Quran by Topic
Patience (Sabr)
الصبر
Patience is named over 70 times. The Quran pairs it with specific tests, specific outcomes, and a specific promise: 'the patient will be paid their reward in full without measure.' A 7th-century prophet would not name 'without measure' — that requires an eschatology with cosmic scope.
8 verses from the Quran
#01
"O you who have believed, seek help through patience and prayer. Indeed, Allah is with the patient. The pairing of patience and salah is a specific mechanism."
Arabic
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱسْتَعِينُوا۟ بِٱلصَّبْرِ وَٱلصَّلَوٰةِ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ مَعَ ٱلصَّٰبِرِينَ
English (Sahih International)
O you who have believed, seek help through patience and prayer. Indeed, Allah is with the patient.
#02
"And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and loss of wealth and lives and fruits — and give glad tidings to the patient. The specific tests are named — five categories of loss."
Arabic
وَلَنَبْلُوَنَّكُم بِشَىْءٍۢ مِّنَ ٱلْخَوْفِ وَٱلْجُوعِ وَنَقْصٍۢ مِّنَ ٱلْأَمْوَٰلِ وَٱلْأَنفُسِ وَٱلثَّمَرَٰتِ ۗ وَبَشِّرِ ٱلصَّٰبِرِينَ
English (Sahih International)
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,
#03
"Who, when disaster strikes them, say, 'Indeed we belong to Allah, and to Him we will return.' The exact dua in the moment of loss is given."
Arabic
ٱلَّذِينَ إِذَآ أَصَٰبَتْهُم مُّصِيبَةٌۭ قَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّآ إِلَيْهِ رَٰجِعُونَ
English (Sahih International)
Who, when disaster strikes them, say, "Indeed we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we will return."
#04
"O you who have believed, persevere and endure and remain stationed and fear Allah, that you may be successful. Three levels of patience named: perseverance, endurance, station-keeping."
Arabic
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱصْبِرُوا۟ وَصَابِرُوا۟ وَرَابِطُوا۟ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ
English (Sahih International)
O you who have believed, persevere and endure and remain stationed and fear Allah that you may be successful.
#05
"Indeed, the patient will be paid their reward in full without measure (بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ). 'Without measure' is the specific claim — an accounting that does not use arithmetic. No pre-Islamic Arabian religion had a numerical-less paradise reward."
Arabic
قُلْ يَٰعِبَادِ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱتَّقُوا۟ رَبَّكُمْ ۚ لِلَّذِينَ أَحْسَنُوا۟ فِى هَٰذِهِ ٱلدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةٌۭ ۗ وَأَرْضُ ٱللَّهِ وَٰسِعَةٌ ۗ إِنَّمَا يُوَفَّى ٱلصَّٰبِرُونَ أَجْرَهُم بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍۢ
English (Sahih International)
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."
#06
"Be patient, for your patience is not except by (the help of) Allah. The mechanism of patience is named as divine assistance, not human will."
Arabic
وَٱصْبِرْ وَمَا صَبْرُكَ إِلَّا بِٱللَّهِ ۚ وَلَا تَحْزَنْ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا تَكُ فِى ضَيْقٍۢ مِّمَّا يَمْكُرُونَ
English (Sahih International)
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.
#07
"And be patient, for indeed, Allah does not allow to be lost the reward of those who do good. The cause-and-effect is named."
Arabic
وَٱصْبِرْ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُضِيعُ أَجْرَ ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ
English (Sahih International)
And be patient, for indeed, Allah does not allow to be lost the reward of those who do good.
#08
"And those who are patient, seeking the countenance of their Lord, and establish prayer and spend from what We have provided for them, secretly and publicly, and ward off evil with good — for them is the reward of the [blessed] abode. Patience linked to three acts: prayer, spending, returning good for evil."
Arabic
وَٱلَّذِينَ صَبَرُوا۟ ٱبْتِغَآءَ وَجْهِ رَبِّهِمْ وَأَقَامُوا۟ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَأَنفَقُوا۟ مِمَّا رَزَقْنَٰهُمْ سِرًّۭا وَعَلَانِيَةًۭ وَيَدْرَءُونَ بِٱلْحَسَنَةِ ٱلسَّيِّئَةَ أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ لَهُمْ عُقْبَى ٱلدَّارِ
English (Sahih International)
And those who are patient, seeking the countenance of their Lord, and establish prayer and spend from what We have provided for them secretly and publicly and prevent evil with good - those will have the good consequence of [this] home -
All Arabic text from the Uthmani edition · All English from Sahih International translation · Topical groupings are based on classical tafsir; scholars may differ on inclusion of specific verses