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Bismillah Ir-Rahman, Ir-Raheem. I begin with ALLAH's auspiciousness,whose Name is the Best among all the names. All Revences, All Sanctities and All Worships are due to ALLAH alone. Ashahadu An Laa illaaha illal llahu
Wa Ash Hadu Anna Muhammadan Abdu Hu Wa Rasooluhu
''I bear witness that there is no deity but Allah
who is without partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad (Peace be upon Him) is the Rasool.''
"O Allah, Shower Your Peace come upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, as you have brought peace to Ibrahim and his family.
Truly, You are Praiseworthy and Glorious. O Allah, Shower your blessing upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, as you have blessed Ibrahim and his family. Truly, You are Praiseworthy and Glorious". Iam Satisfied with Allâh as My Rabb and Cherisher,Iam Satisfied With Islam as My Din(religion) and I am satisfied with Muhammad as a Rasulallah (Messenge r)sallallahu alaihi was salam) I seek Protection with ALLAH! With the Glorious and Noble Face of ALLAH! With the Complete and Perfect words of ALLAH! With the Exalted Attributes of ALLAH! From the Punishment of Hell; From chastisement in the Grave; From the Trial of Life and Death; From the Mischief of the dajjal. There is no power nor strength with (anyone) save Allah. ALLAH is Good and Only accept that which is Good. ALLAH is the Truth and only accept that which True. ALLAH is Pure and only accept that which is Pure. Ya ALLAH! ALL the praises are for You,You are the Holder of the Heavens and the Earth, And whatever is in them. Ya ALLAH! All praises are for You; You are are the Substaner of the Heavens and the Earth And whatever is in them. Ya ALLAH! All the praises are for you;You have the Possession of the Heavens and the Earth and whatever is in them. Ya ALLAH! All the praises are for You; You are Light(Nur) of the Heavens and Earth And whatever is in them. Ya ALLAH! All praises are for You; You are the King of the Heavens and the Earth And whatever is in them. Ya ALLAH! All praises are for You; You are the Truth and Your Promise is the Truth, And Your word is the Truth and the Meeting with You is true, And Parardise is True And Hell is true and All the Prophets(peace be upon them) are true; And Muhammad Rasulallah(sallallahu alayhi wa salam) is true,And the Day of Resurrection is True. Ya ALLAH! You have promise and Your promise is the truth,Ya ALLAH! You have promise and Your words is the truth, Ya ALLAH! You have promise and You are the Truth!. Ya ALLAH! You have created Rasulallah(sallallahu alayhi wa salam) to be the most truthful of men and what He(sallallahu alayhi wa salam) has said is the absolute truth! Ya ALLAH! You have promise that You would send one who would revive,restore,rejuvevate Your Din(religion).Ya ALLAH it is geting late and time is not with us,Ya ALLAH You have Promise! Ya ALLAH You have Promise! and Your Promise is the Truth! O Most Merciful of those who show mercy!,O Most Merciful of those who show mercy!, O Most Merciful of those who show mercy!---------------Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah-- Patience and Gratitude.
An abridged translation of his original work entitled, "Uddat as-Sabireen wa Dhakirat ash-Shakireen" Translated by: Nasiruddiii al-Khattah.
Translator's Introduction
Translator's Note
Author's Prologue . Chapter 1: The Definition of Patience
• What scholars have said about patience
• Is it better to have patience at a time of difficulty, or to be in a situation that does not require patience
• Patience and Shakwah (complaint)

• Opposing forces
• Further definition of patience
• Is it possible to obtain the quality of patience?
Chapter 2: Different perspectives on patience
• Different degrees of patience
• The patience of men and the patience of animals
• The patience of jinn
• The patience of angels
• The patience of man
• Different degrees of patience
• Different strengths of patience
• When patience is needed
• Patience in worshipping Allah
• Patience in abstaining from wrong action
• Patience at times of trial and adversity
Chapter 3: Five categories of patience
• Obligatory patience (wajib)
• Encouraged patience (mundub)
• Forbidden patience (mahdhur)
• Disliked patience (makruh)
• Permissible patience (mubah)
Chapter 4: Good patience and bad patience
• Emulating the attributes of Allah
• No contradiction between patience and complaining to Allah Chapter 5: The patience of noble people and the patience of ignoble people

Chapter 6: Ways of strengthening patience
• Knowledge
• Action
• Strengthening the motive of reason and religion
Chapter 7: Man cannot do without patience
• Patience at a time of adversity is easier than at a time of ease
• Patience in worship
• Patience in abstaining from committing wrong actions
• Patience in adversity and in situations beyond man's control • Patience in situations which are started by choice, but whose consequences get out of hand

Chapter 8: What is the most difficult type of patience?
