“Patience Is The Key To Happiness”
The Great Messenger said, “Patience is the key to happiness,” have become like proverbs. That is to say, Almighty God’s grace and favor is with the patient.
As required by His Name of the All Wise, the Almighty God placed in all things an arrangement like the steps of stairs. An impatient man does not act with slow deliberation, and so either skips some of the steps and falls, or leaves some deficient; he cannot mount to the roof of his goal.
Thus, greed is the cause of loss. Patience however is the key to all difficulties, and the saying, “The greedy is subject to disappointment and loss,” and the Great Messenger said, “Patience is the key to happiness,” have become like proverbs. That is to say, Almighty God’s grace and favor is with the patient. For patience is threefold:
The First is to patiently persevere in refraining from sin; this patience is increasing someone’s spiritual well being.
The Second is patience in the face of calamity; this to place one’s trust in God and to submit to Him.
“God loves the patient.” “God loves those who put their trust in Him.”
As for impatience, it amounts to complaining about God, and to criticizing His actions, accusing His mercy, and not liking His Wisdom. For sure, man is weak and powerless, and weeps complainingly at the blows of misfortune, but his complaint must be to Him, not about Him. It should be like the words of Jacob:
“I only complain of my distraction and anguish to God.”
That is to say, he should complain to God, not lament saying: “What have I done that this should have happened to me?” as though complaining to other human beings about God; to excite the sympathy of impotent humans is harmful and meaningless.
The Third Sort of Patience is patient perseverance in worship, which raises a person to the station of being beloved of God. It urges a person towards perfect worship of God and servitude of Him, which is the most elevated station.
By Bediuzzaman Said Nursi