Rabbana Afrigh Alayna Sabran: Dua for Patience & Steadfastness (Quran 2:250) – Arabic, Hindi, Urdu & Meaning

What do you ask Allah for when a problem is much bigger than you are? The believers who marched with Talut (Saul) faced this question. They were a small group, and the army of Jalut (Goliath) was far bigger. So they asked Allah for three things: patience, firm feet and help. This dua is in Surah Al-Baqarah, verse 250.

Quran Reference

• Surah: Al-Baqarah (Chapter 2), verse 250
• Who made this dua: the believers with Talut, when they went out to face Jalut and his soldiers
• Read online: Quran 2:250 on Quran.com
• Story around it: Quran 2:249 to 2:251

Word-by-Word Meaning

• Rabbana – our Lord
• Afrigh – pour out
• ‘Alayna – upon us
• Sabran – patience
• Wa thabbit – and make firm
• Aqdamana – our feet
• Wansurna – and help us, give us victory
• ‘Ala – over, against
• Al-qawmil-kafirin – the disbelieving people

The Story Behind the Dua

The story of Talut and Jalut is told in Surah Al-Baqarah. Tafsir Ibn Kathir explains that the faithful group with Talut was small, while the enemy under Jalut was large. When they came face to face, they made this dua.

Quran 2:249 tells us that Allah tested Talut’s army at a river, and it ends with a reminder that Allah is with the patient. Then came the dua in 2:250. In Quran 2:251, Allah tells us that they defeated the enemy by Allah’s permission, and that Dawud (David, peace be upon him) killed Jalut. Allah gave Dawud the kingdom and wisdom.

Simple Explanation

The dua has three requests, in this order:

• Patience: ‘Pour out patience on us.’ The word ‘afrigh’ means to pour out. Tafsir Ibn Kathir explains it as: send down patience on us from You.
• Firm feet: Ibn Kathir explains this as staying firm against the enemy and being saved from running away and from weakness.
• Help: ‘Give us victory over the disbelieving people.’

Notice that they asked for patience first. Patience helped them stay in their place and not give up.

The last part of the dua is about that battle, when an army stood against them. Today, many Muslims use the first two parts to ask Allah for patience and steadiness in hardship.

What Does the Authentic Hadith Say?

1. Patience is a gift from Allah. In Sahih Al-Bukhari 1469, Abu Sa’id Al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that some Ansar asked the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) for help and he gave to them until nothing was left with him. Then he said that whoever tries to be patient, Allah will make him patient, and that no one has been given a gift better and wider than patience. This Hadith is also recorded in Sahih Muslim 1053.

Reference: Sahih Al-Bukhari 1469

2. The companions of Talut and the companions of Badr. In Sahih Al-Bukhari 3957, Al-Bara (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Companions who fought at Badr told him that their number was the same as the number of Talut’s companions who crossed the river with him: a little over 310 men. Al-Bara said that none crossed the river with Talut except a believer.

Reference: Sahih Al-Bukhari 3957

Benefits and Lessons

• Ask Allah for patience. The Hadith above teaches that patience is a gift and that Allah helps the one who tries to be patient.
• Numbers are not everything. Talut’s group was small, yet Quran 2:249 says that many small groups have defeated large groups by Allah’s permission.
• Victory comes from Allah. Quran 3:126 and Quran 8:10 say that victory is only from Allah.
• Stay firm and remember Allah. In Quran 8:45, Allah tells the believers to stand firm and remember Him often when they meet an enemy.
• Make dua before you act. The believers asked Allah first, and then they went forward.
• Patience is part of the dua of other believers too. In Quran 7:126, the believers among Pharaoh’s magicians asked Allah to pour out patience on them as well.

When Can I Make This Dua?

Allah invites us to call upon Him (Quran 40:60), so you can ask Allah for patience and firm feet at any time of hardship, in the words of the Quran or in your own words.

Some websites also recommend reciting this dua before exams, interviews or other tests. We have not found an authentic Hadith that sets this as a rule, so this is not verified as a Sunnah practice. It is still a good dua to make.

Common Questions

Is this only a dua for war? The Quran tells it in the story of a battle. The words about patience and firm feet are useful for any hardship. The last part, about victory over the disbelieving people, is about that battle in the story.

Is there another dua with the words ‘wa thabbit aqdamana’? Yes. These words also appear in another dua in Quran 3:147.

Is there a fixed reward for reciting it? We have not found an authentic Hadith that gives this verse a fixed reward or a fixed number of recitations.

Are the Hindi and Urdu lines the Quran? No. The Arabic is the word of Allah. The other lines are only to help you read and understand. Please learn the correct pronunciation from a qualified teacher.

More Duas from Surah Al-Baqarah

• Rabbana Atina Fid Dunya Hasanah (Quran 2:201)
• Dua for Guidance: Ihdinas Siratal Mustaqeem (Quran 1:6–7)

References

• Quran 2:249–251 – quran.com/2/250
• Quran 3:126, 7:126, 8:10, 8:45 and 40:60
• Sahih Al-Bukhari 1469 – sunnah.com/bukhari:1469
• Sahih Al-Bukhari 3957 – sunnah.com/bukhari:3957
• Sahih Muslim 1053
• Tafsir Ibn Kathir on 2:250 – quranhadits.com

Conclusion

When a problem feels too big, this dua shows us what to ask for: patience, firm feet and Allah’s help. Ask Allah first, then keep going with patience.

May Allah pour patience on us, keep our feet firm and help us in every hardship. Ameen.