Khutbah: 4 Types of Sabr

How to Navigate Hardship with Patience

All praise is due to Allah, we seek his refuge, and ask for his forgiveness. We seek refuge in Allah from our own bad deeds. Whoever Allah guides, no one can misguide him, and whoever Allah misguides, no one can guide him. I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah Alone, and I bear witness that Muhammad is his messenger.

• One of the main qualities that Islam wants to instill in our hearts is the quality of sabr—patience, perseverance, and steadfastness.
• It is so important that Allah mentions it in the Qur’an more than 100 times, making it the criterion for admission into paradise.

وَجَزَاهُم بِمَا صَبَرُوا جَنَّةً وَحَرِيرًا﴿ ١٢ ﴾‬

 ‘and reward them, for their steadfastness, with a Garden and silken robes.’ Surah Al-Insan, Ayah 12

• ‫سَلَـٰمٌ عَلَیۡكُم بِمَا صَبَرۡتُمۡۚ فَنِعۡمَ عُقۡبَى ٱلدَّارِ﴿ ٢٤ ﴾
• Peace be with you, because you have remained steadfast. What an excellent reward is this home of yours!’ Ar-Raʿd, Ayah 24
• This quality of sabr is not something we are born with, but something that we cultivate over time.
• Some people, unfortunately, lack it, acting impulsively in their speech and actions without self-restraint.
• Therefore, it is a quality we must develop to enter paradise, by Allah’s blessings insha’Allah.
• When talking about sabr, it is a quality that is needed in the pursuit of any goal, whether in this life or the hereafter.
• Any aim, desire, or accomplishment requires sabr for us to achieve it.
• When you want to graduate, you need to be patient for 3-4 years in school.
• If you want to succeed in any business, at least in the initial stages, you need sabr to establish yourself.
• If you want to enter Jannah, you need sabr as well.
• So it’s a quality needed to achieve any goal, a goal of this dunya or the hereafter.
• And the greater the goal that you have, the greater the need for sabr.
• That’s why the people who needed the most sabr were the prophets.
• This is because the goal they had was to change the whole world and to move the hearts and minds of people.
• In a beautiful book written by Al Qaradawi called Al Sabr Fil Qur’an, he divided Sabr into 4 kinds.
• The first type is Sabr in the face of adversity. When you lose something or someone, Allah promised that everyone will be tested:

‫لَقَدۡ خَلَقۡنَا ٱلۡإِنسَـٰنَ فِی كَبَدٍ﴿ ٤ ﴾

‬ that We have created man for toil and trial. Al-Balad, Ayah 4

• So hardship is a part of the creation of man, it is a part of life, similarly in Surat Al Baqarah Allah says:

وَلَنَبْلُوَنَّكُم بِشَىْءٍۢ مِّنَ ٱلْخَوْفِ وَٱلْجُوعِ وَنَقْصٍۢ مِّنَ ٱلْأَمْوَٰلِ وَٱلْأَنفُسِ وَٱلثَّمَرَٰتِ ۗ وَبَشِّرِ ٱلصَّـٰبِرِينَ ١٥٥

‬ We shall certainly test you with fear and hunger, and loss of property, lives, and crops. But [Prophet], give good news to those who are steadfast, Al-Baqarah, Ayah 155

ٱلَّذِينَ إِذَآ أَصَـٰبَتْهُم مُّصِيبَةٌۭ قَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّآ إِلَيْهِ رَٰجِعُونَ ١٥٦

Those who say, when afflicted with a calamity, ‘We belong to God and to Him we shall return.’ Al-Baqarah, Ayah 156

• Allah promises that He will test us: some with hunger, some with fear, some with a decrease in wealth.
• But He also promises glad tidings to those who are patient.
• This is something that will happen to everybody, it is a part of life.
• Here we are talking about Sabr as an attitude; Sabr should not be confused with not feeling pain. 
• Being patient doesn’t mean you won’t feel pain. There is no problem with feeling pain—it’s human.
• The Prophet SAW exemplified this when he lost his son Ibrahim. He kissed him on the forehead and cried deeply until his beard became wet. This moment is captured in an authentic hadith:

