Author: Dr. Laeeq Ahmad

Patience (ṣabr) means guarding oneself against despair in times of difficulty and maintaining hope in Allah Almighty, while gratitude (shukr) means acknowledging His blessings and bowing one’s head before Him. A person’s natural reaction to physical or mental suffering is instinctive whatever patience and wisdom they may have. But those who attain intimacy of Allah Almighty and gain true recognition of His commands possess a distinctly different character. They receive both the blessings of their Sustainer and the trials He sends with cheerfulness and composure. In any trial they encounter, they show no sign of impatience, for attaining pleasure of Allah Almighty remains their supreme priority. As a result, they live their lives in tranquillity and contentment under all circumstances. Patience in adversity and gratitude for blessings are deeply beloved to Allah Almighty. Allah Almighty commands in the Glorious Qur’an (Qur’an, 3:200) on the subject of patience:

“O believers! Be patient, excel in steadfastness, fortify your defence and be conscious of Allah, so that you may be successful.”

And at another place, Allah Almighty commands (Qur’an, 16:127):

“So remain patient, and your patience is only with Allah’s help.”

Giving the glad tidings of His company to those who persevere, Allah Almighty commands (Qur’an, 2:153):

“Indeed, Allah is with the patient.”

Alongside patience, Allah Almighty has also enjoined gratitude. He commands (Qur’an, 14:7):

“If you are grateful, I shall surely increase you (in blessings), but if you are ungrateful, My punishment is surely severe.”

The Exalted Prophet (ﷺ) made clear the importance of patience and gratitude through his own actions, conduct, and words. It is narrated on the authority of the Honourable Ibn Abbas (R.A.) that the Exalted Prophet (ﷺ) said:

“Whoever is given four things has been given the goodness of this world and the hereafter: a grateful heart, a tongue engaged in remembrance (dhikr) of Allah, a body that endures trials with patience, and a wife who does not betray his husband or his wealth.”[1]

The righteous predecessors learned and understood these qualities from the Glorious Qur’an and the blessed traditions. They adopted them in their own lives and commended them to those who would come after them. The life of the founder of the Qadiri spiritual order (ṭarīqah), Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani, stands as a worthy example of patience, steadfastness, and the seeking of Allah Almighty’s pleasure. During his years of study, he faced severe hardship and hunger, yet his steadfastness and patience never faltered. Despite these outward trials, he held firm to patience and gratitude, and passed through every difficulty with unwavering resolve. The friends of Allah Almighty (awliya) acknowledged his greatness and spiritual station.

Why Patience Is Essential

In the teachings of Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani, patience is a foundational element of the believer’s spiritual growth and success. According to him:

“Patience is not merely the endurance of hardship. It is the act of accepting trials for the sake of Allah Almighty’s pleasure and adopting an attitude of gratitude, as a result of which a person becomes deserving of Allah Almighty’s boundless blessings.”[2]

He declared a single moment of patience to be true courage and the key to success in both this world and the hereafter. He further highlighted the character of the friends of Allah Almighty, saying:

“They regard trials as a means of attaining Allah Almighty’s pleasure and always remain in harmony with divine decree (qaḍā wa qadar). All their aspirations are centred on keeping their hearts firmly connected with Allah Almighty, whether in prosperity or poverty, in health or in sickness. The friends of Allah Almighty not only embody patience and contentment themselves but also remain in supplication for the wellbeing and safety of all creation.”[3]

“Whoever accepts with patience the divine will of the Truth (Ḥaqq Ta’ālā) has the immeasurable help of Allah Almighty in this world and immeasurable blessings in the hereafter. Allah Almighty commands that those who are patient shall be given their full reward without measure.”[4]

The Stages of Intimacy of Allah Almighty and the Counsel of Patience

Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani explains that Allah Almighty commanded the Exalted Prophet (ﷺ) not to turn his attention towards the outward wealth and means of this world, for these are a trial and test for disbelievers. Under this divine command, it is obligatory for the followers of the Exalted Prophet (ﷺ) to remain patient and grateful in all circumstances and to remain content with the blessings Allah Almighty has bestowed. This same command also clarifies that such things as prophethood, knowledge, contentment (qanā’at), belief in the divine oneness (tawḥīd), striving in the way of Allah, patience, sainthood (wilāyat), and unseen spiritual openings, which constitute the foundations of religion, are of a superior and enduring nature for the believer.

