Quran verses about nature

1. إِنَّ فِي خَلۡقِ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَٱخۡتِلَٰفِ ٱلَّيۡلِ وَٱلنَّهَارِ وَٱلۡفُلۡكِ ٱلَّتِي تَجۡرِي فِي ٱلۡبَحۡرِ بِمَا يَنفَعُ ٱلنَّاسَ وَمَآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ مِن مَّآءٖ فَأَحۡيَا بِهِ ٱلۡأَرۡضَ بَعۡدَ مَوۡتِهَا وَبَثَّ فِيهَا مِن كُلِّ دَآبَّةٖ وَتَصۡرِيفِ ٱلرِّيَٰحِ وَٱلسَّحَابِ ٱلۡمُسَخَّرِ بَيۡنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ لَأٓيَٰتٖ لِّقَوۡمٖ يَعۡقِلُونَ ﴿١٦٤﴾

   In the creation of the heavens and the earth; in the alternation of night and day; in the ships that sail the oceans for the benefit of mankind; in the water that Allah sends down from the sky, and revives the earth with it after it had died, and scatters in it all kinds of creatures; in the changing of the winds, and the clouds disposed between the sky and the earth; are signs for people who understand.

   A long verse listing signs for people who understand: the heavens and earth, night and day, ships at sea, rain reviving dead land, scattered creatures, winds and clouds.

2. أَوَلَمۡ يَرَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوٓاْ أَنَّ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضَ كَانَتَا رَتۡقٗا فَفَتَقۡنَٰهُمَاۖ وَجَعَلۡنَا مِنَ ٱلۡمَآءِ كُلَّ شَيۡءٍ حَيٍّۚ أَفَلَا يُؤۡمِنُونَ ﴿٣٠﴾

   Do the disbelievers not see that the heavens and the earth were one mass, and We tore them apart? And We made from water every living thing. Will they not believe?

   Allah made every living thing from water.

3. هُوَ ٱلَّذِيٓ أَنزَلَ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ مَآءٗۖ لَّكُم مِّنۡهُ شَرَابࣱ وَمِنۡهُ شَجَرࣱ فِيهِ تُسِيمُونَ ﴿١٠﴾ يُنۢبِتُ لَكُم بِهِ ٱلزَّرۡعَ وَٱلزَّيۡتُونَ وَٱلنَّخِيلَ وَٱلۡأَعۡنَٰبَ وَمِن كُلِّ ٱلثَّمَرَٰتِۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَأٓيَةٗ لِّقَوۡمٖ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ ﴿١١﴾

   ¹⁰It is He who sends down for you from the sky water. From it is drink, and with it grows vegetation for grazing. ¹¹And He produces for you grains with it, and olives, and date-palms, and grapes, and all kinds of fruits. Surely in that is a sign for people who think.

   Rain from the sky gives drink and grows pasture, crops, olives, dates, grapes and every kind of fruit.

4. وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِيٓ أَنزَلَ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ مَآءٗ فَأَخۡرَجۡنَا بِهِۦ نَبَاتَ كُلِّ شَيۡءٖ فَأَخۡرَجۡنَا مِنۡهُ خَضِرٗا نُّخۡرِجُ مِنۡهُ حَبّٗا مُّتَرَاكِبٗا وَمِنَ ٱلنَّخۡلِ مِن طَلۡعِهَا قِنۡوَانࣱ دَانِيَةࣱ وَجَنَّـٰتٖ مِّنۡ أَعۡنَابٖ وَٱلزَّيۡتُونَ وَٱلرُّمَّانَ مُشۡتَبِهٗا وَغَيۡرَ مُتَشَٰبِهٍۗ ٱنظُرُوٓاْ إِلَىٰ ثَمَرِهِۦٓ إِذَآ أَثۡمَرَ وَيَنۡعِهِۦٓۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكُمۡ لَأٓيَٰتٖ لِّقَوۡمٖ يُؤۡمِنُونَ ﴿٩٩﴾

   And it is He who sends down water from the sky. With it We produce vegetation of all kinds, from which We bring greenery, from which We produce grains in clusters. And palm-trees with hanging clusters, and vineyards, and olives, and pomegranates—similar and dissimilar. Watch their fruits as they grow and ripen. Surely in this are signs for people who believe.

