Quran by topic
Quran verses about patience
Patience, sabr in Arabic, is one of the qualities the Quran returns to most often. It is asked of believers when they are tested, when they are wronged and when relief seems slow to arrive.
The passages below are a short selection, not a complete list. Each is given in Arabic with an English translation, and says where in the Quran it comes from. In this translation the same idea also appears as steadfastness and endurance.
Seek help in patience and prayer
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱسْتَعِينُوا۟ بِٱلصَّبْرِ وَٱلصَّلَوٰةِ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ مَعَ ٱلصَّٰبِرِينَ
O ye who believe! Seek help in steadfastness and prayer. Lo! Allah is with the steadfast.
Al-Baqara 2:153
Surah Al-Baqara (The Cow) · Medinan · ayah 153 of 286
Patience when tested by loss
وَلَنَبْلُوَنَّكُم بِشَىْءٍۢ مِّنَ ٱلْخَوْفِ وَٱلْجُوعِ وَنَقْصٍۢ مِّنَ ٱلْأَمْوَٰلِ وَٱلْأَنفُسِ وَٱلثَّمَرَٰتِ ۗ وَبَشِّرِ ٱلصَّٰبِرِينَ
And surely We shall try you with something of fear and hunger, and loss of wealth and lives and crops; but give glad tidings to the steadfast,
Al-Baqara 2:155
ٱلَّذِينَ إِذَآ أَصَٰبَتْهُم مُّصِيبَةٌۭ قَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّآ إِلَيْهِ رَٰجِعُونَ
Who say, when a misfortune striketh them: Lo! we are Allah's and lo! unto Him we are returning.
Al-Baqara 2:156
أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ عَلَيْهِمْ صَلَوَٰتٌۭ مِّن رَّبِّهِمْ وَرَحْمَةٌۭ ۖ وَأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْمُهْتَدُونَ
Such are they on whom are blessings from their Lord, and mercy. Such are the rightly guided.
Al-Baqara 2:157
Surah Al-Baqara (The Cow) · Medinan · ayahs 155–157 of 286
A call to endure
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱصْبِرُوا۟ وَصَابِرُوا۟ وَرَابِطُوا۟ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ
O ye who believe! Endure, outdo all others in endurance, be ready, and observe your duty to Allah, in order that ye may succeed.
Aal-i-Imraan 3:200
Surah Aal-i-Imraan (The Family of Imraan) · Medinan · ayah 200 of 200
Patience when wronged
وَإِنْ عَاقَبْتُمْ فَعَاقِبُوا۟ بِمِثْلِ مَا عُوقِبْتُم بِهِۦ ۖ وَلَئِن صَبَرْتُمْ لَهُوَ خَيْرٌۭ لِّلصَّٰبِرِينَ
If ye punish, then punish with the like of that wherewith ye were afflicted. But if ye endure patiently, verily it is better for the patient.
An-Nahl 16:126
وَٱصْبِرْ وَمَا صَبْرُكَ إِلَّا بِٱللَّهِ ۚ وَلَا تَحْزَنْ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا تَكُ فِى ضَيْقٍۢ مِّمَّا يَمْكُرُونَ
Endure thou patiently (O Muhammad). Thine endurance is only by (the help of) Allah. Grieve not for them, and be not in distress because of that which they devise.
An-Nahl 16:127
Surah An-Nahl (The Bee) · Meccan · ayahs 126–127 of 128
The reward of the steadfast
قُلْ يَٰعِبَادِ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱتَّقُوا۟ رَبَّكُمْ ۚ لِلَّذِينَ أَحْسَنُوا۟ فِى هَٰذِهِ ٱلدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةٌۭ ۗ وَأَرْضُ ٱللَّهِ وَٰسِعَةٌ ۗ إِنَّمَا يُوَفَّى ٱلصَّٰبِرُونَ أَجْرَهُم بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍۢ
Say: O My bondmen who believe! Observe your duty to your Lord. For those who do good in this world there is good, and Allah's earth is spacious. Verily the steadfast will be paid their wages without stint.
Az-Zumar 39:10
Surah Az-Zumar (The Groups) · Meccan · ayah 10 of 75
With hardship comes ease
فَإِنَّ مَعَ ٱلْعُسْرِ يُسْرًا
But lo! with hardship goeth ease,
Ash-Sharh 94:5
إِنَّ مَعَ ٱلْعُسْرِ يُسْرًۭا
Lo! with hardship goeth ease;
Ash-Sharh 94:6
Surah Ash-Sharh (The Consolation) · Meccan · ayahs 5–6 of 8
Urging one another to endurance
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ وَٱلْعَصْرِ
By the declining day,
Al-Asr 103:1
إِنَّ ٱلْإِنسَٰنَ لَفِى خُسْرٍ
Lo! man is a state of loss,
Al-Asr 103:2
إِلَّا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّٰلِحَٰتِ وَتَوَاصَوْا۟ بِٱلْحَقِّ وَتَوَاصَوْا۟ بِٱلصَّبْرِ
Save those who believe and do good works, and exhort one another to truth and exhort one another to endurance.
Al-Asr 103:3
Surah Al-Asr (The Declining Day, Epoch) · Meccan · ayahs 1–3 of 3
Context
Four of these passages are Meccan, from surahs revealed before the migration to Medina: an-Nahl, az-Zumar, ash-Sharh and al-Asr. The other three, from al-Baqarah and Aal-i-Imraan, are Medinan.
Surah 16:126–127 is reported to have been revealed after Hamza ibn Abd al-Muttalib was killed and mutilated at Uhud, when the Prophet had said he would mutilate the dead of Quraysh in return. The passage allows retaliation in kind but says that patience is better, and tells the Prophet not to grieve over what his opponents plot. Commentators record the report; the Quran text itself does not name the occasion.
Surah 3:200 closes Aal-i-Imraan. The later part of that surah addresses the believers after the defeat at Uhud, and this final verse turns the experience into a command to endure, to outdo others in endurance and to remain on guard.
No specific occasion of revelation is reported for the remaining passages. They are general exhortations, and are read as such.
Questions for reflection
- Where in your life are you being asked to be patient right now?
- Several of these passages mention patience together with prayer or with doing good. What do you turn to when patience runs short?
- Surah 94 says ease comes with hardship. What ease is already present in what you are facing?
- Surah 103 speaks of people urging one another to endurance. Who helps you endure, and whom could you help?
Related topics
Arabic text: Tanzil Project, Uthmani edition. Translation: Marmaduke Pickthall, The Meaning of the Glorious Koran (1930). The introduction, headings and questions are written by Scroll the Quran. Seesources and corrections.