Quran verses by topic

Quran verses about patience, sabr in the Quran.

9 verses from the Quran about patience, each in Arabic with transliteration and the Sahih International translation, and a line on its context.

يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱسْتَعِينُوا۟ بِٱلصَّبْرِ وَٱلصَّلَوٰةِ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ مَعَ ٱلصَّٰبِرِينَ ﴿١٥٣﴾

Yaaa ayyuhal laazeena aamanus ta'eenoo bissabri was Salaah; innal laaha ma'as-saabireen

O you who have believed, seek help through patience and prayer. Indeed, Allah is with the patient.

Seek help through patience and prayer: Allah is with the patient. It comes right after the command to remember Allah.

وَلَنَبْلُوَنَّكُم بِشَىْءٍۢ مِّنَ ٱلْخَوْفِ وَٱلْجُوعِ وَنَقْصٍۢ مِّنَ ٱلْأَمْوَٰلِ وَٱلْأَنفُسِ وَٱلثَّمَرَٰتِ ۗ وَبَشِّرِ ٱلصَّٰبِرِينَ ﴿١٥٥﴾ ٱلَّذِينَ إِذَآ أَصَٰبَتْهُم مُّصِيبَةٌۭ قَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّآ إِلَيْهِ رَٰجِعُونَ ﴿١٥٦﴾ أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ عَلَيْهِمْ صَلَوَٰتٌۭ مِّن رَّبِّهِمْ وَرَحْمَةٌۭ ۖ وَأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْمُهْتَدُونَ ﴿١٥٧﴾

Wa lanablu wannakum bishai'im minal khawfi waljoo'i wa naqsim minal amwaali wal anfusi was samaraat; wa bashshiris saabireen Allazeena izaaa asaabathum museebatun qaalooo innaa lillaahi wa innaaa ilaihi raaji'oon Ulaaa'ika 'alaihim salawaatun mir Rabbihim wa rahma; wa ulaaa'ika humul muhtadoon

155 And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits, but give good tidings to the patient, 156 Who, when disaster strikes them, say, "Indeed we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we will return." 157 Those are the ones upon whom are blessings from their Lord and mercy. And it is those who are the [rightly] guided.

Tests of fear, hunger and loss, and good news for those who say "inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi rajiun". Blessings and mercy from their Lord are on them.

يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱصْبِرُوا۟ وَصَابِرُوا۟ وَرَابِطُوا۟ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ ﴿٢٠٠﴾

Yaaa aiyuhal lazeena aamanus biroo wa saabiroo wa raabitoo wattaqul laaha la'allakum tuflihoon

O you who have believed, persevere and endure and remain stationed and fear Allah that you may be successful.

The last ayah of Al Imran: be patient, outlast in patience, stand guard, and fear Allah, so that you may succeed.

قُلْ يَٰعِبَادِ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱتَّقُوا۟ رَبَّكُمْ ۚ لِلَّذِينَ أَحْسَنُوا۟ فِى هَٰذِهِ ٱلدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةٌۭ ۗ وَأَرْضُ ٱللَّهِ وَٰسِعَةٌ ۗ إِنَّمَا يُوَفَّى ٱلصَّٰبِرُونَ أَجْرَهُم بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍۢ ﴿١٠﴾

Qul yaa 'ibaadil lazeena aamanut taqoo Rabbakum; lillazeena ahsanoo fee haazihid dunyaa hasanah; wa ardul laahi waasi'ah; innamaa yuwaffas saabiroona ajrahum bighayri hisab

Say, "O My servants who have believed, fear your Lord. For those who do good in this world is good, and the earth of Allah is spacious. Indeed, the patient will be given their reward without account."

The patient will be given their reward without account. No measure is placed on it.

وَٱصْبِرْ وَمَا صَبْرُكَ إِلَّا بِٱللَّهِ ۚ وَلَا تَحْزَنْ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا تَكُ فِى ضَيْقٍۢ مِّمَّا يَمْكُرُونَ ﴿١٢٧﴾

Wasbir wa maa sabruka illaa billaah; wa laa tahzan 'alaihim wa laa taku fee daiqim mimmaa yamkuroon

And be patient, [O Muhammad], and your patience is not but through Allah. And do not grieve over them and do not be in distress over what they conspire.

