Quran verses about gratitude

1. فَٱذۡكُرُونِيٓ أَذۡكُرۡكُمۡ وَٱشۡكُرُواْ لِي وَلَا تَكۡفُرُونِ ﴿١٥٢﴾

   So remember Me, and I will remember you. And thank Me, and do not be ungrateful.

   Allah asks believers to remember Him so that He will remember them, and to be grateful and not ungrateful.

2. وَإِذۡ تَأَذَّنَ رَبُّكُمۡ لَئِن شَكَرۡتُمۡ لَأَزِيدَنَّكُمۡۖ وَلَئِن كَفَرۡتُمۡ إِنَّ عَذَابِي لَشَدِيدࣱ ﴿٧﴾

   And when your Lord proclaimed: “If you give thanks, I will grant you increase; but if you are ungrateful, My punishment is severe.”

   Moses reminds his people that their Lord promised to increase those who are grateful, and warned against ingratitude.

3. وَإِن تَعُدُّواْ نِعۡمَةَ ٱللَّهِ لَا تُحۡصُوهَآۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَغَفُورࣱ رَّحِيمࣱ ﴿١٨﴾

   And if you tried to enumerate the favors of Allah, you will not be able to count them. Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.

   If people tried to count Allah's blessings they could not do it, and the verse closes by naming His forgiveness and mercy.

4. وَلَقَدۡ ءَاتَيۡنَا لُقۡمَٰنَ ٱلۡحِكۡمَةَ أَنِ ٱشۡكُرۡ لِلَّهِۚ وَمَن يَشۡكُرۡ فَإِنَّمَا يَشۡكُرُ لِنَفۡسِهِۦۖ وَمَن كَفَرَ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَنِيٌّ حَمِيدࣱ ﴿١٢﴾

   We endowed Luqman with wisdom: “Give thanks to Allah.” Whoever is appreciative—is appreciative for the benefit of his own soul. And whoever is unappreciative—Allah is Sufficient and Praiseworthy.

   Luqman's wisdom is summed up as gratitude to Allah, and the verse explains that whoever is grateful benefits their own soul.

5. فَتَبَسَّمَ ضَاحِكٗا مِّن قَوۡلِهَا وَقَالَ رَبِّ أَوۡزِعۡنِيٓ أَنۡ أَشۡكُرَ نِعۡمَتَكَ ٱلَّتِيٓ أَنۡعَمۡتَ عَلَيَّ وَعَلَىٰ وَٰلِدَيَّ وَأَنۡ أَعۡمَلَ صَٰلِحٗا تَرۡضَىٰهُ وَأَدۡخِلۡنِي بِرَحۡمَتِكَ فِي عِبَادِكَ ٱلصَّـٰلِحِينَ ﴿١٩﴾

   He smiled and laughed at her words, and said, “My Lord, direct me to be thankful for the blessings You have bestowed upon me and upon my parents, and to do good works that please You. And admit me, by Your grace, into the company of Your virtuous servants.”

   Solomon smiles at the words of an ant and asks Allah to inspire him to be grateful for the blessings on him and his parents.

6. وَوَصَّيۡنَا ٱلۡإِنسَٰنَ بِوَٰلِدَيۡهِ إِحۡسَٰنًاۖ حَمَلَتۡهُ أُمُّهُۥ كُرۡهٗا وَوَضَعَتۡهُ كُرۡهٗاۖ وَحَمۡلُهُۥ وَفِصَٰلُهُۥ ثَلَٰثُونَ شَهۡرًاۚ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا بَلَغَ أَشُدَّهُۥ وَبَلَغَ أَرۡبَعِينَ سَنَةٗ قَالَ رَبِّ أَوۡزِعۡنِيٓ أَنۡ أَشۡكُرَ نِعۡمَتَكَ ٱلَّتِيٓ أَنۡعَمۡتَ عَلَيَّ وَعَلَىٰ وَٰلِدَيَّ وَأَنۡ أَعۡمَلَ صَٰلِحٗا تَرۡضَىٰهُ وَأَصۡلِحۡ لِي فِي ذُرِّيَّتِيٓۖ إِنِّي تُبۡتُ إِلَيۡكَ وَإِنِّي مِنَ ٱلۡمُسۡلِمِينَ ﴿١٥﴾

