Psychology of patience and semantic approach to the Qur’an: Meaning of Qāla on Istirjā’ Verse

Abstract

Q 2: 155–6 explains that every human being must be tested with calamity, so he had to be patient and recite istirjā’: innā lillāhi wa innā rāji’ūn (indeed we belong to Allah and to Him we return). According to al-Ghazali, patience is a character, not just an utterance, as a form of adaptation to certain conditions. So, what is istirjā’: utterance or action? This article questions the istirjā verse as utterance or action using a semantic approach. It will check the textual and situational context of the verse to understand the spirit behind the revelation of the verse. This article argues that qāla in Q 2: 155–6 does not mean to say but to act. The patient person realizes that Allah tests humans, so he is not angry but calms down and returns everything to Allah. This is called istirjā, so it is not just to say but to act. People who utter istirjā angrily are not patient but adapt to certain conditions. However, patient people will be calm and return everything to Allah as a reflection of the character lies beneath.

Keywords:

• semantic
• psychology
• patience
• the verb of saying
• Qur’an

1. Introduction

Qāla (to say) has a variant meaning, which the reader cannot understand accurately. The word qāla is repeated 1722 times in 1600 verses of the total 6236 verses of the Quran, equivalent to 25.65%. According to previous studies and working hypotheses, the word qāla is challenging to translate into various languages. For example, in English, qāla in Q 3:40 and Q 6:51 was translated by Abdel Haleem and Rubin as said, and only in Q 75:10 does Rubin translate qālū as asking and in Q 4:9 as talking (Dror, 2021, pp. 1–15; Haleem, 2005; Rubin, 2015). In addition to English, this also happens in Indonesian. According to previous research, there are three different meanings of qāla from the speaker’s perspective: to commandment, to decree, and to say. From a linguistic perspective, qāla means: to say, to tell, to announce, to speak, to pronounce, to confess, to ask, to answer, to command, and to pray (Nikmah, 2019, pp. 77–100). Another research stated that qāla means saying as much as 48.2% of the total number of qāla words (Che Mat et al., 2019, pp. 51–87). Thus, previous research admits that the word qāla is challenging to translate.

Among the verses that use qāla is Q 2: 155–6:

Wa lanabluwannakum bisyai`im minal-khaufi wal-jụ’i wa naqṣim minal-amwāli wal-anfusi waṡ-ṡamarāt, wa basysyiriṣ-ṣābirīn (155) Allażīna iżā aṣābat-hum muṣībah, qālū innā lillāhi wa innā ilaihi rāji’ụn (156)

We shall certainly test you with fear and hunger, and loss of property, lives, and crops. But [Prophet], give good news to those who are steadfast, (155) those who say, when afflicted with a calamity, ‘We belong to God and to Him we shall return.’ (156)

Q 2: 155–6 explains that Allah tests all people with calamities. If they are patient and recite istirjā’: innā lillāhi wa innā ilaihi rāji’ūn (indeed we belong to Allah and we shall return to Him), then Allah bless and mercy on them. According to al-Ghazali, patience is one of the human character inherent in a person. A patient person is to say istirjā’ during Allah tests him with calamity. Referring to the definition of character from Imam Ghazali, the utterance is not character but ideality because the reciter must adapt to certain conditions. Hence, the utterance is not an inherent character but an adaptation. Meanwhile, the character is spontaneous behavior following the human subconscious. If the qāla in Q 2: 155–6 is just an utterance, this is not in line with al-Ghazali’s opinion. Thus, is istirjā’ a character or an utterance?

From the background above, there is a fundamental error in the meaning of qāla in istirjā verse by previous researchers. They interpret the Quran and ignore pragmatics, hermeneutics, and semantics approach. The crucial factor in interpreting the Quran is textual and situational context. The textual context is to understand the text using semantics referring to linguistic features (Barthes, 2001; Ricoeur, 2010). The situational context is the situation of scripture revelation, so it is to understand the text using hermeneutics, referring to the horizon of the text (Hermans, 2018, pp. 17–33). Regarding the Quran, the situational context is asbāb nuzūl, which narrates understanding of first recipients of the Quran.

