Embracing Patience and Faith During the Cold Season: A Believer’s Guide
It is a great blessing and favor of Allah that He has provided us with the opportunity to experience different seasons. These various seasons add beauty and charm to human life. Human nature includes hastiness and an inclination to complain when facing external discomfort. Undoubtedly, cold weather brings discomfort and difficulty, and sometimes it leads to illness or financial and physical losses. During this season, we observe that people often fall sick, and children in particular get affected by cold, cough, and the common cold. For some, this season even causes life-threatening situations. This is why humans often complain about the cold and curse the season instead of showing patience.
A believer must have faith that the Creator of the heavens and the earth, the sun and the moon, the day and the night, and the cold and the heat is Allah alone. Allah created all these with wisdom and purpose, and nothing He created is futile or pointless. Allah says in the Qur’an:
رَبَّنَا مَا خَلَقْتَ هَٰذَا بَاطِلًا (آل عمران:191)
Translation: O our Lord, You have not created this in vain.
The Qur’an mentions that those who remember Allah in all situations—whether standing, sitting, or lying down—are those who reflect the true character of a believer. The earth and the sky remaining in their places is one of the great signs of Allah, as He says:
وَمِنْ آيَاتِهِ أَنْ تَقُومَ السَّمَاءُ وَالْأَرْضُ بِأَمْرِهِ (الروم:25)
Translation: And of His signs is that the heavens and the earth stand by His command.
A believer firmly believes in the words of Allah that He is the One who causes the alternation of the night and day and brings forth the different seasons and years. Allah says:
يُقَلِّبُ اللَّهُ اللَّيْلَ وَالنَّهَارَ ۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَعِبْرَةً لِّأُولِي الْأَبْصَارِ (النور:44)
Translation: Allah alternates the night and the day; indeed, that is a lesson for those who have vision.
From this, we understand that people with a faithful character take lessons from Allah’s signs in the night and day, the seasons, and all of His creations. They always reflect on Allah’s power and wisdom in everything, whether it is a time of ease or hardship, in heat or cold, in abundance or drought.
It is important to mention a great point highlighted by the renowned scholar Ibn Kathir, who stated that the One who creates all these things is indeed the One worthy of worship. This teaches us that a believer should look upon Allah’s creations and signs with contemplation and devotion, worshipping Allah alone and associating no partners with Him. Allah says in the Qur’an:
وَمَا خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَالْإِنسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ (الذاریات:56)
Translation: And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me.
In Sahih Bukhari, it is narrated that Ibn Mas’ud asked the Prophet ﷺ which sin is the greatest, and the Prophet ﷺ replied:
أنْ تَجْعَلَ لِلَّهِ نِدًّا، وهو خَلَقَكَ (صحيح البخاري:7520)
Translation: To associate someone with Allah, while He is the One who created you.
Considering these points, it is essential to understand that the cold and heat are caused by the breaths of Hell. The Prophet ﷺ narrated from Abu Hurairah that Hell complained to Allah saying:
اشْتَكَتِ النَّارُ إلى رَبِّهَا فَقالَتْ: رَبِّ أكَلَ بَعْضِي بَعْضًا، فأذِنَ لَهَا بنَفَسَيْنِ: نَفَسٍ في الشِّتَاءِ ونَفَسٍ في الصَّيْفِ، فأشَدُّ ما تَجِدُونَ مِنَ الحَرِّ، وأَشَدُّ ما تَجِدُونَ مِنَ الزَّمْهَرِيرِ. (صحيح البخاري:3260)
Translation: Hell complained to its Lord saying: “My one part has consumed the other.” So, Allah allowed it two breaths, one in winter and one in summer. Therefore, the extreme heat you experience is due to the heat of Hell, and the extreme cold you experience is due to its icy cold.
Knowing this, we should remind ourselves that a believer’s response to cold should be to seek ways to protect oneself from its discomfort and, if affected, to show patience without cursing the season. To curse the cold is akin to cursing Allah, the Creator of the season. A Hadith Qudsi states that Allah says:
يُؤْذِينِي ابنُ آدَمَ يَسُبُّ الدَّهْرَ:، وأنا الدَّهْرُ، بيَدِي الأمْرُ، أُقَلِّبُ اللَّيْلَ والنَّهَارَ (صحيح البخاري:7491)
Translation: The son of Adam harms Me by cursing time, while I am time. I control the affairs of the universe and alternate the night and the day.
During the cold season, it becomes challenging to leave the home. Tasks such as performing wudu, taking a bath, and coming to the mosque for the five daily prayers may seem difficult. However, for true believers who have control over their desires, this difficulty does not feel burdensome but rather pleasant and rewarding. The human soul is the one that feels the difficulty even in easy tasks, while it may not feel burdened by sinful actions, even if they are accompanied by great hardship.
