Quran Verses About Gratitude
The Quran makes gratitude a promise with a return: 'If you are grateful, I will surely increase you' (14:7). Shukr is presented as the natural response to favors too many to count (16:18) — and as a benefit to the grateful person themselves, not to Allah, who is free of need. These eleven ayahs trace what the Quran teaches about thankfulness.
Updated July 16, 2026
- Surah Ibrahim 14:7
وَإِذۡ تَأَذَّنَ رَبُّكُمۡ لَئِن شَكَرۡتُمۡ لَأَزِيدَنَّكُمۡۖ وَلَئِن كَفَرۡتُمۡ إِنَّ عَذَابِي لَشَدِيدٞ
And when your Lord proclaimed: If ye give thanks, I will give you more; but if ye are thankless, lo! My punishment is dire
The Quran's central promise about gratitude — being grateful brings increase, while denial of favor carries a severe warning.
- Surah Al-Baqarah 2:152
فَٱذۡكُرُونِيٓ أَذۡكُرۡكُمۡ وَٱشۡكُرُواْ لِي وَلَا تَكۡفُرُونِ
Therefore remember Me, I will remember you. Give thanks to Me, and reject not Me
Remembrance and gratitude are joined in a single command — remember Me, I will remember you; be grateful and do not deny Me.
- Surah An-Nahl 16:18
وَإِن تَعُدُّواْ نِعۡمَةَ ٱللَّهِ لَا تُحۡصُوهَآۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَغَفُورٞ رَّحِيمٞ
And if ye would count the favour of Allah ye cannot reckon it. Lo! Allah is indeed Forgiving, Merciful
The scale of what there is to be thankful for — if you tried to count the favors of Allah, you could not enumerate them.
- Surah Luqman 31:12
وَلَقَدۡ ءَاتَيۡنَا لُقۡمَٰنَ ٱلۡحِكۡمَةَ أَنِ ٱشۡكُرۡ لِلَّهِۚ وَمَن يَشۡكُرۡ فَإِنَّمَا يَشۡكُرُ لِنَفۡسِهِۦۖ وَمَن كَفَرَ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَنِيٌّ حَمِيدٞ
And verily We gave Luqman wisdom, saying: Give thanks unto Allah; and whosoever giveth thanks, he giveth thanks for (the good of) his soul. And whosoever refuseth - Lo! Allah is Absolute, Owner of Praise
Luqman's God-given wisdom begins with 'be grateful to Allah' — and whoever is grateful benefits only himself.
- Surah Ar-Rahman 55:13
فَبِأَيِّ ءَالَآءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ
Which is it, of the favours of your Lord, that ye deny
The refrain of Surah Ar-Rahman — 'so which of the favors of your Lord would you deny?' — repeated as a running audit of blessing.
- Surah An-Nahl 16:114
فَكُلُواْ مِمَّا رَزَقَكُمُ ٱللَّهُ حَلَٰلٗا طَيِّبٗا وَٱشۡكُرُواْ نِعۡمَتَ ٱللَّهِ إِن كُنتُمۡ إِيَّاهُ تَعۡبُدُونَ
So eat of the lawful and good food which Allah hath provided for you, and thank the bounty of your Lord if it is Him ye serve
Gratitude has a daily, practical form — eating the lawful and good provision Allah gives, and thanking Him for it.
- Surah An-Naml 27:40
قَالَ ٱلَّذِي عِندَهُۥ عِلۡمٞ مِّنَ ٱلۡكِتَٰبِ أَنَا۠ ءَاتِيكَ بِهِۦ قَبۡلَ أَن يَرۡتَدَّ إِلَيۡكَ طَرۡفُكَۚ فَلَمَّا رَءَاهُ مُسۡتَقِرًّا عِندَهُۥ قَالَ هَٰذَا مِن فَضۡلِ رَبِّي لِيَبۡلُوَنِيٓ ءَأَشۡكُرُ أَمۡ أَكۡفُرُۖ وَمَن شَكَرَ فَإِنَّمَا يَشۡكُرُ لِنَفۡسِهِۦۖ وَمَن كَفَرَ فَإِنَّ رَبِّي غَنِيّٞ كَرِيمٞ
One with whom was knowledge of the Scripture said: I will bring it thee before thy gaze returneth unto thee. And when he saw it set in his presence, (Solomon) said: This is of the bounty of my Lord, that He may try me whether I give thanks or am ungrateful. Whosoever giveth thanks he only giveth thanks for (the good of) his own soul; and whosoever is ungrateful (is ungrateful only to his own soul's hurt). For lo! my Lord is Absolute in independence, Bountiful
Sulayman, at the height of power, reads a stunning favor as a test — will I be grateful or ungrateful?