Al-Quran must be interpreted using a textual or situational contexts approach to achieve the spirit behind the revelation of the scripture. The most crucial factor is the textual context due to the spirit of the text based on literal meaning, not the specific situation (al-Ibrah bi umūm al-Lafżi la bi khuṣūṣ al-Sabāb). The textual context is crucial, while the situational context is an auxiliary instrument to understanding the scripture. The Quran across space and time through its paradigm so that it the challenges of all eras. All generations have the right to understand the Quran based on their horizons using a modern approach.

2. Method

Al-Quran is the beginningless speech of Allah without sound and letters (kalām qadīm bilā ṣaut wa lā ḥarf), which was revealed to humans as a new creature (Spevack, 2019, pp. 45–95; Yun, 2019, pp. 182–189). Allah borrows Arabic to cover the beginningless speech so that new humans can understand it. The Quran is the beginningless speech of Allah covered in Arabic. The revelation of the Qur’an using Arabic is to cover the beginningless speech in human language as a new creature. Covering the beginningless speech of Allah does not accuse the Qur’an of being a cultural product (intāj ṡaqafī) because the term only accuses the Qur’an of being a reduced scripture by culture (Farahani & Safareh, 2020, pp. 1–23; Wekke & Amiruddin, 2018, pp. 1–26). Allah cannot be wrong in covering His speech, so the Quran is infallible (Hasan, 1972, pp. 1–11; Shakespeare, 2022). All choice of words, language style, syntax, and all aspects of the Quran are sacred and must be valid, so the Quran is inerrant (Zeidan, 2003, pp. 128–163). Thus, this paradigmatic assumption makes us aware that the Qur’an must be interpreted using literature because Allah is never wrong in covering His speech in scripture.

The meaning of the Quran is sacred, which is impossible for humans to achieve, whereas humans’ task is to understand the Quran according to their horizons. Humans may not be able to achieve the sacred meaning of the Quran, but the task is to understand the Quran as best they can. The meaning of the Qur’an as understood by the Companions as the first recipients was not sacred but the understanding according to their horizon. Nevertheless, the understanding of modern interpreters of the Quran is not wrong because they have the right to reinterpret the Quran according to their horizons. So, the next generation of Muslims can reinterpret the Quran according to their horizons because the understanding of the Companions was not sacred. This paradigmatic assumption attempts to save the Quran from prison in the context of seventh-century Arabia.

This research will interpret Q 2: 183–5 in the Qur’an based on the basic paradigmatic assumptions above. The operational steps of the research based on the paradigmatic assumptions above are the first structural analysis. This analysis is an analysis of the intrinsic elements of the Quran to capture the textual context (syiyāk lafẓī). The purpose of this analysis is to examine the correlation between verses.

The second is to analyze asbāb nuzūl. This analyzes the Quran’s extrinsic elements, which aims to capture the situational context. This analysis examines the mood of the first recipient of the Quran during the verse was revealed (Mutalib et al., 2019, pp. 575–581). However, this is not crucial but an auxiliary instrument for interpreting the Quran. In addition, this research only uses the micro-context of the Quran or asbāb nuzūl, which is transmitted through sanad and recorded Islamic heritage. This research does not use the macro-context due to totalitarian, speculative, coercive, and approximate. Thus, the second approach is to examine the inner mood of the first recipients of the Qur’an.

After the two steps above, the third is to integrate the intrinsic and extrinsic elements of the Quran, textual and situational context. This method aims to deliver the reader to the inner mood of the Quran. However, the inner mood of the text cannot be accepted because it must be analyzed using the fourth method: syntactic and paradigmatic analysis (Saussure, 2011). Syntactic analysis checks the correlation of words in sentences, while paradigmatic analysis checks the historical meaning of a word using the archaeology of language approach. This analysis aims to understand the emphasis of the Quran, where the text’s spirit lies behind.

