The Arabic word "sabr" (patience) is defined as "the ability and willingness to endure hardship and difficulty with calmness and strength of mind with firm faith in the Pre-Ordainment of Allah. All such destinies of God are His tests. God says:

"And certainly, We shall test you with something of fear, and hunger, some loss in goods or lives or the fruits (of your toil), but give glad tidings to those who patiently persevere" (2:155)

The tests of God sometimes become pleasant and sometimes not. If any of it happens, it is blissful for a true believer. The Prophet (S) says:

"How wonderful is the case of a believer; there is good for him in everything and this is not the case with any one except a believer. If prosperity befalls him, he expresses gratitude to Allah and that is good for him; and if adversity befalls him, he endures it patiently and that is better for him." (Muslim)

Contrary to the above, the weak- minded get disappointed easily and become unhappy due to various kinds of hardships in their lives and at last find pleasure in suicide. Some others are there who pray to Allah for their instant death. Committing suicide is one of the seven big sins in Islam.

Since man has no knowledge of his future, he should never desire for his own death in consequence of frustration created by troubles and turmoil for two reasons.

Firstly, desire for death is against the principle of "patience" which is part of Islamic faith.

Secondly, it is like shooting an arrow in the darkness because it is possible that the remaining part of his life may be beneficial to his religion or to his material life.

What is actually allowed by Islam for a believer at this hellish torment is to pray to God as said by the Prophet (S):

"O Allah! Keep me alive as long as life is better for me, and make me die when death is better for me." (Al Bukhari and Muslim).

In fact, Islam wants its followers to display the worth of patience at the very beginning of their adversities and not at the end of hard times. The Prophet (S) says:

"Verily, the patience is at the first stroke of a calamity." (Bukhari).

If all Muslims can imbibe the principle of tolerance and patience in their private lives that Islam underlines, then there will emerge a society of leniency who could be able to bury the hatchet in the world.

If truth be told, Islam wants to build up a world of tolerance which could only breed peace and tranquility in the world and it will kill off all germs of discord from the minds of people. What a beautiful world it would be then!