   Allah brings out green shoots, clustered grain, date palms, vineyards, olives and pomegranates, and tells people to look at fruit as it grows and ripens.

5. فَلۡيَنظُرِ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنُ إِلَىٰ طَعَامِهِۦٓ ﴿٢٤﴾ أَنَّا صَبَبۡنَا ٱلۡمَآءَ صَبّٗا ﴿٢٥﴾ ثُمَّ شَقَقۡنَا ٱلۡأَرۡضَ شَقّٗا ﴿٢٦﴾ فَأَنۢبَتۡنَا فِيهَا حَبّٗا ﴿٢٧﴾

   ²⁴Let man consider his food. ²⁵We pour down water in abundance. ²⁶Then crack the soil open. ²⁷And grow in it grains.

   Surah Abasa asks people to consider their food: rain poured down, the soil split open, and grain growing from it. The verses that follow go on to grapes, olives, dates and fruit.

6. فَٱنظُرۡ إِلَىٰٓ ءَاثَٰرِ رَحۡمَتِ ٱللَّهِ كَيۡفَ يُحۡيِ ٱلۡأَرۡضَ بَعۡدَ مَوۡتِهَآۚ إِنَّ ذَٰلِكَ لَمُحۡيِ ٱلۡمَوۡتَىٰۖ وَهُوَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيۡءٖ قَدِيرࣱ ﴿٥٠﴾

   So observe the effects of Allah’s mercy—how He revives the earth after it was dead. Indeed, He is the Reviver of the dead. He is Capable of everything.

   People are told to look at the traces of Allah's mercy in how He brings the earth back to life after it was dead.

7. وَأَوۡحَىٰ رَبُّكَ إِلَى ٱلنَّحۡلِ أَنِ ٱتَّخِذِي مِنَ ٱلۡجِبَالِ بُيُوتٗا وَمِنَ ٱلشَّجَرِ وَمِمَّا يَعۡرِشُونَ ﴿٦٨﴾ ثُمَّ كُلِي مِن كُلِّ ٱلثَّمَرَٰتِ فَٱسۡلُكِي سُبُلَ رَبِّكِ ذُلُلٗاۚ يَخۡرُجُ مِنۢ بُطُونِهَا شَرَابࣱ مُّخۡتَلِفٌ أَلۡوَٰنُهُۥ فِيهِ شِفَآءࣱ لِّلنَّاسِۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَأٓيَةٗ لِّقَوۡمٖ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ ﴿٦٩﴾

   ⁶⁸And your Lord inspired the bee: “Set up hives in the mountains, and in the trees, and in what they construct.” ⁶⁹“Then eat of all the fruits, and go along the pathways of your Lord, with precision.” From their bellies emerges a fluid of diverse colors, containing healing for the people. Surely in this is a sign for people who reflect.

   Allah inspired the bee to make homes in mountains, trees and human structures, and from it comes a drink of many colors with healing in it.

8. وَمَا مِن دَآبَّةٖ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَلَا طَـٰٓئِرٖ يَطِيرُ بِجَنَاحَيۡهِ إِلَّآ أُمَمٌ أَمۡثَالُكُمۚ مَّا فَرَّطۡنَا فِي ٱلۡكِتَٰبِ مِن شَيۡءٖۚ ثُمَّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّهِمۡ يُحۡشَرُونَ ﴿٣٨﴾

   There is no animal on land, nor a bird flying with its wings, but are communities like you. We neglected nothing in the Scripture. Then to their Lord they will be gathered.

   Every creature on land and every bird with its wings belongs to a community like people.

9. أَوَلَمۡ يَرَوۡاْ إِلَى ٱلطَّيۡرِ فَوۡقَهُمۡ صَـٰٓفَّـٰتٖ وَيَقۡبِضۡنَۚ مَا يُمۡسِكُهُنَّ إِلَّا ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنُۚ إِنَّهُۥ بِكُلِّ شَيۡءِۭ بَصِيرٌ ﴿١٩﴾

   Have they not seen the birds above them, spreading their wings, and folding them? None holds them except the Compassionate. He is Perceiver of everything.

   Birds spread and fold their wings above us, and none holds them up but the Most Merciful.

