What are the means that aid in patience?

Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyya mentioned that there are three matters that encourage patience during affliction:

1. Observing the excellent recompense: To the extent that one perceives the reward, the burden of the affliction lightens, just as the burden of hardship lightens when one observes the pleasure of the outcome. 2. Awaiting the spirit of relief: Anticipating it alleviates hardship, especially when hope is strong, and it is considered an accelerated relief. 3. Belittling the calamity with two things: Counting Allah's blessings and favors. If one is unable to enumerate them, the affliction seems trivial in comparison. Recalling past blessings. Enumerating the favors of grace relates to the present state, while observing the excellent recompense and awaiting relief relates to the future.

He added that patience is of three types:

1. Patience by Allah: Seeking Allah's help and seeing Him as the ultimate destination, and that the servant's patience is by his Lord, as Allah Almighty says: {And be patient, and your patience is not but by Allah} [An-Nahl:127]. 2. Patience for Allah: That its motive is the love of Allah and the desire for His Countenance, not to show off one's strength or seek praise from creation. 3. Patience with Allah: The servant's adherence to Allah's will and His religious rulings, and the soul's perseverance with them. This is the most intense and difficult type of patience, and it is the patience of the truthful (Siddiqeen).