Al-Qur'an Surah Al-Baqarah Verse 45

Mufti Taqi Usmani

Seek help through patience and prayer. It is indeed exacting, but not for those who are humble in their hearts,

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

And seek help through patience and prayer. Indeed, it is a burden except for the humble—

Ruwwad Translation Center

Seek help through patience and prayer. It is strenuous except for the humble,

A. J. Arberry

Seek you help in patience and prayer, for grievous it is, save to the humble

Abdul Haleem

Seek help with steadfastness and prayer- though this is hard indeed for anyone but the humble,

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

And seek help in patience and prayer and verily it is, hard except prayer unto the meek.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Nay, seek (Allah's) help with patient perseverance and prayer; It is indeed hard, except to those who bring a lowly spirit,-

Abul Ala Maududi

Seek help with the Salat and fortitude: no doubt, Salat is a hard task but not for those obedient servants,

Ahmed Ali

Find strength in fortitude and prayer, which is heavy and exacting but for those who are humble and meek,

Ahmed Raza Khan

And seek help in patience and prayer; and truly it is hard except for those who prostrate before Me with sincerity.

Ali Quli Qarai

And take recourse in patience and prayer, and it is indeed hard except for the humble

Ali Ünal

Seek help through patience (and fasting, which requires and enables great patience), and through the Prayer. Indeed the Prayer is burdensome, but not for those humbled by their reverence of God:

Amatul Rahman Omar

Seek (God´s) help through perfect perseverance and Prayer, and this is indeed a very hard thing except for those who are humble.

English Literal

And seek support with the patience and the prayers and that it truly is a great/burden (E) except on the humble .

Faridul Haque

And seek help in patience and prayer; and truly it is hard except for those who prostrate before Me with sincerity.

Hamid S. Aziz

Seek aid with patience and prayer, though it is a hard thing save for the humble,

Hilali & Khan

And seek help in patience and As-Salat (the prayer) and truly it is extremely heavy and hard except for Al-Khashi'un [i.e. the true believers in Allah - those who obey Allah with full submission, fear much from His Punishment, and believe in His Promise (Paradise, etc.) and in His Warnings (Hell, etc.)].

Maulana Mohammad Ali

And seek assistance through patience and prayer, and this is hard except for the humble ones,

Mohammad Habib Shakir

And seek assistance through patience and prayer, and most surely it is a hard thing except for the humble ones,

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

Seek help in patience and prayer; and truly it is hard save for the humble-minded,

Muhammad Sarwar

Help yourselves (in your affairs) with patience and prayer. It is a difficult task indeed, but not for the humble ones

Qaribullah & Darwish

And seek help in patience and prayer. For it is heavy, except to the humble,

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

And seek help in patience and As-Salat (the prayer) and truly, it is extremely heavy and hard except for Al-Khashi`in.

Wahiduddin Khan

Seek help with patience and prayer; this is indeed an exacting discipline, but not to the humble,

Talal Itani

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

Tafsir jalalayn

Seek help, ask for assistance in your affairs, in patience, by restraining the soul in the face of that which it dislikes; and prayer. The singling out of this for mention is a way of emphasising its great importance; in one hadth, [it is stated], `When something bothered the Prophet (s), he would immediately resort to prayer'; it is said that the address here is to the Jews; when greed and desire for leadership became impediments to their faith, they were enjoined to forbearance, which constituted fasting and prayer, since, the former stems from lust and the latter yields humility and negates pride. For it, prayer, is grievous, burdensome, except to the humble, those that are at peace in obedience,

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

The Support that comes with Patience and Prayer

Allah says;

وَاسْتَعِينُواْ بِالصَّبْرِ

وَالصَّلَةِ

And seek help in patience and As-Salah (the prayer).

Allah commanded His servants to use patience and prayer to acquire the good of this life and the Hereafter.

Muqatil bin Hayan said that this Ayah means,

"Utilize patience and the obligatory prayer in seeking the Hereafter.

