Tafsir of Al-Baqarah 2:155

Al-Baqarah (The Cow): Verse 155

{وَلَنَبْلُوَنَّكُم بِشَيْءٍ مِّنَ الْخَوْفِ وَالْجُوعِ وَنَقْصٍ مِّنَ الْأَمْوَالِ وَالْأَنفُسِ وَالثَّمَرَاتِ ۗ وَبَشِّرِ الصَّابِرِينَ} (And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits, but give good tidings to the patient.)

Al-Qaffal (may Allah have mercy on him) stated that this verse is connected to the preceding verse: {وَاسْتَعِينُوا بِالصَّبْرِ وَالصَّلَاةِ} (And seek help through patience and prayer) (Al-Baqarah: 45). The meaning is: Seek help through patience and prayer, for We will test you with fear and the like. In this context, there are several issues:

If it is argued that Allah Almighty said: {وَاشْكُرُوا لِي وَلَا تَكْفُرُونِ} (And be grateful to Me and do not deny Me) (Al-Baqarah: 152), and gratitude necessitates an increase ({لَئِن شَكَرْتُمْ لَأَزِيدَنَّكُمْ} - If you are grateful, I will surely increase you), how then did He follow it with: {وَلَنَبْلُوَنَّكُم بِشَيْءٍ مِّنَ الْخَوْفِ} (And We will surely test you with something of fear)?

The answer is twofold:

1. Allah informed them that completing the religious laws (Shara’i) is the completion of His favor, which necessitates gratitude. Then, He informed them that fulfilling these laws is impossible without enduring tribulations, hence the command for patience.
2. Allah first bestowed favor and commanded gratitude, then He afflicted them and commanded patience, so that a person may attain the rank of both the grateful and the patient, thus perfecting their faith, as the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Faith is two halves: half is patience, and half is gratitude."

It is narrated from 'Ata and Al-Rabi' ibn Anas that this address is directed towards the Companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him) after the Hijra (migration to Medina).

Regarding how testing is validly attributed to Allah (glorified and exalted is He), this has been previously discussed in the exegesis of {وَإِذِ ابْتَلَىٰ إِبْرَاهِيمَ رَبُّهُ} (And when Abraham was tested by his Lord) (Al-Baqarah: 124).

As for the wisdom in announcing this trial beforehand, there are several perspectives:

1. To prepare them: So they may accustom themselves to patience when the trials arrive, making them less prone to despair and making it easier for them after the trials occur.
2. Intensifying fear: If they knew these tribulations would reach them, their fear would intensify, making this fear a hastening of the trial, thus deserving greater reward.
3. Proof for non-believers: When disbelievers observe Muhammad and his Companions steadfast in their religion despite extreme hardship, hunger, and affliction, they realize that the people chose this religion because they were certain of its truth. This prompts them to contemplate its proofs more deeply. It is evident that if followers see their leader enduring the greatest hardships for the sake of the doctrine he supports, they are more inclined to follow him than if they saw him in comfort without any burden related to that doctrine.
4. A Miracle: Allah informed them of the occurrence of this trial before it happened. When the news matched the event, it became a report about the unseen, thus serving as a miracle.
5. Distinguishing Hypocrites: Some hypocrites outwardly followed the Prophet, hoping for wealth and prosperity. When Allah tests them with these tribulations, the hypocrite is distinguished from the sincere believer, as the hypocrite will recoil and abandon the religion upon hearing this news. Thus, this testing serves this benefit.
6. Sincerity in Hardship: A person's sincerity and turning to Allah are greater during affliction than when worldly ease approaches them. The wisdom of this trial is this very thing.

He said {بِشَيْءٍ} (with something) in the singular, not {بِأَشْيَاءَ} (with things) in the plural, for two reasons:

1. To avoid implying that they would be tested with a type of fear, a type of hunger, etc., suggesting various kinds of each category.
2. It means with a portion of these things.

Know that everything you encounter, whether disliked or liked, is divided into what exists in the present, what existed in the past, or what will exist in the future.

• If a past existence crosses your mind, it is called Dhikr (recollection) or Tadhakkur (remembrance).
• If it exists in the present, it is called Dhawq (tasting) or Wajd (finding/experiencing), because it is a state you find within yourself.
• If the existence of something in the future crosses your mind and dominates your heart, it is called Intidhar (waiting) or Tawaqqu' (anticipation).
  • If the anticipated event is disliked, it causes pain in the heart, called Khawf (fear) or Ishfaq (apprehension).
  • If it is liked, it is called Irtiyah (comfort/rejoicing), and Irtiyah in this context is Rajā’ (hope).

