Quran · Topic
Quran verses about death and the hereafter
Death is the one certainty the Quran returns to again and again. Every soul will taste it, and the real reward is in the Hereafter. For the grieving, the Quran offers the words 'to Allah we belong and to Him we return' and the reminder that only Allah endures while everything else perishes. Read these verses for comfort in loss and to remember the return.
The verses below are the ones most often turned to for comfort in grief and remembrance of death.
5 key verses at a glance
- Quran 2:156— To Allah we belong, and to Him we returnMyQuran.io
- Quran 3:185— Every soul will taste deathMyQuran.io
- Quran 21:35— We test you with good and evil, to Us you returnMyQuran.io
- Quran 28:88— Everything will perish except His FaceMyQuran.io
- Quran 57:2— He gives life and He causes deathMyQuran.io
To Allah we belong, and to Him we return
Grief
ٱلَّذِينَ إِذَآ أَصَٰبَتْهُم مُّصِيبَةٌ قَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّآ إِلَيْهِ رَٰجِعُونَ
who, when faced with a disaster, say, “Surely to Allah we belong and to Him we will ˹all˺ return.”
To Allah we belong, and to Him we return.
Every soul will taste death
Death
كُلُّ نَفْسٍ ذَآئِقَةُ ٱلْمَوْتِ ۗ وَإِنَّمَا تُوَفَّوْنَ أُجُورَكُمْ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَٰمَةِ ۖ فَمَن زُحْزِحَ عَنِ ٱلنَّارِ وَأُدْخِلَ ٱلْجَنَّةَ فَقَدْ فَازَ ۗ وَمَا ٱلْحَيَوٰةُ ٱلدُّنْيَآ إِلَّا مَتَٰعُ ٱلْغُرُورِ
Every soul will taste death, and you will only be given your [full] compensation on the Day of Resurrection. So he who is drawn away from the Fire and admitted to Paradise has attained [his desire]. And what is the life of this world except the enjoyment of delusion.
Every soul will taste death — the real reward is in the Hereafter.
Reference
Surah Aal-E-Imran (The Family of Imran) — Quran 3:185Read the full verse and its context on MyQuran.io
We test you with good and evil, to Us you return
Death
كُلُّ نَفْسٍ ذَآئِقَةُ ٱلْمَوْتِ ۗ وَنَبْلُوكُم بِٱلشَّرِّ وَٱلْخَيْرِ فِتْنَةً ۖ وَإِلَيْنَا تُرْجَعُونَ
Every soul will taste death. And We test you ˹O humanity˺ with good and evil as a trial, then to Us you will ˹all˺ be returned
We test you with good and evil — to Us you return.
Reference
Surah Al-Anbiya (The Prophets) — Quran 21:35Read the full verse and its context on MyQuran.io
Everything will perish except His Face
Death
وَلَا تَدۡعُ مَعَ ٱللَّهِ إِلَـٰهًا ءَاخَرَۘ لَاۤ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَۚ كُلُّ شَیۡءٍ هَالِكٌ إِلَّا وَجۡهَهُۥۚ لَهُ ٱلۡحُكۡمُ وَإِلَیۡهِ تُرۡجَعُونَ
And do not invoke with Allah another deity. There is no deity except Him. Everything will be destroyed except His Face. His is the judgement, and to Him you will be returned.
Everything will perish except His Face.
Reference
Surah Al-Qasas (سُورَةُ القَصَصِ) — Quran 28:88Read the full verse and its context on MyQuran.io
He gives life and He causes death
Death
لَهُۥ مُلْكُ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ۖ يُحْىِۦ وَيُمِيتُ ۖ وَهُوَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدِيرٌ
To Him belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth. He gives life and causes death. And He is Most Capable of everything
He gives life and He causes death — His is the dominion.
English: The Clear Quran by Dr. Mustafa Khattab, via MyQuran.io. Arabic: Tanzil / Uthmani text.