Sacred texts · Islam
47 Quran verses in English, with surah and verse
The Quran has 114 surahs and 6,236 verses in the most widely used numbering. This page brings together a selection around four themes: God, the One who is near; the signs in creation; kindness toward others; and knowledge. Each verse comes with its surah and verse number, in English from Marmaduke Pickthall’s translation (1930) and in French from Albin de Biberstein Kazimirski’s (1840).
For Muslims, the Quran is the Arabic text; a translation only conveys its meaning, which is why Pickthall called his The Meaning of the Glorious Koran. Both translations are in the public domain, and every verse was checked word for word against them. Topic pages gather the verses about patience, trust in Allah, mercy, anxiety and hard times and gratitude.
Quran verses about God, the One who is near
The opening surah, Al-Fatiha, and the Throne Verse (2:255) are among the most recited passages of the Quran. The other verses in this group speak of one God whom no vision can grasp, and who is nonetheless close: “We are nearer to him than his jugular vein.” (50:16).
Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds.
Thee (alone) we worship; Thee (alone) we ask for help. Show us the straight path.
There is no deity save Him, the Alive, the Eternal. Neither slumber nor sleep overtaketh Him. Unto Him belongeth whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is in the earth.
Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth.
We are nearer to him than his jugular vein.
He is with you wheresoever ye may be.
Unto Allah belong the East and the West, and whithersoever ye turn, there is Allah’s Countenance. Lo! Allah is All-Embracing, All-Knowing.
He is the First and the Last, and the Outward and the Inward; and He is Knower of all things.
Naught is as His likeness; and He is the Hearer, the Seer.
Vision comprehendeth Him not, but He comprehendeth (all) vision. He is the Subtle, the Aware.
He is Allah, than Whom there is no other God, the Knower of the Invisible and the Visible. He is the Beneficent, Merciful.
The Sovereign Lord, the Holy One, Peace, the Keeper of Faith, the Guardian, the Majestic, the Compeller, the Superb.
And with Him are the keys of the Invisible. None but He knoweth them. And He knoweth what is in the land and the sea. Not a leaf falleth but He knoweth it.
Signs in creation: verses about nature
The Quran often asks its reader to look at the world: night giving way to day, rain that makes crops grow, the sun and moon each floating in its orbit, the variety of languages and colors. These verses present nature as a set of signs, or portents, for people who reflect.
Lo! In the creation of the heavens and the earth and (in) the difference of night and day are tokens (of His Sovereignty) for men of understanding.
And He it is Who spread out the earth and placed therein firm hills and flowing streams, and of all fruits He placed therein two spouses (male and female). He covereth the night with the day. Lo! herein verily are portents for people who take thought.
He it is Who sendeth down water from the sky, whence ye have drink, and whence are trees on which ye send your beasts to pasture. Therewith He causeth crops to grow for you, and the olive and the date-palm and grapes and all kinds of fruit. Lo! herein is indeed a portent for people who reflect.
And of His signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the difference of your languages and colours. Lo! herein indeed are portents for men of knowledge.
It is not for the sun to overtake the moon, nor doth the night outstrip the day. They float each in an orbit.
The sun and the moon are made punctual. The stars and the trees prostrate. And the sky He hath uplifted; and He hath set the measure.
He it is Who appointed the sun a splendour and the moon a light.
Have they not seen the birds above them spreading out their wings and closing them? Naught upholdeth them save the Beneficent. Lo! He is Seer of all things.
Hast thou not seen that Allah, He it is Whom all who are in the heavens and the earth praise, and the birds in their flight? Of each He knoweth verily the worship and the praise; and Allah is Aware of what they do.
And He it is Who hath set for you the stars that ye may guide your course by them amid the darkness of the land and the sea. We have detailed Our revelations for a people who have knowledge.
And in the earth are portents for those whose faith is sure. And (also) in yourselves. Can ye then not see?
Though the sea became ink for the Words of my Lord, verily the sea would be used up before the words of my Lord were exhausted, even though We brought the like thereof to help.
Verses about kindness, justice and speech
Speaking kindly, honoring your parents in their old age, staying fair even toward people you dislike, avoiding backbiting and suspicion: a good part of the Quran is about life with others. Verse 49:13 sees the variety of nations and tribes as a chance for people to know one another.
