Quran Quotes

The Quran is full of different dialogues and conversations between different people and even between animals and Prophet and God and His Prophets or the believers and disbelievers. In this article, we will discuss some of these conversations and the Quran Quotes that we can take from those verses to apply to our everyday lives.

This article will cover the following topics:

Quran Quotes and God’s Knowledge

The Quran narrates the story of the hoopoe who one day was absent from Prophet Solomon’s presence. This upsets the prophet and he vows to punish him unless he brings a valid excuse and reason.

فَمَكَثَ غَيْرَ بَعِيدٍ فَقَالَ أَحَطتُ بِمَا لَمْ تُحِطْ بِهِ وَجِئْتُكَ مِن سَبَإٍ بِنَبَإٍ يَقِينٍ ﴿22﴾

He did not stay for long [before he turned up] and said, ‘I have alighted on something which you have not alighted on, and I have brought you from Sheba a definite report.

إِنِّي وَجَدتُّ امْرَأَةً تَمْلِكُهُمْ وَأُوتِيَتْ مِن كُلِّ شَيْءٍ وَلَهَا عَرْشٌ عَظِيمٌ ﴿23﴾

I found a woman ruling over them, and she has been given everything, and she has a great throne.

وَجَدتُّهَا وَقَوْمَهَا يَسْجُدُونَ لِلشَّمْسِ مِن دُونِ اللَّـهِ وَزَيَّنَ لَهُمُ الشَّيْطَانُ أَعْمَالَهُمْ فَصَدَّهُمْ عَنِ السَّبِيلِ فَهُمْ لَا يَهْتَدُونَ ﴿24﴾

I found her and her people prostrating to the sun instead of Allah, and Satan has made their deeds seem decorous to them—thus he has barred them from the way [of Allah], so they are not guided— ¹

The Reason for its Absence

When the hoopoe does turn up, Prophet Solomon asks him for the reason for its absence. The hoopoe – in fear of the threat of punishment given and to calm the prophet – says that I have knowledge of something that you do not. I bring news from Sheba in which there is no doubt.

He then goes on to describe the greatness of the Queen of Sheba’s kingdom. ²

The Beliefs and Actions of the People of Sheba

Some animals have a superior understanding. The hoopoe could understand such concepts as man and woman, crown and kingdom, governance, Oneness of God (tawheed) and polytheism, the sun and prostration, Satan and his adornments, right and wrong and guidance and deviation. ³

He explains to the prophet that the Queen of Sheba and her people worshipped the sun. He also explains that Satan had beautified this act and other actions for them to such an extent that it has barred their path to guidance. ⁴

The verses also show us that firstly, people follow the religion that their leader follows usually as with the people of Sheba. And secondly, one of the conditions of management and a sign of politeness is to listen to the words of others even if it is an animal. ⁵

The Hoopoe and Describing God

أَلَّا يَسْجُدُوا لِلَّـهِ الَّذِي يُخْرِجُ الْخَبْءَ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَيَعْلَمُ مَا تُخْفُونَ وَمَا تُعْلِنُونَ ﴿25﴾

So that they do not prostrate themselves to Allah, who brings forth the hidden in the heavens and the earth, and He knows whatever you hide and whatever you disclose.

اللَّـهُ لَا إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ رَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِيمِ ۩ ﴿26﴾

Allah—there is no god except Him—is the Lord of the Great Throne.

The hoopoe goes on to describe some of the reasons why we prostrate to God and in doing so, describes God.

We prostrate to Him because:

• He is powerful as He brings forth what is hidden in the earth and skies
• He is all-Knowing
• He is One
• Of His Lordship and Majesty

This is where the report of the hoopoe ends and Prophet Solomon then takes steps to verify it. ⁶

Quran Quotes: “He Knows Whatever You Hide and Whatever You Disclose”

As one of the Quran Quotes, this is a powerful sentence that reminds us that God knows everything; be it the hidden thoughts and feelings in our hearts and minds or what we do openly. If we keep this mind, it will help us to be better people and mindful of all aspects of our being: our external actions and words and our internal thoughts and feelings.

Quran Quotes on God’s Justice

Divine Justice is one of the very important topics that are discussed in the Quran in various chapters. Some of them will be discussed below.