The Prophet took hold of Ibrahim, kissed him, and smelled him. Then, we entered after that as Ibrahim was breathing his last breaths. It made the eyes of the Prophet shed tears. Abdur Rahman ibn Awf said, “Even you, O Messenger of Allah?” The Prophet said, “O Ibn Awf, this is mercy.” Then, the Prophet wept some more and he said, “Verily, the eyes shed tears and the heart is grieved, but we will not say anything except what is pleasing to our Lord. We are saddened by your departure, O Ibrahim.” Source: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 1241 Grade: Sahih (authentic) according to Al-Bukhari

 عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ دَخَلْنَا مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَلَى أَبِي سَيْفٍ الْقَيْنِ وَكَانَ ظِئْرا لِإِبْرَاهِيمَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام فَأَخَذَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِبراهِيمَ فَقَبَّلَهُ وَشَمَّهُ ثُمَّ دَخَلْنا عليْه بعْدَ ذَلِكَ وَإِبْرَاهِيمُ يَجُودُ بِنَفْسهِ فَجَعَلَتْ عَيْنَا رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ تَذْرِفَانِ فَقَالَ لَهُ عبْدُ الرّحْمَنِ بْنُ عَوْفٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْه وَأَنت يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ فَقَالَ يَا ابْنَ عَوْفٍ إِنَّهَا رَحْمَةٌ ثُمَّ أَتْبَعَهَا بِأُخرى فَقَالَ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِنّ الْعَيْنَ تدْمَع وَالْقَلْبَ يَحْزَنُ وَلَا نَقولُ إِلَّا مَا يَرْضَى رَبُّنَا وَإِنَّا بِفِرَاقِك يَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ لَمَحْزُونُونَ 1241 صحيح البخاري كتاب الجنائز باب قول النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم إنا بك لمحزونون

• In the end, we only say that which pleases Allah in our mourning.
• Grief does not negate patience, nor does it mean a person has lost control of their emotions. 
• True sabr is responding with faith in the midst of pain. 
• In this category of Sabr, Prophet Ayyub AS is mentioned as a special case:

‫۞ وَأَیُّوبَ إِذۡ نَادَىٰ رَبَّهُۥۤ أَنِّی مَسَّنِیَ ٱلضُّرُّ وَأَنتَ أَرۡحَمُ ٱلرَّ ٰ⁠حِمِینَ ﴿ ٨٣ ﴾

‬ Remember Job, when he cried to his Lord, ‘Suffering has truly afflicted me, but you are the Most Merciful of the merciful.’ Al-Anbiyāʾ, Ayah 83

• So this is the first kind of sabr, patience in the face of adversity, it’s an acceptance of the situation, of the difficulties in front of us.
• The second kind of Sabr, which is greater than the first one, is Sabr in the face of temptations and desire.
• Especially today, when the temptations are so easily accessible—it’s just a click away.
• Here we’re talking about resisting when things are available to us:

كُلُّ نَفْسٍۢ ذَآئِقَةُ ٱلْمَوْتِ ۗ وَنَبْلُوكُم بِٱلشَّرِّ وَٱلْخَيْرِ فِتْنَةًۭ ۖ وَإِلَيْنَا تُرْجَعُونَ ٣٥

Every soul is certain to taste death: We test you all through the bad and the good, and to Us you will all return. Al-Anbiyāʾ, Ayah 35