- Surah Az-Zumar 39:7
إِن تَكۡفُرُواْ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَنِيٌّ عَنكُمۡۖ وَلَا يَرۡضَىٰ لِعِبَادِهِ ٱلۡكُفۡرَۖ وَإِن تَشۡكُرُواْ يَرۡضَهُ لَكُمۡۗ وَلَا تَزِرُ وَازِرَةٞ وِزۡرَ أُخۡرَىٰۚ ثُمَّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكُم مَّرۡجِعُكُمۡ فَيُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا كُنتُمۡ تَعۡمَلُونَۚ إِنَّهُۥ عَلِيمُۢ بِذَاتِ ٱلصُّدُورِ
If ye are thankless, yet Allah is Independent of you, though He is not pleased with thanklessness for His bondmen; and if ye are thankful He is pleased therewith for you. No laden soul will bear another's load. Then unto your Lord is your return; and He will tell you what ye used to do. Lo! He knoweth what is in the breasts (of men)
Allah is free of need, yet He approves gratitude for His servants — thankfulness is what He wants for you, not from you.
- Surah Saba 34:13
يَعۡمَلُونَ لَهُۥ مَا يَشَآءُ مِن مَّحَٰرِيبَ وَتَمَٰثِيلَ وَجِفَانٖ كَٱلۡجَوَابِ وَقُدُورٖ رَّاسِيَٰتٍۚ ٱعۡمَلُوٓاْ ءَالَ دَاوُۥدَ شُكۡرٗاۚ وَقَلِيلٞ مِّنۡ عِبَادِيَ ٱلشَّكُورُ
They made for him what he willed: synagogues and statues, basins like wells and boilers built into the ground. Give thanks, O House of David! Few of My bondmen are thankful
The family of Dawud is commanded to 'work in gratitude' — with the sobering note that few of Allah's servants are truly grateful.
- Surah Ad-Duhaa 93:11
وَأَمَّا بِنِعۡمَةِ رَبِّكَ فَحَدِّثۡ
Therefor of the bounty of thy Lord be thy discourse
One way to be thankful is to say so — 'as for the favor of your Lord, report it.'
- Surah Al-Baqarah 2:172
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ كُلُواْ مِن طَيِّبَٰتِ مَا رَزَقۡنَٰكُمۡ وَٱشۡكُرُواْ لِلَّهِ إِن كُنتُمۡ إِيَّاهُ تَعۡبُدُونَ
O ye who believe! Eat of the good things wherewith We have provided you, and render thanks to Allah if it is (indeed) He Whom ye worship
Believers are told to enjoy the good things provided and to be grateful to Allah — if it is truly Him they worship.
Arabic text: Tanzil Uthmani (public domain). English translation: Marmaduke Pickthall, “The Meaning of the Glorious Koran” (1930) — public domain.
Frequently asked questions
What does the Quran say about gratitude?
The Quran promises increase to those who give thanks (14:7), pairs gratitude with remembrance of Allah (2:152), and notes that His favors are beyond counting (16:18). It also insists gratitude benefits the grateful person, not Allah, who is free of need (31:12).
What is shukr?
Shukr is gratitude expressed in heart, tongue, and action — acknowledging that every blessing comes from Allah, saying so, and using the blessing well. Surah 34:13 frames it as something you work at: 'Work, O family of David, in gratitude.'
How do I practice gratitude in Islam?
The Quran models it: remember Allah often (2:152), enjoy His provision consciously (16:114), speak about His favor (93:11), and treat blessings as a test of thankfulness rather than an entitlement (27:40).
Sit with these ayahs, not just skim them
Read each verse in its surah, favorite the ones that hold you, and ask Noor about anything unclear — free to start.
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