Psychology of patience and semantic approach to the Qur'an: Meaning of Qala on Istirja' Verse

Q 2: 155-6 explains that every human being must be tested with calamity, so he had to be patient and recite istirja': inna lillahi wa inna raji'un (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 istirja': utterance or action? This article questions the istirja 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 qala 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 istirja, so it is not just to say but to act. People who utter istirja 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.

Automated summary

According to this article, istirja' is not just an utterance but an action, which means returning to Allah. The article argues that patience is not just about saying, but also adapting to certain conditions. Patient individuals remain calm and return everything to Allah, reflecting a character trait.