Quran verses about kindness

1. ۞إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَأۡمُرُ بِٱلۡعَدۡلِ وَٱلۡإِحۡسَٰنِ وَإِيتَآيِٕ ذِي ٱلۡقُرۡبَىٰ وَيَنۡهَىٰ عَنِ ٱلۡفَحۡشَآءِ وَٱلۡمُنكَرِ وَٱلۡبَغۡيِۚ يَعِظُكُمۡ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تَذَكَّرُونَ ﴿٩٠﴾

   Allah commands justice, and goodness, and generosity towards relatives. And He forbids immorality, and injustice, and oppression. He advises you, so that you may take heed.

   Allah commands justice, excellence in doing good, and giving to relatives, and forbids indecency, wrongdoing and oppression.

2. ۞وَٱعۡبُدُواْ ٱللَّهَ وَلَا تُشۡرِكُواْ بِهِۦ شَيۡـٔٗاۖ وَبِٱلۡوَٰلِدَيۡنِ إِحۡسَٰنٗا وَبِذِي ٱلۡقُرۡبَىٰ وَٱلۡيَتَٰمَىٰ وَٱلۡمَسَٰكِينِ وَٱلۡجَارِ ذِي ٱلۡقُرۡبَىٰ وَٱلۡجَارِ ٱلۡجُنُبِ وَٱلصَّاحِبِ بِٱلۡجَنۢبِ وَٱبۡنِ ٱلسَّبِيلِ وَمَا مَلَكَتۡ أَيۡمَٰنُكُمۡۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ مَن كَانَ مُخۡتَالٗا فَخُورًا ﴿٣٦﴾

   Worship Allah, and ascribe no partners to Him, and be good to the parents, and the relatives, and the orphans, and the poor, and the neighbor next door, and the distant neighbor, and the close associate, and the traveler, and your servants. Allah does not love the arrogant showoff.

   After worshiping Allah alone, believers are told to be good to parents, relatives, orphans, the poor, the near and distant neighbor, companions, travelers and those in their care.

3. وَإِذۡ أَخَذۡنَا مِيثَٰقَ بَنِيٓ إِسۡرَـٰٓءِيلَ لَا تَعۡبُدُونَ إِلَّا ٱللَّهَ وَبِٱلۡوَٰلِدَيۡنِ إِحۡسَانٗا وَذِي ٱلۡقُرۡبَىٰ وَٱلۡيَتَٰمَىٰ وَٱلۡمَسَٰكِينِ وَقُولُواْ لِلنَّاسِ حُسۡنٗا وَأَقِيمُواْ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَءَاتُواْ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ ثُمَّ تَوَلَّيۡتُمۡ إِلَّا قَلِيلٗا مِّنكُمۡ وَأَنتُم مُّعۡرِضُونَ ﴿٨٣﴾

   We made a covenant with the Children of Israel: “Worship none but Allah; and be good to parents, and relatives, and orphans, and the needy; and speak nicely to people; and pray regularly, and give alms.” Then you turned away, except for a few of you, recanting.

   Part of the covenant taken from the Children of Israel was to be good to parents and the needy and to speak kindly to people.

4. ۞وَقَضَىٰ رَبُّكَ أَلَّا تَعۡبُدُوٓاْ إِلَّآ إِيَّاهُ وَبِٱلۡوَٰلِدَيۡنِ إِحۡسَٰنًاۚ إِمَّا يَبۡلُغَنَّ عِندَكَ ٱلۡكِبَرَ أَحَدُهُمَآ أَوۡ كِلَاهُمَا فَلَا تَقُل لَّهُمَآ أُفّٖ وَلَا تَنۡهَرۡهُمَا وَقُل لَّهُمَا قَوۡلٗا كَرِيمٗا ﴿٢٣﴾

   Your Lord has commanded that you worship none but Him, and that you be good to your parents. If either of them or both of them reach old age with you, do not say to them a word of disrespect, nor scold them, but say to them kind words.

   Parents in old age are to be spoken to with gentle, honorable words, never with even a sound of irritation.

5. وَإِمَّا تُعۡرِضَنَّ عَنۡهُمُ ٱبۡتِغَآءَ رَحۡمَةٖ مِّن رَّبِّكَ تَرۡجُوهَا فَقُل لَّهُمۡ قَوۡلٗا مَّيۡسُورٗا ﴿٢٨﴾

   But if you turn away from them, seeking mercy from your Lord which you hope for, then say to them words of comfort.

   If you cannot give to someone who asks, you should at least speak to them with gentle, easy words.