After going through textual and situational context analysis, integrating extrinsic and intrinsic elements of the Koran, and syntactic and paradigmatic analysis, fifth, the task of the present recipient is to make the meaning of the past a capital to determine the meaning of the present. Texts produced in the past are not for the past, but for the infinite ages. The meaning of ancient texts can be formulated into new values that are relevant for every era. Likewise with the Quran, the situation and the traditions behind it can be understood fundamentally so that the present recipients can accept the spirit of the Quran. The integration of these is the spirit of the Quran which should be actualized across space and time.

3. Result

Most Quranic scholars read Q 2: 155–6 referring to verses before and after to find meaning in the text based on coherence of the verses. They argue that Q 2: 155–6 coherence with Q 2: 153 as a verse before, which explains that Muslims are ordered to help each other in prayer (ṣalāt) and be patient (ṣabar) in calamities. Al-Rāzī states that Q 2: 155–6 coherence with Q 2: 153, and it is about helping each other in patience and prayer (al-Rāzī, 1971, p. 136). According to Ibn Jarīr al-Ṭabarī and Ibn Abī Ḥātim, a patient is consistent in doing something that Allah even though it is hard and constant to avoid something that Allah hates even though it is pleasant (Ḥātim, 2006, pp. 261–262; Ṭabarī, 1989, p. 222).

Yā ayyuha allazīna āmanu ista’īnū bi al-ṣabri wa al-ṣalāt, inna Allaha ma’a al-sābirīn

“O you who have believed, seek help through patience and prayer. Indeed, Allah is with the patient.” (Q 2: 153)

Yā ayyuha allażīna āmanū (O you who have believed) is a characteristic feature of the Medina verses. The audience of Medina verse were Muslims and Jews, and both were called by the Quran believers (āmanū), so this verse aimed at both of them as believers. The significance of this verse is to seek help through patience and prayer (ista’īnū bi al-ṣabri wa al-ṣalāt). Patience (ṣabar) is mentioned 103 times in 93 verses in the Quran: 22 times in the form of fi’l māḍi (past verb), ten times in the form of fi’l muḍāri’ (present and future verbs), 30 times in the form of fi’l amr (command), one time in the form of nāhī (prohibition), 16 times in the form of maṣdar (gerund), and 24 times in the form of ism fa’il.

Moreover, prayer (ṣalāt) is mentioned 99 times in the Qur’an: 78 in the singular form, five times in the plural form, three times in the fi’l māḍi form, four times in the fi’l muḍāri’ form, four times in the fi’l muḍāri’. One time in the form of ‘amr, one time in the form of nāhī, three times in the form of ism fā’il, and one time in the form of ḍaraf. Ṣalāt has variant meanings in the Qur’an. Before the revelation of the Quran, ṣalāt meant to pray. The Quran maintains this meaning in 11 verses: six verses mean prayer in general, two verses mean prayer for the prophet (ṣalawāt), and three verses mean mercy of Allah for his servant. After the revelation of the Quran, the meaning of ṣalāt is specific worship performed by Muslims, which is repeated 88 times. Thus, the meaning of ṣalāt shifted during the Qur’an was revealed.

The words ṣabar and ṣalāt are mentioned together in the verse ista’īnū bi al-ṣabri wa al-ṣalāt which is mentioned twice in the Qur’an in Q 2: 45 and 2: 153, and both have a different meaning. Referring to Ibn Jarīr al-Ṭabarī’s report, the two verses were not revealed simultaneously but close together. According to Ibn Jarīr al-Ṭabarī, the audience in Q 2:45 is the Jews who were ordered to pray but did not do it. While the audience of Q 2: 153 are Muslims who were ordered to pray and to fast during plague and war, they did it. The revelation of Q 2:45 is that the Jews responded to Muhammad’s leadership for the first time and slowly became hostile to Muhammad. While the revelation of Q 2: 153 is the next period when Muslims began to get permission for war and were ordered to fast. Thus, audience Q 2:45 is a Jew who was commanded to pray but did not pray, while the audience Q 2: 153 is a Muslim who was commanded to pray and fast in war conditions then they obey.

