كَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا فِيكُمْ رَسُولًا مِّنكُمْ يَتْلُو عَلَيْكُمْ آيَاتِنَا وَيُزَكِّيكُمْ وَيُعَلِّمُكُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَيُعَلِّمُكُم مَّا لَمْ تَكُونُوا تَعْلَمُونَ
فَاذْكُرُونِي أَذْكُرْكُمْ وَاشْكُرُوا لِي وَلَا تَكْفُرُونِ
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اسْتَعِينُوا بِالصَّبْرِ وَالصَّلَاةِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَ الصَّابِرِينَ
وَلَا تَقُولُوا لِمَن يُقْتَلُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ أَمْوَاتٌ بَلْ أَحْيَاءٌ وَلَٰكِن لَّا تَشْعُرُونَ
وَلَنَبْلُوَنَّكُم بِشَيْءٍ مِّنَ الْخَوْفِ وَالْجُوعِ وَنَقْصٍ مِّنَ الْأَمْوَالِ وَالْأَنفُسِ وَالثَّمَرَاتِ وَبَشِّرِ الصَّابِرِينَ
الَّذِينَ إِذَا أَصَابَتْهُم مُّصِيبَةٌ قَالُوا إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ
أُولَٰئِكَ عَلَيْهِمْ صَلَوَاتٌ مِّن رَّبِّهِمْ وَرَحْمَةٌ وَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْمُهْتَدُونَ
Even as We have sent unto you a messenger from among you, who reciteth unto you Our revelations and causeth you to grow, and teacheth you the Scripture and wisdom, and teacheth you that which ye knew not.
Therefore remember Me, I will remember you. Give thanks to Me, and reject not Me.
O ye who believe! Seek help in steadfastness and prayer. Lo! Allah is with the steadfast.
And call not those who are slain in the way of Allah "dead." Nay, they are living, only ye perceive not.
And surely We shall try you with something of fear and hunger, and loss of wealth and lives nafs and crops; but give glad tidings to the steadfast,
Who say, when a misfortune striketh them: Lo! we are Allah's and lo! unto Him we are returning.
Such are they on whom are blessings from their Lord, and mercy. Such are the rightly guided.
[Al-Quran 2:151-157, Translation: M. M. Pickthall, edited (in italics)]
The context of these ayaat is the mention of the change in Qibla towards the Kaaba located in al-Masjid al-Haraam, in the polytheistic city of Makkah, where our dear Prophet first started preaching from before having to emigrate to Medina. Eventually, he was to return and secure the sanctuary, purifying it for the worship of Allah alone, as had been done before by Abraham.
The Promise of The Days of Allah
وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا مُوسَىٰ بِآيَاتِنَا أَنْ أَخْرِجْ قَوْمَكَ مِنَ الظُّلُمَاتِ إِلَى النُّورِ وَذَكِّرْهُم بِأَيَّامِ اللَّهِ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِّكُلِّ صَبَّارٍ شَكُورٍ
وَإِذْ قَالَ مُوسَىٰ لِقَوْمِهِ اذْكُرُوا نِعْمَةَ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ إِذْ أَنجَاكُم مِّنْ آلِ فِرْعَوْنَ يَسُومُونَكُمْ سُوءَ الْعَذَابِ وَيُذَبِّحُونَ أَبْنَاءَكُمْ وَيَسْتَحْيُونَ نِسَاءَكُمْ وَفِي ذَٰلِكُم بَلَاءٌ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ عَظِيمٌ
وَإِذْ تَأَذَّنَ رَبُّكُمْ لَئِن شَكَرْتُمْ لَأَزِيدَنَّكُمْ وَلَئِن كَفَرْتُمْ إِنَّ عَذَابِي لَشَدِيدٌ
وَقَالَ مُوسَىٰ إِن تَكْفُرُوا أَنتُمْ وَمَن فِي الْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًا فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَغَنِيٌّ حَمِيدٌ
We verily sent Moses with Our revelations, saying: Bring thy people forth from darkness unto light (the noor). And remind them of the days of Allah. Lo! therein are revelations for each steadfast, thankful (heart).
