What Role Does Patience Play in Refining the Self?
Answered by Shaykh Anas al-Musa
Question
What is the role of patience in refining the self?
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.
Refining the self means training and disciplining it to develop good morals and positive behaviors, allowing the Muslim to control their desires and reflect goodness in their actions and character.
Among the most noble qualities that aid in refining the self is patience. Its key roles in self-discipline include:
Controlling Anger and Negative Reactions
Patience helps to manage anger and prevent reckless behavior. The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said:
“The strong person is not the one who can throw others down. Rather, the strong person is the one who can control themselves when angry.” [Bukhari]
Overcoming Desires
Through patience, a person can resist their desires and urges that lead to sinful behavior. The first level of patience is to abstain from sin. Patience in avoiding disobedience arises from a person’s understanding of the ugliness and baseness of sin, as well as from feeling a sense of modesty before Allah (Most High). [See: Harawi, Manazil al-Sa’irin; Ibn Qayyim, Tariq al-Hijratayn wa Bab al-Sa‘adatayn]
Bearing the Hardships of Life
Patience enables one to endure the challenges of life in all their forms—whether psychological or physical—and instills self-determination and willpower. Allah (Most High) says:
“But none will attain this except the steadfast.” [Quran, 28:80]
And:
“Be patient (O Prophet) with what they say, and depart from them courteously.” [Quran, 73:10]
Rational Thinking and Deliberate Decision-Making
Patience helps foster rational thinking and the ability to make well-considered decisions instead of impulsive, momentary reactions.
Summary
Patience is the fruit of faith in Allah (Most High) and the belief that whatever Allah decrees for a person—no matter its nature—is ultimately good for them, either in the short or long term. Therefore, a believing person who is patient is better equipped to face life’s painful trials, as they view these tests as coming from Allah, the All-Wise and All-Knowing.
And Allah knows best.
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.
