Sabr
Imam Ibn Juzayy al-Kalbi1
Sabr (steadfastness) is mentioned in the Qur’an in more than seventy places. This is
because of the tremendous importance that steadfastness has in the din. It has been said
that every good action has a limited reward, from ten-fold up to seven-hundred fold,
except for steadfastness whose reward has no limit. That is because of Allah’s words
“Only the steadfast are paid their reward without reckoning.”
Allah mentions eight types of honour shown to the steadfast:
The first is love. Allah says, “And Allah loves the steadfast.”
The second is help. He says, “Truly, Allah is with the steadfast.”
The third is mansions in the Garden. He says, exalted is He, “They will be
recompensed with mansions because of how they were steadfast.”
The fourth is a full and ample reward. Allah says, “Only the steadfast are paid
their reward without reckoning.”
The other four are all mentioned in one Ayah (in al-Baqarah) in which they (the
steadfast) are given the good news. Allah says, “Give good news to the
steadfast.” And there is mention in the same Ayah of mercy, compassion, and
guidance as rewards for the steadfast ones. Allah says, “Those, there is on them
mercy and compassion from their Lord and those they are the guided
ones.”
There are four aspects of steadfastness:
There are four aspects of steadfastness:
Steadfastness in affliction, which is the act of preventing the self from becoming
discontented and impatient;
Steadfastness in good fortune, which is to bind it fast to gratitude, without
overstepping the limits or becoming proud and self-important because of the
good fortune;
Steadfastness in obedience by safeguarding it and becoming constant in it;
Steadfastness (in refraining) from acts of disobedience by withholding oneself
from them.
Above steadfastness there is surrender, which is abandoning opposition and
discontentment outwardly and abandoning dislike inwardly.
Above surrender there is contentment with the decree, which is the self’s happiness with
the act of Allah; it issues from love, for everything the Beloved does is beloved.
11 The author was born in 693 AH. His name was Abu `Abdullah Muhammad, called al-Qasim,
ibn Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Juzayy al-Kalbi, i.e. from the Arab tribe of Kalb, may Allah be
pleased with him and make him contented, and make the Garden his shelter. He was al-Gharnati
(from Granada in Andalusia, Spain) and thus European. Ibn Juzayy wrote widely on all the
sciences of his day: Hadith, fiqh, Qur’anic recitations and tafsir. He died fighting as a shahid in the
Battle of Tarif in the year 741 AH.
1 The author was born in 693 AH. His name was Abu `Abdullah Muhammad, called al-Qasim,
ibn Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Juzayy al-Kalbi, i.e. from the Arab tribe of Kalb, may Allah be
pleased with him and make him contented, and make the Garden his shelter. He was al-Gharnati
(from Granada in Andalusia, Spain) and thus European. Ibn Juzayy wrote widely on all the
sciences of his day: Hadith, fiqh, Qur’anic recitations and tafsir. He died fighting as a shahid in the
Battle of Tarif in the year 741 AH.
