The Sunnah of Sabr

Reading Time: 2 min

In the famous "Marshmallow Test" at Stanford University, children faced a critical choice: enjoy one marshmallow immediately or show restraint and receive two later.

The results? Illuminating.

Children who opted to wait consistently outperformed their peers in life's various areas, from education to health. Their ability to exercise restraint, set meaningful goals, and build resilience set them apart.¹

This ability to delay immediate pleasure for a richer future reward isn't just a skill; it's a reflection of one's depth of understanding the essence of sabr.

The term "sabr" finds its roots in the Aloe Vera plant, known as "sabbar” in Arabic. Native to the desert, this resilient plant thrives in harsh conditions. The aloe plant actively pushes through adversity. It grows tall against the odds, needing minimal care, yet offers abundant benefits, from healing wounds to promoting blood circulation.

It mirrors the essence of sabr: an active, positive perseverance, regardless of surrounding challenges, that later holds immense value.

Sabr is the power to look beyond the thorn and see the rose.

In today's age of instant gratification, where desires are a click away, practicing sabr is an act of defiance. It's a conscious choice to swim against the current, seeking growth over fleeting pleasures.

Yet, the beauty of sabr isn't just in long-term restraint. Even a brief pause, a momentary reflection upon a rising impulse, can strengthen our sabr. Such pauses give us freedom, to choose responses that align with our deeper values rather than vices.

Reflection:

Today, when an impulse arises, take a deliberate pause. In that moment, ask yourself: "Is this in line with my deeper values?" Such moments, though brief, can be powerful exercises in strengthening sabr.

Resources:

1. Stanford Marshmallow Experiment

2. An Examination of Patience and Well-Being