A believer finds joy in acts that please Allah and bring greater rewards, and performing worship in the cold season brings more reward. Abdullah bin Mas’ud narrated:
قال ابنُ مسعودٍ : إنَّ اللَّهَ ليضحَكَ إلى رجُلَينِ : رجلٌ قامَ في ليلةٍ بارِدَةٍ مِن فِراشِهِ ولِحافِهِ ودِثارِهِ فتوضَّأَ ، ثمَّ قامَ إلى الصَّلاةِ ، فيقولُ اللَّهُ عزَّ وجلَّ لملائكتِهِ : ما حمل عبدي هذا على ما صنَعَ ؟ فيقولون : ربَّنا ! رجاءَ ما عِندَكَ ، وشفقَةً مِمَّا عندَكَ . فيقولُ : فإنِّي قد أعطيتُهُ ما رجا ، وأمَّنتُهُ مِمَّا يخافُ. (صحيح الترغيب:630)
Translation: Allah smiles upon two men: One who rises in a cold night from his bed, performing wudu, and then stands for prayer. Allah asks His angels, “What made My servant do this?” The angels reply, “Our Lord, he hopes for Your mercy and fears Your punishment.” Allah says, “I have granted him what he hopes for and given him safety from that which he fears.”
Performing wudu in the cold season causes Allah to forgive sins and raise the believer’s rank. Similarly, the Prophet ﷺ said:
إسْباغُ الوُضُوءِ علَى المَكارِهِ، وكَثْرَةُ الخُطا إلى المَساجِدِ، وانْتِظارُ الصَّلاةِ بَعْدَ الصَّلاةِ، فَذَلِكُمُ الرِّباطُ (صحيح مسلم:251)
Translation: Completing wudu in difficult circumstances, walking frequently to the mosques, and waiting for one prayer after another—these are the acts that strengthen one’s soul for worship.
It is established in authentic Hadith that the greater the hardship in worship, the greater the reward. Aisha (RA) narrated:
أنَّ رسولَ اللهِ صلَّى اللهُ عليه وسلَّم قال لها في عُمرتِها إنَّ لك من الأجرِ على قدرِ نَصَبِك ونفقتِك (صحيح الترغيب:1116)
Translation: The Prophet ﷺ said to her regarding her Umrah: “You will be rewarded in accordance with the effort and the expense you endured.”
However, it is important to note that intentionally putting oneself into hardship for the sake of worship is not recommended and can be harmful. For example, causing oneself physical harm or enduring extreme discomfort without a valid reason is not rewarded by Allah. The actions of some Sufis, such as putting salt in the eyes or torturing the body in the name of worship, are examples of misguided practices that bring no reward.
The cold season should be a time for believers to increase their worship. Just as Paradise is surrounded by hardships and Hell is surrounded by desires, we must realize that the cold season is a time of ease for worship, with the nights longer for prayer and the days shorter for fasting. The Prophet ﷺ said:
الشتاءُ ربيعُ المؤمنِ طال ليلُه فقامه وقصُر نهارُه فصامه (مسند احمد)
Translation: The winter is the spring of a believer. Its nights are long for standing in prayer, and its days are short for fasting.
Though scholars have discussed the exact wording of this Hadith, the reality is that the cold season makes it easier for believers to perform acts of worship. The Prophet ﷺ also said:
الغَنيمةُ الباردةُ ،الصَّومُ في الشِّتاءِ (صحيح الترمذي:797)
Translation: The “cold booty” is fasting in winter.
In today’s world, many conveniences have made it easier to perform acts of worship in the cold season, such as hot water for wudu, warm clothing, and heating devices. Hence, it is permissible to use such means to stay warm and comfortable during worship.
Finally, I urge all believers, especially those who are financially blessed, to think about the poor and needy during this cold season. Many people lack basic essentials like jackets, sweaters, or blankets to protect themselves from the cold. Therefore, it is important to share our wealth, either by giving money or distributing clothing, and help those suffering from illness who cannot afford medical treatment. The Prophet ﷺ said:
مَن فَرَّجَ عن مُسْلِمٍ كُرْبَةً، فَرَّجَ اللَّهُ عنْه بها كُرْبَةً مِن كُرَبِ يَومِ القِيامَةِ (صحيح مسلم:2580)
Translation: Whoever relieves a Muslim’s hardship, Allah will relieve one of his hardships on the Day of Judgment.
Written by: Maqbool Ahmad Salafi, Islamic Dawah Center, Northern Taif (Misrah)