Patience…
February 19, 2007
Patience comes in three stages: first, one learns not to follow the baser self; second, one learns to content oneself with one’s fate; finally, one surrenders oneself to the Master’s will and discovers within love and compassion, the greatest of all achievements.
-Al-Ghazzali, “Ibya Ulum Id-Din”
You know I just *hate* to be a nit-picker but it’s “Ihya Ulum ud-Din”. With an H…
do we have to surrender to our fate first, b4 reaching the third stage?
i want to fight to make my own fate and ask Him to make it the best for me. if that makes sense… but of course surrendered to Him through and through but not to FATE!!
I am a bit confused too in the three stagfes of surrender and all. Maybe that is because i have extreme lack of patience in myself.hehe!!! ALien concept..
Contenting oneself with one’s fate is not for things that would occur in the future. One is to strive and work to better one’s lot (Allah doesn’t change the condition of a people until they change that which is within themselves, or so goes a verse in the Quran). What I believe Imam Ghazzali is talking about is contenting oneself with what has befallen on one (past tense) and considering it an “act of God” and one that was already written (ie. not to ignore the learning points from the thing which befalls one, nor to be lazy and not bother handling the consequences but rather the point is not to DESPAIR and think along the lines of “why me?” and “Woe is me” and not to let in the word “if” into one’s thoughts ["if I had done this and this, things might have been better"]). Sense? Yes? No?
From what I understand (and this is strictly my own thoughts), the reference to ignore the baser self means to control the impulses and leanings towards injustice eg. don’t scream at anyone, don’t get suicidal, etc. Kubler-Ross describes Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Sadness and then Acceptance. The “baser self” probably refers to the first two.
Once you’ve controlled the negative aspects of the id, you’d try to actively accomplish patience by coming to terms with what has happened, with fate (remember patience is of two types: both the one who is silent and takes good from his fate and the one who is loud and complains about his fate are “patient” in the sense that they’re dealing with something that has befallen them; only one, however, is beneficial).
The third I believe, refers not only to understanding fate, but THANKING Allah (AWJ) for it. This is clearly clearly very difficult, but should be our goal. We’d not only understand that what has happened is fate but we’d believe that with Allah (AWJ) everything that happens is good. We believe in Him and trust Him so UTTERLY that we are completely contented and happy with what he wills for us. We say “Al-Hamdulillah ‘Ala Kulle Haal” (Praise is to Allah in all circumstances). We thank him for choosing us among his servants to test. A person once saw a blind, naked, thin-as-bones, leper walking the street and chanting Allah’s praise. The person, upon hearing this, and noticing his utterly wretched condition asked him, “What do you have that you are thanking Allah for?!” He replied, “Should I not be grateful to my Lord that He has chosen me over you to test?” (or something to that effect). The Sahabah used to get worried if their lives got a little “too easy” and started to fear that they were getting all their ajar in the dunya and the troubles were being stored up for the hereafter. And so on.
At least that’s my understanding. Wallahu Alam.
thank you so much uzer. I dont think i need to say anythin after wat u wrote!
tho if someone needs a commentary on uncle uzers profound thoughts, i cud do that…
hehe
By the way.
It still says Ibya Ulum id Din.
it wil keep on sayin ibya…
ur comment wil make no sense if i correct it…bein the dutiful, considerate, im makin u sound smart…
dutiful??? interesting…
but wat do u exactly mean?? dutiful ‘—-’!! right number of spaces i guess four letter word…
lol…very funny! crazy! i was just tryin to b funny! ullu…hehe