Imam Al-Nawawi’s Riyad-us-Saliheen
Chapter 3
Patience and Perseverance
Allah, the Exalted, says:
“O you who believe! Endure and be more patient..”. (3:200)
“And certainly, We shall test you with something of fear, hunger, loss of wealth, lives and fruits, but give glad tidings to As-Sabirun (the patient)”. (2:155)
“Only those who are patient shall receive their reward in full, without reckoning.” (39:10)
“And verily, whosoever shows patience and forgives, that would truly be from the things recommended by Allah.” (42:43)
“Seek help in patience and As-Salat (the prayer). Truly, Allah is with As-Sabirun (the patient).” (2:153)
“And surely, We shall try you till We test those who strive hard (for the Cause of Allah) and As-Sabirun (the patient)” (47:31)
There are numerous Verses of the Noble Qur’an inculcating patience and extolling it.
25. Abu Malik Al-Harith bin Asim Al-Ash`ar (May Allah be pleased with him) reported that: The Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “Wudu’ is half of Salah; the utterance of (Al-hamdu lillah – all praise belongs to Allah) fills the Scales of good actions; the utterance of (Subhan Allah wa Al-hamdu lillah) (Allah is far removed from every imperfection and all praise belongs to Allah) fills the space between the heavens and the earth, and Salat (prayer) is light; and charity is the proof of Faith; and endurance is light, and the Qur’an is a plea in your favour or against you. Every person departs; he either ransoms it or puts it into perdition”.
[Muslim].
26. Abu Sa’id Al-Khudri (May Allah be pleased with him) reported that: Certain people of the Ansar asked the Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) and he gave them; then they again asked him and he gave them until all what he possessed was exhausted. Then the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said, “Whatever wealth I have, I will not withhold from you. Whosoever would be chaste and modest; Allah will keep him chaste and modest and whosoever would seek self-sufficiency, Allah will make him self-sufficient; and whosoever would be patient, Allah will give him patience, and no one is granted a gift better and more comprehensive than patience”.
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
27. Abu Yahya Suhaib bin Sinan (May Allah be pleased with him) reported that: The Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said, “How wonderful is the case of a believer; there is good for him in everything and this applies only to a believer. If prosperity attends him, he expresses gratitude to Allah and that is good for him; and if adversity befalls him, he endures it patiently and that is better for him”.
[Muslim].
28. Anas (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: When the last illness of Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) made him unconscious, Fatimah (May Allah be pleased with her) exclaimed: “Ah, the distress of my dear father.” He (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said, “There will be no distress for your father after today”. When he died she said: “My father, Allah has called you back and you have responded to His Call. O father! Garden of Firdaus is your abode. O father! We announce to Jibril your death.” When he was buried, she said: “Are you satisfied now that you put earth over (the grave of) Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam)?”
[Al-Bukhari]
29. Usamah bin Zaid (May Allah be pleased with them) narrated: The daughter of the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) sent for him as her child was dying, but the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) returned the messenger and sent her good wishes saying, “Whatever Allah takes away or gives, belongs to Him, and everything with Him has a limited fixed term (in this world), and so she should be patient and anticipate Allah’s reward.” She again sent for him adjuring him for the sake of Allah to come. The Messenger of Allah, accompanied with Sa`d bin `Ubadah, Mu`adh bin Jabal, Ubayy bin Ka`b, Zaid bin Thabit and some other men went to see her. The child was lifted up to the Messenger of Allah while his breath was disturbed in his chest. On seeing that, the eyes of the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) streamed with tears. Sa`d said, “O Messenger of Allah! What is this?” He replied, “It is compassion which Allah has placed in the hearts of His slaves, Allah is Compassionate only to those among His slaves who are compassionate (to others)”.
Another version says: Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said, “Allah shows compassion only to those among His slaves who are compassionate”.