The People of Heaven Speaking to the People of Hell

وَنَادَىٰ أَصْحَابُ الْجَنَّةِ أَصْحَابَ النَّارِ أَن قَدْ وَجَدْنَا مَا وَعَدَنَا رَبُّنَا حَقًّا فَهَلْ وَجَدتُّم مَّا وَعَدَ رَبُّكُمْ حَقًّا ۖ قَالُوا نَعَمْ ۚ فَأَذَّنَ مُؤَذِّنٌ بَيْنَهُمْ أَن لَّعْنَةُ اللَّـهِ عَلَى الظَّالِمِينَ ﴿44﴾

The inhabitants of paradise will call out to the inmates of the Fire, ‘We found what our Lord promised us to be true; did you find what your Lord promised you to be true?’ ‘Yes,’ they will say. Then a caller will announce in their midst, ‘May Allah’s curse be on the wrongdoers!’ ⁷

Ridiculing the Disbelievers

This verse is both taking a confession from the inhabitants of Hell and also relates the ridiculing of the people of Hell by the inhabitants of Heaven.

This type of ridiculing is not vain or invalid as ridiculing is only void and false when it does not have a correct purpose like ridiculing the truth. However, if the goal is tit for tat or the rights of another it is not vain. ⁸

In the world, the polytheists and evil-doers would make fun of the believers and this act of the inhabitants of Heaven in the Hereafter is a reaction to that. ⁹

Quran Quotes: “We Found what our Lord Promised us to be True”

This Quran Quote gives us hope as it helps us to realize that if we follow God’s commands and guidance, what He has promised us will comes to be true. This includes not only the rewards in the Hereafter, but also many blessings and benefits in this world. On the other hand, it also reminds us that if we transgress, God has promised us punishment in the Hereafter and His promises are always true. This helps us remain on the right path.

Quran Quotes on Qiyamah

Belief in Qiyamah is one of the principles of faith and has been discussed at length in the Quran. Many lessons for life can be learnt from these verses.

God Addressing Musa (peace be on him)

إِنَّنِي أَنَا اللَّـهُ لَا إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا أَنَا فَاعْبُدْنِي وَأَقِمِ الصَّلَاةَ لِذِكْرِي ﴿14﴾

Indeed I am Allah—there is no god except Me. So worship Me, and maintain the prayer for My remembrance.

إِنَّ السَّاعَةَ آتِيَةٌ أَكَادُ أُخْفِيهَا لِتُجْزَىٰ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ بِمَا تَسْعَىٰ ﴿15﴾

Indeed the Hour is bound to come: I will have it hidden, so that every soul may be rewarded for its endeavor. ¹⁰

Prayer and God’s Remembrance

When we are praying it is not only the apparent form of prayers that is important. What is more important is the feeling of God’s presence which is the heart of the prayer.

Our offering of prayers is to remember Him and His remembrance brings peace and tranquility of heart. This has been indicated in other verses, like the following: The hearts find rest in Allah’s remembrance! ^{11 12}

Quran Quotes: “So that every Soul may be Rewarded for its Endeavor”

Another one of the hope-bringing Quran Quotes. It reminds us that God is just and that no one’s efforts will be wasted.

Whatever deeds and efforts we perform in this world are being recorded, from the smallest to the greatest and God will reward us for each and every one on Qiyamah.

Rewards and punishments in the Hereafter are based on one’s efforts. It doesn’t matter whether those efforts come to fruit or not. ¹³ What matters is the journey, the effort we put in; be it in the path of good or bad.

Quran Quotes about Giving Strength

قَالَ رَبِّ اشْرَحْ لِي صَدْرِي ﴿25﴾

He said, ‘My Lord! Open my breast for me.

وَيَسِّرْ لِي أَمْرِي ﴿26﴾

Make my task easy for me.

وَاحْلُلْ عُقْدَةً مِّن لِّسَانِي ﴿27﴾

Remove the hitch from my tongue,

يَفْقَهُوا قَوْلِي ﴿28﴾

[so that] they may understand my speech. ¹⁴

Prophet Musa’s Mission

God asks Prophet Moses to go to the Pharaoh of his time who had rebelled against God and guide him towards God.

