2. Surah Al Baqarah

The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

وَاسْتَعِينُواْ بِالصَّبْرِ وَالصَّلاَةِ...

2: 45. Nay, seek (Allah's) help with patient perseverance and prayer:

C61. The Arabic word Sabr implies many shades of meaning, which it is impossible to comprehend in one English word.

It implies;

1. patience in the sense of being thorough, not hasty;

2. patient perseverance, constancy, steadfastness, firmness of purpose;

3. systematic as opposed to spasmodic or chance action;

4. a cheerful attitude of resignation and understanding in sorrow, defeat, or suffering, as opposed to murmuring or rebellion, but saved from mere passivity or listlessness, by the element of constancy or steadfastness.

... وَإِنَّهَا لَكَبِيرَةٌ إِلاَّ عَلَى الْخَاشِعِينَ ﴿٤٥﴾

it is indeed hard, except to those who bring a lowly spirit.

Other versions:

2: 45 [al-Baqarah, Medina 87, Addressed to the Children of Israel]

Asad And seek aid in steadfast patience and prayer: and this, indeed, is a hard thing for all but the humble in spirit,

Yusuf Ali Nay seek (Allah's) help with patient perseverance and prayer: it is indeed hard except to those who bring a lowly spirit. [note 61]

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

Transliteration Wasta'inu_ bis sabri was sala_h(ti), wa innaha_ lakabiratun illa_ 'alal kha_syi'in(a).