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
30. Suhaib (May Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said, “There lived a king before you and he had a court magician. As he (the magician) grew old, he said to the king: `I have grown old, so send me a young boy in order to teach him magic.’ The king sent him a young boy to serve the purpose. And on his way (to the magician) the young boy met a monk to whom he listened to and liked it. It became his habit that on his way to the magician, he would meet the monk and sit there and would come to the magician (late). The magician used to beat him because of this delay. He complained about this to the monk who said to him: ‘When you feel afraid of the magician, say: Members of my family detained me. And when you fear your family, say: The magician detained me.’ It so happened that there came a huge beast and it blocked the way of the people, and the young boy said: ‘I will know today whether the magician or the monk is better.’ He picked up a stone and said: `O Allah, if the way of the monk is dearer to You than the way of the magician, bring about death to the animal so that the people be able to move about freely.’ He threw that stone at it and killed it and the people began to move about freely. He then came to the monk and told him the story. The monk said: `Son, today you are superior to me. You have come to a stage where I feel that you would be soon put to a trial, and in case you are put to a trial, do not reveal me.’ That young boy began to heal those born blind and the lepers and he, in fact, began to cure people from all kinds of illnesses. When a courtier of the king who had gone blind heard about him, he came to him with numerous gifts and said, `If you cure me, all these things will be yours.’ He said, `I myself do not cure anyone. It is Allah, the Exalted, Alone Who cures; and if you affirm faith in Allah, I shall also supplicate to Allah to cure you.’ This courtier affirmed his faith in Allah and Allah cured him. He came to the king and sat by his side as he used to sit before. The king said to him, `Who restored your eyesight?’ He said, `My Rubb.’ Thereupon he said, ‘Do you have another lord besides me?’ He said, `My Rubb and your Rubb is Allah.’ So the king kept torturing him untill he revealed the young boy. The young boy was thus summoned and the king said to him, ‘O boy, it has been conveyed to me that you have become so much proficient in your magic that you cure the blind and the lepers and you do such and such.’ Thereupon he said, `I do not cure anyone; it is Allah Alone Who cures,’ and the king took hold of him and began to torture him until he revealed of the monk. The monk was summoned and it was said to him: `You should turn back from your religion.’ But he refused. The king sent for a saw, placed it in the middle of his head and cut him into two parts that fell down. Then the courtier of the king was brought forward and it was said to him: `Turn back from your religion.’ He, too, refused, and the saw was placed in the midst of his head and he was torn into two parts. Then the boy was sent for and it was said to him: `Turn back from your religion.’ He refused. The king then handed him over to a group of his courtiers, and said to them: `Take him to such and such mountain; make him climb up that mountain and when you reach its peak ask him to renounce his Faith. If he refuses to do so, push him to his death.’ So they took him and made him climb up the mountain and he said: `O Allah, save me from them in any way you like,’ and the mountain began to shake and they all fell down (dead) and that young boy came walking to the king. The king said to him, `What happened to your companions?’ He said, `Allah has saved me from them.’ He again handed him to some of his courtiers and said: `Take him and carry him in a boat and when you reach the middle of the sea, ask him to renounce his religion. If he does not renounce his religion throw him (into the water).’ So they took him and he said: `O Allah, save me from them.’ The boat turned upside down and they all drowned except the young boy who came walking to the king. The king said to him, `What happened to your companions?’ He said, `Allah has saved me from them,’ and he said to the king: `You cannot kill me until you do what I command you to do.’ The king asked, `What is that?’ He said, `Gather all people in one place and tie me up to the trunk of a tree, then take an arrow from my quiver and say: With the Name of Allah, the Rubb of the boy; then shoot me. If you do that you will be able to kill me.’ `The king called the people in an open field and tied the young boy to the trunk of a tree. He took out an arrow from his quiver, fixed in the bow and said, `With the Name of Allah, the Rubb of the young boy,’ he then shot the arrow and it hit the boy’s temple. The young boy placed his hand upon the temple where the arrow had hit him and died. The people then said: `We believe in the Rubb of this young boy.’ The king was told: `Do you see what you were afraid of, by Allah it has taken place; all people have believed.’ The king then commanded that trenches be dug and fire lit in them, and said: `He who would not turn back from his (the young boy’s) religion, throw him in the fire’ or `he would be ordered to jump into it.’ They did so till a woman came with her child. She felt hesitant in jumping into the fire. The child said to her: `O mother! Endure (this ordeal) for you are on the Right Path”.