In response, the prophet prays to God to help and asks him for four things:

• An increased capacity or receptivity for forbearance
• Ready conditions
• Fluent speech
• Having a vizier or minister

This shows us that when we are given a responsibility, instead of fearing or running away from it, we should seek the means and tools of performing it from God. ¹⁵

Quran Quotes: “Open my breast for me”

This sentence actually means to increase our capacity and receptivity for forbearance and to be able to bear something, many a time used for facing of hardships and difficulties.

It is the first condition for our success in any endeavor. It is important both for a person himself as well for executing one’s responsibilities.

In this case, it was used for the capacity to bear revelation which requires great capacity and is also used in a similar context in Surah Inshirah. ¹⁶

It is an excellent Quran Quote that we can apply to our life and use as a prayer in face of difficulties or endeavors.

Quran Quotes on Social Justice

Social justice is a very important part of any successful and happy society. The Quran has, in numerous verses, addressed this very important part of social life and contract. We will mention some of these verses below

1.     Prophet Shoaib (Jethro) Addressing His Nation

وَإِلَىٰ مَدْيَنَ أَخَاهُمْ شُعَيْبًا ۗ قَالَ يَا قَوْمِ اعْبُدُوا اللَّـهَ مَا لَكُم مِّنْ إِلَـٰهٍ غَيْرُهُ ۖ قَدْ جَاءَتْكُم بَيِّنَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ ۖ فَأَوْفُوا الْكَيْلَ وَالْمِيزَانَ وَلَا تَبْخَسُوا النَّاسَ أَشْيَاءَهُمْ وَلَا تُفْسِدُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ بَعْدَ إِصْلَاحِهَا ۚ ذَٰلِكُمْ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ ﴿85﴾

And to [the people of] Midian [We sent] Shu‘ayb, their brother. He said, ‘O my people, worship Allah! You have no other god besides Him. There has certainly come to you a manifest proof from your Lord. Observe fully the measure and the balance, and do not cheat the people of their goods, and do not cause corruption on the earth after its restoration. That is better for you, if you are faithful. ¹⁷

Apart from the spiritual aspects of life, the prophets were also watchful over the economic issues of the society and sought the health and improvement of people’s lives. ¹⁸

Social life can only endure when social security encompasses all of society and this only possible when there is no treachery or double-crossing in the transactions that take place between people in society. If it is ok for one person to be treacherous, then it would be ok for all and such a society would be disastrous. In such a society all types cheating, scheming, selling defective and things mixed with others, etc. would be the norm.

Corruption in the society also takes away social security which is the axis of the social mill which will result in the destruction of property, crops and generations of people. ¹⁹

Quran Quotes: “Do not Cheat the People of their Goods”

Short-selling people, cheating in transactions, showing things to be of less value than they really are and disruption in people’s economy are all prohibited and are instances of corruption and against social justice.

Faith, which has been mentioned first in the verse, is what guarantees correct business and social justice and complete faith and a healthy economy provides happiness in this world and the Hereafter. ²⁰

This Quran Quote is very important to observe and is a reminder of how we should deal with others, especially in the fast track and high stakes world of money, wealth and business.

2.     Commands to Justice in Words and Actions

وَلَا تَقْرَبُوا مَالَ الْيَتِيمِ إِلَّا بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ حَتَّىٰ يَبْلُغَ أَشُدَّهُ ۖ وَأَوْفُوا الْكَيْلَ وَالْمِيزَانَ بِالْقِسْطِ ۖ لَا نُكَلِّفُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا ۖ وَإِذَا قُلْتُمْ فَاعْدِلُوا وَلَوْ كَانَ ذَا قُرْبَىٰ ۖ وَبِعَهْدِ اللَّـهِ أَوْفُوا ۚ ذَٰلِكُمْ وَصَّاكُم بِهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُون ﴿152﴾

And come not nigh to the orphan’s property, except to improve it, until he attain the age of full strength; give measure and weight with (full) justice;- no burden do We place on any soul, but that which it can bear;- whenever ye speak, speak justly, even if a near relative is concerned; and fulfil the covenant of Allah: thus doth He command you, that ye may remember. ²¹

The Rights of Orphans

In order to protect the rights of the orphans, the best way to utilize their wealth must be chosen. None save those that have sufficient economic competence and piety mist approach the wealth of the orphans.

