Quran verses about grief and loss

1. 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.

   Allah says people will be tested with loss of wealth, lives and harvests, and gives good news to those who respond by saying they belong to Allah and will return to Him.

2. مَآ أَصَابَ مِن مُّصِيبَةٍ إِلَّا بِإِذۡنِ ٱللَّهِۗ وَمَن يُؤۡمِنۢ بِٱللَّهِ يَهۡدِ قَلۡبَهُۥۚ وَٱللَّهُ بِكُلِّ شَيۡءٍ عَلِيمࣱ ﴿١١﴾

   No disaster occurs except by Allah’s leave. Whoever believes in Allah, He guides his heart. Allah is Aware of everything.

   No calamity strikes except by Allah's leave, and whoever believes in Allah, He guides their heart.

3. مَآ أَصَابَ مِن مُّصِيبَةٖ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَلَا فِيٓ أَنفُسِكُمۡ إِلَّا فِي كِتَٰبٖ مِّن قَبۡلِ أَن نَّبۡرَأَهَآۚ إِنَّ ذَٰلِكَ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ يَسِيرࣱ ﴿٢٢﴾ لِّكَيۡلَا تَأۡسَوۡاْ عَلَىٰ مَا فَاتَكُمۡ وَلَا تَفۡرَحُواْ بِمَآ ءَاتَىٰكُمۡۗ وَٱللَّهُ لَا يُحِبُّ كُلَّ مُخۡتَالٖ فَخُورٍ ﴿٢٣﴾

   ²²No calamity occurs on earth, or in your souls, but it is in a Book, even before We make it happen. That is easy for Allah. ²³That you may not sorrow over what eludes you, nor exult over what He has given you. Allah does not love the proud snob.

   Every loss is already known to Allah, which the Quran says is so that people do not despair over what they have lost.

4. قُل لَّن يُصِيبَنَآ إِلَّا مَا كَتَبَ ٱللَّهُ لَنَا هُوَ مَوۡلَىٰنَاۚ وَعَلَى ٱللَّهِ فَلۡيَتَوَكَّلِ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنُونَ ﴿٥١﴾

   Say, “Nothing will happen to us except what Allah has ordained for us; He is our Protector.” In Allah let the faithful put their trust.

   Believers are taught to say that nothing will happen to them except what Allah has written, and that He is their protector.

5. وَتَوَلَّىٰ عَنۡهُمۡ وَقَالَ يَـٰٓأَسَفَىٰ عَلَىٰ يُوسُفَ وَٱبۡيَضَّتۡ عَيۡنَاهُ مِنَ ٱلۡحُزۡنِ فَهُوَ كَظِيمࣱ ﴿٨٤﴾

   Then he turned away from them, and said, “O my bitterness for Joseph.” And his eyes turned white from sorrow, and he became depressed.

   Jacob turns away from his sons in sorrow, mourns for Joseph, and his eyes turn white from grief.

6. قَالَ إِنَّمَآ أَشۡكُواْ بَثِّي وَحُزۡنِيٓ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ وَأَعۡلَمُ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ مَا لَا تَعۡلَمُونَ ﴿٨٦﴾

   He said, “I only complain of my grief and sorrow to Allah, and I know from Allah what you do not know.”

   Jacob explains that he complains of his grief and sorrow only to Allah, and that he knows from Allah what they do not.

7. يَٰبَنِيَّ ٱذۡهَبُواْ فَتَحَسَّسُواْ مِن يُوسُفَ وَأَخِيهِ وَلَا تَاْيۡـَٔسُواْ مِن رَّوۡحِ ٱللَّهِۖ إِنَّهُۥ لَا يَاْيۡـَٔسُ مِن رَّوۡحِ ٱللَّهِ إِلَّا ٱلۡقَوۡمُ ٱلۡكَٰفِرُونَ ﴿٨٧﴾

   “O my sons, go and inquire about Joseph and his brother, and do not despair of Allah’s comfort. None despairs of Allah’s comfort except the disbelieving people.”

   Even in grief, Jacob tells his sons to go and search, and not to despair of Allah's comfort.

