Quran verses about death

1. كُلُّ نَفۡسٖ ذَآئِقَةُ ٱلۡمَوۡتِۗ وَإِنَّمَا تُوَفَّوۡنَ أُجُورَكُمۡ يَوۡمَ ٱلۡقِيَٰمَةِۖ فَمَن زُحۡزِحَ عَنِ ٱلنَّارِ وَأُدۡخِلَ ٱلۡجَنَّةَ فَقَدۡ فَازَۗ وَمَا ٱلۡحَيَوٰةُ ٱلدُّنۡيَآ إِلَّا مَتَٰعُ ٱلۡغُرُورِ ﴿١٨٥﴾

   Every soul will have a taste of death, and you will receive your recompense on the Day of Resurrection. Whoever is swayed from the Fire, and admitted to Paradise, has won. The life of this world is merely enjoyment of delusion.

   Every soul will taste death, and people will receive their full reward on the Day of Resurrection. The verse adds that the life of this world is only a passing enjoyment.

2. كُلُّ نَفۡسٖ ذَآئِقَةُ ٱلۡمَوۡتِۗ وَنَبۡلُوكُم بِٱلشَّرِّ وَٱلۡخَيۡرِ فِتۡنَةٗۖ وَإِلَيۡنَا تُرۡجَعُونَ ﴿٣٥﴾

   Every soul will taste death. We burden you with adversity and prosperity—a test. And to Us you will be returned.

   Every soul will taste death, and people are tested with both hardship and good things before returning to Allah.

3. كُلُّ نَفۡسٖ ذَآئِقَةُ ٱلۡمَوۡتِۖ ثُمَّ إِلَيۡنَا تُرۡجَعُونَ ﴿٥٧﴾

   Every soul will taste death. Then to Us you will be returned.

   A short reminder, in a passage encouraging believers who faced persecution, that every soul will taste death and then return to Allah.

4. ٱلَّذِي خَلَقَ ٱلۡمَوۡتَ وَٱلۡحَيَوٰةَ لِيَبۡلُوَكُمۡ أَيُّكُمۡ أَحۡسَنُ عَمَلٗاۚ وَهُوَ ٱلۡعَزِيزُ ٱلۡغَفُورُ ﴿٢﴾

   He who created death and life—to test you—as to which of you is better in conduct. He is the Almighty, the Forgiving.

   Surah Al-Mulk explains that Allah created death and life to test which people are best in deeds.

5. كَيۡفَ تَكۡفُرُونَ بِٱللَّهِ وَكُنتُمۡ أَمۡوَٰتٗا فَأَحۡيَٰكُمۡۖ ثُمَّ يُمِيتُكُمۡ ثُمَّ يُحۡيِيكُمۡ ثُمَّ إِلَيۡهِ تُرۡجَعُونَ ﴿٢٨﴾

   How can you deny Allah, when you were dead and He gave you life, then He will put you to death, then He will bring you to life, then to Him you will be returned?

   The Quran describes the whole arc of a person: once lifeless, then given life, then made to die, then brought back to life and returned to Allah.

6. ٱللَّهُ يَتَوَفَّى ٱلۡأَنفُسَ حِينَ مَوۡتِهَا وَٱلَّتِي لَمۡ تَمُتۡ فِي مَنَامِهَاۖ فَيُمۡسِكُ ٱلَّتِي قَضَىٰ عَلَيۡهَا ٱلۡمَوۡتَ وَيُرۡسِلُ ٱلۡأُخۡرَىٰٓ إِلَىٰٓ أَجَلٖ مُّسَمًّىۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَأٓيَٰتٖ لِّقَوۡمٖ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ ﴿٤٢﴾

   Allah takes the souls at the time of their death, and those that have not died during their sleep. He retains those for which He has decreed death, and He releases the others until a predetermined time. In that are signs for people who reflect.

   Allah takes souls at death and also in sleep, keeping those whose time has come and returning the others for a set term.

7. أَيۡنَمَا تَكُونُواْ يُدۡرِككُّمُ ٱلۡمَوۡتُ وَلَوۡ كُنتُمۡ فِي بُرُوجٖ مُّشَيَّدَةٖۗ وَإِن تُصِبۡهُمۡ حَسَنَةࣱ يَقُولُواْ هَٰذِهِۦ مِنۡ عِندِ ٱللَّهِۖ وَإِن تُصِبۡهُمۡ سَيِّئَةࣱ يَقُولُواْ هَٰذِهِۦ مِنۡ عِندِكَۚ قُلۡ كُلࣱّ مِّنۡ عِندِ ٱللَّهِۖ فَمَالِ هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ ٱلۡقَوۡمِ لَا يَكَادُونَ يَفۡقَهُونَ حَدِيثٗا ﴿٧٨﴾

   Wherever you may be, death will catch up with you, even if you were in fortified towers. When a good fortune comes their way, they say, “This is from Allah.” But when a misfortune befalls them, they say, “This is from you.” Say, “All is from Allah.” So what is the matter with these people, that they hardly understand a thing?

   Wherever people are, death will reach them, even inside lofty towers.

8. إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عِندَهُۥ عِلۡمُ ٱلسَّاعَةِ وَيُنَزِّلُ ٱلۡغَيۡثَ وَيَعۡلَمُ مَا فِي ٱلۡأَرۡحَامِۖ وَمَا تَدۡرِي نَفۡسࣱ مَّاذَا تَكۡسِبُ غَدٗاۖ وَمَا تَدۡرِي نَفۡسُۢ بِأَيِّ أَرۡضٖ تَمُوتُۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ خَبِيرُۢ ﴿٣٤﴾

   With Allah rests the knowledge of the Hour. He sends down the rain, and He knows what the wombs contain. No soul knows what it will reap tomorrow, and no soul knows in what land it will die. Allah is All-Knowing, Well-Informed.

   Among the things known only to Allah is the land in which each soul will die.

9. قُلۡ إِنَّ ٱلۡمَوۡتَ ٱلَّذِي تَفِرُّونَ مِنۡهُ فَإِنَّهُۥ مُلَٰقِيكُمۡۖ ثُمَّ تُرَدُّونَ إِلَىٰ عَٰلِمِ ٱلۡغَيۡبِ وَٱلشَّهَٰدَةِ فَيُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا كُنتُمۡ تَعۡمَلُونَ ﴿٨﴾

   Say, “The death from which you flee will catch up with you; then you will be returned to the Knower of the Invisible and the Visible, and He will inform you of what you used to do.”

   The death people run from will meet them, and then they will be returned to the One who knows the seen and unseen.

10. وَأَنفِقُواْ مِن مَّا رَزَقۡنَٰكُم مِّن قَبۡلِ أَن يَأۡتِيَ أَحَدَكُمُ ٱلۡمَوۡتُ فَيَقُولَ رَبِّ لَوۡلَآ أَخَّرۡتَنِيٓ إِلَىٰٓ أَجَلٖ قَرِيبٖ فَأَصَّدَّقَ وَأَكُن مِّنَ ٱلصَّـٰلِحِينَ ﴿١٠﴾ وَلَن يُؤَخِّرَ ٱللَّهُ نَفۡسًا إِذَا جَآءَ أَجَلُهَاۚ وَٱللَّهُ خَبِيرُۢ بِمَا تَعۡمَلُونَ ﴿١١﴾

    ¹⁰And give from what We have provided for you, before death approaches one of you, and he says, “My Lord, if only You would delay me for a short while, so that I may be charitable, and be one of the righteous.” ¹¹But Allah will not delay a soul when its time has come. Allah is Informed of what you do.

    People are urged to give from what they have before death comes and they find themselves asking for a short delay to give charity, a delay that will not be granted.

11. وَلَنَبۡلُوَنَّكُم بِشَيۡءٖ مِّنَ ٱلۡخَوۡفِ وَٱلۡجُوعِ وَنَقۡصٖ مِّنَ ٱلۡأَمۡوَٰلِ وَٱلۡأَنفُسِ وَٱلثَّمَرَٰتِۗ وَبَشِّرِ ٱلصَّـٰبِرِينَ ﴿١٥٥﴾ ٱلَّذِينَ إِذَآ أَصَٰبَتۡهُم مُّصِيبَةࣱ قَالُوٓاْ إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّآ إِلَيۡهِ رَٰجِعُونَ ﴿١٥٦﴾ أُوْلَـٰٓئِكَ عَلَيۡهِمۡ صَلَوَٰتࣱ مِّن رَّبِّهِمۡ وَرَحۡمَةࣱۖ وَأُوْلَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلۡمُهۡتَدُونَ ﴿١٥٧﴾

    ¹⁵⁵We will certainly test you with some fear and hunger, and some loss of possessions and lives and crops. But give good news to the steadfast. ¹⁵⁶Those who, when a calamity afflicts them, say, “To Allah we belong, and to Him we will return.” ¹⁵⁷Upon these are blessings and mercy from their Lord. These are the guided ones.

    Those who meet loss by saying that they belong to Allah and to Him they return are given blessings and mercy from their Lord.

12. يَـٰٓأَيَّتُهَا ٱلنَّفۡسُ ٱلۡمُطۡمَئِنَّةُ ﴿٢٧﴾ ٱرۡجِعِيٓ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكِ رَاضِيَةٗ مَّرۡضِيَّةٗ ﴿٢٨﴾ فَٱدۡخُلِي فِي عِبَٰدِي ﴿٢٩﴾ وَٱدۡخُلِي جَنَّتِي ﴿٣٠﴾

    ²⁷But as for you, O tranquil soul. ²⁸Return to your Lord, pleased and accepted. ²⁹Enter among My servants. ³⁰Enter My Paradise.

    Surah Al-Fajr closes with Allah calling the soul at peace to return to its Lord, well-pleased and pleasing, and to enter among His servants and His Garden.

Thinking about death can feel heavy, but the Quran uses it to make life clearer. It asks what you would do if you had a little more time, and suggests doing it now. And it holds out a hope gentle enough to sit with: a soul at peace, called home by name.