When they reach maturity, their wealth must be turned over to themselves to manage. ²²

Therefore, any type of use or usurpation of the wealth of orphans is prohibited unless it is to protect it. ²³

Speaking Justly

In this verse, speaking refers to those words that when spoken can either benefit someone or harm them. These words, like giving witness or judgments and the like are of two types: oppressive or just.

Therefore, the verse is advising us to be careful of our words and to not let our feelings for anyone make us take the wrong side, twist others’ words, violate the rights of others or give false testimony or judgment.

In short, we should not take a person’s side who is undeserving and in the wrong because we care about them and violate the rights of another because we do not care about him/her. ²⁴

Quran Quotes: “Speak Justly, even if a Near Relative is Concerned”

In another one of the verses of the Quran, God commands us to: Be maintainers of justice and witnesses for the sake of Allah, even if it should be against yourselves or [your] parents and near relatives, and whether it be [someone] rich or poor. ²⁵

Speaking justly, even when it is not in one’s favor or those of one’s loved is not easy. However, this is real justice: when we do not let our feelings come between what is true and right.

In today’s world where everyone is thinking only of themselves and what benefits them or their close ones, this and similar Quran Quotes are very apt and important to remember.

Quran Quotes about Patience

Patience is a virtue that we must attain to live a peaceful life. This can be during the tests and difficulties we face in life and sometimes it can also mean controlling ourselves in the face of the temptation of sins or in doing our duty in obedience to God. Let us see what verses of the Quran say about the virtue of patience.

1.     Addressing the Believers

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا… ﴿45﴾

O you who have faith…

وَأَطِيعُوا اللَّـهَ وَرَسُولَهُ وَلَا تَنَازَعُوا فَتَفْشَلُوا وَتَذْهَبَ رِيحُكُمْ ۖ وَاصْبِرُوا ۚ إِنَّ اللَّـهَ مَعَ الصَّابِرِينَ ﴿46﴾

And obey Allah and His Apostle, and do not dispute, or you will lose heart and your power will be gone. And be patient; indeed Allah is with the patient. ²⁶

God is addressing the believers in this verse and in the context of this verse, He is advising to follow the Prophet in the commands that he brings about fighting in the way of God and protecting the religion of Islam. He also advises them to not dispute as this destroys the unity and power of the Muslims. As a result they would become weak-willed and lose their dominance over their enemies. ²⁷

Patience in the Face of Difficulties

 Patience is the most powerful helper and strongest pillar during times of distress and difficulties and changing and weakening of the will.

It is this patience that gives man the opportunity to think and the necessary solitude when thoughts and difficulties attack us, to make the right and certain decision. Therefore, God is with the patient. ²⁸

Quran Quotes: “And be Patient; Indeed Allah is with the Patient”

Belief in the fact that God is with the patient guides a person to patience and firmness. Divine help is always on the side of the patient. ²⁹

It is an important Quran Quote as there is no one who is not faced with difficult and testing times in this world. Yet, if we know God is with us, it helps us to bear those moments.

When Hussain bin Ali (peace be on him)’s six-month old infant was killed on the plains of Karbala, he said that it was the fact that he knew God was watching that he was able to bear such a great calamity.

2.     Seeking Help and Patience

قَالَ مُوسَىٰ لِقَوْمِهِ اسْتَعِينُوا بِاللَّـهِ وَاصْبِرُوا ۖ إِنَّ الْأَرْضَ لِلَّـهِ يُورِثُهَا مَن يَشَاءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ ۖ وَالْعَاقِبَةُ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ ﴿128﴾

Moses said to his people, ‘Turn to Allah for help and be patient. The earth indeed belongs to Allah, and He gives its inheritance to whomever He wishes of His servants, and the outcome will be in favour of the Godwary.’ ³⁰

Prophet Musa (peace be on him) in this verses is encouraging the Israelites to stand up against the Pharaoh. He advises them to seek help from God to achieve this goal which is freedom from the captivity and servitude to the Pharaoh. He also instructs them to exercise patience in the face of the difficulties that the Pharaoh threatens them with.

