic terminology, hilm is defined as controlling one’s self and temperament in the face of anger or provocation.
Innate and Acquired Forbearance
Forbearance can be both innate and acquired. Some people are naturally endowed with forbearance, while others develop it through effort and discipline. This is evident in the following narration:
The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said to Ashajj ‘Abd al-Qays:
“You have two qualities that Allah loves: forbearance (hilm) and deliberation (ana).” [Muslim]
In another narration from Abu Dawud, Ashajj asked, “O Messenger of Allah, are these traits innate in me, or did Allah bestow them upon me?” The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) replied, “Allah has endowed them to you.” Ashajj then said, “Praise be to Allah, who has endowed me with two traits that Allah and His Messenger love.” [Abu Dawud]
Additionally, the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said:
“Knowledge is acquired through learning, and forbearance through cultivating forbearance.” [Tabarani, al-Mu‘jam al-Awsat]
This indicates that hilm can be both inherent and developed through practice.
The Weight of Good Character
Islam, through its teachings and guidance, emphasizes and nurtures noble character traits. The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said:
“There is nothing heavier on the Scale than good character.” [Abu Dawud]
May Allah bless the Prophet Muhammad and give him peace, and his Family and Companions.
[Shaykh] Anas al-Musa
Shaykh Anas al-Musa, born in Hama, Syria, in 1974, is an erudite scholar of notable repute. He graduated from the Engineering Institute in Damascus, where he specialized in General Construction, and Al-Azhar University, Faculty of Usul al-Din, where he specialized in Hadith.
He studied under prominent scholars in Damascus, including Shaykh Abdul Rahman al-Shaghouri and Shaykh Adib al-Kallas, among others. Shaykh Anas has memorized the Quran and is proficient in the ten Mutawatir recitations, having studied under Shaykh Bakri al-Tarabishi and Shaykh Mowfaq ‘Ayun. He also graduated from the Iraqi Hadith School.
He has taught numerous Islamic subjects at Shari‘a institutes in Syria and Turkey. Shaykh Anas has served as an Imam and preacher for over 15 years and is a teacher of the Quran in its various readings and narrations.
Currently, he works as a teacher at SeekersGuidance and is responsible for academic guidance there. He has completed his Master’s degree in Hadith and is now pursuing his Ph.D. in the same field. Shaykh Anas al-Musa is married and resides in Istanbul.