The psychology of patience is an ancient study but rarely discussed. It is a virtue often conceived of as a personality trait. Patience is accepting something unpleasant for a prolonged period. All religions pay attention to patients very seriously, but modern psychology, self-help literature, and new-age books discuss patience just today. Islam is a religion that pays serious attention to patients. Among them is Q 2: 153, which commands believers to be patient in worship and fasting. Through Q 2: 153, Islam commands its adherents to accept something unpleasant, like calamity, for a prolonged period. Even in unpleasant misfortunes, Muslims must remain patient with prayer and fasting. The quality of patience enables people to bear frustration or difficulties frequently. For example, Jews and hypocrites disobey the Quran during calamities, while the Companions obey the Quran during calamities. Thus, in line with modern academic views in psychology, patience is a condition to tolerate difficult circumstances or frustration, like the Companions who faced calamity during the revelation of Q 2:153.

Patience relates to calamity, challenging circumstances, or overwhelming demands. Patient people are not free of frustration; instead, they can accept misfortune without frustration or feeling extreme negative emotions. When people are barely strong in the face of calamity, many seek help to become more patient and pass through a highly stressful situation. Likewise, the Companions of the Prophet it does not mean that they were not frustrated at all, but the fact is that many Companions complained in the early period of Medina. According to modern psychology, psychotherapy, medication mindfulness, and reframing frustrated thoughts may help patients during difficulties. In this condition, Q 2: 153 was revealed as psychotherapy for Muslims during calamity. Inna Allaha ma’a al-sābirīn (Indeed, Allah is with the patient), the closing of this verse is to be psychotherapy the audience who complains a lot so that they are patient because Allah is with patient people. In other words, the closing of this verse wants to emphasize that the patient Companions of the prophet were with Allah, while the Jews and hypocrites who were not patient were not with Allah.

Walā taqūlū liman yuq’talu fī sabīli l-lahi amwātun bal aḥyāon walākin lā tashʿurūn

“And do not say about those who are killed in the way of Allah, “They are dead.” Rather, they are alive, but you perceive [it] not.” (Q 2: 154)

Next, Q 2: 154 explains the prohibition against referring to people who died on the battlefield as dead people because they lived in a different world. According to al-Rāzī, the revelation of Q 2: 154 is after the Battle of Badr, which occurred on 17 Ramadan 2 H/ 13 March 0624 AD (al-Rāzī, 1971, p. 136). The death toll from the Muslims was 14 people, six from the Muhājirīn and eight from the Anṣar. In response to this situation, the Muslims said, “This so-and-so is dead, and so-and-so is dead.” While the disbelievers and hypocrites say, “They died just because they wanted to get Muhammad’s pleasure.” Thus, the revelation of Q 2: 154 is to prevent the statements of these Muslims, infidels, and hypocrites while providing information that those who died in the battle of Badr still live with God in a different world.

Q 2: 153 and Q 2: 154 were revealed not simultaneously but close together in the early Medina period. The coherence between both is patience in facing enemy pressure, even some Muslims have to die, such as the warriors of Badr. This verse was revealed to comfort the Muslims who are still alive so that they are patient with the pressures they are currently facing. Those who died on Badar did not die but lived peacefully in eternity with God. In addition, this verse is coherent with the closing of the previous verse, inna Allaha ma’a al-sābirīn, that people who are patient like Badr warriors are entitled to Allah’s promise to live together in the realm of eternity. Thus, the verse of Q 2: 154 is psychotherapy for Muslims while facing enemy pressure.