And (remind them) how Moses said unto his people: Remember Allah's favour unto you when He delivered you from Pharaoh's folk who were afflicting you with dreadful torment, and were slaying your sons and sparing your women; that was a tremendous trial from your Lord.
And when your Lord proclaimed: If ye give thanks, I will give you more; but if ye are thankless, lo! My punishment is dire.
And Moses said: Though ye and all who are in the earth prove thankless, lo! Allah verily is Absolute, Owner of Praise.
[Al-Quran 14:5-8, Translation: M. M. Pickthall, edited (in italics)]
The promise of the Days of Allah and increase, after loss, due to the gratitude shown even when suffering loss in this life, are clearly linked in these ayaat. They mention their salvation from the darkness / injustices prevalent when the revelations were made to Moses; they mention the great trial that the Bani Israel were suffering from Pharaoh's people, yet clarifying that it was a trial from the Lord; and then delivering them from it all! Knowing that every thing good and bad comes with the permission of Allah, and that the promise of Allah is true, and no matter what, we should be grateful for this life and this opportunity to work towards saving ourselves from The Fire, assured in the knowledge that the Days of Allah will be worth every suffering we must endure here. By killing their sons, the successive generations of the Bani Israel were being limited. However, we see that its the Pharaoh and his people who have become extinct in this world, and the Bani Israel have flourished. However, I think the increase (لَئِن شَكَرْتُمْ لَأَزِيدَنَّكُمْ) being promised in this at ayat refers to the Days of Allah in which the gratefully patient believers will inherit the Earth.
The Purpose of Trials
Though Allah knows each of us and what our final fate should be, yet trials come to generate the knowledge, that is, the evidence for or against us, which is being constantly recorded, to be reproduced in the Court of Allah on the Day of Judgment:
The Unrepentant Rejectors
Surah at-Taubah (The Repentance), which is a final notice to the disbelievers of Makkah, concludes thus:
الم
أَحَسِبَ النَّاسُ أَن يُتْرَكُوا أَن يَقُولُوا آمَنَّا وَهُمْ لَا يُفْتَنُونَ
وَلَقَدْ فَتَنَّا الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ فَلَيَعْلَمَنَّ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ صَدَقُوا وَلَيَعْلَمَنَّ الْكَاذِبِينَ
أَمْ حَسِبَ الَّذِينَ يَعْمَلُونَ السَّيِّئَاتِ أَن يَسْبِقُونَا سَاءَ مَا يَحْكُمُونَ
مَن كَانَ يَرْجُو لِقَاءَ اللَّهِ فَإِنَّ أَجَلَ اللَّهِ لَآتٍ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ
وَمَن جَاهَدَ فَإِنَّمَا يُجَاهِدُ لِنَفْسِهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَغَنِيٌّ عَنِ الْعَالَمِينَ
وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ لَنُكَفِّرَنَّ عَنْهُمْ سَيِّئَاتِهِمْ وَلَنَجْزِيَنَّهُمْ أَحْسَنَ الَّذِي كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ
Alif, Lam, Meem
Do the people think that they will be left to say, "We believe" and they will not be tried?
But We have certainly tried those before them, and Allah will surely make evident those who are truthful, and He will surely make evident the liars.
Or do those who do evil deeds think they can outrun Us? Evil is what they judge.
Whoever should hope for the meeting with Allah - indeed, the term decreed by Allah is coming. And He is the Hearing, the Knowing.
And whoever strives only strives for [the benefit of] himself his nafs. Indeed, Allah is free from need of the worlds.
And those who believe and do righteous deeds - We will surely remove from them their misdeeds and will surely reward them according to the best of what they used to do.
