Sabr (Islamic term)
Encyclopedia
Sabr or Sabur is the Islam
ic virtue of "patience
" or "endurance". Sabr is characterized as being one of the two parts of faith
(the other being shukr
). Its practice challenges, and to remain spiritual
ly steadfast.
, words that are derived from the root ṣ-b-r occur frequently, with the general meaning of being patient. For example, Muhammad
is told to be patient like the Apostles of God before him The Qur'an promises the patient with double the reward. The concept is also in jihad, where it is translated as "endurance" or "tenacity". It is also used when God commands Muslims to serve Him: XIX, 66, "Serve him and persevere in his service." Sometimes sabr is associated with the salāt. According to the Qur'an commentators
, sabr in these passages is synonymous with fasting, as the month of Ramadan was given the name s̲h̲ahr ṣabr (meaning month of patience).
The word is found with the meaning resignation, for example in the sūra of Joseph, Jacob, on hearing of the death of his son, says "[My best course is] fitting resignation", where resignation is the most appropriate translation for sabar. The Qur'an also uses the adjective ṣabbār. This concept is related to s̲h̲ukr (meaning gratitude).
In Qur'an there is usually a close connection between being patient and expecting relief
or deliverance from God (tawakkul). Thus Muhammad is told to be "patient till your Lord decides, for you are in Our sight."
. The hadith
talk of God
's sabr, which is considered one of the beautiful names of God, indicating the high value laid upon this concept. One example God's sabr is His patience towards those who deny Him. The hadith also say that he/she who practices sabr will be granted sabr for sabr is the greatest charisma.
The story of the epileptic woman is significant in this and other respects. The woman came to Muhammad and asked him for his du'a. He replied to her that, if she refrained from her request and exercised sabr, then paradise
would be given to her.
The Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عايه و سلم) is reported to have said, "No one had ever been given anything better than sabr." From Sahih Bukhari
and Sahih Muslim
Abu Musa al-Ashari reported that the Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عايه و سلم) said, "When a son of a servant of Allah dies, Allah Says to the angels, 'Have you taken the son of My servant?' They say, 'Yes.' Then Allah Says, 'Have you taken the fruit of his heart?' They say, 'Yes.' Allah Says, "What has My servant said?' They say, 'He has praised You and said, Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi raji'un (To Allah we belong and to Him is our return). Then Allah Says, 'Build a house for My servant in Paradise and call it the house of praise.' From Tirmidhi, Musnad Ahmad and ibn Habban
Ali
– 'alayhi ssalam – said, “Indeed sabr is from eemaan (faith). Its position is like that of the head with respect to the rest of the body.” Then he raised his voice and said, “Verily, there is no eemaan (faith) for the one who has no sabr.” Related by al-Laalikaa’ee in Sharh Usool I’tiqaad Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa’ah (no. 1659), al-Bayhaqee in Shu’abul-Eemaan and Abee Shaybaan in Kitaabul-Eemaan (no. 130), with a slightly different wording.
Imam Ahmad said, “Allaah has mentioned sabr (patient perseverance) in over ninety places in His Book (Quran).” Related by Ibnul-Qayyim in Madaarijus-Saalikeen (2/152).
sabr is of two kinds:
Fakh̲r al-Dīn al-Rāzī distinguishes four kinds:
He also gives an application of the concept, Muṣābara, in which ones refrains from taking revenge
from one's fellow-creature (like neighbors, People of the Book
).
Al-Ghazali
said that sabr consisted of three parts: maʿrifa (the tree), ḥāl (branches) and ʿamal (the fruits).
and plant life, angels, and mankind
), man alone may possess sabr. This is because the animals are entirely governed by their desires and impulses; and the angels are completely occupied by their longing for God, so they have no desires and thus need no sabr to overcome them. In man, however, the two impulses (that of desire and that of religion) are fighting, where the former is kindled by Satan
and the latter by the angels.
This in humans, there are the pious
, who have attained sabr by overcoming their animal extincts, called siddiqūn, while some still struggle in this task. Sābirūn are to remain steadfast not only in health and prosperity (where their sabr is to be used as gratitude to God) but also in the performance of religious obligations, in refraining from forbidden things and in the event of uncontrollable calamities.
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
ic virtue of "patience
Patience
Patience is the state of endurance under difficult circumstances, which can mean persevering in the face of delay or provocation without acting on annoyance/anger in a negative way; or exhibiting forbearance when under strain, especially when faced with longer-term difficulties. Patience is the...
