Allah has the most beautiful names and each one of them helps us gain more thorough knowledge of the one who created us and to whom we will eventually return to. This helps us tailor our lives accordingly – it gives us hope and helps knock some sense into us when we fall off course.

Today let’s talk about Allah’s name As-Sabur. Which roughly translates as “the most patient” This name indicates to us that Allah does not act in haste; He is not reactionary or emotional. Instead He is deliberate and wise.

On the one hand – it may remind us that He is patient with our mistakes and allows us to progress without taking us to account while we still intend or are capable of improving ourselves.

For example, take my story: I made a Du’a to know the truth – but it was three years before I picked up the Quran to read it. If I had read it three years earlier, I would not have been able to understand it. Allah gave me time.

This reminds me of the story of an Australian man who want to become Muslim. He was reading the Quran and he thought that he needed to make a decision. So he asked Allah for a sign… he was almost ready and needed just one sign expecting his prayer to be answered immediately if Islam wasn’t in fact the truth… he waited, and then he tried again, and waited again.

Somewhat disappointed having lost his own patience, he then returned to the Quran and he found that his answer was there that Allah provided all of the signs for people who give thought and people who have faith.

Although the man has lost some patience, Allah was patient and gave him the sign that he needed that was appropriate and in the right time.

All of us make mistakes and alter – like a small child learning to walk, we can’t start out by running; it all take time and effort and progress to get to the point where we are comfortable on our own feet.

Likewise, in term of faith, it takes time but as long as we are intent in progress, Allah As-Sabur is patient with us.

But this also means that he is not hasty in taking us to account for our iniquities. Just because we don’t see the ill consequences of our evil or laziness or carelessness, don’t mean we are home free. Allah is As-Sabur and holds our restitution for the right moment. This reminds us to constantly take stock of our lives and our selves – to be self- aware and self-critical.

Realize that having an easy life, or not seeing any apparent punishment – even seeing things in our lives we assume suggest favor from Allah – it may be that He is merely withholding payment for our wrong-doing to a later date.

He said in the Quran: {And if Allah were to impose blame on the people for what they have earned, He would not leave upon the earth any creature. But He defers them for a specified term. And when their time comes, then indeed Allah has ever been, of His servants, Seeing.} (Quran 35:45)

So while we hope that Allah will be patient for us to progress, this is by no means permission to just relax and take it easy and just expect the outcome to be good because Allah’s patience goes both ways.

He said in the Quran as well that no one feel secure from the plan of Allah except the losing people.

May Allah protect us from being of those losing people and guide us to that which is good in this world and in the next. Ameen.