Quran verses about sadness

1. وَٱلضُّحَىٰ ﴿١﴾ وَٱلَّيۡلِ إِذَا سَجَىٰ ﴿٢﴾ مَا وَدَّعَكَ رَبُّكَ وَمَا قَلَىٰ ﴿٣﴾ وَلَلۡأٓخِرَةُ خَيۡرࣱ لَّكَ مِنَ ٱلۡأُولَىٰ ﴿٤﴾

   ¹By the morning light. ²And the night as it settles. ³Your Lord did not abandon you, nor did He forget. ⁴The Hereafter is better for you than the First.

   Surah Ad-Duha swears by the morning light and the still night that the Prophet's ﷺ Lord has not abandoned him or forgotten him, and that what comes later will be better.

2. فَإِنَّ مَعَ ٱلۡعُسۡرِ يُسۡرًا ﴿٥﴾ إِنَّ مَعَ ٱلۡعُسۡرِ يُسۡرٗا ﴿٦﴾ فَإِذَا فَرَغۡتَ فَٱنصَبۡ ﴿٧﴾ وَإِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ فَٱرۡغَب ﴿٨﴾

   ⁵With hardship comes ease. ⁶With hardship comes ease. ⁷When your work is done, turn to devotion. ⁸And to your Lord turn for everything.

   Surah Ash-Sharh twice promises that ease comes with hardship, then tells the Prophet ﷺ to turn to devotion and to his Lord once his work is done.

3. وَلَقَدۡ نَعۡلَمُ أَنَّكَ يَضِيقُ صَدۡرُكَ بِمَا يَقُولُونَ ﴿٩٧﴾ فَسَبِّحۡ بِحَمۡدِ رَبِّكَ وَكُن مِّنَ ٱلسَّـٰجِدِينَ ﴿٩٨﴾

   ⁹⁷We are aware that your heart is strained by what they say. ⁹⁸So glorify the praise of your Lord, and be among those who bow down.

   Allah tells the Prophet ﷺ He knows his chest is tight because of what people say, and directs him to glorify his Lord and pray.

4. قَدۡ نَعۡلَمُ إِنَّهُۥ لَيَحۡزُنُكَ ٱلَّذِي يَقُولُونَۖ فَإِنَّهُمۡ لَا يُكَذِّبُونَكَ وَلَٰكِنَّ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ بِـَٔايَٰتِ ٱللَّهِ يَجۡحَدُونَ ﴿٣٣﴾

   We know that what they say grieves you. It is not you they reject, but it is Allah’s revelations that the wicked deny.

   Allah knows the Prophet ﷺ is saddened by what people say, and comforts him that it is not really him they are rejecting.

5. وَلَا يَحۡزُنكَ قَوۡلُهُمۡۘ إِنَّ ٱلۡعِزَّةَ لِلَّهِ جَمِيعًاۚ هُوَ ٱلسَّمِيعُ ٱلۡعَلِيمُ ﴿٦٥﴾

   And let not their sayings dishearten you. All power is Allah’s. He is the Hearer, the Knower.

   The Prophet ﷺ is told not to let people's words sadden him, because all honor and power belong to Allah.

6. إِلَّا تَنصُرُوهُ فَقَدۡ نَصَرَهُ ٱللَّهُ إِذۡ أَخۡرَجَهُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ ثَانِيَ ٱثۡنَيۡنِ إِذۡ هُمَا فِي ٱلۡغَارِ إِذۡ يَقُولُ لِصَٰحِبِهِۦ لَا تَحۡزَنۡ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ مَعَنَاۖ فَأَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ سَكِينَتَهُۥ عَلَيۡهِ وَأَيَّدَهُۥ بِجُنُودٖ لَّمۡ تَرَوۡهَا وَجَعَلَ كَلِمَةَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ ٱلسُّفۡلَىٰۗ وَكَلِمَةُ ٱللَّهِ هِيَ ٱلۡعُلۡيَاۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ ﴿٤٠﴾

   If you do not help him, Allah has already helped him, when those who disbelieved expelled him, and he was the second of two in the cave. He said to his friend, “Do not worry, Allah is with us.” And Allah made His tranquility descend upon him, and supported him with forces you did not see, and made the word of those who disbelieved the lowest, while the Word of Allah is the Highest. Allah is Mighty and Wise.