[Muslim].
31. Anas (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) passed by a woman who was crying over a grave and said, “Fear Allah and be patient.” She said, “Away from me! My calamity has not befallen you and you are not aware of it.” The woman was later told that it was the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) (who had advised her). She came to his door where she found no doorkeeper. She said, “(I am sorry) I did not know you.” Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said, “Patience is (becoming) only at the first (stroke) of grief”.
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
Another narration in Muslim says: The woman was crying over her son.
32. Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said, “Allah, the Exalted, says: ‘I have no reward other than Jannah for a believing slave of Mine who remains patient for My sake when I take away his beloved one from among the inhabitants of the world”.
[Al-Bukhari].
33. `Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) reported: I asked the Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) about pestilence and he said, “It is a punishment which Allah sends upon whomsoever He wills, but Allah has made it as a mercy to the believers. Anyone who remains in a town which is plagued with pestilence maintaining patience expecting the reward from Allah, and knowing that nothing will befall him other than what Allah has foreordained for him, he would receive a reward of Shaheed”.
[Al-Bukhari].
34. Anas (May Allah be pleased with him) said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) saying, “Allah, the Glorious and Exalted said: `When I afflict my slave in his two dear things (i.e., his eyes), and he endures patiently, I shall compensate him for them with Jannah.”.
[Al-Bukhari].
35. `Ata’ bin Abu Rabah reported: Ibn `Abbas (May Allah be pleased with them) asked him whether he would like that he should show him a woman who is from the people Jannah. When he replied that he certainly would, he said, “This black woman, who came to the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) and said, `I suffer from epilepsy and during fits my body is exposed, so make supplication to Allah for me.’ He (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) replied: ‘If you wish you endure it patiently and you be rewarded with Jannah, or if you wish, I shall make supplication to Allah to cure you?‘ She said, ‘I shall endure it.’ Then she added: `But my body is exposed, so pray to Allah that it may not happen.’ He (Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam)) then supplicated for her”.
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
36. `Abdullah bin Mas`ud (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: I can still recall as if I am seeing the Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) resembling one of the Prophets whose people scourged him and shed his blood, while he wiped blood from his face, he said: “O Allah! Forgive my people, because they certainly do not know”.
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
37. Abu Sa`id and Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “Never a believer is stricken with a discomfort, an illness, an anxiety, a grief or mental worry or even the pricking of a thorn but Allah will expiate his sins on account of his patience”.
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
38. Ibn Mas`ud (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: I visited the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) when he was suffering fever. I said, “You seem to be suffering greatly, O Messenger of Allah.” The Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) replied, “Yes, I suffer as much as two persons.” I said, “Is that because you have a double reward?” He replied that that was so and then said, “No Muslim is afflicted by a harm, be it the pricking of a thorn or something more (painful than that), but Allah thereby causes his sins to fall away just as a tree sheds its leaves”.
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
39. Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported that: The Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “He whom Allah intends good, He makes him to suffer from some affliction”.
[Al-Bukhari].
40. Anas (May Allah be pleased with him) reported that: The Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said, “Let not one of you wish for death because of a misfortune which befalls him. If he cannot help doing so, he should say: ‘O Allah, keep me alive as long as You know that life is better for me, and make me die when death is better for me”.
