Page 707 - An Index to the Qur'an

cisterns, great built-in cooking vats. ‘Work, fam- It is not devoutness to turn your faces to the East
ily of Dawud, in thankfulness!’ But very few of or to the West. Rather, those with true devoutness
My servants are thankful. (34:13) are those who believe in Allah and the Last Day,
the Angels, the Book and the Prophets, and who,
STEADFASTNESS despite their love for it, give away their wealth to
Seek help in steadfastness and prayer. But that is their relatives and to orphans and the very poor,
a very hard thing, except for the humble. (2:45) and to travellers and beggars and to set slaves
You who believe! Seek help in steadfastness and free, and who perform prayer and give the alms;
prayer. Allah is with the steadfast. (2:153) those who honour their contracts when they
We will test you with a certain amount of fear make them, and are steadfast in poverty and ill-
and hunger and loss of wealth and life and fruits. ness and in battle. Those are the people who are
But give good news to the steadfast: (2:155) true. They are the people who guard against evil.
When they came out against Goliath and his (2:177)
troops, they said, ‘Our Lord, pour down stead- When Talut marched out with the army, he said,
fastness upon us, and make our feet firm, and ‘Allah will test you with a river. Anyone who
help us against this disbelieving people.’ (2:250) drinks from it is not with me. But anyone who
You who believe, be steadfast; be supreme in does not taste it is with me–except for him who
steadfastness; be firm on the battlefield; and have merely scoops up a little in his hand.’ But they
fear of Allah; so that hopefully you will be suc- drank from it–except for a few of them. Then
cessful. (3:200) when he and those who believed with him had
(The magicians said to Pharaoh,) ‘You are only crossed it, they said, ‘We do not have the
avenging yourself on us because we believed in strength to face Goliath and his troops today.’ But
our Lord’s Signs when they came to us. Our Lord, those who were sure that they were going to
pour down steadfastness upon us and take us meet Allah said, ‘How many a small force has tri-
back to You as Muslims.’ (7:126) umphed over a much greater one by Allah’s per-
Now Allah has made it lighter on you, knowing mission! Allah is with the steadfast. (2:249)
there is weakness in you. If there are a hundred The steadfast, the truthful, the obedient, the
of you who are steadfast, they will overcome two givers, and those who seek forgiveness before
hundred; and if there are a thousand of you, they dawn. (3:17)
will overcome two thousand with Allah’s permis- If something good happens to you, it galls them.
sion. Allah is with the steadfast. (8:66) If something bad strikes you, they rejoice at it.
They then produced his shirt with false blood on But if you are steadfast and guard against evil,
it. He (Yusuf’s father) said, ‘It is merely that your their scheming will not harm you in any way.
lower selves have suggested something to you Allah encompasses what they do. (3:120)
which you did; but beauty lies in showing stead- Yes indeed! But if you are steadfast and guard
fastness. It is Allah alone Who is my Help in face against evil and they come upon you suddenly,
of the event that you describe.’ (12:18) your Lord will reinforce you with five thousand
He (Yusuf’s father) said, ‘It’s merely that your angels, clearly identified. (3:125)
lower selves suggested something to you which Or did you imagine that you were going to enter
you did. But beauty lies in having steadfastness. the Garden without Allah knowing those among
Perhaps Allah will bring them all together. He is you who had struggled and knowing the stead-
indeed All-Knowing and All-Wise.’ (12:83) fast? (3:142)
So be steadfast in the face of what they say and Many a Prophet has been fought, when there
glorify your Lord with praise before the rising of were many thousands with him! They did not
the sun and before its setting. And glorify Him dur- give up in the face of what assailed them in the
ing part of the night and at both ends of the day, so Way of Allah, nor did they weaken, nor did they
that hopefully you will be pleased. (20:130) yield. Allah loves the steadfast. (3:146)
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