Islamic Moral Education and Perseverance – SS3 Islamic Studies Lesson Note (First Term)

Sabr is an Arabic word meaning endurance, perseverance and patience. In Islam, it means staying firm in the face of danger, loss and hardship, and continuing to do good and resist evil.

Behavioural objectives

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

1. explain the meaning of Sabr;
2. state the Qur’anic passage that enjoins Muslims to show Sabr;
3. describe how Prophet Muhammad (SAW) demonstrated Sabr in his life;
4. list the types and benefits of Sabr;
5. give reasons why patience is necessary for doing good and resisting evil.

What is perseverance (Sabr)?

Sabr is the Islamic virtue of staying patient, firm and steady in obedience to Allah, whatever happens.

• Meaning: Sabr is an Arabic word for endurance, perseverance and patience.
• Importance: it shapes the life of man, so Allah enjoins His creatures in several places in the Qur’an to cultivate it, even when things go wrong.
• Opposite: impatience, complaining, despair and giving up.
• Link to moral education: Sabr helps a Muslim keep good character under pressure.

What does the Qur’an teach about Sabr?

Qur’an 2:153-157 enjoins Muslims to demonstrate Sabr in the face of danger, loss and hardship.

• Qur’an 2:153: believers are told to seek help through patience and prayer, and Allah is with the patient.
• Qur’an 2:155: Allah will test believers with fear, hunger, loss of wealth, lives and fruits, and gives good news to the patient.
• Qur’an 2:156: the patient say, “Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un” (we belong to Allah and to Him we shall return) when trouble strikes.
• Qur’an 2:157: such people receive blessings and mercy from their Lord, and they are the rightly guided.
• Other verses: Qur’an 3:200 urges believers to persevere, and Qur’an 39:10 promises the patient a reward without measure.

What did Prophet Muhammad (SAW) teach about Sabr?

Prophet Muhammad counselled his followers to exercise patience and perseverance and described those who uphold this as being grateful to Allah.

• Patience in all conditions: a believer is grateful when good comes to him and patient when harm comes to him.
• Patience at the start: true patience is shown at the first shock of a calamity, not after it has passed.
• Reward: patience is rewarded by Allah, and the one who bears hardship firmly earns forgiveness and mercy.

How did Prophet Muhammad (SAW) demonstrate Sabr?

Prophet Muhammad demonstrated Sabr throughout his life, and he never abandoned his mission.

• Persecution in Makkah: he was insulted and persecuted by the idol worshippers, yet he kept calling people to Allah.
• Betrayal: he was betrayed by the hypocrites, yet he remained firm and forgiving.
• Taif: he was stoned out of Taif while preaching, yet he did not abandon his preaching and did not curse the people.
• Boycott: the Muslims were isolated and short of food for a long period, and he bore it with his family and followers.
• Personal losses: he lost his wife Khadijah, his uncle Abu Talib and some of his children, and he accepted Allah’s decree.
• Migration: he left Makkah for Madinah for the sake of Islam and continued to build the community.

What are the types of Sabr?

There are three types of Sabr: patience in obeying Allah, patience in avoiding sin and patience in facing hardship.

Patience in obeying Allah

• Meaning: keeping up acts of worship and duties even when they are tiring.
• Example: praying Fajr on time, fasting in Ramadan and paying Zakat.

Patience in avoiding sin

• Meaning: controlling the desire to do what Allah has forbidden.
• Example: refusing to cheat in an examination or to take a bribe.

Patience in facing hardship

• Meaning: accepting loss, illness, poverty or danger without despair or complaint against Allah.
• Example: a trader who loses goods and starts again, or a family that loses a loved one and says “Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un”.

Why is patience necessary for doing good and resisting evil?

Patience is necessary for doing good and resisting evil because both need steady effort against difficulty and temptation.

• Doing good: good deeds such as worship, charity and learning take time and effort.
• Resisting evil: temptations are strong, and patience keeps a Muslim from giving in.
• Self-control: it prevents anger, revenge and hasty actions.
• Trust in Allah: it reminds a believer that relief comes from Allah.
• Success: a student who studies patiently, or a farmer who waits for harvest, gets results.

What are the benefits of Sabr?

The benefits of Sabr are reward from Allah, inner peace and a strong character.

• Allah’s company: Allah is with the patient.
• Reward: the patient receive a reward without measure.
• Forgiveness: hardships borne with patience wipe away sins.
• Peace: it keeps the heart calm in trouble.
• Good relations: it reduces quarrels in the home, school and community.

How can a Muslim develop Sabr?

1. Pray regularly and ask Allah for help.
2. Remember that every trial is a test from Allah.
3. Read the Qur’an and the life of Prophet Muhammad for examples.
4. Control anger and think before acting.
5. Keep the company of patient and righteous people.
6. Say “Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un” when hardship comes.

Evaluation

1. What is the meaning of Sabr?
2. Which verses of the Qur’an enjoin Muslims to show Sabr in the face of danger, loss and hardship?
3. Describe three hardships Prophet Muhammad faced in his life.
4. Why is patience necessary for doing good and resisting evil?
5. State the three types of Sabr.

Assignment

Write a short paragraph on how the life of Prophet Muhammad teaches Muslims to practise Sabr.