Patience in the face of difficulties guides towards goodness and heralds deliverance and salvation.

He then explains by saying: and He gives its inheritance to whomever He wishes of His servants. The conclusion of this explanation is that if I give these good-tidings and promise it is because the Pharaoh is the not the owner of this earth and land to give to whomever he wishes and take away from whom he wishes. Rather, it belongs to God to whom He wishes to give it to. And it is Divine custom to bless a good outcome to those of His servants who answer to Him and fear only Him.

Therefore, if you, the Israelites are God-wary and virtuous, i.e. seek His help and exercise patience in His path, God will bestow ownership of the land which is today in the hands of the Pharaoh, to you. ³¹

Quran Quotes: “Turn to Allah for help and be patient. … and the outcome will be in favour of the Godwary”

Seeking help from God and exercising patience are signs of virtue and God-wariness. The people of virtue have a good outcome in this world and they are also victorious in the Hereafter as indicated in the verse.

Hope for a bright future is the promise of all Divine religions; including Islam. ³²

Of the Quran Quotes, this one helps us realize that whenever we face any difficulties we can always seek help from God and if we do so and are patient in those situations, we will be the winners not only in the Hereafter but also in this world.

Quran Quotes on Brotherhood

إِنَّمَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ إِخْوَةٌ فَأَصْلِحُوا بَيْنَ أَخَوَيْكُمْ ۚ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّـهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرْحَمُونَ ﴿10﴾

The faithful are indeed brothers. Therefore, make peace between your brothers and be wary of Allah, so that you may receive [His] mercy. ³³

O You Who Believe…

In this verse, and in fact the whole chapter, the believers are being addressed by God.

The sentence: the faithful are indeed brothers, legislates a law between believing Muslims and establishes a relationship that wasn’t there before. This relationship is brotherhood and creates religious and legal rights. Religious brother brotherhood has social consequences but is different from the rights established by legal and natural laws. For example, it has no affect on inheritance or marriage.

In a narration, Ja‘far bin Muhammad al-Sadiq (peace be on him) states that a believer is the brother of another believer and his eye and guide, he does not betray him, he does not oppress him, he does not deceive him and if he made him a promise, he does not break it. ³⁴

Quran Quotes: “The Faithful are Indeed Brothers”

One of the distinctions of Islam is that it begins reform from the root of issues. For example, one of the verses states: power, altogether, belongs to Allah. Therefore, why do we go after others to get power?

In this verse too, it states that the faithful are brothers to each other. And since they are all brothers, there should be no fighting and disputes between them.

Therefore, in order to reform and correct the behavior of a person or society, one must correct the foundations of their intellect and beliefs.

The idea of brotherhood and the use of this word is one of the innovations of Islam.

In narrations, more than twenty rights have been mentioned that a believer has over another. ³⁵

It is an important and hopeful feeling to know that there are people who there are to support and be there for me in life even if we are not related to each other by blood. It also puts a responsibility on our shoulders in relation to others and it helps us to make a better, united society.

Quran Quotes on Thankfulness

وَإِذْ قَالَ مُوسَىٰ لِقَوْمِهِ اذْكُرُوا نِعْمَةَ اللَّـهِ عَلَيْكُمْ إِذْ أَنجَاكُم مِّنْ آلِ فِرْعَوْنَ يَسُومُونَكُمْ سُوءَ الْعَذَابِ وَيُذَبِّحُونَ أَبْنَاءَكُمْ وَيَسْتَحْيُونَ نِسَاءَكُمْ ۚ وَفِي ذَٰلِكُم بَلَاءٌ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ عَظِيمٌ ﴿6﴾

When Moses said to his people, ‘Remember Allah’s blessing upon you when He delivered you from Pharaoh’s clan who inflicted a terrible torment on you, and slaughtered your sons and spared your women, and in that there was a great test from your Lord.