• While the first kind of Sabr is an attitude of acceptance, the second type of Sabr is a choice: you choose to give in or not to give in to your temptations.
• A great name comes forth in this kind of Sabr, and he is Prophet Yusuf AS.
• He was young, handsome, and living in a foreign land, far from family. He was tested with temptation in the most direct and difficult way—seduced by someone in a position of power over him. 
• Yet, he chose to resist, choosing the hardship of prison over disobedience to Allah. 
• The third kind of sabr, which is greater than the first two, is the patience needed to fulfill the commands of Allah SWT.
• To wake up for Fajr when the bed is so comfortable and warm.
• To fast when the days are long and hot.
• To sacrifice your wealth to go to hajj and give sadaqa.
• In other words, Sabr here is an action.
• The first kind of sabr is an attitude of acceptance.
• The second kind of sabr is a choice—you give in to your desires or you resist.
• This third kind of sabr is an action, fulfilling the commands of Allah.

رَّبُّ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا فَٱعْبُدْهُ وَٱصْطَبِرْ لِعِبَـٰدَتِهِۦ ۚ هَلْ تَعْلَمُ لَهُۥ سَمِيًّۭا ٦٥

He is Lord of the heavens and earth and everything in between so worship Him: be steadfast in worshipping Him. Do you know of anyone equal to Him?’ Maryam, Ayah 65

• The fourth kind of Sabr, which is the greatest form of sabr is the patience needed to fulfill and spread the message of Allah SWT.
• In the first three kinds of sabr, you are benefiting yourself directly.
• But in this kind of sabr, you are doing it for the benefit of other people, too. You don’t have to do it, but you are doing it for the benefit of the other people.
• This is what elevated the ranks of the 5 greatest prophets: Nuh, Ibrahim, Musa, Isa, and Muhamad earned their rank through this form of sabr.

‫یَـٰبُنَیَّ أَقِمِ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَأۡمُرۡ بِٱلۡمعۡرُوفِ وَٱنۡهَ عَنِ ٱلۡمُنكَرِ وَٱصۡبِرۡ عَلَىٰ مَاۤ أَصَابَكَۖ إِنَّ ذَ ٰ⁠لِكَ مِنۡ عَزۡمِ ٱلۡأمورِ﴿ ١٧ ﴾‬

 Keep up the prayer, my son; command what is right; forbid what is wrong; bear anything that happens to you steadfastly: these are things to be aspired to. Luqmān, Ayah 17

• This is the patience required in the path of da’wah—conveying the message, standing up for truth, advocating justice, and defending the oppressed. 
• When you stand up and defend others who are badly in need of it.
• This is the greatest form of sabr of them all.
• We’re talking about the greatest honor here, something that will earn you the highest place in Jannah.

أَقُولُ مَا تَسْمَعُونَ وَأَسْتَغْفِرُ اللهَ  لِي وَلَكُمْ مِنْ كُلِّ ذَنْبٍ فَاسْتَغْفِرُوهُ  إِنَّهُ هُوَ الغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ

I say what you have heard and I seek forgiveness from Allah for me and you from every sin. So seek forgives from Him, Verily He is Oft-Forgiving, the Most Merciful.

• Brothers and sisters, going through life brings a lot of challenges.
• It is not always easy to manage; if anything, it is mostly difficult.
• Because of that, we all need a lot of Sabr.
• In a beautiful line of poetry, the poet says:

طُبِعَـتْ علـى كَــدَرٍ وأنــت تريـدهـا صـفــواً مـــن الأقـــذاءِ والأكـــدارِ ومـكـلِّـفُ الأيَّـــامِ ضــــدَّ طـبـاعـهـا متطـلِّـبٌ فــي الـمــاءِ جَـــذوةَ نـــارِ

• He says it’s in the nature of life to have difficulties and hardship, and if you are seeking for it to be any way otherwise, it’s like trying to catch a burning coal from the middle of the water; it doesn’t work that way.
• In other words, it helps in attaining sabr to know the nature of life, that life will always be full of trials and tests.
• Life has difficulties, this is not to be a pessimist, but to know what to expect out of life.
• The Prophet SAW said,

