The Wisdom of Life

The Wisdom of Life that of reaction to provocation. It will enable one to absorb shocks and to continue, undeterred, on one’s onward journey. Patience, as well as being a practical solution to the problems faced in the outside world, is also a means of positive character building. One who fails to exercise patience, gives free rein to negative thoughts and feelings, consequently he develops a negative personality, while one who remains patient is morally bolstered by his own positive thoughts and feelings and as a result develops a positive personality. Patience is no retreat. Patience only amounts to taking the initiative along the path of wisdom and reason as opposed to the path of emotions. Patience gives one the strength to restrain one’s emotions in delicate situations and use wisdom to find a course of action along result-oriented lines. The present world is fashioned in such a way that everyone is necessarily faced with unpleasant matters at one time or another. Things, which are unbearable, have somehow to be borne; harrowing events have to be witnessed and all kinds of pain have to be suffered. In such situations, succumbing to impatience leads to unnecessary emotional involvement, which is always counter-productive, while a demonstration of patience has a healing, beneficial effect, allowing one to tread the path of discreet avoidance. Success in the present world is destined only for those who adopt the path of patience in adverse circumstances. The entire spirit of the Quran is in consonance with this concept. The Quran attaches great importance to patience. In fact, patience is set above all other Islamic virtues with the exceptional promise of reward beyond measure: Truly, those who persevere patiently will be requited without measure. (Quran 39:10)