What Does Sabr (Patience) Mean?

Sabr (Arabic: صبر) is pronounced SAB-r.

Meaning

The root of sabr means to hold back or to bind: to keep oneself steady when emotions, pain or temptation pull in another direction. It is often translated as patience, but it is closer to steadfastness. Muslim scholars describe three kinds of sabr:

• patience in obeying God, such as praying on time when it is hard;
• patience in staying away from what is wrong, even when it is tempting;
• patience with what life brings — illness, loss, disappointment — without despair or bitterness.

Sabr does not mean hiding pain or refusing help. The prophets wept and grieved; the prophet Jacob called his patience in loss a beautiful patience (Qur’an 12:18). Sabr means not losing trust in God while we feel the pain and do what we can. The Qur’an links it with prayer:

يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱسْتَعِينُوا۟ بِٱلصَّبْرِ وَٱلصَّلَوٰةِ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ مَعَ ٱلصَّٰبِرِينَ ﴿١٥٣﴾

O you who have believed, seek help through patience and prayer. Indeed, Allah is with the patient.

How Muslims use it

When someone faces difficulty, Muslims comfort them with the word itself: “Sabr”, or “May God give you sabr.” It is also a common name — Sabr and Sabira. Many Muslims see sabr and shukr (gratitude) as two wings of faith: patience in hard times, thankfulness in good ones.

Example

“The job search was long and discouraging, but she kept going with sabr — and kept applying.”

Learn more in Mental Health and Hope in Islam.