   We have enjoined upon man kindness to his parents. His mother carried him with difficulty, and delivered him with difficulty. His bearing and weaning takes thirty months. Until, when he has attained his maturity, and has reached forty years, he says, “Lord, enable me to appreciate the blessings You have bestowed upon me and upon my parents, and to act with righteousness, pleasing You. And improve my children for me. I have sincerely repented to You, and I am of those who have surrendered.”

   On reaching maturity and the age of forty, a person prays to be grateful for the favors given to him and his parents, and for righteous children.

7. يَعۡمَلُونَ لَهُۥ مَا يَشَآءُ مِن مَّحَٰرِيبَ وَتَمَٰثِيلَ وَجِفَانٖ كَٱلۡجَوَابِ وَقُدُورٖ رَّاسِيَٰتٍۚ ٱعۡمَلُوٓاْ ءَالَ دَاوُۥدَ شُكۡرٗاۚ وَقَلِيلࣱ مِّنۡ عِبَادِيَ ٱلشَّكُورُ ﴿١٣﴾

   They made for him whatever he wished: sanctuaries, statues, bowls like pools, and heavy cauldrons. “O House of David, work with appreciation,” but a few of My servants are appreciative.

   The family of David (Dawud) is told to work in gratitude, followed by the observation that few of Allah's servants are truly grateful.

8. فَكُلُواْ مِمَّا رَزَقَكُمُ ٱللَّهُ حَلَٰلٗا طَيِّبٗا وَٱشۡكُرُواْ نِعۡمَتَ ٱللَّهِ إِن كُنتُمۡ إِيَّاهُ تَعۡبُدُونَ ﴿١١٤﴾

   Eat of the lawful and good things Allah has provided for you, and be thankful for Allah’s blessings, if it is Him that you serve.

   After a reminder to eat what is lawful and good, believers are asked to be thankful for Allah's blessings.

9. مَّا يَفۡعَلُ ٱللَّهُ بِعَذَابِكُمۡ إِن شَكَرۡتُمۡ وَءَامَنتُمۡۚ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ شَاكِرًا عَلِيمٗا ﴿١٤٧﴾

   What would Allah accomplish by your punishment, if you have given thanks, and have believed? Allah is Appreciative and Cognizant.

   Allah asks what He would gain from punishing people who are grateful and believe, describing Himself as appreciative.

10. قَالَ ٱلَّذِي عِندَهُۥ عِلۡمࣱ 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 غَنِيࣱّ كَرِيمࣱ ﴿٤٠﴾

    He who had knowledge from the Book said, “I will bring it to you before your glance returns to you.” And when he saw it settled before him, he said, “This is from the grace of my Lord, to test me, whether I am grateful or ungrateful. He who is grateful, his gratitude is to his own credit; but he who is ungrateful—my Lord is Independent and Generous.”

    When Solomon sees the queen's throne brought before him in an instant, he says it is a test of whether he will be grateful, and that gratitude benefits the grateful.

11. وَأَمَّا بِنِعۡمَةِ رَبِّكَ فَحَدِّثۡ ﴿١١﴾

    But proclaim the blessings of your Lord.

    Surah Ad-Duha closes by telling the Prophet ﷺ to speak of the blessings of his Lord.

12. فَبِأَيِّ ءَالَآءِ رَبِّكُمَا تُكَذِّبَانِ ﴿١٣﴾

    So which of your Lord’s marvels will you deny?

    The refrain of Surah Ar-Rahman asks which of the Lord's favors people will deny, repeated after list after list of blessings.

Gratitude in the Quran is less about feeling cheerful and more about noticing. Solomon stopped to notice an ant, and the person in 46:15 looked back over forty years. A simple practice is to name a few specific blessings each day, including the ones that came through your parents, and to thank Allah for them by name.