Therefore, Fear is the heart's pain from anticipating something it dislikes. Hope is the heart's comfort from anticipating something it likes.

As for Hunger (الجوع), it means famine and the inability to obtain sustenance.

Al-Qaffal (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

• Intense Fear: This occurred when they openly confronted the Arabs because of their religion, so they were never safe from the Arabs attacking or gathering against them. The fear during the Battle of the Confederates (Al-Ahzab) was severe, as Allah said: {هُنَالِكَ ابْتُلِيَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ وَزُلْزِلُوا زِلْزَالًا شَدِيدًا} (There the believers were tested and shaken with a severe shaking) (Al-Ahzab: 11).
• Hunger: This afflicted them at the beginning of the Prophet's migration to Medina due to their poverty, to the extent that the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to tie a stone to his stomach. Abu Al-Haytham ibn Al-Tayyihan narrated that when the Prophet (PBUH) left, he met Abu Bakr, who asked, "What brought you out?" He replied, "Hunger." The Prophet said, "What brought me out is what brought you out."
• Loss in Wealth and Lives: This can occur during warfare when a person spends their wealth preparing for Jihad, or they might be killed—thus, loss in wealth and life occurs. Allah says: {وَجَاهِدُوا بِأَمْوَالِكُمْ وَأَنفُسِكُمْ} (And strive in Allah's cause with your wealth and your lives) (At-Tawbah: 41). Hunger can also occur during a military expedition when provisions run out, as Allah says: {ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ لَا يُصِيبُهُمْ ظَمَأٌ وَلَا نَصَبٌ وَلَا مَخْمَصَةٌ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ} (That is because no thirst or fatigue or hunger overtakes them in the cause of Allah) (At-Tawbah: 120). Loss of life can also be through the death of brothers and relatives, as interpreted in the verse {وَلَا تَقْتُلُوا أَنفُسَكُمْ} (and do not kill yourselves).
• Loss of Fruits (Thamarāt): This can be due to drought, or by abandoning the cultivation of lands due to preoccupation with fighting enemies, or by spending on the delegations coming to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). This concludes Al-Qaffal's statement.

Al-Shafi'i (may Allah be pleased with him) said:

• Fear: Fear of Allah.
• Hunger: Fasting the month of Ramadan.
• Loss in Wealth: Zakat and Sadaqat (charities).
• Loss in Lives: Illnesses.
• Loss in Fruits: Death of children.

Then, after mentioning these things, Allah specified the category of those patient regarding these matters by saying: {وَبَشِّرِ الصَّابِرِينَ} (But give good tidings to the patient). In this, there are issues:

Patience is obligatory regarding these matters if they come from Allah, because one knows that all of it is just and wise. However, for one whose faith is not firm, it is like what is said about the one who says: {وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَن يَعْبُدُ اللَّهَ عَلَىٰ حَرْفٍ ۖ فَإِنْ أَصَابَهُ خَيْرٌ اطْمَأَنَّ بِهِ ۖ وَإِنْ أَصَابَتْهُ فِتْنَةٌ انقَلَبَ عَلَىٰ وَجْهِهِ} (And among people is he who worships Allah on the verge [of faith]...).

However, what comes from the side of oppressors is not obligatory to be patiently endured. For example, an adolescent is required to be patient with the discipline administered by his father, but if someone else did it, he would have the right to resist or even fight. Similarly for a slave toward his master. What Allah ordains for His servants is only wisdom and correctness, unlike the injustice committed by people.

The address in {وَبَشِّرْ} (And give good tidings) is to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), or to everyone capable of receiving the good tidings.

Sheikh Al-Ghazali (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Patience is a characteristic specific to humans; it is not conceivable in beasts or angels.

• In Beasts: Due to their deficiency. They are dominated by desires, and they have no intellect to oppose them. Thus, the steadfastness of a power against the demand of desire is not called patience.
• In Angels: Due to their perfection. They are purely inclined toward the presence of Lordship and delight in proximity to it. They are not afflicted by a desire that diverts them, so they do not need another force to combat what diverts them from the Majestic Presence.
• In Humans: In early childhood, humans are created deficient, like beasts, with only the desire for necessary food. Then the desire for play appears, followed by the desire for marriage. They have no power of patience at all, as patience is the establishment of one force against another force engaged in conflict due to their opposing demands.

