29:59

ٱلَّذِينَ صَبَرُواْ وَعَلَىٰ رَبِّهِمۡ يَتَوَكَّلُونَ

Allatheena sabaroo waAAala rabbihim yatawakkaloona

Who have been patient and upon their Lord rely.

Word by word
  1. ٱلَّذِينَThose who
  2. صَبَرُواْ(are) patient
  3. وَعَلَىٰand upon
  4. رَبِّهِمۡtheir Lord
  5. يَتَوَكَّلُونَput their trust
Al-'Ankabut · 29:59Makkah

They were patient, and they relied on their Lord.

The two traits of those who get the reward


Who the workers are
patienceholding to the faith
reliancetrusting the Lord
lead to
the lofty roomspromised in verse 58
What makes it possible
my own strengthgrit alone
patience plus trustin all affairs

Ibn Kathir says these are people patient in holding to their religion, who migrated and left family behind to seek Allah's Face. And they put their trust in their Lord in all their affairs, of faith and of daily life alike.

Month three of looking for work. The rent reminder on your phone. Your parents asking every Sunday if anything came through. You try to carry it all on your own back. Patience is staying steady. Trust is handing the outcome to Allah. You need both.

If I just push hard enough, I can get through this alone.

I keep going, and I leave the result with my Lord.

Try this

Name the worry weighing on you most. Do your part today, then say: I rely on Allah for the rest.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 29:56)

O My servants who believe! Certainly, spacious is My earth. Therefore worship Me (56)Everyone shall taste death. Then unto Us you shall be returned (57)And those who believe and do righteous good deeds, to them We shall surely give lofty dwellings in Paradise, beneath which rivers flow, to live therein forever. Excellent is the reward for the workers (58)Those who are patient, and put their trust in their Lord (59)And so many a moving creature carries not its own provision! Allah provides for it and for you. And He is the All-Hearer, the All-Knower (60)

Advice to migrate and the Promise of Provision and a Goodly Reward

Allah commands His believing servants to migrate from a land in which they are not able to establish Islam, to the spacious earth of Allah where they can do so, by declaring Allah to be One and worshipping Him as He has commanded. Allah says:

يَا عِبَادِيَ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِنَّ أَرْضِي وَاسِعَةٌ فَإِيَّايَ فَاعْبُدُونِ 

(O My servants who believe! Certainly, spacious is My earth. Therefore worship Me.) When things became too difficult for the believers in Makkah who were in a weak position and were oppressed, they left and migrated to Ethiopia, where they were able to practice their religion. The Muslims found Ethiopia the best place for guest; where Ashamah, the Negus or king, may Allah have mercy on him, gave them refuge, helped them, supported them, and honored them in his land. Later, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and his remaining Companions migrated to Al-Madinah, formerly known as Yathrib, may Allah protect it. Then Allah says:

كُلُّ نَفْسٍ ذَائِقَةُ الْمَوْتِ ۖ ثُمَّ إِلَيْنَا تُرْجَعُونَ

(Everyone shall taste death. Then unto Us you shall be returned.) meaning, 'wherever you are, death with catch up with you, so always obey Allah and be where Allah commands you to be, for this is better for you. Death is inevitable and there is no escape from it, and then you will return to Allah, and whoever was obedient to Him will have the best reward.' Allah says:

وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ لَنُبَوِّئَنَّهُمْ مِنَ الْجَنَّةِ غُرَفًا تَجْرِي مِنْ تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ 

(And those who believe and do righteous good deeds, to them We shall surely give lofty dwellings in Paradise, underneath which rivers flow,) meaning, 'We shall cause them to dwell in lofty homes in Paradise under which various kinds of rivers flow – water, wine, honey and milk – which they can direct and cause to flow wherever they wish.'

خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا

(to live therein forever.) means, they will remain there forever, never wanting to leave.

نِعْمَ أَجْرُ الْعَامِلِينَ

(Excellent is the reward for the workers.) these rooms will be a blessed reward for the good deeds of the believers,

الَّذِينَ صَبَرُوا 

(Those who are patient,) in adhering to their religion, who migrated for the sake of Allah and fought the enemy, leaving behind their families and relatives to seek Allah's Face, and hoping for that which is with Him, believing His promise.

Ibn Abi Hatim, may Allah have mercy on him, recorded from Abu Mu'aniq Al-Ash'ari that Abu Malik Al-Ash'ari told him that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ told him:

إِنَّ فِي الْجَنَّةِ غُرَفًا يُرَى ظَاهِرُهَا مِنْ بَاطِنِهَا، وَبَاطِنُهَا مِنْ ظَاهِرِهَا، أَعَدَّهَا اللهُ تَعَالَى لِمَنْ أَطْعَمَ الطَّعَامَ، وَأَطَابَ الْكَلَامَ، وَتَابَعَ الصَّلَاةَ وَالصِّيَامَ، وَقَامَ بِاللَّيْلِ وَالنَّاسُ نِيَامٌ

(In Paradise there are rooms whose outside can be seen from the inside, and their inside can be seen from the outside; Allah has prepared them for those who feed others, who speak well, who pray and fast continually, and who stand in prayer at night while people are asleep.)

وَعَلَىٰ رَبِّهِمْ يَتَوَكَّلُونَ

(and put their trust in their Lord.) in all their affairs, spiritual and worldly alike. Then Allah tells us that provision is not limited only to one place, but it is given to all His creatures no matter where they are. Indeed, when the Muhajirin migrated, their provision was greater and better than before, because after a short time they became rulers in the land, in all regions. Allah says:

وَكَأَيِّنْ مِنْ دَابَّةٍ لَا تَحْمِلُ رِزْقَهَا

(And so many a moving creature carries not its own provision!) meaning, it does not have the ability to gather its provision and save it for tomorrow.

اللَّهُ يَرْزُقُهَا وَإِيَّاكُمْ

(Allah provides for it and for you.) means, Allah allots its provision to it even though it is weak, and makes it easy for it. He sends provision to every creature in the appropriate manner, even the ants in the depths of the earth, the birds in the air and the fish in the sea. Allah says:

وَمَا مِنْ دَابَّةٍ فِي الْأَرْضِ إِلَّا عَلَى اللَّهِ رِزْقُهَا وَيَعْلَمُ مُسْتَقَرَّهَا وَمُسْتَوْدَعَهَا ۚ كُلٌّ فِي كِتَابٍ مُبِينٍ

(And no moving creature is there on earth but its provision is due from Allah. And He knows its dwelling place and its deposit. All is in a Clear Book.)(11:6)

وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ

(And He is the All-Hearer, the All-Knower.) means, He hears all that His servants say and He knows their every movements.