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
41. Khabbab bin Al-Aratt (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: We complained to the Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) regarding the persecution inflicted upon us by the disbelievers while he was lying in the shade of the Ka`bah, having made a pillow of his cloak. We submitted: “Why do you not supplicate for our prevalence (over the opponents)?”. He (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) replied, “Among those people before you, a man would be seized and held in a pit dug for him in the ground and he would be sawed into two halves from his head, and his flesh torn away from his bones with an iron comb; but, in spite of this, he would not wean away from his Faith. By Allah, Allah will bring this matter to its consummation until a rider will travel from San`a’ to Hadramout fearing none except Allah, and except the wolf for his sheep, but you are in too much of a hurry”.
[Al-Bukhari].
Another narration is: He (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) had placed his cloak under his head and we had been tortured by the polytheists.
42. Ibn Mas`ud (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: After the battle of Hunain, Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) favoured some people in the distribution of spoils (for consolation). He gave Al-Aqra` bin Habis and `Uyainah bin Hisn a hundred camels each and showed favour also to some more honourable persons among the Arabs. Someone said: “This division is not based on justice and it was not intended to win the Pleasure of Allah.” I said to myself: “By Allah! I will inform Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) of this.” I went to him and informed him. His face became red and he said, “Who will do justice if Allah and His Messenger do not?” Then he said, “May Allah have mercy on (Prophet) Musa (Moses); he was caused more distress than this but he remained patient.” Having heard this I said to myself: “I shall never convey anything of this kind to him in future”.
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
43. Anas (May Allah be pleased with him) reported that: The Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said, “When Allah intends good for His slave, He punishes him in this world, but when He intends an evil for His slave, He does not hasten to take him to task but calls him to account on the Day of Resurrection.”
[At-Tirmidhi].
44. Anas (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: One of the sons of Abu Talhah (May Allah be pleased with him) was ailing. Abu Talhah went out and the boy died in his absence. When he came back, he inquired, “How is the boy?”. Umm Sulaim, the mother of the boy, replied, “Better than before”. Then she placed his evening meal before him and he ate it; and thereafter slept with her. At last, she said to him: “Arrange for the burial of the boy”. In the morning, Abu Talhah went to Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) and informed him of the event. He enquired, “Did you sleep together last night?” Abu Talhah replied in the affirmative, on which the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) supplicated, “O Allah bless them.” Thereafter, she gave birth to a boy. Abu Talhah said to me: “Take up the boy and carry him to the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam)”; and he sent some dates with him. The Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) enquired, “Is there anything with him?” He said; “Yes, some dates”. The Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) took a date, chewed it and put it in the mouth of the baby and rubbed the chewed date around the baby’s gum and named him `Abdullah.
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
The narration in Bukhari adds: Ibn `Uyainah relates that a man from the Ansar told him that he had seen nine sons of this `Abdullah, every one of whom had committed the Noble Qur’an to memory.
The narration of Muslim says: The son of Abu Talhah (May Allah be pleased with him) who was born of Umm Sulaim died. She (Umm Sulaim) said to the members of the family: “Do not tell Abu Talhah about his son until I mention it to him myself.” Abu Talhah came (home) and she gave him supper. He ate and drank. She then beautified herself the best way she ever did and he slept with her. When she saw that he was satisfied after sexual intercourse with her, she said, “O Abu Talhah! If some people borrow something from another family and then (the members of the family) ask for its return, would they refuse to give it back to them.” He said, “No”. She said, “Then hope reward for your son”. Abu Talhah got angry, and said; “You left me uninformed until I stained myself (with sexual intercourse) and then you told me about my son. “He went to Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) and informed him about the matter. Thereupon Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said, “May Allah bless the night you spent together!” He (the narrator) said: She conceived. (One day) Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) was in the course of a journey and she was along with him. When Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) used to come back to Al-Madinah from a journey, he would not enter it (during the night). When the people came near Al-Madinah, she felt labour pains. He (Abu Talhah) remained with her and Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) proceeded on. Abu Talhah said: “O Rubb, You know that I love to go along with Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) when he goes out and enter along with him when he enters, and I have been detained as You see.” Umm Sulaim then said: “O Abu Talhah, I do not feel (so much pain) as I was feeling earlier, so we better proceed on. So we proceeded on and she felt the labour of delivery as they reached (Al-Madinah). She gave birth to a male child. My mother said to me: “O Anas, none should suckle him until you go to Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) tomorrow morning.” The next morning I carried the baby with me to Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam), and narrated the rest of the story.