walanabluwannakum bishayin mina l-khawfi wal-jūʿi wanaqṣin mina l-amwāli wal-anfusi wal-thamarāti wabashiri l-ṣābirīn

“And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits, but give good tidings to the patient,” (Q 2: 155)

After Q 2: 154 explains the battle of Badr, Q 2: 155–6 explains that Allah will test (balā’) every human being in the form of fear, hunger, lack of food, illness, and lack of fruit. This verse was revealed before the Battle of Badr in the first year of Hijriyah when the Meccan emigrants had to adapt to the muddy Medina. At that time, many Meccan emigrants were infected with the plague. So, the first recipients of the Quran received Q 2: 154–6 during the pandemic and began full of war (Marāghī, 2010, p. 24). Thus, the context of Q 2: 154–6 is that Allah tested Muslims with various calamities, from fear of having to fight, feeling hungry because of lack of food and fruit, and getting sick due to a pandemic.

Interestingly, the ending of Q 2: 155 is wabashiri l-ṣābirīn (give good tidings to the patient), indicating that Q 2:155 is coherent with Q2:153–4 regarding patience, either patient in facing enemy pressure or in the plague. As explained earlier, patience is the ability to tolerate undesirable circumstances, such as when you get a calamity, trouble, and other disturbances. The Companions of the Prophet were patient and accepted unpleasant circumstances. During this verse revealed, the companions faced unpleasant conditions with patience because they believed there was a great gift behind patience. In fact, big profits often require a long wait, so one has to choose a smaller but faster prize or a bigger but longer one. The ability to wait for greater rewards and wait longer is patience. Thus, patience is self-control to delay gratification. Not that patience can be interpreted as delayed gratification, but to feel satisfied is more than instant gratification which is less than satisfactory.

Humans, as creatures with thoughts and feelings, should have more significant consideration when deciding on a problem. Not all calamities can be fixed instantly, but sometimes you must wait for the right time to choose something. At the same, current studies have sought to observe animal patience regarding the impulsivity of animals to smaller or faster rewards. In many contexts, animals experience the dilemma of tolerance in foraging, finding mates, territories, offspring, and cooperating. Animals have this patience, for example, a hen is patient to lay eggs, the lizard stuck to the wall must be patient with its flying prey, and so on. Here it shows that patience is indeed needed by living things to survive.

Furthermore, the ending of this verse gives good news to patients who delay small satisfactions to get greater pleasure. Everyone does not own the ability to delay gratification, so not everyone can be patient. Current research found a strong relationship between patience and intelligence impacting success. Successful people have a high level of patience. In contrast, unsuccessful people are not patient to process, so they try to get satisfaction for a moment and sacrifice great pleasure in the future. Companions are people who can tolerate circumstances at the expense of temporary satisfaction to obtain true happiness. Temporary gratification here is worldly pleasures, while true happiness is heaven. Companions choose to delay worldly pleasures to obtain the happiness of heaven.

Alladhīna idhā aṣābathum muṣībatun qālū innā lillahi wa-innā ilayhi rājiʿūn

who, when disaster strikes them, say, “Indeed we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we will return.” (Q 2: 156)

In the Quran, that one verse does not mean one sentence, but one sentence may consist of several verses. The ending of Q 2: 154, wa basysyir ṣabirīn (give good news to those who are patient), is to connect with Q 2: 155–6, so this shows that the verses are one sentence, which explains that a patient utters kalimah istirjā’ during calamity. The word muṣībah (calamity) is repeated ten times in the Quran: Q 2: 156, 3: 165, 4: 62, 72, 5: 106, 9: 50, 28: 47, 42: 30, 57: 22, and 64: 11. Meanwhile, istirjā’ is taken from the word R-J-“A which means to return. So, istirjā” is to return everything to Allah because Allah is the Owner of Everything and the place where everything returns. In Islamic terminology, istirjā’ is to say innā lillāhi wa innā ilaihi rāji’ūn, which means “we belong to Allah and return to Allah.”

