Patience

While reading Qasas-un-Nabeen, we came across the story of Ya'qub (AS). While he practiced "beautiful patience", he also acknowledged his "grief". Someone in my Arabic class, asked, "how can one be patient and grieve @ the same time?" It's a common question.

So I wanted to share this particular passage from the book I'm reading - Patience and Gratitude by Ibn Qayyim Al Jawziyyah

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Crying out and complaining to Allah does not mean that a person has no patience. In the Qur'an, we find Ya'qub (AS) saying, "My course is comely patience (sabrun jamil)" (Yusuf 12:83), but his love and longing for his lost son Yusuf made him say: "How great is my grief for Yusuf" (Yusuf 12:83). Sabrun jamil refers to patience with no compliant to other people. Complaining to Allah does cancel out patience, as Ya'qub said, "I only complain of my distraction and anguish to Allah" (Yusuf 12:86).

Allah also enjoined sabrun jamil on the Prophet (SAAS) and he obeyed, but he pray "O Allah, I complain to You of my weakness and helplessness".
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My post wouldn't be complete if I don't quote SunniPath. SunniPath's answer to this question touches another aspect of grief - tears are a mercy

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Weeping is a natural response the powerful emotions we feel during trial and tribulation and do express our complete neediness and dependence to the Lord Almighty, when accompanied by the attitude of submission to the Will of Allah. In this way, weeping certainly does not contradict the act of patience.

[..........the answer continues - Hafsa]

It has been narrated in Sahih Bukhari, Sahih Muslim, Sunan Abi Dawood and Sunan Ibn Majah:

Anas bin Malik reported that: The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) entered the room and we accompanied him... And Ibrahim breathed his last. The eyes of Allah's Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) were filled with tears. Abd al-Rahman Ibn 'Auf said: 'You are weeping, O Messenger of Allah'. He (Allah bless him and give him peace) replied: "Ibn 'Auf, This is mercy". Then he (Allah bless him and give him peace) said: "Our eyes shed tears and our hearts are filled with grief, but we do not say anything except that by which Allah is pleased. O, Ibrahim we are sorrowful due to your separation."

Source: Can we weep when in grief?

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