As Subr’

 

 

Ya ayyuha allatheena amanoo istaAAeenoo bi-ssabri waalssalati inna Allaha maAAa alssabireena

(Baqara: 002.153) “O you who believe! Seek assistance through patience and prayer; surely Allah is with the patient.”

 

·        My Brothers and sisters, Today’s khutbah is about Subr, which by many is translated as patience, however inshallah today we will learn that this translation into the English language has missed two other distinct and very important meanings of the term Subr.

·        But first let us study the importance of subr in Islam.

(Al-Zumar: 039.010 ) “only the patient will be paid back their reward in full without measure.”

In a hadith checked to be sahih by Sh. Al Albani the prophet said: “The best of Faith is patience and forgiveness.”

·        We all know the Surah Al-Asr (103)

: I swear by the time. Most surely man is in loss. Except those who believe and do good,

 and enjoin on each other truth, and enjoin on each other patience.

 

·        My Brothers and sisters, in today’s khutbah I wish to address the topic As-Subr in a deep manner. And in doing so, inshallah we will learn that this term subr actually has three meanings. If properly translated into English.

·        These meanings are: Patience / Perseverance / Restraint

 

§  Patience

·        So let us now briefly go over Patience, since it is the most well known of the three.

·        Patience is that part of Subr which is the characteristic behavior of a muslim when faced by what Allah gives you or does not give you in this world.

(Az-zumur 070.19-22)Truly man was created very impatient;- Fretful when evil touches him; And, when good befalls him, grudging;- Except those who pray,

·        Indeed these ayah show us that a human is more apt to be patient when troubled, because here either way there is not much you can do, then when a person is happy and feeling blessed.

 

§   Perseverance

·        Perseverance: is the 2nd type of Subr.

·        Perseverance is struggle of constantly performing good deeds.

·        Indeed it is a struggle to do good deeds and especially in today’s world it requires a great deal of subr (perseverance) to establish even simple good deeds.

(Hud: 114-115) “Establish regular prayer, at the two ends of the day; And at approaches of the night. For those things that are good, remove those that are evil. This is a reminder for the mindful, and have Perseverance for Allah wastes not the rewards of the good.”

 

·        Ibn Kathir points out that patience is specially needed for performing prayers, as spoken about in this ayah: (Taha 132): “And enjoin prayer upon your family and be patient in offering them [prayers]”

As advice on how to gain such perseverance Allah says in S Baqarah:

 (Baqarah 153): “O you who believe seek help in patience and prayer. Truly Allah is with the patient.”

·        And Allah has told us that he will test us:

(Muhammad: 31) and certainly We will try you until We have known those among you who exert themselves hard, and the patient, and made your case manifest.

 

(Al- Imran: 142): Do you think that you will enter the garden while Allah has not yet known those who strive hard from among you, and (He has not) known the patient.

·        And this last verse tells us that one of the reasons for the trials and tribulations of this world are to test humans for those who are patient.

 

 

§   Restraint

·        The 3rd meaning/translation of the term Subr is Restraint .

·        This is the act of subr that requires patience in staying away from evil acts.

·        This type of patience distinguishes the righteous person, or a person with Taqwa from the rest of the muslims.

·        Because it is not unusual for a wicked person to perform the obligatory duties of Islam, however it is only the pious Muslim who keeps himself away fro the sinful acts.

·        This is especially true for us living in America, and us studying in an environment where one can easily fall into sinning.

·        Here there is ease in all that is evil as told to us by Allah SW and indeed one can easily get alcohol, be invited to illicit relationships, and so on.

·        My brothers I ask you to be firm and mindful of Allah SW and to ask him for help and to achieve this form of Subr. So we may restrain from the evils that will doom us in this world and the hereafter.

·        Some of the ways of preventing these forms of desires from creeping into our lives are:

·        To surround oneself with good Muslims/people and to try and attend congregational prayers in the mosque.

 

Dua’s

·        I ask Allah to make us of the Saabirun.

·        O Allah make us Patient both upon hardships and ease in this life.

·        O Allah strengthen us in our Perseverance upon good, and that which you like of us.

·        O Allah help us build restraint from the evils of this world, and from the evils of our self.

·        O Allah make us successful on the day of Akhiraa.

·         And make us of the people of jannah

·        I ask Allah SW to help us steer clear of the Hell-Fire; and to be amongst the people of heaven.

·        I ask Allah SW to give subr to our parents; our relatives; our friends; and our brothers & sisters in Islam;

·        O’ Allah forgive the sins of the mujahideen; the scholars & the elders of the Muslim Ummah.

·        Forgive all of us and guide us onto the sirat um’mustuqeem.