Sahl ibn Sa’d reported: The Angel Gabriel came to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and he said, “O Muhammad, live as you wish, for you will surely die. Work as you wish, for you will surely be repaid. Love whomever you wish, for you will surely be separated. Know that the nobility of the believer is in prayer at night, and his honor is in his independence of people.” Source: al-Muʻjam al-Awsaṭ lil-Ṭabarānī 4278 Grade: Hasan (fair) according to Al-Albani 

عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ سَعْدٍ قَالَ جَاءَ جِبْرِيلُ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَقَالَ يَا مُحَمَّد عشْ مَا شِئْتَ فَإِنَّكَ مَيِّتٌ وَاعْمَلْ مَا شئْت فَإِنَّكَ مَجْزِيٌّ بِهِ وَأَحْبِبْ مَن شئتَ فإِنَّكَ مُفَارِقُهُ وَاعْلَمْ أَنَّ شَرَف المُؤْمنِ قِيَامُ اللَّيْلِ وَعِزَّهُ اسْتِغْنَاؤهُ عَنِ النَّاسِ 4278 المعجم الأوسط للطبراني 73 المحدث الألباني خلاصة حكم المحدث حسن في صحيح الجامع

• This is again not to be a pessimist, but to know what to expect out of life, that nothing is permanent. 
• The only thing that is permanent is God, Allah:

‫كُلُّ مَنۡ عَلَیۡهَا فَانࣲ﴿ ٢٦ ﴾‬ ‫وَیَبۡقَىٰ وَجۡهُ رَبِّكَ ذُو ٱلۡجَلَـٰلِ وَٱلۡإِكۡرَامِ﴿ ٢٧ ﴾

Everyone on earth perishes; all that remains is the Face of your Lord, full of majesty, bestowing honour. Ar-Raḥmān, Ayah 26 – Ar-Raḥmān, Ayah 27

• The critical component of attaining the various kinds of sabr is to know the nature of life, the nature of this dunya that Allah created.
• There are problems in life that have no solution except to have sabr. 
• If someone dies, whether we collapse under the pain or accept Allah’s decree, the reality doesn’t change—the person is gone. But what does change is whether or not we are rewarded for how we respond. 
• Umar Ibn Al Khattab said: 

رواه الترمذي. وقال عمر رضي الله عنه: وجدنا خير عيشنا بالصبر

The best way we found to live our lives is through patience.

• There is also a beautiful athar of Ali RA when he went to pay condolences to those who are grieving. He said that if you are patient and accept what happens to you, whatever Allah wills to happen, will happen, and you will have a reward. If something befalls you, and you reject it, what Allah willed will happen anyway, but you will have no reward.
• Another important thing to keep in mind is that no pain or suffering goes without getting rewarded. 
• The Prophet SAW said, even if you are pricked by a thorn, you will lose some sins as compensation.
• That’s why, as mentioned in the verse I recited earlier in Surah Al Baqarah, people who are afflicted with trial first respond by saying that they belong to Allah and indeed to Him they will return.
• Ibn al Qayyim, commenting on this verse, asks why we say we are returning to Allah in hardship.
• Because we are going to Allah to be compensated for our hardship.
• We should keep in mind that Allah may send us any hardship, that we should expect and keep in mind that Allah will return something to you in some way. 
• When we go through any hardship in life, we should ask ourselves, “Does Allah know about it?
• Yes, of course he does! Alhamdulilah, that’s all I need to know.
• He knows about it, so that means I will be rewarded.
• Another important reminder is to always have hope in the relief of Allah SWT.
• Allah promises that he will always provide relief in a way that he sees fit.
• It may take a long time, it may take a short time, but it is promised:

