Theme
الصبر
Patience
as-Sabr
The Companions lived through persecution, hunger, illness and the loss of children. The sources preserve how they responded: with tears that did not turn into complaint against Allah, with words of patience said at the moment of loss, and with steadiness when relief was slow to come.
These practices offer words and habits for hard days, drawn from people who knew hard days well.
… وَيَقُولُ" إِنَّ لِلَّهِ مَا أَخَذَ وَلَهُ مَا أَعْطَى وَكُلٌّ عِنْدَهُ بِأَجَلٍ مُسَمًّى، فَلْتَصْبِرْ وَلْتَحْتَسِبْ". فَأَرْسَلَتْ إِلَيْهِ تُقْسِمُ عَلَيْهِ لَيَأْتِيَنَّهَا، فَقَامَ وَمَعَهُ سَعْدُ بْنُ عُبَادَةَ وَمُعَاذُ بْنُ جَبَلٍ وَأُبَىُّ بْنُ كَعْبٍ وَزَيْدُ بْنُ ثَابِتٍ وَرِجَالٌ، فَرُفِعَ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم الصَّبِيُّ وَنَفْسُهُ تَتَقَعْقَعُ ـ …
“Whatever Allah takes is for Him and whatever He gives, is for Him”
41 practices from 35 companions
Open any practice to read it in full on the Companion's page, with the Arabic and English text of every source.
Abdullah ibn Umarعبد الله بن عمر
Living in this world as a traveller
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Hold this world loosely. Do the good you can today before health or time runs out.
Sit with this What would you do today if you lived like a traveller passing through?
Abdullah ibn Umm Maktumعبد الله بن أم مكتوم
Longing to strive despite disability
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Intend good even when you cannot do it, and ask for it.
Sit with this What good do you intend that your circumstances do not yet allow?
Fasting in extreme heat
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When able, take on voluntary worship in hard conditions and report it with humility.
Sit with this What act of worship feels hard right now, and could you offer it anyway?
Patience in hunger
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Do not let a hard situation pull you away from your learning or prayers.
Sit with this What hardship is pulling you away from your learning or prayer?
Abu Sa'id al-Khudriأبو سعيد الخدري
Not asking people; relying on Allah
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Avoid asking for what you can do without, and practise patience.
Sit with this What are you asking people for that you could ask Allah for instead?
Abu Talhah al-Ansariأبو طلحة الأنصاري
Patience at the loss of a child
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When loss comes, respond with patience and trust that Allah will replace it.
Sit with this How do you want to respond when Allah takes back something He lent you?
Abu Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrahأبو عبيدة بن الجراح
Patience through hunger
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When resources are thin, stay calm and keep going. Relief often comes from where you do not expect it.
Sit with this What keeps you going when resources are thin and relief is not yet visible?
Serving with patience and not expecting thanks
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Serve without keeping score, and be gentle with those who serve you.
Sit with this Can you serve today without keeping score?
Asma bint Abi Bakrأسماء بنت أبي بكر
Standing long in prayer, even to exhaustion
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Pray the special prayers, such as the eclipse prayer, with concentration and endurance.
Sit with this When did you last stand long enough in prayer to feel it?
Staying patient far from home
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When sacrifice is hard, remember it is seen and counted by Allah and His Messenger.
Sit with this What hidden sacrifice of yours does only Allah see?
Asma bint Yazid al-Ansariyyahأسماء بنت يزيد الأنصارية
Grieving with restraint
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Cry when you grieve, but do not say anything that goes against Allah's decree.
Sit with this How do you grieve without saying what displeases your Lord?
Fatimah bint Muhammadفاطمة بنت محمد
Patient, hands-on household work
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Treat household work as worship and accept limits with contentment.
Sit with this Can the hardest chore of your day become an act of worship?
Hudhayfah ibn al-Yamanحذيفة بن اليمان
Forgiving a mistake that cost a loved one
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Forgive an unintended harm and keep asking Allah to forgive the one who caused it.
Sit with this Is there an unintended harm done to you that you could forgive today?
Jarir ibn Abdullah al-Bajaliجرير بن عبد الله البجلي
Calm and fear of Allah in times of change
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In a time of uncertainty, stay calm, fear Allah and pray for those who led you.
Sit with this In uncertain times, what keeps you calm and mindful of Allah?
Khabbab ibn al-Arattخباب بن الأرت
Refusing to trade his faith for money
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Do not let money or a deadline pressure you into any compromise of your faith.
Sit with this What would you refuse to trade your faith for?
Khabbab ibn al-Arattخباب بن الأرت
Bringing hardship to the Prophet, and accepting the answer
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In hardship, bring it to the right person and then take the lesson without being hasty.
Sit with this When hardship drags on, can you take the lesson without rushing the outcome?
Khabbab ibn al-Arattخباب بن الأرت
Enduring illness without wishing for death
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In a long illness or trial, ask Allah for good, and do not wish for death.
