سورة آل عمران

Ibn Abbas (may Allah have mercy on him): This verse was revealed concerning the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family), Ali (peace be upon him), and Hamzah (peace be upon him).

Imam Rida (peace be upon him): When one of you has a need, seek it early on Thursday morning, and when he leaves his house in pursuit of it, let him recite the end of Surah Aal Imran, Ayat al-Kursi, Surah إِنَّا أَنْزَلْناهُ [Indeed, We sent it down], and Surah al-Hamd, for in them lies the fulfilment of the needs of this world and the hereafter.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Be patient in [performing] the obligatory duties, remain steadfast in the face of afflictions, and stand guard over [defend the cause of] the Imams (peace be upon them).

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): Be patient in performing the obligatory duties, remain steadfast against your enemies, and stand guard over [defend the cause of] your awaited Imam (may Allah hasten his noble relief).

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Yaqub Sarraj said: Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: اصْبِرُوا [Be patient] — be patient and endure the harm suffered for our sake. I asked him about وَ صابِرُوا [and excel in patience]. He said in reply: "Stand firm together with your master (wali al-amr) against your enemies." And I asked about رابِطُوا [and remain steadfast]. He said: "Stay attached to your Imam."

Ibn Abbas (may Allah have mercy on him): اصْبِرُوا وَ صابِرُوا [Be patient and excel in patience] — be steadfast in the love of Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him).

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): اصْبِرُوا — have patience and endurance in the face of calamities, and صابِرُوا — stand firm against the attacks of the enemy, and رابِطُوا — keep watch over the enemies.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Be patient in calamities, and endure them through taqiyya (dissimulation), and defend the boundaries of those whom you follow. وَ اتَّقُوا اللهَ لَعَلَّکُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ [And be mindful of Allah, that you may be successful].

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): اصْبِرُوا — have patience and steadfastness against sins. And صابِرُوا — remain firm upon the obligatory duties... رابِطُوا — keep watch on the frontier in the way of Allah; the frontier between the people and Allah is us, and we are the nearest frontier-post; whoever defends us has defended the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) and his sacred law.

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): اصْبِرُوا means have patience from committing sins, وَ صابِرُوا means taqiyya (dissimulation), وَ رابِطُوا means connection with the Imams (peace be upon them).

The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family): اصْبِرُوا — have patience and endurance in the obedience and testing of Allah. وَ صابِرُوا — be obedient and submissive to the command of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) and his successor. وَ رابِطُوا — keep watch over these two matters and do not part from or disobey these two.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): اصْبِرُوا وَ صابِرُوا [Be patient and excel in patience]; that is, endure against your enemies from [among] the opponents. وَ رابِطُوا [and remain steadfast]; be ready and (obey), meaning your Imam. وَ اتَّقُوا اللهَ [and be careful of Allah]; that is, fear Allah in what He has made obligatory upon you and commanded you.

Ibn Abbas (may Allah have mercy on him): Have patience with yourselves and (be steadfast), and stand firm and endure against the [attacks of the] enemy, and be watchful in the way of Allah the Exalted.

The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family): Abu Dharr (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family): "O Abu Dharr (may Allah have mercy on him)! Do you know concerning what this verse — اصْبِرُوا وَ صابِرُوا وَ رابِطُوا وَ اتَّقُوا اللهَ لَعَلَّکُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ [Be patient and excel in patience and remain steadfast, and be careful of Allah, that you may be successful] — was revealed?" I said: "No, O Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family), may my father and mother be sacrificed for you." He said: "[It was revealed] about sitting after one prayer in expectation of the next prayer."

Imam Rida (peace be upon him): Ibn Khalid narrates from Imam Rida (peace be upon him): "When the Day of Judgement arrives, a caller will call: 'Where are the patient ones (al-sabirun)?' Then a group of people will rise. Then it will be called: 'Where are those who bore patience (al-mutasabbirun)?' And a group of people will rise." I said: "May I be sacrificed for you, who are the sabirun?" He said: "Those who are patient upon the performance of the obligatory duties, and the mutasabbirun are those who abstain from the forbidden things."

The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family): The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) asked Jibra'il (peace be upon him): "What is the interpretation of patience (sabr)?" He replied: "It means that a person's spirit at the time of hardship is as strong and cheerful as at the time of ease, and at the time of poverty and destitution is as at the time of wealth and independence, and at the time of trial and calamity is as at the time of well-being, and he does not recount his condition to the creatures regarding the trials that befall him, nor does he complain."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): When Allah, Blessed and Exalted, created the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) and his successor and his daughter and his two sons and all the Imams (peace be upon them), and created their Shia, He took a covenant from them that they be patient, and that they be forbearing, and that they not sever their bond with the Imams (peace be upon them), and that they fear Allah.

Ibn Abbas (may Allah have mercy on him): وَ اتَّقُوا اللهَ [And fear Allah]; that is, fear Allah with regard to the love of Ali ibn Abi Talib (peace be upon him) and his children.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): وَ اتَّقُوا اللهَ [And fear Allah]; this is that you enjoin good deeds and forbid evil and detestable deeds. What evil deed is more detestable than that a community wrongs us and kills us? ... لَعَلَّکُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ [that you may be successful] — perhaps Paradise will be made obligatory for you if you do these deeds and their like.

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): Do you know what الْبُدُوا مَا لَبَدْنَا means? It means that whenever we move, you too move; and اتَّقُوا اللهَ، مَا لَبَدْنَا رَبَّکُمْ means: draw yourselves near to your Lord. Perhaps you will be successful!

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): This word, wherever it occurs in the Quran, carries the sense of certainty; that is, if you do so, you will most certainly be successful.