except those who believe and perform righteous deeds…That is, they perform their religious obligations (farāʾiḍ) as prescribed for them; and enjoin one another to the truth, that is, to God, Mighty and Majestic is He; and enjoin one another to patience [in carrying out] His commandments. He was asked, ‘What is patience (ṣabr)?’ He replied:⸢It is contentment (riḍā) and true [inner] verification of the truth (taṣdīq al-ṣidq).Then he was asked if there was anything more excellent (afḍal) than patience, and he replied:⸣ There is no better act than patience, and no greater reward than the reward for patience. There is no provision [for the way] (zād) except mindfulness of God (taqwā) and there is no mindfulnessof God without patience. There is no aid to patience for God’s sake save God, Mighty and Majestic is He. Then he was asked, ‘Is patience included among works?’ He answered:Yes indeed. Patience is to action as is the status of the head to the body, the one is useless without the other.Then he was asked, ‘What is the time-span (ajl) of patience?’ He replied:Its time-span is as long as it takes to wait for relief (intiẓār al-faraj) from God. [After this] he was asked, ‘What is the basis of patience?’ to which he replied:It is striving [with] the self (mujāhadat al-nafs) to maintain acts of obedience and perform them according to their rules (aḥkām) and limits (ḥudūd), and struggling to avoid acts of transgression (maʿāṣī), whether big or small.He was asked, ‘What are the people who practise patience like?’ He replied:People of patience are of two kinds: one kind practise patience for the sake of this world, until they acquire what they desire for themselves from it, this is a blameworthy form of patience. The other kind practise patience for the sake of the Hereafter, seeking its reward and fearing its punishment.Then he was asked, ‘Is there only one kind of patience for the sake of the Hereafter, or are there different kinds?’ To which he replied:Patience for the sake of the Hereafter has four stations (maqāmāt), three of which are obligatory(farḍ) and one of which is a superogatory virtue (faḍīla). [The first three are:] patience [or steadfastness] in obedience to God, Mighty and Majestic is He; patience in [refraining from] His disobedience; and patience in the face of afflictions (maṣāʾib) from Him.