However, the mature person has a desire calling him to seek immediate pleasures and turn away from the Hereafter, and an intellect calling him to turn away from them and seek lasting spiritual pleasures. When the intellect realizes that engaging in the pursuit of these immediate pleasures prevents reaching the lasting ones, the call of the intellect becomes a barrier preventing the call of desire from acting. This barrier and prevention are called Patience (Sabr).

Patience has two types:

1. Physical Patience (Badani): Enduring physical hardships and remaining steadfast. This is either through action (like undertaking difficult tasks) or through endurance (like patience during severe beating or great pain).
2. Psychological Patience (Nafsani): Preventing the self from the demands of desire and the inclinations of nature.
   • If this is patience regarding the desire of the stomach and private parts, it is called 'Ifah (chastity).
   • If it is about enduring something disliked, its names vary among people depending on the disliked thing being endured:
     • If it is concerning a calamity, it is simply called Patience (Sabr), opposed by Jaza' (impatience) and Halak (frantic grief), which involves unrestrained expression of passion through raising the voice, striking the cheeks, tearing the garment, etc.
     • If it is during wealth, it is called Self-restraint (Dhabt al-Nafs), opposed by Batr (arrogance/excess).
     • If it is during warfare, it is called Courage (Shaja'ah), opposed by cowardice.
     • If it is in suppressing rage and anger, it is called Forbearance (Hilm), opposed by rashness.
     • If it is concerning an annoying event of time, it is called Broad-mindedness (S'at al-Sadr), opposed by vexation, regret, and narrowness of chest.
     • If it is about concealing speech, it is called Self-containment (Katmān al-Nafs), and its practitioner is called Katūm (one who keeps secrets).
     • If it is about abstaining from excess in living, it is called Asceticism (Zuhd), opposed by greed.
     • If it is regarding a small amount of wealth, it is called Contentment (Qanā'ah), opposed by excessive desire.

Allah has gathered all these categories and named them all patience, saying: {الصَّابِرِينَ * فِي الْبَأْسَاءِ} (The patient, in adversity [hardship]), {وَالضَّرَّاءِ} (and in distress [poverty]), {وَحِينَ الْبَأْسِ} (and in the time of stress [warfare]). {أُولَٰئِكَ الَّذِينَ صَدَقُوا ۖ وَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْمُتَّقُونَ} (Those are the ones who have proved themselves true, and those are the God-fearing) (Al-Baqarah: 177).

Al-Qaffal (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Patience is not about a person not feeling the pain of what is disliked, nor about not disliking it, as that is impossible. Patience is only restraining the self from showing signs of impatience. If one suppresses grief and restrains the self from showing its effects, that person is patient. If a tear appears or the complexion changes, the Prophet (PBUH) said: "Patience is at the first shock." This is correct because if someone shows what is considered outside the realm of patience initially, and then perseveres, that is called Salwa (solace), which is necessary. Al-Hasan said: If people were commanded to maintain perpetual grief, they would not be able to do it. And Allah knows best.

Allah the Exalted has described the patient with noble attributes and mentioned patience in the Qur'an in over seventy places, attributing most good things to it:

• {وَجَعَلْنَاهُمْ أَئِمَّةً يَهْدُونَ بِأَمْرِنَا لَمَّا صَبَرُوا} (And We made of them leaders, guiding by Our command, because they were patient) (As-Sajdah: 24).
• {وَتَمَّتْ كَلِمَتُ رَبِّكَ الْحُسْنَىٰ عَلَىٰ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ بِمَا صَبَرُوا} (And the good word of your Lord was fulfilled for the Children of Israel because of their patience) (Al-A'raf: 137).
• {وَلَنَجْزَيَنَّ الَّذِينَ صَبَرُوا أَجْرَهُم بِأَحْسَنِ مَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ} (And We will surely recompense those who were patient with the best of what they used to do) (An-Nahl: 96).
• {أُولَٰئِكَ يُؤْتَوْنَ أَجْرَهُم مَّرَّتَيْنِ بِمَا صَبَرُوا} (Those will be given their reward twice for what they patiently endured) (Al-Qasas: 54).
• {إِنَّمَا يُوَفَّى الصَّابِرُونَ أَجْرَهُم بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ} (Indeed, the patient will be given their reward without account) (Az-Zumar: 10).

