Tolerance, Forbearance and Patience

tolerance is the only feasible and sensible choice. Tolerance is our practical need, rather than being some passive retreat. A person often finds certain circumstances unpleasant and starts angrily fighting against them. He thinks that this struggle will bring into existence a more propitious situation. However, this is not so. A person’s inability or unwillingness to be tolerant can only have a negative outcome. According to the Creation Plan of God, the present world is designed so that one repeatedly has to face unpleasant experiences, inside and outside the home. Now, if people were to fall to wrangling on all such occasions, they would fail to advance along the path of human progress. That is why religion has placed great emphasis on forbearance and patience. In this way, avoiding unpleasantness, a man may continue his journey towards the higher goal of selfrealization and God-realization. The Quran repeatedly stresses patience: “Endure with fortitude whatever befalls you.” (31:17) “Have patience. God is with those that are patient.” (8:46) Patience and forbearance mean exercising restraint in trying situations. This great virtue enables an individual to proceed towards worthy goals undeflected by adverse circumstances or repeated provocations. If he allows himself to become upset by opposition, taunts, or other unpleasantness, he will never reach his goal. He will simply become enmeshed in irrelevancies. The only way to deal with the irksome side of daily living