" or "endurance". Sabr is characterized as being one of the two parts of faith
Iman (concept)
Iman is an Arabic term which denotes certitude or adherence to an idea. In Islamic theology, it refers to the inner aspect of the religion, and denotes a believer's faith in the metaphysical realities of Islam. The term Iman has been delineated in both the Quran as well as the famous Hadith of...
(the other being shukr
Shukr
Shukr , an Arabic term denoting thankfulness, gratitude, or acknowledgment by humans, is a highly esteemed virtue in Islam. The term may also be used if the subject is God, in which case it takes the meaning of "divine responsiveness"....
). Its practice challenges, and to remain spiritual
Spirituality
Spirituality can refer to an ultimate or an alleged immaterial reality; an inner path enabling a person to discover the essence of his/her being; or the “deepest values and meanings by which people live.” Spiritual practices, including meditation, prayer and contemplation, are intended to develop...
ly steadfast.
Etymology
Arabic lexicographers suggest that the root ṣ-b-r, of which ṣabr is the nomen actionis, means to bind or restrain. The word sabr has a special technical application in the expression yamīnu ṣabr, which is an oath imposed by the public authorities.Qur'an
In the Qur'anQur'an
The Quran , also transliterated Qur'an, Koran, Alcoran, Qur’ān, Coran, Kuran, and al-Qur’ān, is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God . It is regarded widely as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language...
, words that are derived from the root ṣ-b-r occur frequently, with the general meaning of being patient. For example, Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
is told to be patient like the Apostles of God before him The Qur'an promises the patient with double the reward. The concept is also in jihad, where it is translated as "endurance" or "tenacity". It is also used when God commands Muslims to serve Him: XIX, 66, "Serve him and persevere in his service." Sometimes sabr is associated with the salāt. According to the Qur'an commentators
Tafsir
Tafseer is the Arabic word for exegesis or commentary, usually of the Qur'an. Ta'wīl is a subset of tafsir and refers to esoteric or mystical interpretation. An author of tafsir is a mufassir .- Etymology :...
, sabr in these passages is synonymous with fasting, as the month of Ramadan was given the name s̲h̲ahr ṣabr (meaning month of patience).
The word is found with the meaning resignation, for example in the sūra of Joseph, Jacob, on hearing of the death of his son, says "[My best course is] fitting resignation", where resignation is the most appropriate translation for sabar. The Qur'an also uses the adjective ṣabbār. This concept is related to s̲h̲ukr (meaning gratitude).
In Qur'an there is usually a close connection between being patient and expecting relief
or deliverance from God (tawakkul). Thus Muhammad is told to be "patient till your Lord decides, for you are in Our sight."
- "Seek God (Allah)AllahAllah is a word for God used in the context of Islam. In Arabic, the word means simply "God". It is used primarily by Muslims and Bahá'ís, and often, albeit not exclusively, used by Arabic-speaking Eastern Catholic Christians, Maltese Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox Christians, Mizrahi Jews and...
's help with patient perseverance and prayer. It is indeed hard except for those who are humble." (2:45)
- "Oh you who believe! Seek help with patient perseverance and prayer, for God is with those who patiently persevere." (2:153)
- "Be sure We shall test you with something of fear and hunger, some loss in goods, lives, and the fruits of your toil.
- "But give glad tidings to those who patiently persevere. Those who say, when afflicted with calamity, 'To Allah we belong, and to Him is our return.' They are those on whom descend blessings from their Lord, and mercy. They are the ones who receive guidance." (2:155-157)
- "Oh you who believe! Persevere in patience and constancy. Vie in such perseverance, strengthen each other, and be pious, that you may prosper." (3:200)
- "And be steadfast in patience, for verily Allah will not suffer the reward of the righteous to perish." (11:115)
- "Be patient, for your patience is with the help of Allah." (16:127)
- "Patiently, then, persevere - for the Promise of Allah is true, and ask forgiveness for your faults, and celebrate the praises of your Lord in the evening and in the morning." (40:55)
- "No one will be granted such goodness except those who exercise patience and self-restraint, none but persons of the greatest good fortune." (41:35)
- "Verily man is in loss, except such as have faith, and do righteous deeds, and join together in the mutual enjoining of truth, and of patience and constancy." (103:2-3)
- "It is not righteousness that you 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 give in charity; To fulfill the contracts which you have made; And to be firm and patient, in pain and adversity And throughout all periods of panic. Such are the people of truth, the God-fearing. Qur'an 2:177
- Through every difficulty there is relief. Verily, through every difficulty there is relief. Qur'an 94:5-6
Sunnah
The virtue of sabr can also be found in traditions attributed to the Islamic prophet MuhammadMuhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
. The hadith
Hadith
The term Hadīth is used to denote a saying or an act or tacit approval or criticism ascribed either validly or invalidly to the Islamic prophet Muhammad....
