A Principle Concerning Patience and Gratitude – Ibn Taymiyyah

About A Principle Concerning Patience and Gratitude

A Principle Concerning Patience and Gratitude is a short work by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah on two qualities that, in his view, form the two halves of faith. The English edition listed here is published by Hikmah Publications, with about 78 pages. The booklet explains that Allah places good for the believer in every circumstance, and that the decrees of Allah can become a way by which the believer draws closer to Him.

Please note that this is a different book from Ibn al-Qayyim’s well-known work on patience and gratitude. This one is by Ibn Taymiyyah.

The central idea

• The believer finds good in every state, in hardship and in ease
• Patience is the right response to trial, and gratitude the right response to blessing
• Faith rests on these two halves
• Divine decrees can be a path to closeness to Allah

About Ibn Taymiyyah

Ibn Taymiyyah was born on 22 January 1263 in Harran and died on 26 September 1328 in Damascus. He was a Sunni scholar and jurist who was imprisoned several times. Among his works are Minhaj as-Sunnah an-Nabawiyyah, al-‘Aqidah al-Hamawiyyah al-Kubra and as-Siyasah ash-Shar’iyyah. Like all scholars, he has been praised by many and also debated.

Why patience and gratitude matter

Every person goes through days of ease and days of difficulty. The Prophet ﷺ taught that the affair of the believer is wonderful, for all of it is good: if he is given ease he is grateful, and if hardship touches him he is patient. A book that explains this teaching in depth helps readers meet both kinds of days with a steady heart.

Who should read it

This booklet suits students of Islamic knowledge, readers who are going through hardship, and anyone who wishes to build gratitude. It is compact, so it can be read in a few sittings and revisited.

How to read it

Read a few pages and then pause to apply the lesson to your life. Keep a notebook of blessings for which you are grateful, and of trials in which you wish to be patient. Study the book with a teacher if you can, since a classical text is easier to understand with guidance.

Gratitude in daily life

Gratitude is more than words. It is shown by using the blessings of Allah in ways He loves, by thanking people who help us, and by remembering how much we have been given. Patience is likewise active: it means holding to prayer and good conduct even when life is hard. Together, they steady the heart.

Lessons for hard times

A principle concerning patience and gratitude is useful to remember when a trial arrives suddenly, such as illness, loss of work or a family dispute. It reminds the believer to look beyond the pain and to ask what Allah loves in that moment: patience, reliance on Him and good conduct. The same principle protects against pride when life is easy, because gratitude keeps the heart humble. Reading the booklet slowly, a page a day, lets its lessons settle.

Edition details

An English edition published by Hikmah Publications, about 78 pages. Listings differ slightly between sellers, so please message us on WhatsApp at 9906523492 for details of the copy in stock. Same-day dispatch from Srinagar.

Frequently asked questions

Is this by Ibn al-Qayyim? No, it is by Ibn Taymiyyah. Ibn al-Qayyim wrote a separate book on the same theme.

Is it a long book? No, it is a short booklet.

Who is it for? Anyone who wants to understand patience and gratitude better.

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