The Belief Is Patience And Benevolence

Abstract

The belief is patience and tolerance. At least according to one less known Prophetic traditions narrated by several various Companions reported by Tabari, Ahmad and several other great imams of hadith. The contribution explores this hadith in its widest sense, compares various transmissions and versions of this narration and clarifies it in the light of Qur'an, another ahadith, sayings of early Muslim scholars and exegesis of later hadith commentators. Not only classical methods are used but also more modern approaches as semantic analysis, thematic exegesis and modern reflections. Using this approach, the whole tradition is set in its propper contexts in the universum of revealed texts – governed by superior texts, respectively governing the subordinated ones. it argues for patience in all of three its classical dimensions (over obligations, over prohibitions and over destiny) and tolerance (towards muslims and both non-muslim allies and foes) is vital and crucial principle for living islam in postmodern conditions. Last but not least, there is another question to be tacked – the limits of prescribed patience and tolerance and situations incorrectly classified as patience or tolerance.