The thief who lost what was already his

Sometimes

the biggest losses in life aren’t about money

They’re about what we trade away when we’re not willing to wait

Ali bin Abi Talib ر once entered the mosque of Kufah

At the door

a man stood nearby

Ali ر asked him to hold the reins of his mule while he prayed

Inside

Ali ر prepared to hand the man two dirhams afterward

a simple

lawful reward for a small act of trust

But when he came out

the mule was there…

without its reins

The man had disappeared

taking what didn’t belong to him

Ali ر gave the two dirhams to his servant and asked him to buy a new set of reins

At the market

the servant found the exact ones

sold by the thief for those same two dirhams

And Ali ر said words worth etching into our hearts:

“Indeed, the slave forbids himself from lawful sustenance by abstaining from patience” 

That thief could have had his sustenance written in halal

The same money

the same reins -

but with blessing

reward

and dignity

Instead

he walked away with sin

humiliation

and a loss that wasn’t obvious to the eye but devastating to the soul

Isn’t that us sometimes?

We want things now

We grab shortcuts

ignore red flags

and convince ourselves:

“it’s just this once

I’ll fix it later”

But here’s the truth:

• The job you lie for might hire you - but the peace you long for won’t come with it

• The money you gain from cutting corners will fill your wallet - but drain your barakah

• The relationship you rush into without patience may feel sweet at first - but it will sour when you realise Allah was never in it

Patience isn’t passive

It’s power

It’s trusting that the halal path is slower

yes

but it never leaves you empty-handed

I’ll be honest:

patience isn’t easy

Waiting when opportunities flash in front of us feels like missing out

But think about it -

how many times have you rushed into something

only to regret it later?

How many times did that “quick fix” end up costing more than the problem itself?

If only we could see what Allah has stored for us

We’d never rush again

The two dirhams will come

The sustenance will reach you

But only if you’re willing to wait for the halal

The thief gained nothing

He lost what was already his because he couldn’t wait

Don’t be that thief

What’s written for you will find you -

but only if you led patience lead the way

What’s one moment in your life where patience changed everything? Reply and share - I’d love to read your reflections

P.S. I share more like this on Threads and Instagram. Come say Salaam.

Until the next letter,

— hidvyaa