O my soul! It is not, except a few days of patience

Ibn Rajab – rahimahullaah – said: (1)


ولا بد للمؤمن من صبر قليل حتى يصل به إلى راحة طويلة…



…and it’s incumbent upon the believer to have a little patience in order to reach by way of it to a lengthy rest.



فإن جزع ولم يصبر فهو كما قال ابن المبارك

من صبر فما أقل ما يصبر ومن جزع فما أقل ما يتمتع



If he gets impatient then he is,
as has been said by Ibn al-Mubaarak:


Whoever exercises patience,
then how little is the patience he will have to exercise.
And whoever is impatient,
then how little is the enjoyment he will have.



:وكان الإمام الشافعي رحمه اللَه ينشد



يا نَـفـسُ مــا هِـــيَ إلاّ صَـــبـــرُ أَيّامِ

كَــأَنَّ مُـدَّتَــهـــا أَضــغــاثُ أَحــلامِ

يا نَـفْـسُ جـــوزي عَـنِ الـدُنــيا مُـبـادِرَةً

وَخَــلِّ عَـنـهـا فَـإِنَّ الـعَـيشَ قُــدامـــي


al-Imaam ash-Shaafi’ee – rahimahullaah -used to recite (the following verses of poetry):



“O my soul! It is not, except a few days of patience;
As if the extent were but a few dreams.
O my soul! Pass quickly on through this world;
And leave it, for indeed life lies ahead of it.” (2)

______________________

(1) From Ibn Rajab al-Hanbalee’s book “Fadl ‘ilm as-Salaf” - The Excellence of the Salaf’s Knowledge.

(2) Translation of ash-Shaafi’ee’s – rahimahullaah – poem is taken from an article titled “The Yearning of the Pious for Paradise” –
al-Istiqaamah Magazine, Issue #2, Safar 1417 A.H.