   Hiding in the cave during the emigration, the Prophet ﷺ tells his companion not to be sad, because Allah is with them.

7. إِذۡ تَمۡشِيٓ أُخۡتُكَ فَتَقُولُ هَلۡ أَدُلُّكُمۡ عَلَىٰ مَن يَكۡفُلُهُۥۖ فَرَجَعۡنَٰكَ إِلَىٰٓ أُمِّكَ كَيۡ تَقَرَّ عَيۡنُهَا وَلَا تَحۡزَنَۚ وَقَتَلۡتَ نَفۡسٗا فَنَجَّيۡنَٰكَ مِنَ ٱلۡغَمِّ وَفَتَنَّـٰكَ فُتُونٗاۚ فَلَبِثۡتَ سِنِينَ فِيٓ أَهۡلِ مَدۡيَنَ ثُمَّ جِئۡتَ عَلَىٰ قَدَرٖ يَٰمُوسَىٰ ﴿٤٠﴾

   When your sister walked along, and said, ‘Shall I tell you about someone who will take care of him?’ So We returned you to your mother, that she may be comforted, and not sorrow. And you killed a person, but We saved you from stress; and We tested you thoroughly. And you stayed years among the people of Midian. Then you came back, as ordained, O Moses.

   Allah reminds Moses of how He returned him as a baby to his mother so that she would be comforted and not grieve.

8. 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 (Yaqub) says that he complains of his sorrow only to Allah.

9. وَلَا تَهِنُواْ وَلَا تَحۡزَنُواْ وَأَنتُمُ ٱلۡأَعۡلَوۡنَ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤۡمِنِينَ ﴿١٣٩﴾

   And do not waver, nor feel remorse. You are the superior ones, if you are believers.

   After a painful defeat, believers are told not to lose heart or be sad, because they are uppermost if they truly believe.

10. قُلۡنَا ٱهۡبِطُواْ مِنۡهَا جَمِيعٗاۖ فَإِمَّا يَأۡتِيَنَّكُم مِّنِّي هُدٗى فَمَن تَبِعَ هُدَايَ فَلَا خَوۡفٌ عَلَيۡهِمۡ وَلَا هُمۡ يَحۡزَنُونَ ﴿٣٨﴾

    We said, “Go down from it, all of you. Yet whenever guidance comes to you from Me, then whoever follows My guidance—they have nothing to fear, nor shall they grieve.

    When Adam and his wife are sent down to earth, Allah promises that whoever follows His guidance will have no fear and will not grieve.

11. إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ قَالُواْ رَبُّنَا ٱللَّهُ ثُمَّ ٱسۡتَقَٰمُواْ تَتَنَزَّلُ عَلَيۡهِمُ ٱلۡمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ أَلَّا تَخَافُواْ وَلَا تَحۡزَنُواْ وَأَبۡشِرُواْ بِٱلۡجَنَّةِ ٱلَّتِي كُنتُمۡ تُوعَدُونَ ﴿٣٠﴾

    Surely, those who say, “Our Lord is Allah,” and then go straight, the angels will descend upon them: “Do not fear, and do not grieve, but rejoice in the news of the Garden which you were promised.

    Angels come to those who believe and stay upright, telling them not to fear or grieve.

12. وَقَالُواْ ٱلۡحَمۡدُ لِلَّهِ ٱلَّذِيٓ أَذۡهَبَ عَنَّا ٱلۡحَزَنَۖ إِنَّ رَبَّنَا لَغَفُورࣱ شَكُورٌ ﴿٣٤﴾

    And they will say, “Praise Allah, who has lifted all sorrow from us. Our Lord is Most Forgiving, Most Appreciative.

    The people of Paradise praise Allah who has removed all sadness from them.

Sadness is not treated as a failure in these verses. The Prophet ﷺ felt it, and Allah answered with closeness rather than correction. If you are low today, it is fine to simply read Surah Ad-Duha slowly and let its first words, about morning light after the night, be the whole of what you take from it.