Patience Quran

What does 'patience' mean according to the Quran? Imam Khamenei elaborates

Patience means staying in the arena, not getting out of it. Some individuals flee from the arena. Some individuals do not flee from it, but they leave it gradually. This is against patience. Patience means endurance, staying in the arena and resisting. Patience means keeping our eyes on distant goals and distant horizons. It means looking at distant goals.

The Holy Quran mentions the characteristics of the enemies. These characteristics are the same as the characteristics of your enemies and the enemies of the Muslim people of Iran and Islamic Iran in the present time: "Rank hatred has already appeared from their mouths. What their hearts conceal is far worse" or "If good befalls you, it grieves them" [9: 50]. If you make an achievement and success, they become deeply upset. After citing these ayahs, the Holy Quran says, "But if you show patience and observe piety, not the least harm will their cunning do to you" [3: 120]. This is a law – the law of creation. This patience and piety will prevent the hostile enemy – this ugly capsule of grudge and hatred – from causing the least harm despite all his capabilities: "Not the least harm will their cunning do to you."

They will not be able to do you the slightest harm. What are the conditions for this? The conditions are patience and piety. Today, in this meaningful and significant arena, I want to discuss this with you dear youth – who are truly the apples of the people's eye. This is not only a lesson for you, rather it is a lesson for all the people. It is a lesson for the entire Islamic Revolution Guards Corps. It is a lesson for all Armed Forces and for all individuals in society, particularly for the officials and managers of the Islamic society. Patience and piety are a lesson.

What does patience mean? Patience means staying in the arena, not getting out of it. Some individuals flee from the arena. Some individuals do not flee from it, but they leave it gradually. This is against patience. Patience means endurance, staying in the arena and resisting. Patience means keeping our eyes on distant goals and distant horizons. It means looking at distant goals. sometimes, we become pleased, happy and proud with a certain achievement. The dangerous thing is to become contented. This is dangerous because it prevents us from staying in the arena. This should not be the case.

You should look at the distant goal and at the peak. You should see what the real message of the Revolution and the Islamic government is and to which place this message wants to take the Iranian nation, the Islamic Ummah and finally the human community. You should look at that particular destination. The movement of the Islamic Revolution requires such patience.

You should take a look at the early Islamic era. In the early decades when there were many difficulties – particularly during the time of the Holy Prophet – Muslims showed patience and resistance and the result was that despite great disorder which had been caused against the true edict of Islam, the peak of human civilization belonged to Muslim nations and countries during the third and fourth centuries of the Hijri calendar. The issue is like this.

If we show patience, the distant horizons will be ours. If you stand firm today, future generations will reach the peak. It is they who will reach it, but this will be your art and your achievement. Of course, I hope that by Allah's favor, you who are today's youth and today's generation will witness that day as well.  And you will witness it, God willing. The Revolution is deep-rooted with a bright future ahead of it and it requires steadfastness. This was about patience.

June 30, 2018