Said to the Prophet ﷺ: be patient, and your patience is only by Allah's help.

وَٱلْعَصْرِ ﴿١﴾ إِنَّ ٱلْإِنسَٰنَ لَفِى خُسْرٍ ﴿٢﴾ إِلَّا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّٰلِحَٰتِ وَتَوَاصَوْا۟ بِٱلْحَقِّ وَتَوَاصَوْا۟ بِٱلصَّبْرِ ﴿٣﴾

Wal' asr Innal insaana lafee khusr Il lal lazeena aamanu wa 'amilus saali haati wa tawa saw bil haqqi wa tawa saw bis sabr

1 By time, 2 Indeed, mankind is in loss, 3 Except for those who have believed and done righteous deeds and advised each other to truth and advised each other to patience.

Surah Al-Asr: all of mankind is in loss except those who believe, do good and urge each other to truth and to patience.

يَٰبُنَىَّ أَقِمِ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَأْمُرْ بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ وَٱنْهَ عَنِ ٱلْمُنكَرِ وَٱصْبِرْ عَلَىٰ مَآ أَصَابَكَ ۖ إِنَّ ذَٰلِكَ مِنْ عَزْمِ ٱلْأُمُورِ ﴿١٧﴾

Yaa bunaiya aqimis-Salaata waamur bilma'roofi wanha 'anil munkari wasbir 'alaa maaa asaabaka inna zaalika min 'azmil umoor

O my son, establish prayer, enjoin what is right, forbid what is wrong, and be patient over what befalls you. Indeed, [all] that is of the matters [requiring] determination.

Luqman's advice to his son: pray, call to good, forbid evil and be patient with what befalls you.

وَجَآءُو عَلَىٰ قَمِيصِهِۦ بِدَمٍۢ كَذِبٍۢ ۚ قَالَ بَلْ سَوَّلَتْ لَكُمْ أَنفُسُكُمْ أَمْرًۭا ۖ فَصَبْرٌۭ جَمِيلٌۭ ۖ وَٱللَّهُ ٱلْمُسْتَعَانُ عَلَىٰ مَا تَصِفُونَ ﴿١٨﴾

Wa jaaa'oo 'alaa qamee shihee bidamin kazi' qaala bal sawwalat lakum anfusukum amraa; fasabrun jameel; wallaahul musta'aanu 'alaa man tasifoon

And they brought upon his shirt false blood. [Jacob] said, "Rather, your souls have enticed you to something, so patience is most fitting. And Allah is the one sought for help against that which you describe."

Yaqub, given false news of Yusuf's death: "So patience is most fitting" (fa sabrun jamil).

فَٱصْبِرْ صَبْرًۭا جَمِيلًا ﴿٥﴾

Fasbir sabran jameelaa

So be patient with gracious patience.

Be patient with a beautiful patience, without complaint to people.

Arabic: Tanzil, Uthmani script. English: Sahih International. Context notes are ours, drawn from the classical tafsir. Tap ▶ to hear a verse.

Guide

About these verses, and how to use them.

Imam Ahmad said that patience is mentioned in about ninety places in the Quran. It is not only quiet endurance of pain: scholars describe three kinds, patience in obeying Allah, patience in staying away from sin, and patience with what Allah decrees. The Quran promises that Allah is with the patient and that their reward is given without measure.

The 9 verses on this page

2:153, 2:155-157, 3:200, 39:10, 16:127, 103:1-3, 31:17, 12:18, 70:5. Tap a reference to open that ayah with the verses around it, or read the full surah.

Other topics: trust in Allah (tawakkul), women, life, death, forgiveness, parents, marriage, hardship and ease, rizq (provision), mercy, gratitude, Ramadan and fasting, peace, motivation, blessings and barakah, the signs of Allah in creation.

Questions

Good to know.

What does the Quran say about patience?

That Allah is with the patient (2:153), that they get their reward without measure (39:10), and that patience with good deeds saves a person from loss (103:3).

What is sabrun jamil?

"Beautiful patience", the words of Yaqub in 12:18 and 12:83: patience without complaining to people, while turning to Allah.

What should I say when something bad happens?

Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi rajiun, as 2:156 teaches: we belong to Allah and to Him we return.