What is patience in Islam?

Ibn al Qayyim said, “In the spiritual sense, patience means to stop ourselves from despairing and panicking, to stop our tongues from complaining, and to stop our hands from striking our faces and tearing our clothes at times of grief and stress.”[1]

So patience means that in times of grief, we stop ourselves from falling in despair and feeling that the situation is hopeless, feeling that Allah has burdened us beyond our capacity when Allah has said in the Qur'an:

“And whoever fears Allah - He will make for him a way out.”[2]

In a nutshell, patience involves:

1. Obedience and worship: Obedience and worship is easy in times of difficulty and difficult in times of ease. But, we must worship Allah and follow His commands even in the best of times.
2. Abstaining from wrong actions, fearing Allah’s punishment and avoid doing that which displeases Him.
3. Accepting the decree of Allah and believing that whatever Allah has decided, is ultimately the best. As Muslims, we say, “Allah knows best!”

References:

[1] Patience and Gratitude, Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah p.12

[2] Surah At-Talaq, 65:2