Every act of obedience has a measured reward, except for patience. Because fasting is a form of patience, Allah attributed it to Himself: {يَأْذَنُ لِي} (He permits me [to fast]). He promised the patient that He is with them: {وَاصْبِرُوا ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَ الصَّابِرِينَ} (And be patient; indeed, Allah is with the patient) (Al-Anfal: 46). He linked victory to patience: {بَلَىٰ ۚ إِن تَصْبِرُوا وَتَتَّقُوا وَيَأْتُوكُم مِّن فَوْرِهِمْ هَٰذَا يُمْدِدْكُمْ رَبُّكُم بِخَمْسَةِ آلَافٍ مِّنَ الْمَلَائِكَةِ مُسَوَّمِينَ} (Yes, if you remain patient and conscious of Allah and they come upon you in their rage, your Lord will aid you with five thousand angels, marked ones) (Al 'Imran: 125). He gathered for the patient things He did not gather for others: {أُولَٰئِكَ عَلَيْهِمْ صَلَوَاتٌ مِّن رَّبِّهِمْ وَرَحْمَةٌ ۖ وَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْمُهْتَدُونَ} (Those are the ones upon whom are blessings from their Lord and mercy. And it is those who are the [rightly] guided) (Al-Baqarah: 157).

Regarding the Hadith: The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Patience is half of faith." The explanation is that faith is not complete except after abandoning what is improper in speech, actions, and beliefs, and achieving what is proper. Continuing to abandon what is improper is patience, which is the other half. Based on this, it seems that all of faith should be patience. However, abandoning what is improper and doing what is proper might align with desire, requiring no patience. But when it contradicts desire, patience is required. Hence, patience is called half of faith.

He also said: "Among the best things granted to you are certainty and the resolve of patience. Whoever is given a share of these two, he will not care what he misses of night vigil or daytime fasting." He also said: "Faith is patience," similar to his saying: "Hajj is 'Arafah."

Sheikh Al-Ghazali (may Allah have mercy on him) said: The evidence from the Hadith points to the greater virtue of patience.

The Prophet (PBUH) said: "Among the best things granted to you are certainty and the resolve of patience." He also said: "The most grateful person on earth will be brought forth and rewarded the reward of the grateful. Then the most patient person on earth will be brought forth, and it will be said to him: 'Are you satisfied if We reward you as We rewarded this grateful one?' He will say: 'Yes, O Lord.' Allah Almighty will say: 'I favored you, and you were grateful. I afflicted you, and you were patient. I will double your reward for you.' So he will be given double the reward of the grateful."

Regarding the saying: "The thankful eater is like the patient faster," this indicates the virtue of patience, as this comparison is made to emphasize the higher rank of the patient, similar to saying: "The drinker of wine is like the worshipper of idols."

Furthermore, it is narrated that Solomon (peace be upon him) will enter Paradise forty years after the Prophets due to his kingship, and the last of the Companions to enter Paradise will be 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Awf due to his wealth. All the gates of Paradise have two leaves, except the Gate of Patience, which has only one leaf, and the first to enter it will be the people of affliction, led by Job (peace be upon him).

This verse indicates several points:

1. These tribulations are not necessarily punishments, as Allah promised them to the believers, including the Prophet and his Companions.
2. When these tribulations are accompanied by patience, they yield a high rank in religion.
3. All these tribulations come from Allah, contrary to the dualists who attribute illnesses and other things to another entity, and contrary to astrologers who attribute them to the fortune or misfortune of the stars.
4. It indicates that food does not satisfy hunger, and drinking water does not quench thirst; rather, all these occur through the means Allah has established by custom. This is because {وَلَنَبْلُوَنَّكُم} (And We will surely test you) explicitly attributes these matters to Allah. The view of those who say that since Allah created the causes, the attribution is valid, is weak because resorting to metaphor is only permissible when the literal meaning is impossible.

{الَّذِينَ إِذَا أَصَابَتْهُم مُّصِيبَةٌ قَالُوا إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ * أُولَٰئِكَ عَلَيْهِمْ صَلَوَاتٌ مِّن رَّبِّهِمْ وَرَحْمَةٌ ۖ وَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْمُهْتَدُونَ} (Those who, when disaster strikes them, say, "Indeed we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we will return." * Those are the ones upon whom are blessings from their Lord and mercy. And it is those who are the [rightly] guided.)