Patience in five Situations

وَلَنَبْلُوَنَّكُم بِشَيْءٍ مِّنَ الْخَوفْ وَالْجُوعِ وَنَقْصٍ مِّنَ الاٌّمَوَالِ وَالاٌّنفُسِ وَالثَّمَرَتِ وَبَشِّرِ الصَّـبِرِينَ – الَّذِينَ إِذَآ أَصَـبَتْهُم مُّصِيبَةٌ قَالُواْ إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّـآ إِلَيْهِ رَجِعونَ – أُولَـئِكَ عَلَيْهِمْ صَلَوَتٌ مِّن رَّبْهِمْ وَرَحْمَةٌ وَأُولَـئِكَ هُمُ الْمُهْتَدُونَ 

(155. And certainly, We shall test you with something of fear, hunger, loss of wealth, lives and fruits, but give glad tidings to As-Sabirin (the patient).) (156. Who, when afflicted with calamity, say: “Truly, to Allah we belong and truly, to Him we shall return.”) (157. They are those on whom are the Salawat (i.e., who are blessed and will be forgiven) from their Lord, and (they are those who) receive His mercy, and it is they who are the guided ones.)

Fear (panic)

Shaikh Ibn al-‘Uthaymeen (rahimahullah) said:

“It is inclusive of all types of fear, general and specific. General: fear of enemy threatening the country; Specific: When an individual is tested with things which scares him and causes him to panic.”

Hunger

Shaikh Ibn al-‘Uthaymeen said:

“When the stomach is empty while having the extreme desire to eat, and it is the opposite of being fed till satisfaction. It is caused due to the following reasons. First: Scarcity of food; Second: lack of wealth or money to buy food; Third: being afflicted with a disease which prevents the person from eating food.”

Loss of Wealth

Shaikh Ibn al-‘Uthaymeen said:

“It includes everything which a man possesses in the form of money, property, vehicles etc.”

Loss of Lives

Shaikh Ibn al-‘Uthaymeen said:
“This refers to deadly diseases which cause nations to perish like the plague and other than that.”

Shaikh al-Sa’dee (rahimahullah) said: “It means: departure (death) of the loved ones either the children or some relatives or friends, or the different types of illnesses a person himself suffers or which his loved ones go through.”

Loss of Fruits

Shaikh Ibn al-‘Uthaymeen said:

“This refers to what is produced from the trees such as the date palms, the grape vines etc.; and that it is affected by a catastrophe which reduces the yield or ruins it (completely).”

Shaikh al-Sa’dee said: “Fruits, meaning: grains and produce from the date palms and other trees (including vegetables and fruits), which are destroyed either through (extreme) cold, hailstones, fire, or some other calamity from the sky like locust or other insects (destroying the crops).”

Other ways the crops and yields are affected are:
1. It does not rain which leads to drought and famine,
2. or it rains on barren land so the earth does not produce any vegetation,
3. or it rains a lot which causes flooding, and destroys lives and properties and vegetation,
4. or the water becomes bitter or contaminated and not good for consumption or irrigation.

Allaah says in the Quran:

“He it is Who sends down water (rain) from the sky; from it you drink and from it (grows) the vegetation on which you send your cattle to pasture; With it He causes to grow for you the crops, the olives, the date-palms, the grapes, and every kind of fruit. Verily! In this is indeed an evident proof and a manifest sign for people who give thought.” [Quran, 16:10-11]

 

“Tell Me! The water that you drink. Is it you who cause it from the rainclouds to come down, or are We the Causer of it to come down? If We willed, We verily could make it salt (and undrinkable), why then do you not give thanks (to Allah)?” [Quran, 56:68-70]