Tolerance and Patience in Islam and literature

Tolerance and patience should not be read as signs of weakness. They are the signs of strength (Dalai Lama)

When someone is crossing the road from a pedestrian crossing, you are driving and you’re in a hurry. Would you prioritize the pedestrian to cross the road first? Do we need to stop our car for a while? Do we have patience and tolerance at that time? Legally, we/re supposed to stop, but would you do the same?

We will come to this question in the last of this write-up. For now, let’s talk about the Holy Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H). Once Holy Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) was passing from the streets of Madina, One old lady disposed of a garbage dump on him from her house. Prophet (P.B.U.H) ignored for once saying it might be accidental. But, she didn’t through the garbage accidentally. Whereas, she repeatedly did the same for several days. Every time Prophet (P.B.U.H) reacted with patience and tolerated the behaviour of the woman. One day, Prophet was crossing from the same street, but this time that women didn’t though garbage on the Prophet (P.B.U.H). It was strange for the Prophet (P.B.U.H) and asked his companions to go and visit if everything is all right with that woman. When companions of the Prophet (P.B.U.H) went to visit her, they found her lying sick. Then Prophet paid a visit to her home, and she becomes so worried and assumed that now she will be asked for her rudeness. But she didn’t know that Prophet was in her house to discover her health. God! After getting impressed with this behaviour of Prophet, She accepted Islam. This was the level of tolerance and patience of Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H).

If we hurt our Parents, then a few minutes later they pardon us. This is what? They have the capacity of acceptance. They pass over through our omissions, they don’t stop loving us.

Whereas, when someone behaves badly with us. On the spot, we start fighting and even we use abusing language and take that as only a solution to the problem is to behave aggressively with others. On that time, where is our capacity of acceptance of one’s behaviour and liberality?

When we are living a happy life and suddenly some unexpected things happen with us, that time we mostly fail to keep our tolerance and patience. We don’t really tolerate those circumstances. In those conditions, we do? Whatever comes in our mind, just we are doing, we are failing to remember that Allah is with us, we just keep our capacity of acceptance and keep our power of willingness to tolerate those conditions.

In the world, there is a large number of people, who have many problems in their lives. Looking at the poor people, they are facing a great number of problems like finance, education, health and many other troubles. Even they don’t have proper clothes to wear and cover the body. They eat hand to mouth. But still, they have a smile on their face because they are a willingness to tolerate and they have a capacity of acceptance and are convinced by Allah.

If we have a capacity of tolerance and patience, firmly believe in Allah, when we shut our eyes on others mistakes, when we give assistance to each other, pardon about everyone. At that point, we perceive inner pleasure. For instance, if people behave badly with us, we accept their behaviour and tolerate them, even we will not say a single word to them except its ok. At that movement, they need to feel that they did wrong. They should not carry out like this, they should have endurance and forbearance. Such as, at any place, they will require to say that all right to one more person.

Islam teaches us about patience and willingness to tolerate existence.

In Holy Qur’an, Allah says that “Indeed I am with those who patiently endure” [Qur’an, 8:46].

Now coming to the question That was asked at the start of the write-up. Simply looking at the teachings and literature, we will be supposed to say yes as an answer to the question. People need to wait and must show the Tolerance and Patience

Also Read Gender discrimination and Islam – A Review