Speak kindly to mankind.
Thy Lord hath decreed, that ye worship none save Him, and (that ye show) kindness to parents. If one of them or both of them attain old age with thee, say not “Fie” unto them nor repulse them, but speak unto them a gracious word.
And lower unto them the wing of submission through mercy, and say: My Lord! Have mercy on them both as they did care for me when I was little.
O mankind! Lo! We have created you male and female, and have made you nations and tribes that ye may know one another. Lo! the noblest of you, in the sight of Allah, is the best in conduct.
Neither defame one another, nor insult one another by nicknames.
Shun much suspicion; for lo! some suspicion is a crime. And spy not, neither backbite one another.
Lo! Allah enjoineth justice and kindness, and giving to kinsfolk, and forbiddeth lewdness and abomination and wickedness. He exhorteth you in order that ye may take heed.
Be steadfast witnesses for Allah in equity, and let not hatred of any people seduce you that ye deal not justly. Deal justly, that is nearer to your duty.
Be modest in thy bearing and subdue thy voice.
Tell My bondmen to speak that which is kindlier.
The (faithful) slaves of the Beneficent are they who walk upon the earth modestly, and when the foolish ones address them answer: Peace.
Help ye one another unto righteousness and pious duty. Help not one another unto sin and transgression.
Verses about knowledge, effort and wisdom
According to Muslim tradition, the first verses revealed are those of Surah 96, which open with the command to read. This group gathers verses that value knowledge, reflection and personal effort, down to the short prayer of verse 20:114, which asks God to increase the knowledge of the one who prays.
My Lord! Increase me in knowledge.
Read: And thy Lord is the Most Bounteous, Who teacheth by the pen, Teacheth man that which he knew not.
Are those who know equal with those who know not?
He giveth wisdom unto whom He will, and he unto whom wisdom is given, he truly hath received abundant good. But none remember except men of understanding.
Allah will exalt those who believe among you, and those who have knowledge, to high ranks.
Call unto the way of thy Lord with wisdom and fair exhortation, and reason with them in the better way.
For indeed it is not the eyes that grow blind, but it is the hearts, which are within the bosoms, that grow blind.
And that man hath only that for which he maketh effort.
And whoso doeth good an atom’s weight will see it then.
And let every soul look to that which it sendeth on before for the morrow. And observe your duty to Allah. Lo! Allah is Informed of what ye do.
How to read these verses
A verse is easier to understand inside its surah: the reference (surah:verse) lets you find it in any printed or online Quran. The numbers follow the standard numbering of today’s editions, which is also the numbering Pickthall used.
You might read one in the morning and carry it through the day, or set the English beside the French: Pickthall and Kazimirski don’t always choose the same words, and the difference often sheds light on the meaning. Pickthall writes in an older English, with “thee” and “hath.” For the context of a verse, a commentary (tafsir) or a knowledgeable person in your community remains the best guide.
In the Selfia app, you can choose the Islam path in Settings › Spirituality: Quran verses then appear in a separate section, never mixed with anything else.
Frequently asked questions
How many verses are in the Quran?
In the most widely used numbering today, the one found in standard printed Qurans, there are 6,236 verses across 114 surahs. Other long-established counting traditions reach slightly different totals because they divide a few verses differently. The text itself is the same; only the way it is split into verses changes.
Who was Marmaduke Pickthall?
Marmaduke Pickthall (1875–1936) was an English novelist who became a Muslim and spent years in India before publishing The Meaning of the Glorious Koran in 1930. His translation is one of the best-known English versions of the twentieth century and is now in the public domain, which is why it can be quoted and checked freely.
Is a translation of the Quran the Quran?
For Muslims, no: the Quran is the Arabic text, and a translation conveys its meaning with the choices and limits of its translator. Pickthall made the point in his very title, The Meaning of the Glorious Koran. The verses on this page are best read as a way into the text, not a replacement for it.
Why do some editions number a verse differently?
Nineteenth-century European editions, including the French one by Kazimirski quoted here, followed the numbering of the scholar Gustav Flügel, which splits some verses differently. The references on this page follow the standard numbering of modern Qurans, so you can find each verse in any recent edition; in an old Kazimirski, look a few verses up or down.