In the spiritual sense, sabr (patience) means to stop ourselves from despairing and panicking, to stop our tongues from complaining and to stop our hands from striking our faces & tearing our clothes at times of grief and stress. What follows are some amazing, life-changing verses from the Qur'aan and some blessed statements of the Prophet, may Allah's peace and blessings be upon his noble soul.
If contemplated over sincerely, these verses and narrations will make a mountain of trials and tests feel as insignificant and small as a prick of a thorn.
Verses from the Qur'aan Pertaining to Patience
Allah says:
{Seek help in patience and prayer; and truly it is hard save for the humble-minded.} (2:45)
{O you who believe! seek assistance through patience and prayer; surely Allah is with the patient.} (2:153)
{Be sure we shall test you with something of fear and hunger, some loss in goods or lives or the fruits (of your toil), but give glad tidings to those who patiently persevere.} (2:155)
{It is not righteousness that ye turn your faces Towards east or West; but it is righteousness- to believe in Allah and the Last Day, and the Angels, and the Book, and the Messengers; to spend of your substance, out of love for Him, for your kin, for orphans, for the needy, for the wayfarer, for those who ask, and for the ransom of slaves; to be steadfast in prayer, and practice regular charity; to fulfil the contracts which ye have made; and to be firm and patient, in pain (or suffering) and adversity, and throughout all periods of panic. Such are the people of truth, the Allah-fearing.} (2:177)
{Do you think that you will enter the garden while Allah has not yet known those who strive hard from among you, and (He has not) known the patient.} (3:142)
{......and Allah loves the patient.} (3:146)
{O you who believe! be patient and excel in patience and remain steadfast, and be careful of (your duty to) Allah, that you may be successful.} (3:200)
{What is with you passes away and what is with Allah is enduring; and We will most certainly give to those who are patient their reward for the best of what they did.} (16:96)
{And those who were given the knowledge said: Woe to you! Allah's reward is better for him who believes and does good, and none is made to receive this except the patient.} (28:80)
{Surely the men who submit and the women who submit, and the believing men and the believing women, and the obeying men and the obeying women, and the truthful men and the truthful women, and the patient men and the patient women and the humble men and the humble women, and the almsgiving men and the almsgiving women, and the fasting men and the fasting women, and the men who guard their private parts and the women who guard, and the men who remember Allah much and the women who remember-- Allah has prepared for them forgiveness and a mighty reward.} (33:35)
{Say: O my servants who believe! be careful of (your duty to) your Lord; for those who do good in this world is good, and Allah's earth is spacious; only the patient will be paid back their reward in full without measure.} (39:10)
{And if We make man taste mercy from Us, then take it off from him, most surely he is despairing, ungrateful. But if We give him a taste of (Our) favours after adversity hath touched him, he is sure to say, "All evil has departed from me:" Behold! he falls into exultation and pride. Except those who are patient and do good, they shall have forgiveness and a great reward.} (11:9-11)
{Verily, along with every hardship comes ease. Verily, along with every hardship comes ease} (94:5). And he knows that there is only one hardship and two eases. The Muslim recognises the good in the hardship, so he is able to endure patiently, waiting for Allah's reward, and the promised relief.
Ahaadeeth (Sayings of the Prophet - Peace Be Upon Him - Pertaining to Patience)
The following Prophetic narrations have been taken from Saheeh al Bukhari:
Narrated Anas bin Malik, the Prophet passed by a woman who was weeping beside a grave. He told her to fear Allah and be patient. She said to him, "Go away, for you have not been afflicted with a calamity like mine." And she did not recognize him. Then she was informed that he was the Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam). So she went to the house of the Prophet and there she did not find any guard. Then she said to him, "I did not recognize you." He said, "Verily, the patience is at the first stroke of a calamity."
Narrated Abu Sa'eed Al-Khudhri, some Ansaar [Companions of Madinah] asked for (something) from Allah's Apostle (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) and he gave it to them. They again asked him again for (something) and he again gave it to them. And then they asked him and he gave them again till all that was with him finished. Then he said, "If I had anything. I would not keep it away from you. (Remember) Whoever abstains from asking others, Allah will make him content, and whoever tries to make himself self-sufficient, Allah will make him self-sufficient. And whoever remains patient, Allah will make him patient. Nobody can be given a blessing better and greater than patience." [Volume 2, Book 24, Number 548]
Narrated Abu Hurairah, Allah's Apostle said, "The example of a believer is that of a fresh tender plant; from whatever direction the wind comes, it bends it, but when the wind becomes quiet, it becomes straight again. Similarly, a believer is afflicted with calamities (but he remains patient till Allah removes his difficulties.) And an impious wicked person is like a pine tree which keeps hard and straight till Allah cuts (breaks) it down when He wishes." [ Volume 7, Book 70, Number 547]
Narrated Anas bin Malik, Allah's Apostle sent for the Ansar and gathered them in a tent and said to them, "Be patient till you meet Allah and His Apostle, and I will be at the lake-tank (Al-Kawthar)." [Volume 9, Book 93, Number 533]
Narrated 'Aa’isha, the wife of the Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam), that Allah's Apostle said, "No calamity befalls a Muslim but that Allah expiates some of his sins because of it, even if it was the prick he receives from a thorn." [Volume 7, Book 70, Number 544.]