وَٱسْتَعِينُوا۟ بِٱلصَّبْرِ وَٱلصَّلَوٰةِ ۚ وَإِنَّهَا لَكَبِيرَةٌ إِلَّا عَلَى ٱلْخَـٰشِعِينَ 45
Translations
And seek help through patience and prayer; and indeed, it is difficult except for the humbly submissive [to Allāh]
Transliteration
Wa-staAAeenoo bi-as-sabri wa-as-salati wa-inna-ha la-kabeeratun illa AAala al-khashiAAeen
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah commands the believers to seek assistance through patience and prayer during times of difficulty and hardship. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, sabr (patience) and salah (prayer) are the two greatest means of drawing near to Allah and obtaining His help, while the phrase 'it is indeed great except for the humble of heart' emphasizes that this obligation, though weighty, becomes easy for those who are truly humble and God-conscious (khashiAun).
Revelation Context
This ayah was revealed in the Medinan period within the early surahs of the Quran, following the emigration (hijrah) when the Muslim community faced numerous trials and persecutions. It appears in the opening passage of Surah Al-Baqarah addressing the believers (alladhina amanu) who were undergoing tests, providing them with practical spiritual guidance for enduring hardship.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, 'The best of deeds is prayer, and from the best of deeds is honoring one's parents' (Jami' at-Tirmidhi). Additionally, 'Patience is the half of faith' (an-Nawawi's collection) highlights the elevated status of sabr alongside salah as mentioned in this ayah.
Themes
Key Lesson
In facing life's challenges, believers should turn to prayer and cultivate patience as primary means of strength and solace, trusting that these acts of worship become manageable for those whose hearts are genuinely humble before Allah. This ayah teaches that spiritual struggle is not burdensome for the faithful but rather becomes a source of peace and divine support.
Related Ayahs
وَلِلَّهِ ٱلْمَشْرِقُ وَٱلْمَغْرِبُ ۚ فَأَيْنَمَا تُوَلُّوا۟ فَثَمَّ وَجْهُ ٱللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ وَٰسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ
And to Allāh belongs the east and the west. So wherever you [might] turn, there is the Face of Allāh. Indeed, Allāh is all-Encompassing and Knowing.
أَمْ كُنتُمْ شُهَدَآءَ إِذْ حَضَرَ يَعْقُوبَ ٱلْمَوْتُ إِذْ قَالَ لِبَنِيهِ مَا تَعْبُدُونَ مِنۢ بَعْدِى قَالُوا۟ نَعْبُدُ إِلَـٰهَكَ وَإِلَـٰهَ ءَابَآئِكَ إِبْرَٰهِـۧمَ وَإِسْمَـٰعِيلَ وَإِسْحَـٰقَ إِلَـٰهًا وَٰحِدًا وَنَحْنُ لَهُۥ مُسْلِمُونَ
Or were you witnesses when death approached Jacob, when he said to his sons, "What will you worship after me?" They said, "We will worship your God and the God of your fathers, Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac - one God. And we are Muslims [in submission] to Him."
۞ وَإِذِ ٱبْتَلَىٰٓ إِبْرَٰهِـۧمَ رَبُّهُۥ بِكَلِمَـٰتٍ فَأَتَمَّهُنَّ ۖ قَالَ إِنِّى جَاعِلُكَ لِلنَّاسِ إِمَامًا ۖ قَالَ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِى ۖ قَالَ لَا يَنَالُ عَهْدِى ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ
And [mention, O Muḥammad], when Abraham was tried by his Lord with words [i.e., commands] and he fulfilled them. [Allāh] said, "Indeed, I will make you a leader for the people." [Abraham] said, "And of my descendants?" [Allāh] said, "My covenant does not include the wrongdoers."
يَـٰبَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ ٱذْكُرُوا۟ نِعْمَتِىَ ٱلَّتِىٓ أَنْعَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَأَنِّى فَضَّلْتُكُمْ عَلَى ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ
O Children of Israel, remember My favor which I have bestowed upon you and that I preferred you over the worlds.