Episode 3
Episode 3: Lessons of Patience and Fulfilling a Trust
โณ Audio is being processed โ you can listen online for now.
Because the Qur'an praises Dhul-Kifl above all for patience, that is where his central lesson lies for us. The patience Allah praises is not merely a moment's restraint, but a settled steadfastness: patience in obedience, patience in avoiding sin, and patience in facing trials. These three forms of patience are what raise a servant into the ranks of "the righteous" and "the chosen." The meaning of his name, too, holds a lesson: one who takes on a trust (kifl) and discharges it faithfully. How many people promise something and then break it; whereas Allah's chosen servant is the one who keeps what he has taken on, however small. A number of reports circulate about the details of Dhul-Kifl's life โ for instance that he pledged to an earlier prophet to fast by day, pray by night, and judge with justice without anger, and then fulfilled it. But the scholars stress that such reports are Isra'iliyyat (originating from the sources of the Children of Israel) whose truth cannot be verified, and are not part of revelation. We mention them merely as tradition โ not held to be certainly true, nor hastily denied โ while holding fast to what is clear from the Qur'an. Reflection: patience and keeping a trust are two keys that raise one's rank. Dhul-Kifl teaches that the noblest servant is not the one whose story is told most, but the one most steadfast in fulfilling his responsibility to Allah and to people. Source & Note: the praise of patience is from Qur'an 21:85. The reports about the details of Dhul-Kifl's vow/deeds are recorded in several history and tafsir works as Isra'iliyyat; per the established rule we relay them with a clear marker โ not used as evidence and not affirmed as certain โ because the Qur'an and authentic Sunnah do not detail them. Scholars also differ on whether Dhul-Kifl was a prophet or a righteous man; the context of his mention among the prophets strengthens the view that he was a prophet.