CHAPTER FOUR ~ Patience and Acquired Patience

If a man is able, by his nature, to refrain from ill-conduct, he is called patient by nature. However, if he suffers a lot and trains himself until he acquires it, he is called patient by acquisition. The Prophet (pbuh) said,

“Whoever trains himself to be patient, Allah will help him to be patient.”

Likewise, a person can train himself to acquire any other good characteristics like chastity, so training developes good character.
This means that whoever continues doing something habitually, these habits will lead him to incorporate these habits into his nature.
Man is able to learn and acquire new traits. The traits or the characteristics he acquires may be deep-rooted or superficial in his personality, owing to the extent of his acquisition. The stronger he acquires a trait, the more adherent he will be to it. But if such a trait is not deep-rooted, he may soon forget it.