Whether we realize it or not, humans are evolutionarily wired to favor instant gratification over delayed reward. The reality, though, is that life does not typically give us instant rewards. We have to go through four years of college courses to obtain a degree, and endure multiple interviews to be considered for a job. We have to put some money in our savings, instead of spending it all as soon as we get a paycheck. We have to eat healthy and exercise, in order to prevent health issues in the future. In order to experience delayed gratification, we need to have patience, discipline, and an understanding that some of the most rewarding things in life take time.

In Islam, this concept can be defined by the word Sabr. Sabr in Arabic directly translates to the word “patience”, but this concept also includes perseverance, steadfastness, and endurance. Many practices in Islam are centered around the idea of patience and delayed gratification. For example, Muslims take time out of their day to pray five times a day and fast from food and water from sunrise to sunset during Ramadan. Although, for example, fasting all day may not give us instant gratification, feeling instantly full after breaking our fast at sunset reminds us that our minds are much stronger than our desires, and that the pleasure we feel from those desires is temporary.

In the Quran, this idea is emphasized in one of my favorite verses, 94:5: “So, surely with hardship comes ease”. In this verse, Allah is reminding and comforting Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the small group of Muslims at the time, who were facing severe persecution, rejection, and mockery from the people of Makkah, that there will be ease for them and that their hardships will not last forever. For today’s Muslims, this verse serves us as a reminder that even though we may be going through hardship in our lives, it is only temporary, which connects back to the idea of delayed gratification.

In my life and throughout college, Sabr has always been something that I have implemented. As a pre-med student, I have to focus on maintaining good grades, volunteering, obtaining clinical experience, performing research, and many more obligations, all to work towards something that is many years away. Throughout this process, I maintain Sabr and know that what I am working towards will take time and is a form of delayed gratification. The idea that ‘with hardship comes ease’ can also be applicable in my life outside of academics. For example, even when I have exams, I still try to make time to stay active because I know that the long-term benefits, physically and mentally, of working out outweigh the short-term reward that I may feel by not going during the busier weeks of the semester. By doing this, it helps me work on my time-management skills and makes working out easier during times of less stress. Although these are just a couple of examples, Sabr is something that I focus my mindset around in all aspects of my life.