Quran verses about patience

1. يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ ٱسۡتَعِينُواْ بِٱلصَّبۡرِ وَٱلصَّلَوٰةِۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ مَعَ ٱلصَّـٰبِرِينَ ﴿١٥٣﴾

   O you who believe! Seek help through patience and prayers. Allah is with the steadfast.

   Addressed to the believers, this verse names patience and prayer as the two sources of help to turn to, and closes by saying Allah is with the patient.

2. وَٱسۡتَعِينُواْ بِٱلصَّبۡرِ وَٱلصَّلَوٰةِۚ وَإِنَّهَا لَكَبِيرَةٌ إِلَّا عَلَى ٱلۡخَٰشِعِينَ ﴿٤٥﴾

   And seek help through patience and prayer. But it is difficult, except for the devout.

   An earlier verse in the same surah gives the same pairing of patience and prayer, and admits honestly that it is hard except for those who are humble before Allah.

3. وَلَنَبۡلُوَنَّكُم بِشَيۡءٖ مِّنَ ٱلۡخَوۡفِ وَٱلۡجُوعِ وَنَقۡصٖ مِّنَ ٱلۡأَمۡوَٰلِ وَٱلۡأَنفُسِ وَٱلثَّمَرَٰتِۗ وَبَشِّرِ ٱلصَّـٰبِرِينَ ﴿١٥٥﴾ ٱلَّذِينَ إِذَآ أَصَٰبَتۡهُم مُّصِيبَةࣱ قَالُوٓاْ إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّآ إِلَيۡهِ رَٰجِعُونَ ﴿١٥٦﴾ أُوْلَـٰٓئِكَ عَلَيۡهِمۡ صَلَوَٰتࣱ مِّن رَّبِّهِمۡ وَرَحۡمَةࣱۖ وَأُوْلَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلۡمُهۡتَدُونَ ﴿١٥٧﴾

   ¹⁵⁵We will certainly test you with some fear and hunger, and some loss of possessions and lives and crops. But give good news to the steadfast. ¹⁵⁶Those who, when a calamity afflicts them, say, “To Allah we belong, and to Him we will return.” ¹⁵⁷Upon these are blessings and mercy from their Lord. These are the guided ones.

   Allah says plainly that people will be tested with fear, hunger and loss. Those who meet calamity by remembering that they belong to Allah and will return to Him receive blessings, mercy and guidance.

4. يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ ٱصۡبِرُواْ وَصَابِرُواْ وَرَابِطُواْ وَٱتَّقُواْ ٱللَّهَ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تُفۡلِحُونَ ﴿٢٠٠﴾

   O you who believe! Be patient, and advocate patience, and be united, and revere Allah, so that you may thrive.

   The closing verse of Surah Ali 'Imran asks believers to be patient, to encourage patience in one another, and to stay united.

5. وَٱلۡعَصۡرِ ﴿١﴾ إِنَّ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنَ لَفِي خُسۡرٍ ﴿٢﴾ إِلَّا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَٰتِ وَتَوَاصَوۡاْ بِٱلۡحَقِّ وَتَوَاصَوۡاْ بِٱلصَّبۡرِ ﴿٣﴾

   ¹By Time. ²The human being is in loss. ³Except those who believe, and do good works, and encourage truth, and recommend patience.

   Surah Al-Asr, only three verses long, says every person is at a loss except those who believe, do good, and urge one another toward truth and patience.

6. وَٱصۡبِرۡ وَمَا صَبۡرُكَ إِلَّا بِٱللَّهِۚ وَلَا تَحۡزَنۡ عَلَيۡهِمۡ وَلَا تَكُ فِي ضَيۡقٖ مِّمَّا يَمۡكُرُونَ ﴿١٢٧﴾

   So be patient. Your patience is solely from Allah. And do not grieve over them, and do not be stressed by their schemes.

   Spoken to the Prophet ﷺ in the face of opposition, this verse reminds him that patience itself comes from Allah and tells him not to be consumed by worry over the schemes of others.

7. وَجَآءُو عَلَىٰ قَمِيصِهِۦ بِدَمٖ كَذِبٖۚ قَالَ بَلۡ سَوَّلَتۡ لَكُمۡ أَنفُسُكُمۡ أَمۡرٗاۖ فَصَبۡرࣱ جَمِيلࣱۖ وَٱللَّهُ ٱلۡمُسۡتَعَانُ عَلَىٰ مَا تَصِفُونَ ﴿١٨﴾

   And they brought his shirt, with fake blood on it. He said, “Your souls enticed you to do something. But patience is beautiful, and Allah is my Help against what you describe.”

   When Joseph's brothers bring back his shirt stained with false blood, Jacob sees through the story and answers with a beautiful patience, asking Allah for help.