وَإِذْ تَأَذَّنَ رَبُّكُمْ لَئِن شَكَرْتُمْ لَأَزِيدَنَّكُمْ ۖ وَلَئِن كَفَرْتُمْ إِنَّ عَذَابِي لَشَدِيدٌ ﴿7﴾

And when your Lord proclaimed, “If you are grateful, I will surely enhance you [in blessing], but if you are ungrateful, My punishment is indeed severe.” ’ ³⁶

Prophet Moses (peace be on him) and His People

The first of these two verses is an instance of the Days of God (أیام الله) which Prophet Musa (peace be on him) is reminding his people of. These days are divided into two types of blessings and difficulties or tests. The first is their deliverance from the Pharaoh and reaching the Sinai Desert. And the second refers to the days of their tribulations and punishment at the hands of the Pharaoh and his people through the killing of their infants, etc. ³⁷

It is through comparing bitter and sweet events and tortures and freedoms, that we can appreciate God’s blessings upon us. On the other hand, it is also important to remember that tests and difficulties are for man’s nurture and upbringing and are one of the attributes of Divine Lordship. ³⁸

Thankfulness and Ingratitude to God

The next verse after the one mentioned in the previous paragraph is not part of Prophet Musa’s words to his people but rather are God’s words.

This verse is one of the clearest verses regarding thankfulness and ungratefulness.

According to a narration from Ja‘far bin Muhammad al-Sadiq (peace be on him), thankfulness is that one considers blessings to be from God (not something borne of his own cleverness, knowledge, intellect or efforts nor from others); to be satisfied with what God has given him and to not use the Divine blessings as a means for committing sins. True thankfulness is that man utilizes blessings in the way of God.

It is one of God’s customs to reward thankfulness with abundance and increase in blessings and He has announced this custom very definitely in this verse. Although, one must note, this thankfulness is not something that He needs; rather it is for our own nurturing. ³⁹

Quran Quotes: “If You are Grateful, I will Surely Enhance You [in Blessing]”

This is another one of the very important Quran Quotes.

If we thank God, not only will His blessings on us increase, we will also grow and increase and elevate. ⁴⁰

It reminds to always be thankful of God and when we are, God’s response is multifold and more than we can imagine.

Quran Quotes for Times of Hardship

فَإِنَّ مَعَ الْعُسْرِ يُسْرًا ﴿5﴾

So, verily, with every difficulty, there is relief:

إِنَّ مَعَ الْعُسْرِ يُسْرًا ﴿6﴾

Verily, with every difficulty there is relief. ⁴¹

Consoling the Prophet

The chapter, Surah Zilzal, is addressing the Prophet and comforting him. The mission that God has given to the Prophet and the command to call people towards it is the heaviest responsibility that can be given to a person. And it is clear that by accepting this responsibility the Prophet faced much difficulty. He also faced denial from his people in his mission and insults. In the previous verses, God narrates how He lifted these difficulties from him.

This act of act, like all His other acts follows His Divine custom that flows in the world which is that He follows every difficulty with ease. This is the reason for His lifting those difficulties from the Prophet and blessing him with ease. ⁴²

Quran Quotes: “With Every Difficulty, There is Relief”

This verse is not just addressing the Prophet but is a general principle that applies to everyone.

It is possible, according to some commentators, that the word ‘ma‘a’ (مع) could indicate cause; i.e. every difficulty contains an experience and development within it and that every difficulty is followed with ease. ⁴³

This verse can be taken as one of the Quran Quotes that would greatly help us during times of distress and difficulties as it gives us the comfort of knowing that this too shall pass into ease or that from within it we will find the strength to bear it and therefore, achieve ease.

Summary

There are many and, in fact, all verses of the Quran are applicable to life. However, there may be some verses that speak of practical matters more than others which may be narrating events that took place or laws, etc.

In this article, we have tried to look into some such verses which may be applied to different occasions in life and provide the context and explanation for those verses. These verses, however, also have a general meaning which applies to all and in all times and ages.

We have chosen some as “Quran Quotes” in the topics of God’s knowledge, His justice, Qiyamah, on social justice, brotherhood, patience, giving strength, verses for hard times and thankfulness.

As far as possible, we have chosen the different dialogues that are described in the Quran between God and His Prophets or the believers through the Prophets, believers and disbelievers and Prophets and even between Prophets and animals.