• Patience in abstaining from wrong actions of speech and sexual wrong actions
Chapter 9: Patience in the Qur'an
Chapter 10: Ahadith about patience
• Patience at the time of sickness
Chapter 1 1 : Sahabah on the virtues of patience
• The story of 'Urwah ibn al-Zubayr
• Beautiful patience (sabr jamil - Yusuf 12:83) and panic
Chapter 12: Patience at the time of bereavement
• Eulogizing and wailing

• Saying a few words
• The deceased person suffers because of the people's wailing for him
Chapter 13: Patience is half of Iman
Chapter 14: Patience and loving Allah
• Patience for the sake of Allah, by the help of Allah and in accepting the decree of Allah
• Different degrees of patience
Chapter 15: Gratitude in the Qur'an
• The rewards of gratitude
• Iblis and gratitude
• Gratitude and 'ibadah
Chapter 16: Ahadith on gratitude
Chapter 17: The Sahabah and Tabi'in on gratitude

• Gratitude of different faculties
• Prostration of gratitude
• All the good deeds of man cannot pay for one blessing of Allah
Translator's Introduction We live in a era of overwhelming Western influence where two major ideas are upheld
and promoted. One of these is the expectation of instant gratification, whereby few people are prepared to wait, or work hard, or suffer temporary hardship, to get results.
People see a world of wealth and power, depicted on TV and in the movies, and they
want it, now. Immediate satisfaction is expected in this world, so how much harder must
it be for such people in terms of preparing themselves for the Hereafter!
The other major idea promoted by Western influences is taking much of the blame for filling people's minds with the
notion that the stronger and wealthier you are, the freer you are to do what you like,
regardless of the consequences. The idea of the "survival of the fittest" is used to justify
destroying the weak. In their quest for independence and superiority, the godless are turning this world into a living hell where competition and conflict prevail. Crime is on the increase around the world, as religion and morality are no longer deterrent forces, and a sense of fear and insecurity is spreading in its wake. Mental illness and psychological disorders are
further symptoms of a insane world the malaise caused by negative Western influences and many others.
The Islamic way is in sharp contrast to the current trends of the West and the World. Our Creator knows best the make-up of the human psyche, and the guidance of the Qur'an and Sunnah is in perfect harmony with human nature. Not for nothing is Islam known as din al-fitrah (the life transaction of the natural state of man). Muslim scholars and scientists developed an extensive and deep knowledge of human behaviour and psychology, which was firmly rooted in the guidance of the Qur'an and Sunnah. Centuries ago, scholars developed
Islamic concepts by which any person who is seeking strength of willpower, and perfection may be guided. Instead of struggling alone, for no other reason than self- gratification, Islam channels us into seeking perfection for the sake of Allah, and teaches us to seek His help in doing so. Thus we have important Islamic ideals such as:
'Ubudiyyah (being a true slave of Allah), which puts a person in touch with the highest Power in the universe, the Power of Allah; tawakkul (putting one's trust in Allah), concerning which the Prophet (SAAS) advised, "Whoever wishes to be the strongest among men, let him put his complete trust in Allah"; and sabr (patience, forbearance, fortitude), which enables a man to face hardship with dignity and to accept times of ease without becoming arrogant.
Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah (1292-1350 CE) was one of these scholars. His full name was
Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr ibn Ayyub ibn Sa'd az-Zar'i and his kunya was Abu Abdullah Shams al-Din, but he is better-known as Ibn Qayyim al Jawziyyah. Born in Damascus, Syria, he was the son of the attendant (qayyim) of the school of al-Jawziyyah. He lived in a period of great turmoil in the Muslim world, which was still reeling from the Mongol onslaughts. At the same time, his was an era of remarkable scholarship. He studied under
the great scholar Ibn Taymiyyah, and was also a contemporary of Ibn Kathir and others. The present text is an abridged translation of Ibn al-Qayyim's famous work, "Uddat as- Sdbirin wa Dhdkhirat ash-Shdkirin (literally, The Equipment of the Patient and the Investment of the Grateful). This work deals with the closely-related topics of patience and gratitude. Although often translated as "patience", the Arabic word sabr has a broader and deeper meaning than the English. Depending on the context, it may mean fortitude, patience, equanimity, forbearance, patient endurance, etc. Shukr may be translated as "gratitude" or "thankfulness". As is shown in the book, patience and gratitude are two sides of the same coin, closely-related attitudes which the Muslim should seek to foster in every aspect of his or her life. This kind of spiritual advice is something that today's Muslims so desperately need. Far
from being a set of empty rituals and nit-picking legal technicalities, or a set of words to be repeated or chanted ad nauseam, Islam is a holistic way of life: if it is applied only partially, imbalance will result. A most important aspect of Islam, which must always accompany the formal "rituals" and the recitation of du as and dhikr, is constant
remembrance of Allah and constant contact with the Divine. Developing a truly Islamic
attitude of patience will enable us to do this.
Although the works were written over six centuries ago, Ibn al-Qayyim has much to offer the modern reader. Caught as we are between the tempting influences of the West and the Hide bound superstitions of some of our Muslim communities, Ibn al-Qayyim's level-headed and above all practical advice will point us back towards a purer Islamic way, insha 'Allah.
It is my firm belief that Islam has the answer to many of the psychological problems that trouble mankind today, such as anxiety, depression, lack of confidence, addictions, etc. In direct contrast to the Western focus on the "self," Islam tells us to look beyond ourselves and focus on Allah. By doing so, we will move towards fulfilling the purpose for which we were created, and thus attain peace with our Creator and within ourselves. This book is the first in a series ("Towards Islamic Psychology") that will, Insha 'Allah, bring the spiritual and psychological benefits of our Islamic heritage to Muslims who do not have access to the works of the scholars in the original Arabic.
{Translator's Note }
Translations of Qur'anic quotations have been adapted from the translation by Yusuf Ali. However, the archaic style of the translator has been modernized, so that "thou" has been changed to "you", "doeth" to "does", etc. Abbreviations of the blessings customarily pronounced by Muslims following the names of the Prophet and Sahabah are used in the text, as follows: SAAS = sallalldhu alayhi wa sallam (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), following mention of the Prophet Muhammad (SAAS); RA = radiy'alldhu 'anhu/'anha/'anhum (may Allah be pleased
with him/her/them), after the name of a Companion or wife of the Prophet (SAAS).
Finally, a note on gender usage: although the text of this book tends to use masculine (he,
him) in describing human situations, this is in no way intended to exclude the female
readers. This use of masculine reflects the Arabic usage, where - grammatically speaking - the masculine may always include the feminine, as in al-Muslimun (masculine plural), which can include the female as well as male Muslims. Repeated use of "he or she" or "him or her" would have made the language of the book very stilted and tedious to read.
The advice and suggestions given by Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah may be understood to
apply equally to males and females.