He states:

“The goodness, the station of prophethood, knowledge, contentment (qanā’at), the recognition of Oneness and recognition (tawḥīd wa ma’rifat), striving in the way of Allah, patience, sainthood (wilāyat) and unseen spiritual openings, among the things pertaining to religion that were granted to the Beloved Exalted Prophet (ﷺ), are specifically for him and are superior in nature and more enduring than the material wealth and comforts of the world. The full meaning of goodness is precisely that one protects one’s own state by remaining content with Allah Almighty’s pleasure, and that not turning towards transient things is the very root of virtuous deeds and blessings. All the things of this world have been created by Allah Almighty as a trial for His servants.”[5]

Trials and Afflictions Faced by the Believer

The teachings of Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani elaborate with great depth on the importance and spiritual effects of patience and contentment with divine will. According to him:

“In the time of trial, the believing servant first makes his own effort and then seeks help from other people. But when all outward means fail, he turns to Allah Almighty in supplication and entreaty. Allah Almighty delays the acceptance of the servant’s prayer until he becomes completely hopeless of outward means and places his complete trust in Allah Almighty alone. At this stage, the servant, accepting divine decree (qaḍā wa qadar), recognises Allah Almighty as the true and only Subject in all things, and attains the conviction that all the affairs of the world, such as good and evil, benefit and harm, honour and humiliation, are all subject to the command of Allah Almighty. With this certainty, he surrenders himself to the will of Allah Almighty and attains the elevated station of contentment with divine decree (riḍā bil-qaḍā), where he remains content with the pleasure of Allah Almighty in every circumstance.”[6]

He further says:

“Allah Almighty always places His believing servant in affliction and trial according to the strength of his faith. The greater a believer’s faith, the greater the trial through which he will be examined. Viewed according to the degree of faith, then, the difficulty of a Prophet (rasul) is greater than that of a Messenger (nabi). Similarly, a Messenger’s trial is more severe than that of a spiritual substitute (abdāl), because a Messenger’s faith is stronger and more powerful than that of a spiritual substitute. Then the trial of a spiritual substitute is greater than the trial of a saint (walī). In this same way, the degrees of affliction and trial continue to diminish, and the believing servant is tested according to the degree of his faith and certitude.”[7]

An Important Clarification

The teachings of Honourable Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani contain a comprehensive wisdom concerning trust in Allah (tawakkul) and contentment with divine decree. Where he highlights the importance of striving and relying upon Allah Almighty in the believer’s life, he also clarifies that a believer’s remaining idle while making divine decree an excuse is wrong, for Islam teaches industry and effort. He declares that it is not fitting to withdraw from striving by using divine decree as a pretext. Rather, a person should put his capacities to work and exert himself. He described intimacy of Allah Almighty as beginning with the piety (taqwā) and culminating in submission (taslīm), contentment, and trust in Allah (tawakkul), which is the confluence of practical endeavour and spiritual reliance, and which becomes the mark of a believer’s complete faith. He says:

“I say to you: strive (to earn a livelihood) and stop clinging to divine decree while turning away from effort, for this is the reasoning of the lazy persons. We shall gird ourselves and strive, even while the decree is written. We shall not content ourselves with merely saying: ‘He said and we said, why? How?’ nor shall we enter into Allah’s knowledge. We shall strive, and the Master shall do as He wills.”[8]

The Need for Patience and Gratitude in the Present Age

Human life is filled with joys and difficulties, all subject to the will of Allah Almighty. According to the Glorious Qur’an and the blessed traditions, a believer must hold fast to patience and gratitude in every circumstance. Honourable Suhaib ibn Sinan al-Rumi (R.A.) narrates that the Exalted Prophet (ﷺ) said (Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim):

“Wondrous is the affair of the believer, for in every circumstance there is goodness for him, and that is for no one except the believer. If he is granted joy, he gives thanks, and if hardship befalls him, he bears it with patience, and either way it is good for him.”

