‘It is through faith that we know the reality of Allâh’s commands and prohibitions, or reward and punishment, and it is through patience that we carry out His instructions and abstain from that which He has prohibited. A person can never come to believe in Allâh’s commands and prohibitions, and in reward and punishment, and it is through patience that we carry out His instructions and abstain from that which He has prohibited, and in reward and punishment, except through faith, and that is truly from Allâh. And we can never carry out Allâh’s instructions and abstain from that which He has prohibited except through patience. Therefore patience is half of îmân, and the other half is gratitude.
I loved this book so much that I stayed up late to finish it. Patience and gratitude is something that I believe we all are constantly. I love how ibn Qayyim ( may Allah have mercy over him) titled the chapters and divided the sections. It really helped me pinpoint areas I wanted to come back to or ponder upon. His writing is amongst the most beloved to me from our scholars; it’s amazing that the translator could showcase the beauty of his words in English.
Since the month of rajab has entered, I’m making it my goal to read more books that inspire me to become a better muslim and this definitely was touching in so many ways.
It was reported that the Prophet ﷺ stayed up all night, standing until his feet became swollen. When he was asked, “Why are you doing this, when Allâh has forgiven all your past and future wrong actions?” he replied, “Should I not be a grateful slave?” (al-Bukhârî, Muslim)