Patience and Perseverance

The Hidden Door — The Forgotten Key!

Patience, perseverance, tolerance, and forbearance are common traits among the most successful people in the world.

Sometimes one errs in differentiating between patience on one hand and laziness, inaction, tolerating oppression, and relying on luck on the other. Patience and forbearance guarantee victory and success while laziness and inaction cause misfortune and result in failure.

Now we shall explain the difference between these two opposing qualities illustrating them through different examples:

If a gardener wants a fragrant garden with colorful flowers and a pleasant atmosphere.

To achieve his desired outcome, the gardener must put in a lot of effort. He must be prepared to endure all weather conditions, including sun, heat, cold, and rain. He must also get used to the thorns and make regular visits to his garden.

Hardships that one must endure to attain the goal are termed as patience.

To earn profits and increase their wealth, traders must undertake challenging journeys through land, sea, and air. Similarly, to achieve good marks, students must work diligently with unwavering determination. Diplomats must also work hard to win people's favor.

Regarding this Hafiz Shirazi says:

Patience and success are friends of each other, Success comes as a result of patience.

One may wonder why the causes of success ‘steadfastness and firm resolve’ is not discussed along with ‘work and effort’. It is so because there is a difference between the two. There are some people who do make efforts in the beginning, yet they break down when confronted with difficulties. Looking from this angle, steadfastness and endurance should be regarded as the supports of work and effort. They must be considered as the motive forces assuring that the work continues unceasingly.

Every triumph is not of the same kind. Sometimes it arrives early and sometimes it takes a long time. One must not expect that everything will be done in the same manner and that everything will end in success.

Works differ from one another. There are some easy jobs, which must be undertaken in difficult circumstances. Moreover, the capacities and capabilities of people also are different. It is possible but the degrees of their intelligence may not be the same.

If a man is able to learn a vocation and becomes habituated to endure difficulties of the field within a year it does not necessarily mean that another person would also require the same time to master the same line of work.

It is said that George Stephenson, the mathematician who also came to be known as the father of the steam engine was very slow in learning and in making educational progress. Yet he manufactured the world’s first railway engine. He produced the world’s first passenger train in 1825.

Scholars say that high intelligence is of two types: one is late-coming intellect and another, comes soon.

The lives of great men show this disparity. Hence we can say that success is also of two types: one comes sooner and the other, late.

So if success does not arrive early one must not give up efforts. One must not imagine that victory is impossible and very difficult. A great Muslim scholar Abu Ja’rana is famous for his firm determination and steadfastness. He has said, “I have learned firm determination from an insect called ‘Bijju’.

Once I was sitting near a clean and shining pillar in the Jame Masjid when I observed that the tiny insect was attempting to climb the upright stone pillar to reach a lamp that was on the top. I kept sitting the whole night and observing until dawn how relentlessly that insect was struggling to climb up the slippery column. I counted 700 attempts when he fell down from the middle of the path because the pillar was very smooth and glassy.

His legs could not hold on. I was highly astonished to see the extraordinary determination of that little worm. As it was time for Morning Prayer I got up from my place, made ablution, and engaged myself in worship. After concluding my Namaz I looked back toward the pillar to find to my absolute astonishment that, due to its perseverance and untiring effort the insect had achieved its aim and was sitting close to the burning light!”

In the words of a poet, determination, and perseverance are like nails. The more you hit them, the more firmly they stick.

Thank You For Reading Shameem Anwar And For Your Valuable Time!

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