Author's Prologue
Praise be to Allah, the Patient (as-Sabur), the Thankful (ash-Shakur), the Most High (al- 'Aliyy), the Greatest (al-Kabir), the All-Hearing (as-Sami'), the All-Seeing (al-Basir), the All-Knowing (al- 'Alim), the All-Powerful (al-Qadir), Whose power controls every single creature and Whose Will dominates every single event. His Call to people to prepare for the Hereafter has been so strongly that even the dead could hear it. I bear witness that
Muhammad is His Slave and Messenger, the best of His creation who did not spare any
effort to advise this Ummah, the most patient in accepting the decree of Allah and the most grateful for His blessings. Truly he conveyed the Message of Allah and proclaimed the Truth, and endured in the way of Allah that which no human being had ever endured. He followed Allah's commands patiently and gratefully, until he gained the pleasure of Allah and attained the highest degree of patience, such as had never before been reached. Patience, or patient perseverance, is obligatory, according to the consensus of the
scholars, and it is half of faith (mind), the other half of which is gratitude (shukr).Patience is mentioned in the Qur'an around ninety times. The relation of patience to mind is like the relation of the head to the body, and the one who has no patience has no mind. Allah has commanded patience for the Believers in the following ayah:
"O you who believe! seek help with patient perseverance (sabr) and prayer..." (al-
Baqarah 2:153) Patience has also been made a condition for a person's entering Paradise and being saved from the Hellfire; on the Day of Judgement Allah will say: "I have rewarded them this day for their patience and constancy (patience): they
are indeed the ones that have achieved Bliss..." (al-Mu'minun 23:1 1 1)
And Allah commanded the patient (those who have patience) when He said:
"...(it is righteousness...) to be firm and patient, in pain or suffering and adversity,
and throughout all periods of panic. Such are the people of truth, the God-fearing."
(al-Baqarah 2:177) and:"...Allah loves those who are firm and steadfast." (Al Ailmran 3:146) Allah has told us that He is with those who have patience; this is a special
"companionship" {ma 'iyyah) which means that He is protecting and supporting them, which is over and above the ordinary "companionship" which applies to believers and disbelievers alike whereby Allah has knowledge of them and is watching over them. Allah has told us: "...And be patient and persevering: for Allah is with those who patiently persevere." (al-Anfal 8:47)
The Prophet (SAAS) told us that patience is all good and full of goodness, and said that "There is no gift better than patience. 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (RA) said: "The best days of our lives were ours by virtue of patience."
This book has been written to highlight the urgent need for patience, and to explain that
our happiness in this life and our salvation in the hereafter depends on patience. This
book is filled with benefits and readers will benefit from its advice and teachings. What is good and correct in this book is by the help of Allah, and what is mistaken in it is from the Shaytan. May Allah forgive the author and the editor. Allah is the Greatest Helper, and we put our trust in Him.
Chapter 1: The Definition of Patience.
Sabr is an Arabic word which comes from a root meaning to detain, refrain and stop.
There is an expression in Arabic, "so-and-so was killed sabran" which means that he
was captured and detained until he died. In the spiritual sense, patience means to stop
ourselves from despairing and panicking, to stop our tongues from complaining, and to
stop our hands from striking our faces and tearing our clothes at times of grief and stress. What scholars have said about patience Some scholars have defined patience as a good human characteristic or a positive psychological attitude, by virtue of which we refrain from doing that which is not good. Human beings cannot live a proper, healthy life without patience.
Abu 'Uthman said: "the one who has patience is the one who trained himself to handle difficulties." 'Amr ibn 'Uthman al-Makki said: "Patience means to keep close to Allah and to accept calmly the trials He sends, without complaining or feeling sad." Al- Khawwas said: "Patience means to adhere to the rules of the Qur'an and Sunnah." Another scholar said: "Patience means to refrain from complaining." 'Ali ibn Abi Talib said: "Patience means to seek Allah's help." Is it better to have patience at the time of difficulty, or to be in a situation which does not require patience?
Abu Muhammad al-Hariri said: "Patience means not seeing any difference between times of ease and times of hardship, and being content at all times." I (Ibn Qayyim) say: This is too difficult, and we are not instructed to be like this. Allah has created us in such a way that we feel the difference between times of ease and times of hardship, and all that we can do is refrain from panicking at times of stress. Patience does not mean feeling the
same at both easy and difficult times. That is beyond us, and is not part of our nature.
Having an easy time is better for us than having a difficult time. As the Prophet (SAAS) said in his well known du 'a: "If You are not angry with me, then I do not care what happens to me, but still I would rather have your blessings and your favour. " This does not contradict the hadith which says, "No-one has ever been given a better gift than patience, " because that refers to after a test or trial has befallen a person. But ease is still better.