8. قَالَ بَلۡ سَوَّلَتۡ لَكُمۡ أَنفُسُكُمۡ أَمۡرٗاۖ فَصَبۡرࣱ جَمِيلٌۖ عَسَى ٱللَّهُ أَن يَأۡتِيَنِي بِهِمۡ جَمِيعًاۚ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلۡعَلِيمُ ٱلۡحَكِيمُ ﴿٨٣﴾ وَتَوَلَّىٰ عَنۡهُمۡ وَقَالَ يَـٰٓأَسَفَىٰ عَلَىٰ يُوسُفَ وَٱبۡيَضَّتۡ عَيۡنَاهُ مِنَ ٱلۡحُزۡنِ فَهُوَ كَظِيمࣱ ﴿٨٤﴾ قَالُواْ تَٱللَّهِ تَفۡتَؤُاْ تَذۡكُرُ يُوسُفَ حَتَّىٰ تَكُونَ حَرَضًا أَوۡ تَكُونَ مِنَ ٱلۡهَٰلِكِينَ ﴿٨٥﴾ قَالَ إِنَّمَآ أَشۡكُواْ بَثِّي وَحُزۡنِيٓ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ وَأَعۡلَمُ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ مَا لَا تَعۡلَمُونَ ﴿٨٦﴾

   ⁸³He said, “Rather, your souls have contrived something for you. Patience is a virtue. Perhaps Allah will bring them all back to me. He is the Knowing, the Wise.” ⁸⁴Then he turned away from them, and said, “O my bitterness for Joseph.” And his eyes turned white from sorrow, and he became depressed. ⁸⁵They said, “By Allah, you will not stop remembering Joseph, until you have ruined your health, or you have passed away.” ⁸⁶He said, “I only complain of my grief and sorrow to Allah, and I know from Allah what you do not know.”

   Years later another son is lost. Jacob again chooses patience and hopes Allah will return them all, while admitting his sorrow and taking his complaint to Allah alone.

9. يَٰبُنَيَّ أَقِمِ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَأۡمُرۡ بِٱلۡمَعۡرُوفِ وَٱنۡهَ عَنِ ٱلۡمُنكَرِ وَٱصۡبِرۡ عَلَىٰ مَآ أَصَابَكَۖ إِنَّ ذَٰلِكَ مِنۡ عَزۡمِ ٱلۡأُمُورِ ﴿١٧﴾

   O my son, observe the prayer, advocate righteousness, forbid evil, and be patient over what has befallen you. These are of the most honorable traits.

   Luqman's advice to his son puts patience over what befalls a person alongside prayer and doing good, and calls these among the most honorable of traits.

10. فَٱصۡبِرۡ صَبۡرٗا جَمِيلًا ﴿٥﴾

    So be patient, with sweet patience.

    A short command to the Prophet ﷺ to be patient with a gracious, uncomplaining patience while others mocked the coming Day.

11. وَلَا تَسۡتَوِي ٱلۡحَسَنَةُ وَلَا ٱلسَّيِّئَةُۚ ٱدۡفَعۡ بِٱلَّتِي هِيَ أَحۡسَنُ فَإِذَا ٱلَّذِي بَيۡنَكَ وَبَيۡنَهُۥ عَدَٰوَةࣱ كَأَنَّهُۥ وَلِيٌّ حَمِيمࣱ ﴿٣٤﴾ وَمَا يُلَقَّىٰهَآ إِلَّا ٱلَّذِينَ صَبَرُواْ وَمَا يُلَقَّىٰهَآ إِلَّا ذُو حَظٍّ عَظِيمٖ ﴿٣٥﴾

    ³⁴Good and evil are not equal. Repel evil with good, and the person who was your enemy becomes like an intimate friend. ³⁵But none will attain it except those who persevere, and none will attain it except the very fortunate.

    Answering harm with good can turn an enemy into a close friend, and these verses say only the patient reach that level.

12. وَٱصۡبِرۡ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُضِيعُ أَجۡرَ ٱلۡمُحۡسِنِينَ ﴿١١٥﴾

    And be patient. Allah will not waste the reward of the virtuous.

    A brief assurance that patience is never wasted, because Allah does not let the reward of those who do good be lost.

13. قُلۡ يَٰعِبَادِ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ ٱتَّقُواْ رَبَّكُمۡۚ لِلَّذِينَ أَحۡسَنُواْ فِي هَٰذِهِ ٱلدُّنۡيَا حَسَنَةࣱۗ وَأَرۡضُ ٱللَّهِ وَٰسِعَةٌۗ إِنَّمَا يُوَفَّى ٱلصَّـٰبِرُونَ أَجۡرَهُم بِغَيۡرِ حِسَابٖ ﴿١٠﴾

    Say, “O My devotees who have believed, keep your duty to your Lord. For those who do good in this world, is goodness. And Allah’s earth is vast. The steadfast will be paid their wages in full, without reckoning.”

    Those who are patient will be given their reward in full, without measure, a promise that sets patience apart from other deeds.

Patience in the Quran is not pretending things are fine. Jacob wept and still called his patience beautiful. If you are in a hard stretch, it can help to take these verses one at a time: pray, speak honestly to Allah about what hurts, and trust that the effort of holding on is seen and will not be wasted.