According to previous research, istirja’ is an utterance based on a hadith narrated by Imam Muslim from Umm Salamah. The hadith explains that when a disaster strikes, a servant says innā lillāhi wa innā ilaihi rāji’ūn, Allahumma ājirnī fī muṣībatī wa akhliflī khairan minhu, then Allah will reward him and replace him with something better. At the same time, another hadith explains that whoever utters kalimah istirjā’ during calamity, then Allah has control over his calamity and gives a better reward afterwards (Marāghī, 2010, p. 25). If we refer to previous research findings, we only find that patient people are people who say kalimah istirja’. Based on the discussion on the study of patience during the last section, this is odd. Successful people must be patient to go through the process of achieving success. Even animals must be patient for great pleasure. So, patience certainly does not require words but action. Therefore, it would be strange to say that a patient person utters istirja’ and this study rejects these findings because patience involves action, not just words.

This study argues that the Companions of the prophet did not just say kalimah istirja’ but were patient during the revelation of these verses. The Companions remain patient and strengthen each other so they always receive the gift of strong faith and can overcome these difficult times. They are willing to delay gratification for a moment to gain greater satisfaction. When this verse was revealed, the Companions were tested by food shortages, pandemics, and wars. Finally, hard times only passed in three years, from 2 to 5 H (624–627 AD). After 5 H., the companions won a landslide victory over their enemies: the Jews and the unbelievers of Mecca. People who could not delay gratification and failed to get through hard times, such as the Banū Naḍīr Jews and Abdullah b. Ubay’s group, failed to obtain greater satisfaction. Thus, patience is a crucial factor for tremendous success.

Based on this argument, this study wants to reinterpret the word qāla in Q 2: 156. According to these arguments, qāla does not mean to say but to act in this context. People who only say kalimah istirja’ do not deserve to be called patient people. On the other hand, a patient people is someone who acts istirja’ as an attitude, which returns all problems to Allah, believing Allah is the Most Giver of solutions. Through the istirja’ as action, a person is unlikely to experience depression or frustration because they are aware that there is an excellent reward Allah will give behind the test.

Ulāika ʿalayhim ṣalawātun min rabbihim waraḥmatun wa-ulāika humu l-muh’tadūn

“Those are the ones upon whom are blessings from their Lord and mercy. And it is those who are the [rightly] guided.” (Q 2: 157)

Next, Q 2:157 explains that Allah blesses and merciful (ṣalawāt) patients people who return everything to Allah. Ṣalawāt is the plural form of ṣalāt that has variants meanings. The meaning depends on the context of the word. Ṣalāt means prayer; in terms of Islamic law, ṣalāt means worship that begins with takbiratul ikhrām and ends with salām. According to al-Maraghi, ṣalāt is not limited to prayer that starts with takbiratul ikhrām and ends with salām but has a broader meaning, namely, all that is related to worship Allah (Marāghī, 2010, p. 31). According to al-Qurṭūbī, when the word ṣalāt is attributed to the prophet Muhammad, it means praying for the prophet, whereas when ṣalāt is attributed to Allah, it means forgiveness and praise from Allah to His servants (al-Qurṭūbī, 2013, p. 166). Thus, Q 2: 153–7 explains that humans are commanded to help each other in patience when calamity befalls while saying the sentence istirjā’, because whoever does it, then his heart is calm and gets forgiveness from Allah. Meanwhile, grace is a calm heart when calamity befalls (Marāghī, 2010, p. 25).

Q 2: 157 has coherence with Q 2: 153, innallāha ma’a al-ṣābirīn (Allah be with those who are patient). The form of Allah with those who are patient is that Allah gives gifts and graces in the form of a cold heart when believers face a problem. A cold heart is essential for dealing with misfortunes so they can be patient. A cold heart is only owned by people who return all unpleasant circumstances to Allah, so let those calamity return to Him. Through this attitude, humans are ready to accept all forms of calamity and endure hard times, and next, God will give him something greater than the satisfaction that was delayed before. Thus, patience is the key to obtaining God’s more extraordinary gift.