Sit with this In a long trial, can you ask Allah for good rather than for an end?
Khawlah bint Tha'labahخولة بنت ثعلبة
Persistent, honest supplication
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Be specific and persistent in du'a, and do not rush to leave it.
Sit with this Can you keep asking Allah, plainly and specifically, without rushing away?
Standing firm until the last moment
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Stay steady in your commitment, and let the story of those who gave everything keep you humble.
Sit with this Whose story of sacrifice keeps you humble?
Seeking treatment and staying near the masjid
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Seek treatment when ill and stay close to worship.
Sit with this When you are ill, do you seek treatment and stay near worship?
Asking for a ruling instead of acting on feeling
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Bring strong feelings to a scholar and accept the answer.
Sit with this When feelings run high, do you seek a ruling before you act?
Safiyyah bint Abd al-Muttalibصفية بنت عبد المطلب
Patience in the face of a family tragedy
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Be gentle with those who grieve, and expect patience from yourself.
Sit with this How can you be gentle with someone who is grieving?
Safiyyah bint Huyayyصفية بنت حيي
Taking hurt to the Prophet rather than answering back
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When someone wounds you, take it to a trusted person and to Allah. Do not let it harden your heart.
Sit with this When words wound you, where do you take the hurt?
Gratitude in ease, patience in hardship
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Respond to every situation with shukr or sabr.
Sit with this Is today a day for shukr, for sabr, or for both?
Teaching steadfastness through the story of the boy and the king
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Be firm on the truth when it costs you.
Sit with this What truth would you hold to even if it cost you?
Sumayyah bint Khayyatسمية بنت خياط
Standing by her faith openly, with no concession
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When you are pressured to hide or abandon your faith, hold to it calmly, whether in a small way or a large one.
Sit with this In what small way are you tempted to hide your faith?
Thabit ibn Qaysثابت بن قيس بن شماس
Preparing for death with dignity
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Keep your courage, composure and your manners even when things start to fall apart around you.
Sit with this How would you want to carry yourself when things fall apart?
Umm Atiyyah al-Ansariyyahأم عطية الأنصارية
Keeping the limit of mourning
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Let grief be sincere but follow the guidance given; do not let it last forever.
Sit with this Can your grief be sincere and still follow the guidance given?
Umm Atiyyah al-Ansariyyahأم عطية الأنصارية
Keeping the pledge not to wail
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Keep the promises you make to Allah and His Messenger, even in grief.
Sit with this Which promise to Allah is hardest to keep in grief?
Umm Ayman (Barakah)أم أيمن (بركة)
Grieving without losing faith
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Grieve honestly and keep praising Allah.
Sit with this Can you grieve honestly and still say alhamdulillah?
Umm Habibah bint Abi Sufyanأم حبيبة رملة بنت أبي سفيان
Keeping the limit of mourning, even for a father
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Honour grief with limits, following the guidance you heard.
Sit with this How do you honour grief within the limits given?
Umm Kulthum bint Muhammadأم كلثوم بنت محمد
Honouring the dead: the Prophet's presence and tears at her burial
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Attend funerals, let the heart soften, and take the burial seriously.
Sit with this When did a funeral last soften your heart?
Saying the du'a of calamity
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When any loss hits you, say the du'a of calamity straight away, then ask Allah for better.
Sit with this Do you know the du'a of calamity well enough to say it in the moment?
Performing tawaf with ease when ill
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Use the ease Allah gives you when ill and keep the worship going.
Sit with this When you are ill, do you use the ease Allah gives you to keep worshipping?
Umm Sulaym bint Milhanأم سليم بنت ملحان
Patience at the death of a child
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Be steady in loss and think of the other person's state before announcing painful news.
Sit with this When you carry painful news, do you think first of the other person's state?
Umm Sulaym bint Milhanأم سليم بنت ملحان
Not wailing over the dead
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Grieve with tears but not with despair.
Sit with this Can you grieve with tears but without despair?
Umm Waraqah bint Abdullahأم ورقة بنت عبد الله
Offering service in the hardest hour
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Volunteer your skills where they are needed, and be content when the answer is to serve from home.
Sit with this Can you be content when the answer is to serve from where you are?
Patience and entrusting loss to Allah
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Say the words of patience at a loss, and let the tears fall.
Sit with this Do you know the words of patience to say when loss comes?
Patience when others are preferred
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Be patient when others get what you wanted.
Sit with this How do you respond when someone else is preferred over you?
Bringing a difficulty to the Prophet
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Take marital or family difficulties to a trusted, God-fearing adviser and listen to the advice to fear Allah.
Sit with this Whom do you take your family difficulties to, and do you heed their advice?
Zaynab bint Muhammadزينب بنت محمد
Keeping her faith when her family was divided
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Hold to your faith with patience when those close to you do not yet share it.
Sit with this How do you hold to your faith with patience when those close to you do not share it?
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