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Endurance is to be shown at the first blow, or at the first shock
Anas Ibn Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that Allah's Messenger (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) came to a woman who had been weeping for her (dead) child, and said to her:
Fear Allah and show endurance. She - did not recognize him - and said: You have not been afflicted as I have been. When he (the Holy Prophet) had departed, it was said to her that he was the Messenger of Allah (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), she was mortally shocked. She came to his door and she did not find doorkeepers at his door. She said: O Messenger of Allah. I did not recognize you. He said: Endurance is to be shown at the first shock.
Piety with patience hold a unique status of faith like that of the spirit in the body. Piety has deep effects in the hearts of the believers; patience is one of its effects, rather it is its mate which does not leave it.
The patience is: facing the difficulties with a welcoming chest and a heart that is satisfied with the decree of Allah, giving up all that brings despair and discontentment with the shock, along with seeking aid in a great deal of remembering Allah, reading the Quran, praying in the night, sincere supplication, listening to the sermons, avoiding the places wherein he feels depressed, yet one shall go to the places where his chest feels rest, on the condition that he will not violate the limits set by Allah.
The Scholars have divided patience into sections with different considerations. They said: there are three types of patience. The first is to be patient to stick to the obedience of Allah, to be patient to resist the sins, and to be patient to endure the calamities.
As for the patience to stick to the obedience of Allah, it means: to perform the obligatory and the voluntary acts of worship without negligence or slowness; for the sake of pleasing Allah, and out of hoping in his mercy and fear of his punishment.
As for the patience for resisting the sins, it is not less honorable than the first section; obedience is to obey the commands and to avoid the prohibitions, and the slave is not considered obedient except by fulfilling both of them.
The third section of patience, which is the patience to endure the calamities, it stems from the satisfaction with the decree of Allah as we have indicated before, it is linked to the first two types. The reward is multiplied according to the relevant hardship.
Patience to endure the calamities has some degrees, the greatest of which is to show patience at the first shock, because it often robs the wisdom of the person, upset his heart, and change his mood. Therefore, he loses his forbearance, says what he should not say, does inappropriate acts. The greatest statement by which the Muslim can show satisfaction with the decree of Allah the Almighty is to say: "inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji`woon" (which means) indeed we belong to Allah and to him we shall return" so that it emanates from the depths of his heart. In order to take easy the shock, he should repeat it a lot whenever the specter of shock strikes him.
