According to the biographer Ibn Khallikan, the poet Ibrahim Al-Suli (?—857 A.D.) was once employed by a caliph to compose a threatening letter to some rebellious subjects.  The letter contained the following words:

Know that the Commander of the Faithful [the caliph] hath patience; to which, if useless, threats succeed; if they avail not, his resolutions shall. [I.22]

This message, we are told, later gave rise to the following verse of poetry:

To useless delay threats succeed; if they avail not, resolution shall.

The meaning of these quotations seems generally clear, but there is room for varying interpretation.  To me it seems that Al-Suli is communicating the idea that the caliph is a man of patience, and threats will be ineffective against him.  What will be effective, however, is his own resolution in implementing his will.  Threats succeed only in wasting time; they can accomplish nothing when directed against a man of conviction and determination.  In the planning and execution of great enterprises, nothing is more important, and more difficult to master, than patience; but it is a quality that takes years to appreciate and master.  Patience does not immediately reward its practitioner.  It is like the tree that, once planted, takes years to bear edible fruit.  It also requires faith, or a belief in the certainty of future rewards.  Yet patience without a vision and a plan is of no use:  there must be some goal in mind, some larger purpose in mind.

Yet even the practice of patience is no guarantee of success.  There are times when our expectations will be frustrated, despite all our efforts.  In this connection I am reminded of some verses by the poet Al-Qadi Al-Rashid, who died in 1167.  A man whom he had long believed to be a friend proved to be a betrayer of his trust.  In contemplation of this misfortune, he composed the following verses:

 Though the hopes which I placed in thee were disappointed, when I thought to have

Found in thee a just man; thou hast, however, conferred on me a service,

Which deserves my gratitude wherever I may dwell;

For thou hast put me on my guard against all my companions,

And taught me that no sincere friend exists on earth.  [I.144]

But these morose lines are redeemed by the strength and resolution of the sentiments expressed in sublime verses penned by Al-Qadi Al-Rashid, which read as follows:

The woes which afflict me are great, but my courage also is great;

And what harm can polishing cause to the cutting steel?

The vicissitudes of fortune, the changes it brings about may alter

The noble character of others, but cannot alter mine.

Did fire consume the ruby, the ruby then were as a common stone.

Let not the worthless rags which cover me deceive you;

They are the shell which encloses a pearl.

Think not, when the stars are hidden, that their

Smallness prevents them from being seen;

The fault must be laid upon the weakness of your sight.

Acuity of vision enables us to perceive the small stars that festoon the night sky, while patience and firmness of resolution enable us to maintain this vision until its ultimate fulfilment. 

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Read more on these and related subjects in the essay collection Digest.