Ar-Ra'd (The Thunder)

24. “Peace (be) upon you (saying) that you persevered in patience! (And now) how excellent is the Ultimate Abode.”

One of the unique advantages of the Qur’an is that it states the most meaningful matters in the most concise terms, among which reference may be made to the sentence ‘Peace be upon you’ which is a very concise yet very meaningful sentence. Its historical perspective goes back to the previous prophets like ‘Ibrahim, Noah, and Adam (as)

“Peace be upon Noah among the nations.”1

The Qur’anic term // (Peace) is one of Allah’s names, and it is one of the ways of greetings of Allah to the prophets, the Divine congratulations on the people of Paradise, the whisper of the angles; the international saying of all the Muslims; the slogan of all the paradise-deserving in this world and in the other one; the common words of the Creator and the created; the voice heard on arrival and departure, and the beginning of every speech and of every letter which is said to both the living and the dead, and on the aged and the young.

Answering and returning it, however, is obligatory for a believer.

The message of /salam/ (peace) is a message of respect, congratulations, prayer and greetings from Allah.

“Peace; a word from a Merciful Lord.”2

When we utter at the end of each of our prayers:

“Greetings ‘peace’ to us and to the righteous servants of Allah”,

with this greeting /salam/ all the dividing lines in the realm of race, absurd privileges of senility, sexuality, property, position, language, and time will be obliterated and we can establish communications with all the righteous people to whom we send our greetings.

Some Islamic quotations denote that some people go to Paradise without having settled their accounts.

When the angels ask the reason, they will be answered:

“We used to keep waiting for obedience of Allah and used to keep our patience while we were struck by disasters and why suffering from difficulties.”

By hearing this answer, the angels will welcome them by saying /salamun ‘alykum/ (peace be on you).¹

Imam Sadiq (as) said:

“We are among those who keep their patience though our Shi‘ite followers are more patient than us, for our patience is upon what we know, but they are keeping their patience as to what they do not know.”4

Points Concerning Patience

We must regard Allah as the source of all patience:

“…and your patience is not but by Allah…”5

We must consider the Divine consent as the main purpose and objective of our patience, not for the sake of fame or anything else:

“And for the sake of your Lord, be patient.”6

Patience is one of the traits of the prophets and the key to Paradise:

“Or did you suppose you would enter Paradise untouched…”7

Patience, when kept in the face of the calamities and the Divine trials is the criterion for cognition of the true profile of those who are patient:

“And most certainly We will try you until We have known those among you who exert themselves hard, and the patient…”8

Patience leads one to receive Allah’s blessings:

“Those are they on whom are blessings and Mercy from their Lord…”9

Perhaps one of the reasons for sending greetings to the Prophet (S) and his Ahl-ul-Bayt (as) is that they were among the most patient of the people.

Patience with regard to faith is just like the head as for the body.

The Prophet (S) remarks:

“Patience is a part of Faith, just like the head and the body.”10

Patience categorizes the hierarchy of those who deserve Paradise:

“These shall be rewarded with high places because they were patient…”11 “And He will reward them for their patience, with a garden and clothes of silk (in Heaven).”12

Patience has got a hierarchy; and we read in an Islamic tradition that patience in case of calamities has got 300 degrees; in case of religious worship has got 600 degrees, and with regard to restraining from sins has got 900 degrees.²

Throughout the Qur’an, one finds that only the reward for those who are patient is so vast and is indefinitely unlimited:

“…only the patient will be paid back their reward in full without measure.”14

Alongside patience, the glorious Qur’an has also dealt with the issue of gratitude as well. It also alludes to the fact that difficulties also constitute blessings:

“…for every patient, grateful one.”15

‘Patience’ is involved in the will of Imam Hussayn (as) passed down to his son, Hadrat Sajjad (as):

“O my son! Be patient with the Truth even if it is bitter!”16

Sometimes, there are several kinds of patience observed in one occasion; as in the case of Hadrat ‘Ibrahim (as) in sacrificing Ishmael, in which case, patience with regard to obedience and submission to the will of Allah, as well as patience with regard to the calamity are involved and are required.

Patience, among all, stands at the top of all perfections and virtues.