لِيُنفِقْ ذُو سَعَةٍۢ مِّن سَعَتِهِۦ ۖ وَمَن قُدِرَ عَلَيْهِ رِزْقُهُۥ فَلْيُنفِقْ مِمَّآ ءَاتَىٰهُ ٱللَّهُ ۚ لَا يُكَلِّفُ ٱللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا مَآ ءَاتَىٰهَا ۚ سَيَجْعَلُ ٱللَّهُ بَعْدَ عُسْرٍۢ يُسْرًۭا ٧

and let the wealthy man spend according to his wealth. But let him whose provision is restricted spend according to what God has given him: God does not burden any soul with more than He has given it- after hardship, God will bring ease. Aṭ-Ṭalāq, Ayah 7

• Indeed, Allah brings ease after hardship.
• We just have to be patient to be able to accept that reward and ease.
• Another thing that may help our sabr is to compare ourselves to the proper standards.
• We often compare ourselves to those who have more. We compare ourselves to those who seem to have more in terms of worldly things.
• “He is richer, healthier, has more than I, is more handsome, more of this, more of that”
• With this mindset, you will never be satisfied with what you have.  The problem is that you are using the wrong standard of measure.
• This is very easy to do because we are bombarded with the lifestyles of the rich and famous, and all the luxurious things they enjoy in this life. 
• These are things we naturally desire, and we end up never content with what we have.
• We can always find someone who has more, which causes us to constantly be dissatisfied:

Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Look at those below you and do not look at those above you, lest you belittle the favors of Allah.” Source: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 2963 Grade: Sahih (authentic) according to Muslim 

عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَال انْظُرُوا إِلَى مَنْ أَسْفَلَ مِنْكُمْ وَلاَ تَنْظُرُوا إِلَى مَنْ هُوَ فَوْقَكُمْ فَهُوَ أَجْدَرُ أَنْ لاَ تَزْدَرُوا نِعْمَةَ اللَّهِ 2963 صحيح مسلم كتاب الزهد والرقائق

• This is a very important tarbiya lesson to appreciate what Allah has given you.
• And if you think that nobody is suffering as badly as you are, know that there are definitely people out there worse off than you.
• A lot of the time, we are overdramatizing our situations, forgetting everything that we have. 
• What if you lose everything that you already have? Things can get much worse in an instant. 
• We have to look at what we have and realize what Allah has blessed us with.
• This is a very important discussion to have, one of the main qualities that a muslim should cultivate is his or her Sabr.
• This is the essence of our religion. 
• The deen is half shukr and half sabr. 
• Half of it is gratitude to Allah, and the other is patience in adversity.
• These are qualities necessary to enter Jannah.
• But this does not happen by reading about it or listening to a khutba about it.
• The khutba just gives you the directions, but it’s your job to implement them. 
• One of the main challenges to acquire sabr is that you need sabr to have more sabr.
• You need patience to get more patience.
• That is why Allah says:

‫یَـٰۤأَیُّهَا ٱلَّذِینَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱصۡبِرُوا۟ وَصَابِرُوا۟ وَرَابِطُوا۟ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تُفۡلِحُونَ﴿ ٢٠٠ ﴾

‬ You who believe, be steadfast, more steadfast than others; be ready; always be mindful of God, so that you may prosper. Āli-ʿImrān, Ayah 200

• Notice that Allah does not just tell us to have patience. 
• He tells us to strive to be more patient than others and to persevere even when it’s hard. This is the path to success. 
• This is how you nourish and grow your inner strength. 
• We ask Allah to give us all Sabr, and to give us the highest place in Jannah.

هَذَا وَصَلُّوا وَسَلِّمُوا عَلَى نَبِيِّكُم كَمَا أَمَرَكُمْ بِذلِكَ رَبُّكُمْ , فَقَالَ

I conclude with this and send prayers of blessings and peace upon your Prophet as your Lord commanded:

إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَمَلَائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ ۚ يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا صَلُّوا عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيمًا

Al Ahzaab (33) 56: Indeed, Allah confers blessing upon the Prophet, and His angels [ask Him to do so]. O you who have believed, ask [ Allah to confer] blessing upon him and ask [ Allah to grant him] peace.