[Al-Quran 29:1-7, Translation: Sahih International, edited (in italics)]
The Unrepentant Rejectors
Surah at-Taubah (The Repentance), which is a final notice to the disbelievers of Makkah, concludes thus:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا قَاتِلُوا الَّذِينَ يَلُونَكُم مِّنَ الْكُفَّارِ وَلْيَجِدُوا فِيكُمْ غِلْظَةً وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَ الْمُتَّقِينَ
وَإِذَا مَا أُنزِلَتْ سُورَةٌ فَمِنْهُم مَّن يَقُولُ أَيُّكُمْ زَادَتْهُ هَٰذِهِ إِيمَانًا فَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا فَزَادَتْهُمْ إِيمَانًا وَهُمْ يَسْتَبْشِرُونَ
وَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ فِي قُلُوبِهِم مَّرَضٌ فَزَادَتْهُمْ رِجْسًا إِلَىٰ رِجْسِهِمْ وَمَاتُوا وَهُمْ كَافِرُونَ
أَوَلَا يَرَوْنَ أَنَّهُمْ يُفْتَنُونَ فِي كُلِّ عَامٍ مَّرَّةً أَوْ مَرَّتَيْنِ ثُمَّ لَا يَتُوبُونَ وَلَا هُمْ يَذَّكَّرُونَ
وَإِذَا مَا أُنزِلَتْ سُورَةٌ نَّظَرَ بَعْضُهُمْ إِلَىٰ بَعْضٍ هَلْ يَرَاكُم مِّنْ أَحَدٍ ثُمَّ انصَرَفُوا صَرَفَ اللَّهُ قُلُوبَهُم بِأَنَّهُمْ قَوْمٌ لَّا يَفْقَهُونَ
لَقَدْ جَاءَكُمْ رَسُولٌ مِّنْ أَنفُسِكُمْ عَزِيزٌ عَلَيْهِ مَا عَنِتُّمْ حَرِيصٌ عَلَيْكُم بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ رَءُوفٌ رَّحِيمٌ
فَإِن تَوَلَّوْا فَقُلْ حَسْبِيَ اللَّهُ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ عَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ وَهُوَ رَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِيمِ
O you who have believed, fight those adjacent to you of the disbelievers and let them find in you harshness. And know that Allah is with the righteous.
And whenever a surah is revealed, there are among them hypocrites those who say, "Which of you has this increased faith?" As for those who believed, it has increased them in faith, while they are rejoicing.
But as for those in whose hearts is disease, it has [only] increased them in evil [in addition] to their evil. And they will have died while they are disbelievers.
Do they not see that they are tried every year once or twice but then they do not repent nor do they remember?
And whenever a surah is revealed, they look at each other, [saying], "Does anyone see you?" and then they dismiss themselves. Allah has dismissed their hearts because they are a people who do not understand.
There has certainly come to you a Messenger from among yourselves nafs. Grievous to him is what you suffer; [he is] concerned over you and to the believers is kind and merciful.
But if they turn away, [O Muhammad], say, "Sufficient for me is Allah ; there is no deity except Him. On Him I have relied, and He is the Lord of the Great Throne."
[Al-Quran 9:123-129, Translation: Sahih International, edited (in italics)]
وَالْعَصْرِ إِنَّ الْإِنسَانَ لَفِي خُسْرٍ
إِلَّا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالْحَقِّ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالصَّبْرِ
[Al-Quran 103]
وَنَبِّئْهُمْ عَن ضَيْفِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ
إِذْ دَخَلُوا عَلَيْهِ فَقَالُوا سَلَامًا قَالَ إِنَّا مِنكُمْ وَجِلُونَ
قَالُوا لَا تَوْجَلْ إِنَّا نُبَشِّرُكَ بِغُلَامٍ عَلِيمٍ
قَالَ أَبَشَّرْتُمُونِي عَلَىٰ أَن مَّسَّنِيَ الْكِبَرُ فَبِمَ تُبَشِّرُونَ
قَالُوا بَشَّرْنَاكَ بِالْحَقِّ فَلَا تَكُن مِّنَ الْقَانِطِينَ
قَالَ وَمَن يَقْنَطُ مِن رَّحْمَةِ رَبِّهِ إِلَّا الضَّالُّونَ
And inform them about the guests of Abraham,
When they entered upon him and said, "Peace." [Abraham] said, "Indeed, we are fearful of you."
