Hadith: “Patient deliberation [calmness] is from Allah and haste is from Shaytan.”
Disclaimer: This hadith is taken from زاد الطالبين (Provisions for the Seekers) originally written by Shaykh Maulana Muhammad Ashiq Ilahi al-Bulandshehri in Arabic. Provision for the Seekers is the English version, with the translation and additional commentary by Mufti Abdur Rahman ibn Yusuf. No copyright infringement intended whatsoever. All rights belong to the publisher(s).
Original and Translation:
اَلأنَاةُ مِنَ اللهِ وَ العُجلَةُ مِنَ الشَّيطَانِ
Patient deliberation [calmness] is from Allah and haste is from Shaytan.
Note: This hadith is taken from Jami’ Tirmidhi.
Sentence Analysis (Tarkeeb)
الأنَاةُ means calmness, patient deliberation.
العُجلَةُ means haste.
الأنَاةُ is mubtada. مِنَ اللهِ is muta’alliq bil mahzoof khabr ثَابِتٌ and becomes qaa’im muqaam khabr in the absence of khabr. Mubtada and qaa’im muqaam khabr form a jumla ismiyyah khabriyyah. This jumla is ma’toof ‘alayh.
وَ is harf ‘ataf meaning “and”.
العُجلَةُ is mubtada. مِنَ الشَّيطَانِ is muta’alliq bil mahzoof khabr ثَابِتٌ and becomes qaa’im muqaam khabr in the absence of khabr. Mubtada and qaa’im muqaam khabr form a jumla ismiyyah khabriyyah. This jumla is ma’toof.
The ma’toof ‘alayh, harf ‘ataf and ma’toof join together to form a jumla ismiyyah ma’toofah.
Interpretations of the Hadith
There a few ways to understand the meaning of “Patient deliberation [calmness] is from Allah and haste is from Shaytan.”
We should think before acting and not rush into making decisions. This refers to everyday activities and not to worship.*
Shaytan deviates us from calmness and level-headed thinking. He leads us to anger so we cannot think properly or justly. When we are unjust, this is obviously harmful not just to others but to ourselves as well.
Often calmness and haste are part of a person’s personality. Some people are in a rush to get and/or achieve things instantly. Whereas others are calm and reasonable in weighing things before making a decision. It is best to weigh the positives and negatives and think of the short-term and long-term consequences before making a decision. After making the decision then one should have Taqwa (God-consciousness) and leave the rest to Allah (SWT).
Calmness is a quality liked by Allah (SWT) and can be achieved when one gets closer and closer to Him (i.e. by being more religious). Doing good deeds for the sake of Allah (SWT) and always keeping Him in mind grants us a clear head for thinking reasonably.
*Exception: In terms of good deeds, one should rush towards doing them but be patient and calm during the act. A very good example is Salah (prayer). One should rush towards performing the act of Salah. But after reaching the place of Salah, they should be calm and mindful whilst praying.
Additional Note:
In addition to the disclaimer, please note that I have not created this information. Rather, I have shared my notes on what was taught to me by my reputable teachers as I am a student of the deen (religion) Islam. All thanks to Allah, the Most High. Any mistake, misuse, or misinterpretation of the teachings would be entirely due to my lack of knowledge. If you have any questions or concerns about these notes, please feel free to leave a comment below or reach me privately through my blog here or @hadithexplained on Twitter.
