Patience is a fundamental foundation upon which we rise and attain virtue. It is a victory of the willpower. Without patience, developing the soul and rising to the mysteries of the ego are unimaginable. Through patience, the human will free themselves from the bondage to the flesh and the earth, and through it they will become an angelic candidate for the exalted realms. Patience is a narrow pass and a challenging peak that leads to the kingdoms beyond. When this is the case, truth-seekers who have given their hearts to the realms beyond are like Hercules, confronting all paths that seem impossible to cross – a Hercules in whose eyes the steepest hills appear as flat lands free from any obstacle. 

Patience is the person’s discernment of the harmony that is inherent in the bosom of primordial nature – it is when he or she comprehends this harmony and aligns their lives accordingly. Indeed, patience means understanding the language of things and events and striving to establish a dialogue with them. A person is truly honored when they persevere until they begin to understand this language and seek to build a bridge between the flow of time and their actions, becoming one with nature. How grand is this divine music that resonates throughout the universe, and what a spectacle it is to sense and behold this harmony!

Patience means recognizing the influence of time over matter and comprehending how events are crushed and ground down and transformed between the relentless teeth of time. Under its silent force of conversion and dissolution, those who can transform themselves into steel or ice, depending on the conditions, will ascend to a different dimension and thus protect themselves from annihilation. Those who fail to grasp this reality will be demolished in the iron claws of time.

Yes, nature will break the legs and crush the spirit of those who do not abide by its laws. On the other hand, for those who recognize it and give voice to its silent indignations by singing the newest songs of David, nature will soften like candle wax in their hands.

O the hasty, mischievous ones who do not embrace patience! 

Yes, there are many who are not aware of themselves and who fail to recognize the essence of their natural disposition. They run for years, only to realize that they have advanced no further than the length of a needle. And then there are those who appear quiet and motionless, like deep rivers, yet they continue moving, step by step, overcoming all darkness in their path and abolishing all barriers without a sound. They walk silently, without bragging, without noise or commotion. Just like corals at the bottom of the ocean—corals that have endured suffering, that have been drenched in blood to attain the rank of an emerald.

A seed penetrates the rock or soil in this manner, silently and with perseverance. A flower bud springs into existence by opening its chest to the sun a hundred times and struggling just as often against the darkness of the night.

Consider an embryo forming in the mother’s womb, passing from one stage of darkness to another—a fascinating journey, a strange yet wondrous voyage that serves as the ultimate example of patience. Yes, it undergoes countless transformations, taking on different forms until, after nine months, it emerges into the world in all its elegance. 

Let us also reflect on the creation of this magnificent cosmos—the universe. Everything comes into existence by the All-Powerful One’s command, “Be,” and the vast expanse of space and matter undergoes countless phases over billions of years to take its present form as His creation. What a profound and remarkable lesson this holds!

Everything in existence embodies incredible patience, never-ending determination and resilience as it moves step by step towards the objective. There is no haste, only a steadfast adherence to the laws commanded in nature, without deviation or change in course.

O impatient human! You alone show impatience. You are the one who disrupts the order that prevails in all of existence! It is you who refuses to endure the journey, striving to leap ahead instead of taking measured steps. You seek results without considering the necessary causes. You chase the impossible, building ivory towers in your imagination. And yet, you are also the one who grows weary from delusions and worries of your own making. You speak without thinking, only to be consumed by regret—yet you never learn from the countless regrets that repeat themselves. If only you knew how unfortunate and unappealing this behavior truly is.

If only you could learn from the events around you, each one an eloquent preacher, speaking its own language. If only you knew how to abide by the delicate order woven into existence and fulfill what the cause-and-effect relationship demands of you. If only you carried on with faith, determination, and willpower, rather than being led astray by mere imagination.

Your existence is measured with your patience, and in the sight of the Almighty, your worth is as great as your patience. It is your patience and determination that drive you to embody the highest virtues and character traits defined in your Book—striving to fulfill them as perfectly as possible, without deficiency or interruption. It is your strength and perseverance in resisting what the Book deems ugly and undesirable. Ultimately, your true value lies in your joyful and wholehearted acceptance of whatever comes from above:

Whether it is suffering that comes from your Majesty
Or loyalty from Your Beauty;
Both are pleasures to my soul;
Pleasant are both Your trials and blessings…

Living all that is elevating, constantly and without respite; being cautious and prepared against all that is debasing; and, finally, enduring with relentless tolerance the dilemmas that arise unexpectedly to test and trouble you—this is patience. It is a pain more profound than any other, yet its outcome is like the purest, life-giving water.

Patience means never abandoning your post, even at the cost of losing everything. It is melting like a candle, yet steadfastly remaining in your place. 

Where are perseverance and willpower? Where are gallantry and bravery? We have lost our way, confused by our constant shifting of paths and directions. Preoccupied with something different each day, we have exhausted ourselves—running from one direction to another, leaving us uncertain of where to turn.

A saint once said that he was guided by a cat—a creature that waits patiently before a hole for its prey, unwavering until daylight, without blinking. But what about you, O human being! How long have you remained steadfast in your eternal pursuit, without wavering in your stance or losing focus? How many times have your plans been ruined? How many times have your efforts been lost, forcing you to start anew—without giving up or feeling disheartened? How many times have you been turned away from the gates, expelled and banished, only to return, humbled, to the steps of your Beloved?

Did you think you would enter Paradise without enduring the trials faced by those before you? The noble Prophet and his devoted followers experienced such despair and suffering that they were shaken to their core, crying out, “When will the aid of God come?” Perhaps His help is already on its way—to those who patiently persist in their servitude, who battle fiercely against sin, and who refuse to lose hope or determination, even when their plans and lives have been shattered a thousand times.

Yes, His help is coming to those who say, “On the path of our love, we care not for our own lives. We walk on a passionate path, and from now on, we need nothing else.”