Maulana Wahiduddin Khan | ST Blog | April 30, 2018

The present world is designed in such a way that here one has to repeatedly face unpleasant experiences, inside as well as outside the home. Now if people were to fall to wrangling on all such occasions, they would fail to advance along the path of human progress. That is why Islam has placed great emphasis on patience, so that by avoiding all unpleasantness, man may continue his onward journey towards the higher goal of God-realization.

The Quran repeatedly stresses the need for patience.

"Endure with fortitude whatever befalls you." THE QURAN 31:17

"Have patience. God is with those that are patient." THE QURAN 8:46

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Patience is the exercise of restraint in trying situations. It is a virtue, which enables the individual to proceed towards worthy goals, undeflected by adverse circumstances or repeated provocations. If he allows himself to become upset by opposition, taunts or other kinds of unpleasantness, he will never reach his goals. He will simply become enmeshed in irrelevancies.

The only way to deal with the irksome side of daily living is to exercise patience. Patience will ensure that whenever one has some bitter experience, he will opt for the way of tolerance rather than that of reaction to provocation. It will enable one to absorb shocks and to continue, undeterred, on one's onward journey.

Patience, as well as being a practical solution to the problems faced in the outside world, is also a means of positive character building. One who fails to exercise patience, gives free rein to negative thoughts and feelings and thereby develops a personality which is likewise negative. While one who remains patient is so morally bolstered by his own positive thoughts and feelings that he develops a positive personality.