[The angels] said, "Fear not. Indeed, we give you good tidings of a learned boy."
He said, "Have you given me good tidings although old age has come upon me? Then of what [wonder] do you inform?"
They said, "We have given you good tidings in truth, so do not be of the despairing."
He said, "And who despairs of the mercy of his Lord except for those astray?"
[Al-Quran 15:51-56, Translation: Sahih International]
قَالَ بَلْ سَوَّلَتْ لَكُمْ أَنفُسُكُمْ أَمْرًا فَصَبْرٌ جَمِيلٌ عَسَى اللَّهُ أَن يَأْتِيَنِي بِهِمْ جَمِيعًا إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْعَلِيمُ الْحَكِيمُ
وَتَوَلَّىٰ عَنْهُمْ وَقَالَ يَا أَسَفَىٰ عَلَىٰ يُوسُفَ وَابْيَضَّتْ عَيْنَاهُ مِنَ الْحُزْنِ فَهُوَ كَظِيمٌ
قَالُوا تَاللَّهِ تَفْتَأُ تَذْكُرُ يُوسُفَ حَتَّىٰ تَكُونَ حَرَضًا أَوْ تَكُونَ مِنَ الْهَالِكِينَ
قَالَ إِنَّمَا أَشْكُو بَثِّي وَحُزْنِي إِلَى اللَّهِ وَأَعْلَمُ مِنَ اللَّهِ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ
يَا بَنِيَّ اذْهَبُوا فَتَحَسَّسُوا مِن يُوسُفَ وَأَخِيهِ وَلَا تَيْأَسُوا مِن رَّوْحِ اللَّهِ إِنَّهُ لَا يَيْأَسُ مِن رَّوْحِ اللَّهِ إِلَّا الْقَوْمُ الْكَافِرُونَ
[Jacob] said, "Rather, your souls have enticed you to something, so patience is most fitting. Perhaps Allah will bring them to me all together. Indeed it is He who is the Knowing, the Wise."
And he turned away from them and said, "Oh, my sorrow over Joseph," and his eyes became white from grief, for he was [of that] a suppressor.
They said, "By Allah , you will not cease remembering Joseph until you become fatally ill or become of those who perish."
He said, "I only complain of my suffering and my grief to Allah , and I know from Allah that which you do not know.
O my sons, go and find out about Joseph and his brother and despair not of relief from Allah . Indeed, no one despairs of relief from Allah except the disbelieving people."
Advising Patience
وَالْعَصْرِ إِنَّ الْإِنسَانَ لَفِي خُسْرٍ
إِلَّا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالْحَقِّ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالصَّبْرِ
[Al-Quran 103]
Surah al-Asr is among the concluding surahs of The Quran. It declares that humans are in a state of loss except those who (1) believe, (2) do acts of righteousness / reform, (3) advise each other the truth, and (4) advise each other patience!
The root ص ب ر occurs 103 times in The Quran, the last one in Surah 103.
In the narratives about the Prophets, the Messengers and the Pious people, patient perseverance is a common factor. They endured their trials with patience, and with unfaltering hope in the Mercy of Allah.
Noah preached for over nine centuries, repelled and rejected by almost all the people except a few. Yet, the few who believed him, and were saved along with him, are the forefathers of the billions of people since then; while those who disbelieved and rejected Noah have become extinct.
