Patience for the Sake of Personality Development

Patience for the Sake of Personality Development patience receive instantly, if they have exercised patience in the real sense. Patience and reward are inseparable part of each other. In the above verse of the Quran, reward refers to personality development. A developed personality is the biggest quality of a man. In reality, personality development is what separates man from an animal. And the biggest source of personality development is through patience. All qualities—wisdom, positive thinking, love, generosity, forbearance, and so on are innate in man. Given a chance to grow, just as a seed grows to become a complete tree, a man would also grow into a complete man. In truth, man is born with unlimited potential. As soon as he is born, this potential starts to unfold on its own. This potential does not require any additional endeavour for its unfolding. An allegorical reference in the Quran clarifies this further: Have you not considered how God sets forth a parable of a good word (being) like a good tree? Its root is firm and its branches are in the sky, it yields its fruit each season with its Lord’s permission—God makes such comparisons for people in order that they may reflect. (14:24-25) Tree is a unique phenomenon of nature. It is a self-growing phenomenon of creation. The entire tree is potentially hidden in a seed and when the seed unfolds, it turns into a tree. So is the case of man. Man is born as a child, which is like a seed. The child has unlimited potential to grow and if given an opportunity to unfold, it will go on growing and become a mature and complete person.