Patience and Shakwah (complaint)
Shakwah (complaint) falls into two categories: The first type means to complain to Allah, and this does not contradict patience. It is demonstrated by several of the Prophets, for example, when Ya'qub (AS) said: "I only complain of my distraction and anguish to Allah." (Yusuf 12:86)
Earlier, Ya'qub (AS) had said "sabrun jamil" which means "patience is most fitting for
me." The Qur'an also tells us about Ayyub:
"And (remember) Ayyub (Job), when he cried to his Lord, 'Truly distress has seized
me...' "(Al-Anbiya' 21:83)
The epitome of patience, the Prophet (SAAS), prayed to his Lord: "O Allah, I complain to You of my weakness and helplessness. " Musa (AS) prayed to Allah saying: "O Allah, all praise is due to You, and complaint is made only to You, and You are the only One from Whom we seek help and in Whom we put our trust, and there is no power except by Your help." The second type of complaint involves complaining to people, either directly, through our words, or indirectly, through the way we look and behave. This is contradictory to patience
Opposing Forces.
Psychologically speaking, every person has two forces at work within him or her. One is
the "driving force", which pushes him towards some actions, and the other is the
"restraining force", which holds him back from others. Patience essentially harnesses the driving force to push us towards good things, and the restraining force to hold us back from actions that may be harmful to ourselves or others. Some people have strong patience when it comes to doing what is good for them, but their patience is weak with regard to restraint from harmful actions, so we may find that a
person has enough patience to perform acts of worship (Saldh, Sawm, Hajj) but has no
patience in controlling himself and refraining from following his whims and desires, and in this way he may commit hardm deeds. Conversely, some people may have strong patience in abstaining from forbidden deeds, but their patience in obeying commandments and performing 'ibddah is too weak. Some people have no patience in either case! And, needless to say, the best people are those who possess both types of patience.
So, a man may have plenty of patience when it comes to standing all night in prayer, and
enduring whatever conditions of heat or cold may be prevalent, but have no patience at
all when it comes to lowering his gaze and refraining from looking at women. Another
may have no problem controlling his gaze, but he lacks the patience which would make
him enjoin the good and forbid the evil, and he is so weak and helpless that he cannot
strive against the kuffdr and mushrikun. Most people will be lacking in patience in any one case, and a few lack it in all cases.
Further definition of patience.
A scholar said: "To have patience means that one's common sense and religious motives are stronger than one's whims and desires." It is natural for people to have an inclination towards their desires, but common sense and the religious motive should limit that inclination. The two forces are at war: sometimes reason and religion win, and sometimes whims and desires prevail. The battlefield is the heart of man.

Patience has many other names, according to the situation. If patience consists of
Restraining sexual desire, it is called honor, the opposite of which is adultery and
Promiscuity. If it consists of controlling one's stomach, it is called self-control, the
Opposite of which is greed. It if consists of keeping quiet about that which is not fit to
Disclose, it is called discretion, the opposite of which is disclosing secrets, lying, slander
or libel. If it consists of being content with what is sufficient for one's needs, it is called
Abstemiousness, the opposite of which is covetousness. If it consists of controlling one's anger, then it is called forbearance, the opposite of which is impulsiveness and hasty
reaction. If it consists of refraining from haste, then it called gracefulness and steadiness, the opposite of which is to be hotheaded. If it consists of refraining from running away, then it is called courage, the opposite of which is cowardice. If it consists of refraining
from taking revenge, then it is called forgiveness, the opposite of which is revenge. If it consists of refraining from being stingy, then it is called generosity, the opposite of which is miserliness. If it consists of refraining from being lazy and helpless, then it is called dynamism and initiative. If it consists of refraining from blaming and accusing other
people, then it is called chivalry (muru 'ah literally "manliness"). Different names may be applied to patience in different situations, but all are covered by the idea of patience. This shows that Islam in its totality is based on patience. Is it possible to obtain the quality of patience? If a person does not naturally possess the characteristic of patience, he can attain this characteristic by acting as if he does possess it, until it eventually becomes second nature.
This is what the Prophet (SAAS) has told us in the hadith: "Whoever tries to be patient,
then Allah will help him to be patient. " A person can also strive to control sexual desire and lower his gaze until these too become second nature. The same applies to all other desirable characteristics such as steadiness, generosity and courage.