Abraham was thrown in the fire, expelled from his father's home, was childless till a very old age, yet when he received the good news of the a child with Sarah, the following is the conversation he had with Allah's Messengers:
وَنَبِّئْهُمْ عَن ضَيْفِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ
إِذْ دَخَلُوا عَلَيْهِ فَقَالُوا سَلَامًا قَالَ إِنَّا مِنكُمْ وَجِلُونَ
قَالُوا لَا تَوْجَلْ إِنَّا نُبَشِّرُكَ بِغُلَامٍ عَلِيمٍ
قَالَ أَبَشَّرْتُمُونِي عَلَىٰ أَن مَّسَّنِيَ الْكِبَرُ فَبِمَ تُبَشِّرُونَ
قَالُوا بَشَّرْنَاكَ بِالْحَقِّ فَلَا تَكُن مِّنَ الْقَانِطِينَ
قَالَ وَمَن يَقْنَطُ مِن رَّحْمَةِ رَبِّهِ إِلَّا الضَّالُّونَ
And inform them about the guests of Abraham,
When they entered upon him and said, "Peace." [Abraham] said, "Indeed, we are fearful of you."
[The angels] said, "Fear not. Indeed, we give you good tidings of a learned boy."
He said, "Have you given me good tidings although old age has come upon me? Then of what [wonder] do you inform?"
They said, "We have given you good tidings in truth, so do not be of the despairing."
He said, "And who despairs of the mercy of his Lord except for those astray?"
[Al-Quran 15:51-56, Translation: Sahih International]
Jacob lost his beloved Joseph when he was a child; but even after decades of separation, he did not lose hope in being reunited with him. When he lost Joseph, he said:
وَجَاءُوا عَلَىٰ قَمِيصِهِ بِدَمٍ كَذِبٍ قَالَ بَلْ سَوَّلَتْ لَكُمْ أَنفُسُكُمْ أَمْرًا فَصَبْرٌ جَمِيلٌ وَاللَّهُ الْمُسْتَعَانُ عَلَىٰ مَا تَصِفُونَ
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."
[Al-Quran 12:18, Translation: Sahih International]
Decades later, when even another son gets held in Egypt and doesn't return, Jacob responds to the news thus:
وَتَوَلَّىٰ عَنْهُمْ وَقَالَ يَا أَسَفَىٰ عَلَىٰ يُوسُفَ وَابْيَضَّتْ عَيْنَاهُ مِنَ الْحُزْنِ فَهُوَ كَظِيمٌ
قَالُوا تَاللَّهِ تَفْتَأُ تَذْكُرُ يُوسُفَ حَتَّىٰ تَكُونَ حَرَضًا أَوْ تَكُونَ مِنَ الْهَالِكِينَ
قَالَ إِنَّمَا أَشْكُو بَثِّي وَحُزْنِي إِلَى اللَّهِ وَأَعْلَمُ مِنَ اللَّهِ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ
يَا بَنِيَّ اذْهَبُوا فَتَحَسَّسُوا مِن يُوسُفَ وَأَخِيهِ وَلَا تَيْأَسُوا مِن رَّوْحِ اللَّهِ إِنَّهُ لَا يَيْأَسُ مِن رَّوْحِ اللَّهِ إِلَّا الْقَوْمُ الْكَافِرُونَ
And he turned away from them and said, "Oh, my sorrow over Joseph," and his eyes became white from grief, for he was [of that] a suppressor.
They said, "By Allah , you will not cease remembering Joseph until you become fatally ill or become of those who perish."
He said, "I only complain of my suffering and my grief to Allah , and I know from Allah that which you do not know.
O my sons, go and find out about Joseph and his brother and despair not of relief from Allah . Indeed, no one despairs of relief from Allah except the disbelieving people."
The phrase فَصَبْرٌ جَمِيلٌ has been translated variously as: patience in adversity is most goodly [in the sight of God] || (for me) patience is most fitting || but patience is good || But it is best to be patient || Having patience is graceful || Patience is beautiful! || ...
In Surah al-Ma`arij, ayat 5 exhorts:
فَاصْبِرْ صَبْرًا جَمِيلًا
[Al-Quran 70:5]
Last updated on: July 18, 2020
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