“Allah never grants a servant a blessing, then takes it from him and gives him patience in its place, except that what He gave in exchange is better than what He took.”

‘Umar ibn ‘Abd al-‘Aziz (61–101 AH / 681–720 CE), the caliph remembered for his justice, said this from the pulpit and then recited: “Indeed, the patient will be given their reward without account” (39:10). Ibn Abi al-Dunya records it with its chain in his book on patience. It is addressed to anyone who has lost something — a person, health, a livelihood — and it names patience itself as the replacement.