This paper argues that qāla means action. Qāla does not mean utterance because utterance is uttered when someone is trying to adapt to a certain situation. Q 2: 153–7 explains that a patient has the attitude of returning everything to Allah during unpleasant conditions, not one who says kalimah istirjā’. Therefore, qāla is not to say but to act because attitude is inherent in humans. Thus, istirjā’ is not an utterance but an action. As for istirjā’ as a character, patient people will always return everything to Allah, not be angry, complain, or disappointed with destiny.

4. Discussion

Qāla is one of the verbs of saying in the Qur’an, but researchers have a different opinions on its meaning. Yehudit Dror’s research found that qāla as a performative verb appears in two contextual domains: verbal exchange between participants as part of a conversation and a non-conversational context. Both require a verb that pays attention to the participant and explains qāla as a verb of saying that is often used in polemic discourse. In addition, Dror also found that qāla performs three basic illocutionary acts: “assertion,” “question,” and “orders.” On many occasions, qāla is paraphrased as “stated”, “argued”, “ordered”, “asked”, and “answered,” but in reality, qāla is understood as “uttered”. In the end, Dror’s research confirms that the argumentative feature of the Qurʾānic polemical language is that the verb qāla does not only signify the exchange of words between participants but has illocutionary power so it is interpreted as “argued”, “claimed”, and “stated” (Dror, 2021, pp. 1–15).

Other researchers found different findings from Dror. According to Nikmah, from a linguistic perspective, qāla has the meaning of the word “to say”, “to tell”, “to announce”, “to speak”, “to pronounce”, “to confess”, “to ask”, “to answer”, “to command”, and “to pray” (Nikmah, 2019, pp. 77–100). While Azman Che Mat, Azani Ismail Yaakub, and Norasmazura Muhammad found that as much as 48.2% of the words qāla were translated as “to say”; besides that, so that dialogue in the Qur’an is presented more effectively, it is necessary to have a communicative translation theory in the linguistic translation of the Qur’an (Che Mat et al., 2019, pp. 51–87). Furthermore, according to Amīn Aḥsan Iṣlāḥī, qāla does not always have the meaning of saying; however, according to him, qulna in Q 12: 31 has the meaning of lying, not saying. According to Amīn Aḥsan, the words and actions of cutting off the hands of the Egyptian nobles when they saw Yusuf were not something that was done unknowingly but consciously. The women cut off their hands knowingly because they were afraid of Zulaikha, so they had to lie to save themselves (Mir, 2021, p. 619).

This study found a different finding from previous research, that qāla means “to act.” The person who utters the words and adapts his utterance to a particular situation is not patient. Q 2: 155–6 emphasizes that a patient person has the attitude of returning everything to Allah when calamity comes. Qāla in Q 2: 155–6 cannot mean saying but acting because the action is a character inherent in human beings, where this character is spontaneous when unpleasant circumstances test someone. This new interpretation has a consequence: istirjā’ is not an utterance but an action. The action of istirjā’ is the character of the human self that is inherent in the subconscious, which always returns everything to Allah, and does not get angry, complain, and be disappointed with destiny.

Furthermore, Q 2:157 explains that those who act istirjā’ when calamity comes will receive forgiveness from Allah through a calm heart and guidance. The patient person received forgiveness from Allah because all humans must make mistakes even though they are pious. Therefore, everyone must need Allah’s forgiveness. When calamity comes, patience is one of the best acts of worship, referring to the hadith, khair al-ibādah intiẓār al-faraj (the best worship is waiting for a solution). Thus, patience is a crucial factor in dealing with calamities, where patience is worship whose reward is in the form of forgiveness.

