Al Saboor (99)

"... nor did they weaken, nor did they abase themselves, and Allah loves those who are patient." (Qur’an, 03:146). "Al-Saboor" is an Attribute of Allah linguistically derived from the noun sabr which means: withholding one's self from expressing its overwhelming grief. Al-Saboor is most patient, Whose patience is greater than anyone else's. The month of Ramadan is called the month of patience and perseverance: during its days, the believer withholds himself/herself from yielding to the desires. Al-Saboor, Glory to Him, is the Clement One Who does not surprise those who disobey Him by suddenly inflicting His penalty on them; rather, He forgives and postpones His carrying out of such a penalty. Al-Saboor does not rush to do anything too early; rather, He manages the affairs according to a measure; He conducts them according to a well-defined plan of His; He does not delay them from reaching their destined courses out of laziness or relaxation, nor does He advance their execution. Rather, He does everything exactly at its right time, in the best way, as it ought to be. All of this He does without facing hardship which may frustrate His will. Al-Saboor gives you and is true to you even when you are rude to Him. He comes to you forgiving even when you shun Him and revolt against Him. Al-Saboor does not rush to penalize those who disobey Him or to chastise those who sin. He does not do anything except when it is most opportune due to His wisdom, honor, and sublimity. He is not harmed by those who commit sins. He takes the guilty by the forelocks. Al-Saboor commands and respites those to whom He issues His command; He observes and does not rush, nor does He do anything prematurely. He commands and His command is according to a certain measure. He cancels the penalty even after it becomes due. Al-Saboor inspires patience and perseverance for all His creatures. The meaning of the Attribute "al-Saboor" is very close to that of the other Attribute "al-aleem". The difference between the first and the latter is that with al-Saboor, nobody can feel safe against His penalty, as is the case with al-aleem. In Surat Ali-`Imran, the Almighty says, "O you who believe! Be patient, excel in patience, and remain steadfast" (Qur’an, 3:200), that is, be patient while obeying Allah, make your hearts accustomed tolerating affliction in the cause of Allah, and train your innermost conscience to be eager for Allah. It also means: Be patient for the sake of Allah; persevere while seeking Allah's Pleasure; remain in Allah's camp. Patience regarding what Allah decrees is a trial, and patience for the sake of Allah is a hardship, while patience with Allah is loyalty [to Him]. The Messenger of Allah has said, "None is more patient regarding the pain of what he hears than Allah: they ascribe sons to Him even as He grants them good health and sustenance." One of the manifestations of a believer's good conduct in deriving a moral code from the inspiration of the Attribute "al- Saboor" is that he keeps in mind its beautiful meanings, so he is patient under all circumstances. One who examines how Allah treats His servants, how He is patient in the face of their rudeness and disobedience, while He keeps giving them one respite after another, will learn how to treat people applying Allah's manners to the best of his ability. Whenever patience is repeated by a servant of Allah, it becomes a habit, and he will then be following its guiding light. Such is the status of those who persevere in the sight of Allah, Glory and Praise to Him, as explained in the text of the Holy Qur’an. We are told that the group of those who were patient will be advanced before others by the token of the verse saying, "Those who are patient, and the truthful, and the obedient, and those who spend (benevolently) and those who ask forgiveness in the morning..." (Qur’an, 3:17). Thus, such a group will have a higher status than that of other groups of His servants. The Praised One has said, "If there are twenty patient ones among you, they shall overcome two hundred, and if there are a hundred, they shall overcome a thousand of those who disbelieve" (Qur’an, 8:65). This is victory with regard to prowess and number granted by Allah whereby He blesses those from among His servants who persevere. "Lord! Pour down upon us patience, and make our steps firm, and assist us against the unbelieving people" (Qur’an, 2:250), "Lord! Pour upon us patience and cause us to die as Muslims" (Qur’an, 7:126).