Allah The Almighty describes His closest allies and beloved ones with a quality. Do you know what it is?

　　Allah The Almighty praises those who have this attribute in the best way. Do you know what it is?

　　Allah The Almighty promises those who have this virtue with the greatest reward. Do you know what it is?

　　You will immediately recognize this trait when you know that those who have it, unlike others, will be given their reward in full without account.

　　It is patience, which is half of faith. Faith is two parts: one-half is patience and the other half is gratitude. Since most people claim to love Allah The Almighty, He wants to test them and assess their sincerity. Therefore, He imposed on them acts of obedience, forbade them from committing vices and predestined for them certain types of trial. The result was that some people succeeded and others failed. Those who were successful were patient. They were patient, obeying their Lord and avoiding disobedience. When they did disobey Allah The Almighty, they immediately returned to Him and repented. Therefore, they tasted the sweetness of contentment and Allah The Almighty showered them with tranquility and reassurance.

　　When you socialize with such people, you observe that they are happy. Why should it not be so when Allah The Almighty praised those who are patient in the best way, promised them the greatest reward and, unlike others, will reward them without account?

　　Those who are impatient are overwhelmed with worries and sorrows. Why should it not be so when the Prophet said in the Hadeeth (narration): "Verily, the greatness of the reward is tied to the greatness of the trial: When Allah loves a people, He puts them to trial. Whoever accepts it, will enjoy the pleasure of Allah; and whoever is displeased with it, will incur the displeasure of Allah." To which type do you belong?

　　The stage of patience:

　　The stage of adolescence can be called the stage of patience because during this stage the youth experience many physical, mental and emotional changes. The youth either control all these changes and are guided in the right direction to correctly utilize them and turn them into talents and resources which boost improvement, a spirit of achievement and other constructive purposes, causing this stage to pass peacefully. However, if they are neglected they turn into stormy winds which blow contrary to what the ships desire.

　　Adolescents experience a state of rapid and successive

　　Physical, mental and emotional changes. When the adolescent interacts with the external environment -- friends and peers in particular -- they are mostly inclined to imitation and following their friends' stance to avoid being 'the odd-one-out'. If their friends and companions move in the wrong direction, the adolescent is required to be patient in order not to fall into their misguided ways along with them.

　　Adolescents are in dire need of worship and religiousness in their lives. Many psychological field studies indicate that male and female adolescents in different countries have this innate direction and inclination. Consequently, we observe that often, many adolescents hasten to perform acts of worship and different acts of obedience. However, sometimes, they do not continue doing so, mostly due to other external influences which surround the youth such as bad friends or a family which neither helps, nor cultivates, nor encourages piety. Therefore, an adolescent must be patient, give precedence to the Hereafter over this worldly pleasure and seek the reward of Allah The Almighty Who Says (what means): {But what is with Allah is better and more lasting.} [Quran 42: 36]

　　Here we will discuss two types of patience:

　　First: Patience with obedience:

　　It is the highest degree of patience when one is patient regarding obeying Allah The Almighty in terms of observing His obligations regularly and performing them in the most perfect way. When the Athan (call for prayer) is made, you are in the Masjid in order to perform the obligatory prayer. When you are with your family, you are the dutiful and obedient son who obeys his parents' orders and seek their happiness.

　　What motivates the youth to be patient with regard to obeying his Lord?

　　The most important reason that motivates the youth to be patient in obeying his Lord is to determine his goal in life in advance. There should be no lesser goal than entering the Paradise of Allah The Almighty. The least thing that a Muslim should hope for is to enter Paradise. That is because if one does not enter Paradise, this means that he will inevitably enter Hell. (We seek refuge with Allah The Almighty from this).

　　One will not obtain this unless he is patient with regard to obeying Allah The Almighty. That is because one cannot attain what Allah The Almighty has unless He is satisfied. Therefore, when you see a young man performing acts of worship regularly and perfectly, you should know that he is seeking a goal and trying to achieve it. This means that when one determines his goal, this helps him to correctly utilize his potential for patience in obeying Allah The Almighty.

　　When we talk about patience regarding obedience, we should not forget the story of Ibraheem (Abraham) the intimate friend of Allah The Almighty, who offered himself for the fire and his son for sacrifice. It is a unique form of patience, unparalleled throughout human history. When a kind father, who was deprived of having children for many long years offers his son to be slaughtered while keeping patience with the commands of Allah, this is truly a unique form of patience. Also, reflect on the situation of the dutiful son and obedient youth, Isma‘eel (Ishmael) who was brought up on obedience to Allah The Almighty. He said, as Allah The Almighty Says (what means) through his words: {O my (dear) father, perform whatever you are commanded; you will soon find me, in case Allah (so) decides, among the patient.} [Quran 37: 102]

　　Second: Patience on avoiding disobedience:

　　Sins and acts of disobedience are very harmful. Undoubtedly, their damaging effect on one's heart is like the effect of poison on the body and this has different degrees. Any evil or ailment afflicting a person in both the two worlds is due to sins and acts of disobedience.

　　What was the reason behind the banishment of our first parents from Paradise, the abode of pleasure, bliss and happiness, to the abode of pain, sadness and disasters? What was the reason behind taking Satan away from the kingdom of heaven, expelling him from the mercy of Allah The Almighty, cursing him and deforming him both outwardly and inwardly? What was the reason behind drowning all the inhabitants of earth until the water reached the mountain tops? What was the reason behind sending the barren wind to the people of ‘Aad, which turned them into lifeless corpses, as if they were hollow trunks of palm trees? That wind also destroyed everything it passed by, including homes, farms, plants and animals. It made them an example for all nations until the Day of Judgment.

　　What was the reason behind sending the Shriek against the people of Thamood until their hearts were cut within their chests and they all died? What was the reason behind lifting the villages of the people of Prophet Louth up to the heavens until the angels heard the barking of their dogs and then it was turned upside down and all the people died? Then they were rained upon with stones of hard clay. They were punished in ways different from all other nations and those who follow their example will have the same punishment, which is not very far from the wrongdoers. [Al-Jawab Al-Kafi by Ibn Al-Qayyim]

　　Was not disobedience the reason behind all this? Man should realize the loss he incurs and the wrong he does when he disobeys Allah The Almighty. The fact is that we are in dire need for patience, both with acts of disobedience and sins.

　　(To be continued)