6. وَقُل لِّعِبَادِي يَقُولُواْ ٱلَّتِي هِيَ أَحۡسَنُۚ إِنَّ ٱلشَّيۡطَٰنَ يَنزَغُ بَيۡنَهُمۡۚ إِنَّ ٱلشَّيۡطَٰنَ كَانَ لِلۡإِنسَٰنِ عَدُوّٗا مُّبِينٗا ﴿٥٣﴾

   Tell My servants to say what is best. Satan sows discord among them. Satan is to man an open enemy.

   Allah tells His servants to say what is best, because harsh words give Satan room to sow discord.

7. فَقُولَا لَهُۥ قَوۡلٗا لَّيِّنٗا لَّعَلَّهُۥ يَتَذَكَّرُ أَوۡ يَخۡشَىٰ ﴿٤٤﴾

   But speak to him nicely. Perhaps he will remember, or have some fear.”

   Even when sent to Pharaoh, a tyrant, Moses and Aaron are told to speak to him gently, in the hope that he might reflect.

8. وَإِذَا حُيِّيتُم بِتَحِيَّةٖ فَحَيُّواْ بِأَحۡسَنَ مِنۡهَآ أَوۡ رُدُّوهَآۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيۡءٍ حَسِيبًا ﴿٨٦﴾

   When you are greeted with a greeting, respond with a better greeting, or return it. Allah keeps count of everything.

   When someone greets you, answer with a better greeting or at least return it.

9. وَعِبَادُ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلَّذِينَ يَمۡشُونَ عَلَى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ هَوۡنٗا وَإِذَا خَاطَبَهُمُ ٱلۡجَٰهِلُونَ قَالُواْ سَلَٰمٗا ﴿٦٣﴾

   The servants of the Merciful are those who walk the earth in humility, and when the ignorant address them, they say, “Peace.”

   The servants of the Most Merciful walk humbly on the earth and answer ignorant people with words of peace.

10. وَلَا تُصَعِّرۡ خَدَّكَ لِلنَّاسِ وَلَا تَمۡشِ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ مَرَحًاۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ كُلَّ مُخۡتَالٖ فَخُورٖ ﴿١٨﴾ وَٱقۡصِدۡ فِي مَشۡيِكَ وَٱغۡضُضۡ مِن صَوۡتِكَۚ إِنَّ أَنكَرَ ٱلۡأَصۡوَٰتِ لَصَوۡتُ ٱلۡحَمِيرِ ﴿١٩﴾

    ¹⁸And do not treat people with arrogance, nor walk proudly on earth. Allah does not love the arrogant showoffs. ¹⁹And moderate your stride, and lower your voice. The most repulsive of voices is the donkey’s voice.”

    Luqman tells his son not to treat people with arrogance or walk proudly, but to walk with moderation and to lower his voice.

11. فَأَمَّا ٱلۡيَتِيمَ فَلَا تَقۡهَرۡ ﴿٩﴾ وَأَمَّا ٱلسَّآئِلَ فَلَا تَنۡهَرۡ ﴿١٠﴾

    ⁹Therefore, do not mistreat the orphan. ¹⁰Nor rebuff the seeker.

    The Prophet ﷺ, himself once an orphan, is told not to mistreat the orphan or turn away the one who asks.

12. وَٱبۡتَغِ فِيمَآ ءَاتَىٰكَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلدَّارَ ٱلۡأٓخِرَةَۖ وَلَا تَنسَ نَصِيبَكَ مِنَ ٱلدُّنۡيَاۖ وَأَحۡسِن كَمَآ أَحۡسَنَ ٱللَّهُ إِلَيۡكَۖ وَلَا تَبۡغِ ٱلۡفَسَادَ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ ٱلۡمُفۡسِدِينَ ﴿٧٧﴾

    But seek, with what Allah has given you, the Home of the Hereafter, and do not neglect your share of this world. And be charitable, as Allah has been charitable to you. And do not seek corruption in the land. Allah does not like the seekers of corruption.”

    Korah's (Qarun's) own people told him to do good as Allah had done good to him, rather than spreading corruption.

13. هَلۡ جَزَآءُ ٱلۡإِحۡسَٰنِ إِلَّا ٱلۡإِحۡسَٰنُ ﴿٦٠﴾

    Is the reward of goodness anything but goodness?

    Surah Ar-Rahman asks whether the reward for goodness can be anything but goodness.

Most of the kindness these verses describe costs nothing: a softer tone, a returned greeting, a few gentle words to someone you cannot help, patience with an aging parent. If you want to act on just one, try 17:53 for a day and choose the best words available each time you speak.