The importance of Sabr: Patience | Voices of Faith
“Patience is a virtue.”
- William Langland
The infamous words of William Langland have become prevalent throughout society, with his words never being more accurate. Whether you're in a traffic jam or in a long line at a store, it can be very frustrating. We often become impatient quickly wanting things to occur at a faster pace, especially in this age of technology where you can do anything in a click of a button.
Patience is such an important aspect that in the religion of Islam, patience (Sabr) is a fundamental virtue that every believer should practice. It is an essential part of practicing your faith so much so that it is often said that Sabr is the key to unlocking the doors to paradise. Sabr or patience is crucial in achieving success or getting through hardship.
Sabr is mentioned in the Quran several times.
"O believers! Seek comfort in patience and prayer. God is truly with those who are patient." (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:153)
Not only does God possess patience, however exhibiting patience will bring God closer to you. Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) stated:"The strongest among you is the one who controls his anger when he is most angry."(Sahih Bukhari)
Although showing anger is a natural human reaction, it is one we should be aware of as it may limit our patience. This does not mean bottling it inside but finding a healthy outlet to release this anger. As Sabr or patience is very important in Islam, it is not the only religion that practices it as part of their faith.
When looking at patience between different religions, Christianity and Judaism have a similar outlook as Islam on Sabr.
“Wait patiently for the lord.” (Psalm 27:14)
“Behold how patient Job was and how he endured.” (Job 1:22)
This ultimately leads to understanding God’s plans and having faith in his timing. The patience of Job serves as a reminder that patience is an essential trait when it comes to difficulty and hardship. Having that trust with God is what allows a person to remain patient and see the light through the tunnel. The importance of Sabr is not only to succeed in life but to help us get through hardship.
While practicing Sabr is part of many faiths, it has many benefits in everyday life. Walter Mischel conducted research in the 1970s studying delayed gratification in children.We now call these studies the “Marshmallow Experiments.” In this method of the study, participants were allowed an immediate reward such as a marshmallow, cookie, etc. or were allowed two if they waited a period of time. According to the original experiment, children able to delay gratification developed to be more cognitively and competent individuals and achieved higher academic success, as well as learned better coping strategies with stress and frustration. This evidence shows that patience and success correlate to some capacity resulting in patience having a positive impact on children.
Sabr or patience is a fundamental aspect in our lives, whether that be spiritually, physically, or emotionally. It helps us overcome struggle and instills faith, strength, and resilience despite going through hardship. No matter your religion, Sabr has a positive reflection that brings us closer together and helps improve our lives. Even if we do get frustrated by being in a traffic jam or having to wait in a long line, we should use this as an opportunity to practice patience. Sabr is a valuable skill to obtain and an important one to cultivate in our lives.
Youssra Abdrabou is a public relations intern for Islamic Society of Akron and Kent.
This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: The importance of Sabr: Patience Voices of Faith