The teachings of the righteous predecessors exhort us to be patient when facing difficulties in life and to give thanks to Allah Almighty in moments of happiness. In the trials and difficulties of the present age, it is essential that if we are afflicted with any hardship or illness, we be patient, and if we enjoy good health and prosperity, we show gratitude. It is obligatory that there be no contradiction between the heart and the tongue: if gratitude is on the tongue, the heart must also be at peace with it. Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani says:

“Woe to you! Your tongue cries out for piety (taqwā) while your heart is becoming corrupt. Your tongue gives thanks while your heart raises objection. Allah Almighty declares: O son of Adam! From My side, goodness descends towards you, and from your side, evil ascends towards Me. Woe to you! You claim to be a servant of Allah and yet you obey others. If you were truly His servant, you would have enmity for His sake and love for His sake. The true believer does not follow his base-self (nafs), devil or his desires. He does not even know the devil, so how would he obey him? He gives no heed to the world, so how would he humble himself before it? Indeed, he himself regards the world as lower, seeks the hereafter, and when the hereafter is attained, he leaves even that behind and becomes connected to his Master, worshipping Him with complete sincerity in every moment of his life.”[9]

Today there is a lack of patience within us and an absence of gratitude. In suffering, hardship, illness and distress, we become flustered and fail to remain content with what Allah Almighty has decreed, when in fact it is essential that we hold fast to patience and gratitude at every moment of our lives. On this very matter, Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani says:

“When illness afflicts you, receive it with the hand of patience and remain at ease until its remedy arrives. And when the remedy arrives, receive it with the hand of gratitude, so that you may enjoy comfort in this world as well.”

The success of the people of our time lies in returning to the commands of Allah Almighty and living their lives in patience and gratitude, as was the way of the prophets (A.S.). Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani counsels on this matter:

“Preserve His blessings with gratitude. Receive His commands and prohibitions with hearing and acceptance. Face adversity with patience and prosperity with gratitude. This was the condition of the prophets, messengers and righteous servants who, came before you: they gave thanks for blessings and bore trials with patience. Rise from the tables of disobedience, meaning abandon sins and rebellion. Eat from the tables of His obedience. Safeguard the boundaries He has established. When prosperity is your companion, give thanks for it. When difficulty comes, repent of your sins and strive against your base-selves, for they are the cause of it. Indeed, Allah Almighty is not one who wrongs His servants.”[10]

Conclusion

In summary, the true believer does not abandon patience despite difficulties. He gives thanks for everything, raises no complaint, and protects his faith whether his circumstances are pleasant or unpleasant. When believers face difficulties, they regard those trials as a mercy of Allah Almighty and seek help from Him alone. At the collective level as well, nations that face difficulties with courage succeed, and their honour and dignity only grow. It is therefore essential that in difficult circumstances we display patience and forbearance and await the mercy of Allah Almighty. May Allah Almighty grant us the ability to adopt the habits of our righteous predecessors. Amin.

This article was originally published in Urdu in the Monthly Mirrat ul Arifeen International Magazine.

To cite the original article:

Laeeq Ahmad, “Patience and Gratitude in the Teachings of Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani,” Monthly Mirrat-ul-Arifeen International, October 2024, https://www.mirrat.com/article/1/1518

References:

[1] Muḥammad ibn ʻAbd Allāh Al-Khaṭīb al-Tibrīzī, Mishkat al-Masabih, trans. James Robson (Lahore: Sh. Muhammad Ashraf, 1960–1965), bk. 13 (Book of Marriage), chap. 10, sec. 3, hadith 3273.

[2] Abd al-Qādir al-Jīlānī, The Sublime Revelation (Al-Fatḥ ar-Rabbānī), trans. Muhtar Holland (Fort Lauderdale, FL: Al-Baz Publishing, 1993), 11 (Discourse 1).

[3] ‘Abd al-Qādir al-Jīlānī, Fuyūḍ-e-Yazdānī: Tarjuma Al-Fatḥ al-Rabbānī, trans. Mawlana Ashiq Ilahi Merathi (Karachi: Darul Isha’at, n.d.), 128 (Discourse 18).

[4] ‘Abd al-Qādir al-Jīlānī, Al-Fatḥ al-Rabbānī wa-al-Fayḍ al-Raḥmānī (Beirut: Dār al-Kutub al-‘Ilmiyyah, 2002), 11 (Discourse 1).

[5] Al-Jīlānī, Al-Fatḥ al-Rabbānī, 19.

[6] Al-Jīlānī, Al-Fatḥ al-Rabbānī, 28.

[7] Al-Jīlānī, Al-Fatḥ al-Rabbānī, 45.

[8] Al-Jīlānī, Al-Fatḥ al-Rabbānī, 175.

[9] Al-Jīlānī, Al-Fatḥ al-Rabbānī, 12-13.

[10] Al-Jīlānī, Al-Fatḥ al-Rabbānī, 25.