talk of God
God in Islam
In Islamic theology, God is the all-powerful and all-knowing creator, sustainer, ordainer, and judge of the universe. Islam puts a heavy emphasis on the conceptualization of God as strictly singular . God is unique and inherently One , all-merciful and omnipotent. According to the Islamic...
's sabr, which is considered one of the beautiful names of God, indicating the high value laid upon this concept. One example God's sabr is His patience towards those who deny Him. The hadith also say that he/she who practices sabr will be granted sabr for sabr is the greatest charisma.
The story of the epileptic woman is significant in this and other respects. The woman came to Muhammad and asked him for his du'a. He replied to her that, if she refrained from her request and exercised sabr, then paradise
Jannah
Jannah , is the Islamic conception of paradise. The Arabic word Jannah is a shortened version meaning simply "Garden". According to Islamic eschatology, after death, one will reside in the grave until the appointed resurrection on . Muslims believe that the treatment of the individual in the life...
would be given to her.
A hadith on significance of sabr
Abu Yahya Suhaib b. Sinan said that the Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عايه و سلم) said : “Wondrous are the believer’s affairs. For him there is good in all his affairs, and this is so only for the believer. When something pleasing happens to him, he is grateful, and that is good for him; and when something displeasing happens to him, he is enduring (sabr), and that is good for him” ( Muslim )The Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عايه و سلم) is reported to have said, "No one had ever been given anything better than sabr." From Sahih Bukhari
Sahih Bukhari
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī , as it is commonly referred to, is one of the six canonical hadith collections of Islam. These prophetic traditions, or hadith, were collected by the Persian Muslim scholar Muhammad ibn Ismail al-Bukhari, after being transmitted orally for generations. Muslims view this as one of...
and Sahih Muslim
Sahih Muslim
Sahih Muslim is one of the Six major collections of the hadith in Sunni Islam, oral traditions relating to the words and deeds of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad. It is the second most authentic hadith collection after Sahih Al-Bukhari, and is highly acclaimed by Sunni Muslims...
Abu Musa al-Ashari reported that the Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عايه و سلم) said, "When a son of a servant of Allah dies, Allah Says to the angels, 'Have you taken the son of My servant?' They say, 'Yes.' Then Allah Says, 'Have you taken the fruit of his heart?' They say, 'Yes.' Allah Says, "What has My servant said?' They say, 'He has praised You and said, Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi raji'un (To Allah we belong and to Him is our return). Then Allah Says, 'Build a house for My servant in Paradise and call it the house of praise.' From Tirmidhi, Musnad Ahmad and ibn Habban
Quotes pertaining to sabr
Umar bin Khattab – radiyallaahu ‘anhu – said, “We considered the best part of our lives to be that in which there was sabr.” Related by al-Bukhaaree (1 l/303) in ta’leeq form, and it has been related in connected form by Imaam Ahmad in az-Zuhd with a Saheeh isnaad – as al-Haafidh Ibn Hajar mentioned in Fathul-Baaree (11/303).Ali
Ali
' |Ramaḍān]], 40 AH; approximately October 23, 598 or 600 or March 17, 599 – January 27, 661).His father's name was Abu Talib. Ali was also the cousin and son-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, and ruled over the Islamic Caliphate from 656 to 661, and was the first male convert to Islam...
– 'alayhi ssalam – said, “Indeed sabr is from eemaan (faith). Its position is like that of the head with respect to the rest of the body.” Then he raised his voice and said, “Verily, there is no eemaan (faith) for the one who has no sabr.” Related by al-Laalikaa’ee in Sharh Usool I’tiqaad Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa’ah (no. 1659), al-Bayhaqee in Shu’abul-Eemaan and Abee Shaybaan in Kitaabul-Eemaan (no. 130), with a slightly different wording.