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
45. Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said, “The strong man is not one who is good at wrestling, but the strong man is one who controls himself in a fit of rage.”
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
46. Sulaiman bin Surad (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: I was sitting with the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) when two men began to quarrel and curse each other and the face of one of them turned red and the veins of his neck were swollen (from rage). Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said, “I know of a word, if he were to utter that, his rage would vanish and that is: A`udhu billahi minash-Shaitan nir-rajim (I seek refuge with Allah from Satan, the accursed).” So they (Companions) said to him: “The Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) tells you to utter: ‘I seek refuge with Allah from Satan, the accursed”.
[Al-Bukhariand Muslim].
47. Mu`adh bin Anas (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said, “The one who suppresses anger and has the power to give effect to it, will be called out by Allah, the Exalted, to the forefront of the creatures on the Day of Resurrection and he will be asked to choose any of the virgins (Hur) of his liking”.
[Abu Dawud and At-Tirmidhi].
48. Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: A man asked the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) for an advice and he (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said, “Do not get angry”. The man repeated that several times and he replied, “Do not get angry”.
[Al-Bukhari].
49. Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said, “A Muslim, male or female, continues to remain under trial in respect of his life, property and offspring until he faces Allah, the Exalted, with no sin record”.
[At-Tirmidhi].
50. Ibn `Abbas (May Allah be pleased with them) reported: ‘Uyainah bin Hisn came to Al-Madinah and stayed with his nephew Hurr bin Qais who was among those whom Umar (May Allah be pleased with him) showed favour to. The knowledgeable people (Qurra’), whether they were old or young, had the privilege of joining Umar’s council and he used to consult them. ‘Uyainah said to Hurr: “My nephew, the Leader of the Believers shows favour to you. Will you obtain permission for me to sit with him?” Hurr asked `Umar and he accorded permission. When `Uyainah came into the presence of `Umar, he addressed him thus: “O son of Khattab, you neither bestow much on us nor deal with us justly.” `Umar (May Allah be pleased with him) got angry and was about to beat him up when Hurr said: “O Leader of the Believers, Allah said to His Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam): ‘ Show forgiveness, enjoin what is good, and turn away from the foolish (i.e., don’t punish them).’ (7:199) This one is from the ignorants. When Hurr recited this, `Umar became quite motionless in his seat. He always adhered strictly to the Book of Allah.
[Al-Bukhari].
51. Ibn Mas`ud (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said, “You will see after me favouritism and things which you will disapprove of.” They submitted: “What do you order us to do (under such circumstances)?” He replied, “Discharge your obligations and ask your rights from Allah”.
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
52. Usaid bin Hudhair (May Allah be pleased with him) reported that: A person from among the Ansar said, “O Messenger of Allah! You appointed such and such person and why do you not appoint me?” Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said, “After me you will see others given preference to you, but you should remain patient till you meet me at the Haud (Al-Kauthar in Jannah)”.
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
53. `Abdullah bin Abu Aufa (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) at one time when he confronted the enemy, and was waiting for the sun to set, stood up and said, “O people! Do not long for encountering the enemy and supplicate to Allah to grant you security. But when you face the enemy, show patience and steadfastness; and keep it in mind that Jannah lies under the shade of the swords.” Then he invoked Allah, saying, “O Allah, Revealer of the Book, Disperser of the clouds, Defeater of the Confederates, put our enemy to rout and help us in over-powering them”.
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
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