Patience has long been praised as a character and personality key to human well-being, but patience has only been noticed as a topic of empirical research in psychology today (Schnitker, 2012, pp. 263–280). Patience is one’s ability to wait quietly in difficulties, suffering, and frustration. Patience is helpful in various circumstances and at all times, even with minor problems, for example, having to be patient in heavy traffic and waiting in line at ATM, as well as in more significant and longer-term situations, such as poverty, and illness, etc. (Güss et al., 2018, pp. 355–380; Schnitker et al., 2017, p. 264). Q 2: 155–6 emphasizes patience as a critical factor in dealing with calamities in fear, hunger, lack of food, and illness. People who are patient in their hearts remain calm and relaxed in the face of calamities. Therefore, they cannot be angry, let alone disappointed, with the calamity God inflicted on them. As a form of self-actualization, patient people act to return the calamity that befell them to Allah (istirjā’). This action impacts durable spiritual discipline for a long time, so patient people have better emotional control than impatient people. It is confirmed by psychology today, considering that patience is a crucial factor in happiness.

Modern research argues that patience effect well-being because it facilitates the achievement of life goals and increases positive emotions and life satisfaction (Ryan & Deci, 2000, pp. 68–78). Impatience has more physical complaints than people with enemies and like competing (Miller et al., 1996, pp. 322–348). Therefore, efforts are needed to develop the discipline of patience, especially from the perspective of today’s psychology. The study of patience today has undergone a more advanced phase than before, as indicated by the discovery of a patience scale to measure the level of patience (Dudley, 2003; Rusdi, 2016, pp. 1–13). In addition to the scale of patience, the world of psychology also finds patience education training to increase the level of individual patients. However, it has been seriously criticized because patience training can increase a person’s patience scale but fails to improve their well-being (Bülbül, 2021, pp. 712–719; Bülbül & Izgar, 2018, pp. 159–168).

5. Conclusions

Based on an investigation using a semantic approach, this study argues that the qāla in Q 2: 155–6 does not mean to say but to act. The patient person returns everything to Allah during the calamity, so this action is called istirjā’. Thus, istirjā’ is action, not the utterance. The utterance is an effort to adapt, while the action manifests spontaneous behaviour. Istirjā’ is the act of returning everything to Allah, not saying innā lillāhi wa innā ilaihi rāji’ūn. Only patient people act istirjā’ because they have good self-control. While impatience only utter innā lillāhi wa innā ilaihi rāji’ūn as a form of adaptation to specific situations and conditions. The patient person acts to return everything to Allah while saying innā lillāhi wa innā ilaihi rāji’ūn as investing in structured individual actions for a long time. If istirjā’ is an utterance, then istirjā’ is just an adaptation. Whereas istirjā’ is an action, then istirjā’ is the result of spiritual discipline that has been practiced for a long time to form better self-control. Finally, patience study in this research contributes to modern psychology, considering that patience is a crucial factor in happiness and well-being.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The APC was funded by Institute of Research and Community Service Walisongo State Islamic University Semarang

Notes on contributors

Ahmad Ismail

Ahmad Ismail was born in Indonesia, 1967. He completed his MA and Doctor degree in Arabic Language and Literature at Sunan Kalijaga State Islamic University, Yogyakarta, Indonesia. His research areas include semantics, literature, education, and the Quranic studies.Dr. Ismail is the Dean of the Faculty of Education at Walisongo University, Semarang, Indonesia. In addition, Dr. Ismail is also the director of Ma’had al-Jami’ah Walisongo, Semarang, Indonesia.

Ahmad Solahuddin

Ahmad Solahuddin was born in Indonesia, 1992. He completed his Bachelor and MA degree in Quran and Hadith Studies at Sunan Kalijaga State Islamic University, Yogyakarta, Indonesia. His research areas include Quranic studies, semantics, education, and phylosophie. Mr. Solahuddin is an independent researcher who dedicates himself to research and scientific publications