8. فَأَجَآءَهَا ٱلۡمَخَاضُ إِلَىٰ جِذۡعِ ٱلنَّخۡلَةِ قَالَتۡ يَٰلَيۡتَنِي مِتُّ قَبۡلَ هَٰذَا وَكُنتُ نَسۡيٗا مَّنسِيّٗا ﴿٢٣﴾ فَنَادَىٰهَا مِن تَحۡتِهَآ أَلَّا تَحۡزَنِي قَدۡ جَعَلَ رَبُّكِ تَحۡتَكِ سَرِيّٗا ﴿٢٤﴾ وَهُزِّيٓ إِلَيۡكِ بِجِذۡعِ ٱلنَّخۡلَةِ تُسَٰقِطۡ عَلَيۡكِ رُطَبٗا جَنِيّٗا ﴿٢٥﴾ فَكُلِي وَٱشۡرَبِي وَقَرِّي عَيۡنٗاۖ فَإِمَّا تَرَيِنَّ مِنَ ٱلۡبَشَرِ أَحَدٗا فَقُولِيٓ إِنِّي نَذَرۡتُ لِلرَّحۡمَٰنِ صَوۡمٗا فَلَنۡ أُكَلِّمَ ٱلۡيَوۡمَ إِنسِيّٗا ﴿٢٦﴾

   ²³The labor-pains came upon her, by the trunk of a palm-tree. She said, “I wish I had died before this, and been completely forgotten.” ²⁴Whereupon he called her from beneath her: “Do not worry; your Lord has placed a stream beneath you. ²⁵And shake the trunk of the palm-tree towards you, and it will drop ripe dates by you.” ²⁶“So eat, and drink, and be consoled. And if you see any human, say, ‘I have vowed a fast to the Most Gracious, so I will not speak to any human today.’”

   Mary, in pain beneath a palm tree, wishes she had died and been forgotten. She is told not to grieve, given water and dates, and told to eat, drink and be at ease.

9. وَأَصۡبَحَ فُؤَادُ أُمِّ مُوسَىٰ فَٰرِغًاۖ إِن كَادَتۡ لَتُبۡدِي بِهِۦ لَوۡلَآ أَن رَّبَطۡنَا عَلَىٰ قَلۡبِهَا لِتَكُونَ مِنَ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ ﴿١٠﴾

   The heart of Moses’ mother became vacant. She was about to disclose him, had We not steadied her heart, that she may remain a believer.

   The heart of Moses' mother becomes empty after she places him in the river, and Allah steadies her heart.

10. فَرَدَدۡنَٰهُ إِلَىٰٓ أُمِّهِۦ كَيۡ تَقَرَّ عَيۡنُهَا وَلَا تَحۡزَنَ وَلِتَعۡلَمَ أَنَّ وَعۡدَ ٱللَّهِ حَقࣱّ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكۡثَرَهُمۡ لَا يَعۡلَمُونَ ﴿١٣﴾

    Thus We returned him to his mother, that she may be comforted, and not grieve, and know that Allah’s promise is true. But most of them do not know.

    Allah returns Moses to his mother so that she might be comforted and not grieve, and know that His promise is true.

11. مَا وَدَّعَكَ رَبُّكَ وَمَا قَلَىٰ ﴿٣﴾ وَلَلۡأٓخِرَةُ خَيۡرࣱ لَّكَ مِنَ ٱلۡأُولَىٰ ﴿٤﴾ وَلَسَوۡفَ يُعۡطِيكَ رَبُّكَ فَتَرۡضَىٰٓ ﴿٥﴾

    ³Your Lord did not abandon you, nor did He forget. ⁴The Hereafter is better for you than the First. ⁵And your Lord will give you, and you will be satisfied.

    Revealed to comfort the Prophet ﷺ, these verses say his Lord has not left him and that what is to come will be better.

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.

    For those mourning someone who died in faith, the closing verses of Surah Al-Fajr describe the soul at peace being welcomed back to its Lord.

If you are grieving, these verses give you permission to feel it. Jacob cried for years and was still called patient. You can speak to Allah as he did, plainly and about the person you miss, and accept small comforts the way Mary was told to eat and drink. Healing in these stories comes slowly, but it comes.