As for patience (here), they say that it means fasting."

There are similar texts reported from Mujahid.

Al-Qurtubi and other scholars commented,

"This is why Ramadan is called the month of patience," as is mentioned in the Hadith literature.

It was also said that;

`patience' in the Ayah means, refraining from evil, and this is why `patience' was mentioned along with practicing acts of worship, especially and foremost, the prayer.

Also, Ibn Abi Hatim narrated that Umar bin Al-Khattab said,

"There are two types of patience;

good patience when the disaster strikes,

and a better patience while avoiding the prohibitions of Allah."

Ibn Abi Hatim said that Al-Hasan Al-Basri was reported to have said similarly.

Allah then said,
وَالصَّلَةِ
(And As-Salah (the prayer). The prayer is one of the best means of assistance for firmly adhering to Allah's orders, just as Allah said;

اتْلُ مَا أُوْحِىَ إِلَيْكَ مِنَ الْكِتَـبِ وَأَقِمِ الصَّلَوةَ إِنَّ الصَّلَوةَ تَنْهَى عَنِ الْفَحْشَأءِ وَالْمُنْكَرِ وَلَذِكْرُ اللَّهِ أَكْبَرُ

Recite (O Muhammad) what has been revealed to you of the Book (the Qur'an), and perform As-Salah. Verily, As-Salah (the prayer) prevents from Al-Fahsha (i.e. great sins of every kind), and Al-Munkar and the remembrance of (praising) of (you by) Allah is greater indeed. (29;45)

The personal pronoun in the Ayah,

وَإِنَّهَا لَكَبِيرَةٌ

And truly, it is extremely heavy and hard,

refers to prayer, as Mujahid is reported to have said, and it was also the choice of Ibn Jarir.

It is possible that the pronoun might be referring to the advice - to observe patience and the prayer - mentioned in the same Ayah. Similarly, Allah said about Qarun (Korah),

وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ الْعِلْمَ وَيْلَكُمْ ثَوَابُ اللَّهِ خَيْرٌ لِّمَنْ ءَامَنَ وَعَمِلَ صَـلِحاً وَلَا يُلَقَّاهَأ إِلاَّ الصَّـبِرُونَ

But those who had been given (religious) knowledge said;"Woe to you! The reward of Allah (in the Hereafter) is better for those who believe and do righteous good deeds, and this, none shall attain except As-Sabirun (the patient)." (28;80)

Also, Allah said,

وَلَا تَسْتَوِى الْحَسَنَةُ وَلَا السَّيِّيَةُ ادْفَعْ بِالَّتِى هِىَ أَحْسَنُ فَإِذَا الَّذِى بَيْنَكَ وَبَيْنَهُ عَدَاوَةٌ كَأَنَّهُ وَلِىٌّ حَمِيمٌ

وَمَا يُلَقَّاهَا إِلاَّ الَّذِينَ صَبَرُواْ وَمَا يُلَقَّاهَأ إِلاَّ ذُو حَظِّ عَظِيمٍ

The good deed and the evil deed cannot be equal. Repel (the evil) with one which is better then verily he, between whom and you there was enmity, (will become) as though he was a close friend. But none is granted it (the above quality) except those who are patient ـ and none is granted it except the owner of the great portion (of happiness in the Hereafter and) in this world. (41;34-35),

meaning, this advice is only implemented by those who are patient and the fortunate.

In any case, Allah's statement here means, prayer is `heavy and burdensome',

إِلاَّ عَلَى الْخَاشِعِينَ




except for Al-Khashi`in.

Ibn Abi Talhah reported that Ibn Abbas commented on this Ayah,

"They (Al-Khashi`in) are those who believe in what Allah has revealed."

Allah's statement,

الَّذِينَ يَظُنُّونَ أَنَّهُم مُّلَقُو رَبِّهِمْ وَأَنَّهُمْ إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