The Role of Patience In Resolving Conflict

THE ROLE OF PATIENCE IN RESOLVING CONFLICT Abu Hurayrah reports that once, a man insulted Abu Bakr, and he remained silent. At that time, the Prophet of Islam was sitting nearby. He appeared surprised and smiled. When the man intensified his insults, Abu Bakr responded to some of his words. At that moment, the Prophet of Islam became upset, stood up, and left. Abu Bakr followed him and said, “O Messenger of God, the man was insulting me while you were sitting there and smiling. But when I responded to him, you became displeased and left.” The Prophet of Islam replied: “When you remained silent, an angel was replying on your behalf. But when you spoke, the angel departed, and Satan took his place.” (Musnad Ahmad, Hadith No. 9624) If a person insults you, and you respond with an insult in return, the situation escalates. The person who initially said one harsh word will begin using abusive language and may eventually try to harm you physically, even resorting to throwing stones. However, your silence will stop the situation at the early stage, while your response will escalate it to a destructive level. Instead, if you remain silent when someone insults or abuses you, and do not react to their provoking words, you will see that their tone gradually softens. The “air” from their “balloon” will begin to escape, and over time, they will become silent on their own. Responding with