One of the secrets our Lord points to in the verses of the Qur’an is the need for believers to display patience in order for something to be resolved. When we look at our Noble Book, the Qur’an, we see that the Prophets as well as all true believers were advised to wait for a specific time before achieving the promised success. This important fact can also be seen from a look at the lives of the Prophets. The first revelation came to our beloved Prophet (saas) when he was 40. Allah appointed a 40-day waiting period for the Prophet Moses (as). Allah reveals this in the verse:

We set aside thirty nights for Moses and then completed them with ten, so the appointed time of his Lord was forty nights in all. Moses said to his brother Aaron, “Be my khalif [successor, representative] among my people. Keep order and do not follow the way of the corrupters.” (Surat al-A’raf, 142)
 

Almighty Allah has also appointed 40 as the age of maturity for human beings:

We have instructed man to be good to his parents. His mother bore him with difficulty and with difficulty gave birth to him; and his bearing and weaning take thirty months. Then when he achieves his full strength and reaches forty, he says, “My Lord, keep me thankful for the blessing You bestowed on me and on my parents, and keep me acting rightly, pleasing You. And make my descendants righteous. I have repented to You and I am truly one of the Muslims.” (Surat al-Ahqaf, 15)

In the Qur’an, Allah also appoints a waiting period for Muslims to achieve success and dominion. It can be seen that the Prophets and the believers who followed them preached to their own communities, reminded them with the Qur’an and were then advised to wait. Verses referring to Muslims waiting patiently are as follows:

What are they waiting for but for the angels to come to them or for your Lord Himself to come, or for one of your Lord’s signs to come? On the day that one of your Lord’s signs does come, no faith which a self professes will be of any use to it if it did not have faith before and earn good in its faith. Say: “Wait, then; We too are waiting.” (Surat al-An‘am, 158)

He said, “Punishment and anger have come down on you from your Lord. Do you argue with me regarding names which you and your forefathers invented and for which Allah has sent down no authority? Wait, then; I am waiting with you.” (Surat al-A‘raf, 71)

Say: “If your fathers or your sons or your brothers or your wives or your tribe, or any wealth you have acquired, or any business you fear may slump, or any house which pleases you, are dearer to you than Allah and His Messenger and striving in His Way, then wait until Allah brings about His command. Allah does not guide people who are deviators.” (Surat at-Tawba, 24)

Say: “What do you await for us except for one of the two best things [martyrdom or victory]? But what we await for you is for Allah to inflict a punishment on you either directly from Himself or at our hands. So wait, we are waiting with you!” (Surat at-Tawba, 52)

They say, “Why has a sign not been sent down to him from his Lord?” Say: “The Unseen belongs to Allah alone. So wait, I am waiting with you.” (Surah Yunus, 20)

What are they waiting for but the same fate as those who passed away before them? Say: “Wait, I will be among the people waiting with you.” (Surah Yunus, 102)

He [Solomon] said, “We will [wait and] soon see if you have told the truth or are a liar.” (Surat an-Naml, 27)

So turn from them and wait. They too are waiting. (Surat as-Sajda, 30)

Among the believers there are men who have been true to the contract they made with Allah. Some of them have fulfilled their pact by death and some are still waiting to do so, not having changed in any way at all. (Surat al-Ahzab, 23)

We have made it easy in your own tongue so that hopefully they will pay heed. So watch and wait. They too are waiting. (Surat ad-Dukhan, 58-59)

We will send the she-camel as a trial for them. Just keep a watchful eye on them and be steadfast. (Surat al-Qamar, 27)

It can be seen from the above verses that communities of unbelievers also have waiting periods. While believers wait for Allah’s promise to come true and, by His leave, to achieve victory, unbelievers also await the punishment to come. For believers, this waiting time means an increase in their patience, closeness to Allah and in their reward. This period permitted to unbelievers, however, merely means an increase in sin. Almighty Allah reveals this in verses:

A believer has a responsibility to serve Allah in the life of this world, to communicate the moral values of the Qur’an and to behave in a way that will be pleasing to Him. The climate of the test in which the believer finds himself is specially created in order for him to strengthen in faith, to draw closer to Allah, to seek shelter in Him with prayer and to win His good pleasure and go to Paradise. Everything he strives for has already happened in the Sight of Allah, and our Lord has brought everything to the finest conclusion. The effort and hard work put into this will certainly not change the outcome. Allah will certainly create what He promises and show it. People must therefore not forget that the efforts they put into obtaining a good outcome, the efforts made for Allah, the preaching and the patience displayed are only important for their own Hereafter in the Sight of Allah. A Muslim has a duty to surrender to Allah with a satisfied heart. Certainly Almighty Allah is He Who creates all things in the most perfect, flawless and auspicious manner.