اللَّهُمَّ اهْدِنا فِيمَنْ هَدَيْتَ وَعَافِنا فِيمَنْ عَافَيْتَ وَتَوَلَّنا فِيمَنْ تَوَلَّيْتَ وَبَارِكْ لنا فِيمَا أَعْطَيْتَ وَقِنا شَرَّ مَا قَضَيْتَ إِنَّكَ تَقْضِي وَلاَ يُقْضَى عَلَيْكَ وَإِنَّهُ لاَ يَذِلُّ مَنْ وَالَيْتَ تَبَارَكْتَ رَبَّنَا وَتَعَالَيْتَ

O Allah, guide us with those whom You have guided, grant us well-being among those You have granted well-being, be an ally to us along with those whom You are an ally to, and bless what You have bestowed upon us, and save us from the evil of what You have decreed.  For verily You decree and none can decree over You. He whom You support can never be humiliated. Glory is to You, our Lord, You are Blessed and Exalted.

اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّا نَسْأَلُكَ مِنَ الْخَيْرِ كُلِّهِ عَاجِلِهِ وَآجِلِهِ مَا عَلِمْنا مِنْهُ وَمَا لَمْ نَعْلَمْ وَنَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الشَّرِّ كُلِّهِ عَاجِلِهِ وَآجِلِهِ مَا عَلِمْنا مِنْهُ وَمَا لَمْ نَعْلَمْ اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّا نَسْأَلُكَ مِنْ خَيْرِ مَا سَأَلَكَ عَبْدُكَ وَنَبِيُّكَ وَنَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا عَاذَ بِهِ عَبْدُكَ وَنَبِيُّكَ اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّا نَسْأَلُكَ الْجَنَّةَ وَمَا قَرَّبَ إِلَيْهَا مِنْ قَوْلٍ أَوْ عَمَلٍ وَنَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ النَّارِ وَمَا قَرَّبَ إِلَيْهَا مِنْ قَوْلٍ أَوْ عَمَلٍ وَنَسْأَلُكَ أَنْ تَجْعَلَ كُلَّ قَضَاءٍ قَضَيْتَهُ لَنا خَيْرًا

O Allah, We ask You for all that is good, in this world and in the Hereafter, what we know and what we do not know. O Allah, we seek refuge with You from all evil, in this world and in the Hereafter, what we know and what we do not know. O Allah, we ask You for the good that Your servant and Prophet has asked You for, and we seek refuge with You from the evil from which Your servant and Prophet sought refuge. O Allah, we ask You for Paradise and for that which brings one closer to it, in word and deed, and we seek refuge in You from Hell and from that which brings one closer to it, in word and deed. And we ask You to make every decree that You decree concerning us good

 عِبَادَ اللّهِ  إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُ بِالْعَدْلِ وَالْإِحْسَانِ وَإِيتَاءِ ذِي الْقُرْبَىٰ وَيَنْهَىٰ عَنِ الْفَحْشَاءِ وَالْمُنكَرِ وَالْبَغْيِ  يَعِظُكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ

Servants of Allah. Indeed, Allah orders justice and good conduct and giving to relatives and forbids immorality and bad conduct and oppression. He admonishes you that perhaps you will be reminded. 

اُذْكُرُوا اللَّهَ الْعَظِيمَ يَذْكُرْكُمْ واشْكُرُوهُ يَزِدْكُمْ واسْتَغْفِرُوهُ يَغْفِرْ لكُمْ واتّقُوهُ يَجْعَلْ لَكُمْ مِنْ أَمْرِكُمْ مَخْرَجًا   وَأَقِمِ الصّلَاة

Remember Allah, the Great – He will remember you. Thank Him for His favors – He will increase you therein.  And seek forgiveness from Him – He will forgive you. And be conscious of Him – He will provide you a way out of difficult matters. And, establish the prayer.