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Today, in our series of posts on Selected Verses from Selected Sürahs of Al-Qurʾān, we share the closing verse of Sürah 3. Āl-ʿImrān ("آل عِمْرَان " The Family of Imran). In the previous verses in Surah Āl-ʿImrān, the main subjects have been (1) The Battle of Uḥud, (2) Internal weakness of Muslims, (3) Threats of Hypocrisy and (4) Trials of faith. At Battle of Uhud, the second major conflict between the Muslims and the polytheists of Makkah, Muslims suffered a setback for ignoring the directive of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. Therefore, the final verse of the Surah summarizes the survival formula of the Muslim Ummah.
From Qur'an, Surah Āl-ʿImrān:
يٰۤـاَيُّهَا الَّذِيۡنَ اٰمَنُوا اصۡبِرُوۡا وَصَابِرُوۡا وَرَابِطُوۡا وَاتَّقُوا اللّٰهَ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تُفۡلِحُوۡنَ
“O you who believe! Be patient (ṣbirū), outdo others in patience (ṣābirū), remain steadfast (rābiṭū), and fear Allah (ittaqullāh), so that you may be successful.”
This is the final verse of Surah Āl-ʿImrān — a powerful closing command after long discussions about trials, battles, hypocrisy, and perseverance (especially after the lessons of Uḥud).
Let us unpack this verse word by word and then dwell on what does Fear of Allah really means.
Connection to the Context
- Surah Āl-ʿImrān discusses: The Battle of Uḥud, Internal weakness, Hypocrisy, Trials of faith
- So when we reach this closing verse of the Surah, it spells out the survival formula of the Ummah which must be based on (1) Personal patience, (2) Collective endurance, (3) Strategic steadfastness, and (4) God-consciousness not animal like fear.
Word-by-Word Meaning
- Ṣbirū (Be patient):
- The original Arabic word is " sabiru". This has two possible meanings. One is that whenever they are in confrontation with unbelievers, the believers should endure even greater hardships for their cause, and display a higher degree of fortitude than the unbelievers. The other is that the believers should try to excel one another in facing the opposition and hostility of unbelievers with courage and fortitude.
- Patience thus is personal discipline which means being patient Obedience, Avoiding Sins and Enduring Hardships.
- To understand patience, please refer to our earlier posts: (1) Sabr: Patience with Perseverance - the best trait of a Muslim, and (2) Patience (Sabr) is not surrendering to the circumstances - But to the Will of Allah
- Ṣābirū (Outdo others in patience):
- This shows collective resilience. That is Competing in steadfastness - When others weaken, remain firm, and When others give up, endure.
- Ibn Kathir notes that Ṣābirū implies being more patient than the enemy, as their perseverance might waver while believers should remain steadfast.
- Rābiṭū (Remain steadfast / stay stationed):
- This word originally refers to guarding the frontiers. This is interpreted as staying on the frontiers, vigilant against potential threats, and constant devotion to worship, effectively guarding oneself from evil and protecting the community.
- Spiritually it means: (1) Stay firm in your faith. (2) Remain connected to your mission. (3) Do not abandon your post in Islam.
- Some scholars also link it to: Staying attached to prayer and Guarding the boundaries of your heart
- Ittaqullāh (Fear Allah): This is the foundation of everything before it. Let us know What Does “Fear of Allah” Mean Here?
- Ittaqullāh (اتقوا الله) is an Arabic phrase frequently used in the Qur'an and Islamic literature, translating to "Fear Allah," "Be mindful of Allah," or "Guard yourselves against [displeasing] Allah". It stems from the root for piety (taqwā) and implies conscious awareness of God, acting in obedience to His commands, and avoiding His prohibitions.
- It means To protect yourself from Allah’s displeasure by obeying Him and avoiding sin.
- So in this verse, fearing Allah means: (1) Be patient for Allah’s sake (2) Compete in perseverance for Allah’s sake (3) Remain steadfast because you know He is watching (4) Make decisions knowing you will return to Him.
- It is conscious awareness, not panic.
In essence, this verse serves as a concluding, holistic guide for believers to maintain resilience and spiritual discipline in all life aspects, especially during times of conflict or hardship.
Why Is Taqwā Mentioned Last?
Because patience without taqwā can become: Pride, Stubbornness, Tribal loyalty. But patience with taqwā becomes: Worship, Sincerity, and Success. That is why the verse ends with: “So that you may be successful (tufliḥūn).”
Without taqwā, patience becomes meaningless endurance. With taqwā, patience becomes a ladder to Jannah. Remember, true success is not worldly victory — it is divine acceptance.
Practical Meaning for Today
In modern life this verse teaches:
- To be patient when facing hardship,
- To outlast the pressure when when society pressures you.
- To stay firm when when faith seems to on the declines.
Taqwā thus here means living every struggle with awareness of accountability. Remember Allah is watching to see who is steadfast in faith with patience and whose patience is wavering due to weak faith in Allah.
Deeper Reflection For many patience and, or steadfastness may mean differently depending on the quality of one's faith. So this verse can only make sense one truly believes that:
- The reality of Resurrections and that there is a meeting with Allah
- There is accountability
- There is ultimate success beyond this life
In his Tafsir, Ibn Kathir explains Surah Ali 'Imran 3:200 as a comprehensive command to believers to embody four virtues: steadfastness in faith, perseverance against difficulties and enemies, remaining vigilant (stationed) on the frontlines of obedience, and fearing Allah (Taqwa). This, he notes, ensures ultimate success and piety.
Muslims need to be patient with complete trust in Allah. But at the same time Muslims need to be steadfast and never lowering their guard as did the archers on the battlefield of Uhud who abandoned their post and lowered their guard - something that cost very dearly to the Muslims. We need not lose patience when confronted with odds and defend our faith by never losing ground, no matter how lucrative the opportunity may look.
You may refer to more Selected Verses from Surah 3. Al-i'Imran (The Family of Imran) already published
May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door.
وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ
(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”
That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.
May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.
Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully. It will also help the Muslims to have grasp over social issues and their answers discussed in the Qur'an and other matter related to inter faith so that they are able to discuss issues with non-Muslims with authority based on refences from Qur'an.
Note: When we mention God in our posts, we mean One True God, we call Allah in Islam, with no associates. Allah is the Sole Creator of all things, and that Allah is all-powerful and all-knowing. Allah has no offspring, no race, no gender, no body, and is unaffected by the characteristics of human life.
You may also refer to our exclusive reference page: Selected verses from selected Surahs of Al-Qurʾān for compiled verses from other surahs.
For verses on Selected Subjects, please refer to our reference page: Selected Verses from Al Qur'an about a Specific Subject (Reference Page) to know more about what Qur'an says about specific subjects and our reference page: Selected Verses from the Qur'an.
An effort has been made to gather explanation / exegesis of the surahs and selected verses of Al-Qurʾān from authentic sources and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. In that the exegesis of the chapters of the Quran is mainly based on the "Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an" by one of the most enlightened scholars of the Muslim World Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi.
In addition, other sources which have been explored and views of other scholars have been incorporated while explaining meaning of a verse. Those desirous of detailed explanations and tafsir (exegesis), may refer to these sites. For expansion of meaning and themes / contextual background help from ChatGPT is also taken.
Disclaimer: The material for this post has been collected from the references given above. If anyone differs with the material contained in this post, one may consult the references and their authors. If someone has more material about the subject, he/she is most welcome to share in the comments box to make the post all encompassing.
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