10. أَلَمۡ تَرَ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُسَبِّحُ لَهُۥ مَن فِي ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَٱلطَّيۡرُ صَـٰٓفَّـٰتٖۖ كُلࣱّ قَدۡ عَلِمَ صَلَاتَهُۥ وَتَسۡبِيحَهُۥۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمُۢ بِمَا يَفۡعَلُونَ ﴿٤١﴾

    Do you not realize that Allah is glorified by whatever is in the heavens and the earth, and even by the birds in formation? Each knows its prayer and its manner of praise. Allah knows well what they do.

    Everything in the heavens and earth glorifies Allah, even birds with outstretched wings, each knowing its own prayer and praise.

11. أَلَمۡ تَرَ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ أَنزَلَ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ مَآءٗ فَأَخۡرَجۡنَا بِهِۦ ثَمَرَٰتٖ مُّخۡتَلِفًا أَلۡوَٰنُهَاۚ وَمِنَ ٱلۡجِبَالِ جُدَدُۢ بِيضࣱ وَحُمۡرࣱ مُّخۡتَلِفٌ أَلۡوَٰنُهَا وَغَرَابِيبُ سُودࣱ ﴿٢٧﴾ وَمِنَ ٱلنَّاسِ وَٱلدَّوَآبِّ وَٱلۡأَنۡعَٰمِ مُخۡتَلِفٌ أَلۡوَٰنُهُۥ كَذَٰلِكَۗ إِنَّمَا يَخۡشَى ٱللَّهَ مِنۡ عِبَادِهِ ٱلۡعُلَمَـٰٓؤُاْۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَزِيزٌ غَفُورٌ ﴿٢٨﴾

    ²⁷Have you not seen that Allah sends down water from the sky? With it We produce fruits of various colors. And in the mountains are streaks of white and red—varying in their hue—and pitch-black. ²⁸Likewise, human beings, animals, and livestock come in various colors. From among His servants, the learned fear Allah. Allah is Almighty, Oft-Forgiving.

    Rain brings out fruits of many colors, mountains have streaks of white, red and black, and people and animals vary in color too.

12. أَفَلَا يَنظُرُونَ إِلَى ٱلۡإِبِلِ كَيۡفَ خُلِقَتۡ ﴿١٧﴾ وَإِلَى ٱلسَّمَآءِ كَيۡفَ رُفِعَتۡ ﴿١٨﴾ وَإِلَى ٱلۡجِبَالِ كَيۡفَ نُصِبَتۡ ﴿١٩﴾ وَإِلَى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ كَيۡفَ سُطِحَتۡ ﴿٢٠﴾

    ¹⁷Do they not look at the camels—how they are created? ¹⁸And at the sky—how it is raised? ¹⁹And at the mountains—how they are installed? ²⁰And at the earth—how it is spread out?

    Surah Al-Ghashiyah asks people to look at how the camel was created, the sky raised, the mountains set and the earth spread out.

13. وَٱلشَّمۡسُ تَجۡرِي لِمُسۡتَقَرّٖ لَّهَاۚ ذَٰلِكَ تَقۡدِيرُ ٱلۡعَزِيزِ ٱلۡعَلِيمِ ﴿٣٨﴾ وَٱلۡقَمَرَ قَدَّرۡنَٰهُ مَنَازِلَ حَتَّىٰ عَادَ كَٱلۡعُرۡجُونِ ٱلۡقَدِيمِ ﴿٣٩﴾ لَا ٱلشَّمۡسُ يَنۢبَغِي لَهَآ أَن تُدۡرِكَ ٱلۡقَمَرَ وَلَا ٱلَّيۡلُ سَابِقُ ٱلنَّهَارِۚ وَكُلࣱّ فِي فَلَكٖ يَسۡبَحُونَ ﴿٤٠﴾

    ³⁸And the sun runs towards its destination. Such is the design of the Almighty, the All-Knowing. ³⁹And the moon: We have disposed it in phases, until it returns like the old twig. ⁴⁰The sun is not to overtake the moon, nor is the night to outpace the day. Each floats in an orbit.

    The sun runs toward its resting place, the moon passes through phases, and each floats in its own orbit.

These verses work best outside, or at least by a window. Next time it rains, or you eat a piece of fruit, or you see birds overhead, you might recall one of them. The Quran's suggestion is simple: look closely at ordinary things, and let what you see lead you back to the One who made them.