188 - Ibrāhīm ibn ʿAbd Allāh narrated to me, ʿAmr ibn Khālid narrated to us, ʿAbd Allāh ibn Lahīʿah narrated to us, ʿAṭāʾ ibn Dīnār al-Hudhalī narrated to us, from Saʿīd ibn Jubayr, who said: "Patience is of two kinds: as for one of them, it is patience in refraining from what Allah has forbidden and patience in performing what Allah has obligated of His worship, and that is the superior patience. The other patience is during afflictions, which is the soul's acknowledgment to Allah of what has befallen the servant and seeking reward for it with Allah in hope of His recompense; that is the patience for which He grants a great reward. Indeed, you may find a man who is patient during affliction and steadfast, yet he does not seek reward for it nor hope for its recompense, and in every religion you find those who are patient during affliction. Thus, when you reflect upon patience in afflictions, two types of patience are found: one of them is for the sake of Allah, and the other is a natural trait present in human beings."

And he was asked about discontent, so he said: "Discontent is of two kinds: one of them is regarding sins, that a man is discontented concerning them; and the other is during afflictions. As for discontent during affliction, it is that the servant does not seek reward for it with Allah nor hope for its recompense, viewing it merely as an evil that has befallen him; that is discontent, and he may do so while remaining outwardly steadfast, showing nothing but patience."