Patience the Road to Success

In the name of Allah the most Merciful Beneficent

Patience the Road to Success

"O you who believe! be patient and excel in patience and remain steadfast, and be careful of (your duty to) Allah, that you may be successful. "(Holy Quran. 3:200)

Patience is the sine qua non of remaining faithful and following righteous ways. It's the life  blood of faith and source of energy and a necessary condition for striving ones on the long path of life hoping success and reaching destination.
For some the patience is passive bearing of unpleasant and torturous circumstances. This view of patience favors inaction and passivity against the onslaught of corruption and exploitation. Those having this view by being patient mean silently bearing the persecution of the unjust one. They think any kind of struggle or striving is against patience and thus they surrender before what they think is their destiny. Those who have submitted before persecution or exploitation are disliked by holy Quran. If they do not have strength to resist , they should migrate but never accept subjugation as their destiny: "When angels take the souls of those who die in sin against their souls, they say: "In what (plight) Were ye?" They reply: "Weak and oppressed Were we in the earth." They say: "Was not the earth of Allah spacious enough for you to move yourselves away (From evil)?" Such men will find their abode in Hell,- What an evil refuge! - . Except the feeble among men, and the women, and the children, who are unable to devise a plan and are not shown a way. "(Holy Quran, 4:97-98)

On the other hand patience in Islam is struggle and striving against the corruption, tyranny and decadence. It's onward movement towards a higher goal-the goal of achieving what is just and right. It's active and full of life. It's not hopeless submission before obstacles or impediments but it's a perpetual and incessant progress towards perfection. It's overcoming the internal and external hurdles. It means to stand up against all obstacles in the way and to overcome them with enthusiasm and determination. The traditions from infallibles say "Patience out of faith is like a head to a body." The head has a very active role to play. It controls the whole functioning of nervous system, in the same way patience, controls and determines the actions of a Muslim.The great patience demonstrated by early Muslims in the early period of Islam made later success of Islam possible. Had they surrendered and given up, the message of Islam would not have seen the ultimate victory. In the words of Ayatullah Sayed Ali Khamenei : " patience may be defined as a means of achieving
perfection, excellence, and exaltedness, where man endeavours and makes sincere efforts for the ultimate goal of creation, to become a real servant of Allah. His personality ultimately becomes manifestation of all the hidden Potential of human talents and characteristics. In other words achieving the status of a perfect human being...Patience means resistance against all three types of barriers, and providing moral courage and necessary momentum for the traveller to continue his forward journey on the road of perfection. It offers resistance against those desires and tendencies which discourage man
from performing compulsory obligations, resists the desires for indulging in sinful forbidden acts, and provides zeal and strength to be able to tolerate the unforeseen and unhappy occurrences, which threaten to break his determination."
The success comes with patience only, without patience we cannot see success. Imam Ali(AS), the Commander of the faithful, says
"A steadfast patient person would never be denied success, however it may materialise after a long time." (Nahj-ul-Balagha)
And he also says in another quotation:
"Whoever mounts the horse of patience would definitely find his path to the field of
victory." (Nahj-ul-Balagha) In the battle of Siffin he inspires his followers to excercise patience to receive victory : "Make your supports upon righteousness and patience (stability); because it is only after patience (stability) that victory shall be bestowed upon you"  Patience kills hopelessness and despair, while lack of it will result in dispair in life. Imam Sadiq(AS) says "Any one who has not prepared for himself logistics of patience to meet every tragedy will find himself in a state of despair and helplessness". The holy Quran promises assistance and victory for the patient ones. Despite being less in number and lacking in means the patient ones will overcome:""If there are twenty patient (steadfast) ones among you, they will overcome two hundred (of the infidels) and if there are a hundred (such ones), they will overcome a thousands" (holy Quran,8:65)"
Let's recite the prayer from holy Quran before we end our discussion :
"Our Lord! Bestow on us endurance, make our foothold sure and give us help against the disbelieving folk. " (holy Quran,2:250)