Imam Ahmad said, “Allaah has mentioned sabr (patient perseverance) in over ninety places in His Book (Quran).” Related by Ibnul-Qayyim in Madaarijus-Saalikeen (2/152).
Classification
Many Muslim scholars have tried to classify and give examples of sabr. According to the Encyclopaedia of IslamEncyclopaedia of Islam
The Encyclopaedia of Islam is an encyclopaedia of the academic discipline of Islamic studies. It embraces articles on distinguished Muslims of every age and land, on tribes and dynasties, on the crafts and sciences, on political and religious institutions, on the geography, ethnography, flora and...
sabr is of two kinds:
- physical, like the endurance of physical troubles, whether active (such as performing difficult tasks) or passive (such as suffering illnesses), and
- the spiritual, such as renunciation in face of natural impulses.
Fakh̲r al-Dīn al-Rāzī distinguishes four kinds:
- intellectualIntellectualAn intellectual is a person who uses intelligence and critical or analytical reasoning in either a professional or a personal capacity.- Terminology and endeavours :"Intellectual" can denote four types of persons:...
endurance (for example in disputed points in religious dogma), - endurance in completing tasks one is bound or recommended to do by Islamic lawShariaSharia law, is the moral code and religious law of Islam. Sharia is derived from two primary sources of Islamic law: the precepts set forth in the Quran, and the example set by the Islamic prophet Muhammad in the Sunnah. Fiqh jurisprudence interprets and extends the application of sharia to...
(such as fasting), - being steadfast in refraining from forbiddenHaraamHaraam is an Arabic term meaning "forbidden", or "sacred". In Islam it is used to refer to anything that is prohibited by the word of Allah in the Qur'an or the Hadith Qudsi. Haraam is the highest status of prohibition given to anything that would result in sin when a Muslim commits it...
activities, and - resignation in times of calamityDisasterA disaster is a natural or man-made hazard that has come to fruition, resulting in an event of substantial extent causing significant physical damage or destruction, loss of life, or drastic change to the environment...
.
He also gives an application of the concept, Muṣābara, in which ones refrains from taking revenge
Revenge
Revenge is a harmful action against a person or group in response to a grievance, be it real or perceived. It is also called payback, retribution, retaliation or vengeance; it may be characterized, justly or unjustly, as a form of justice.-Function in society:Some societies believe that the...
from one's fellow-creature (like neighbors, People of the Book
People of the Book
People of the Book is a term used to designate non-Muslim adherents to faiths which have a revealed scripture called, in Arabic, Al-Kitab . The three types of adherents to faiths that the Qur'an mentions as people of the book are the Jews, Sabians and Christians.In Islam, the Muslim scripture, the...
).
Al-Ghazali
Al-Ghazali
Abu Hāmed Mohammad ibn Mohammad al-Ghazzālī , known as Algazel to the western medieval world, born and died in Tus, in the Khorasan province of Persia was a Persian Muslim theologian, jurist, philosopher, and mystic....
said that sabr consisted of three parts: maʿrifa (the tree), ḥāl (branches) and ʿamal (the fruits).
Sābirūn
Those that possess sabr to a certain extent are called sābirūn. Out of the three classes of beings (animalAnimal
Animals are a major group of multicellular, eukaryotic organisms of the kingdom Animalia or Metazoa. Their body plan eventually becomes fixed as they develop, although some undergo a process of metamorphosis later on in their life. Most animals are motile, meaning they can move spontaneously and...
and plant life, angels, and mankind
Human
Humans are the only living species in the Homo genus...
), man alone may possess sabr. This is because the animals are entirely governed by their desires and impulses; and the angels are completely occupied by their longing for God, so they have no desires and thus need no sabr to overcome them. In man, however, the two impulses (that of desire and that of religion) are fighting, where the former is kindled by Satan
Satan
Satan , "the opposer", is the title of various entities, both human and divine, who challenge the faith of humans in the Hebrew Bible...
and the latter by the angels.
This in humans, there are the pious
Piety
In spiritual terminology, piety is a virtue that can mean religious devotion, spirituality, or a combination of both. A common element in most conceptions of piety is humility.- Etymology :...
, who have attained sabr by overcoming their animal extincts, called siddiqūn, while some still struggle in this task. Sābirūn are to remain steadfast not only in health and prosperity (where their sabr is to be used as gratitude to God) but also in the performance of religious obligations, in refraining from forbidden things and in the event of uncontrollable calamities.