Quran Verses about Work and effort

وَقُلِ ٱعۡمَلُواْ فَسَيَرَى ٱللَّهُ عَمَلَكُمۡ وَرَسُولُهُۥ وَٱلۡمُؤۡمِنُونَۖ وَسَتُرَدُّونَ إِلَىٰ عَٰلِمِ ٱلۡغَيۡبِ وَٱلشَّهَٰدَةِ فَيُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا كُنتُمۡ تَعۡمَلُونَ ١٠٥

Wa quliʿmalū fasayarallāhu ʿamalakum wa rasūluhū wal-muʾminūn, wa saturaddūna ilā ʿālimil-ghaybi wash-shahādati fayunabbiʾukum bimā kuntum taʿmalūn.

And say, "Do [as you will], for Allāh will see your deeds, and [so will] His Messenger and the believers. And you will be returned to the Knower of the unseen and the witnessed, and He will inform you of what you used to do."

لَيۡسَ عَلَيۡكُمۡ جُنَاحٌ أَن تَبۡتَغُواْ فَضۡلٗا مِّن رَّبِّكُمۡۚ فَإِذَآ أَفَضۡتُم مِّنۡ عَرَفَٰتٖ فَٱذۡكُرُواْ ٱللَّهَ عِندَ ٱلۡمَشۡعَرِ ٱلۡحَرَامِۖ وَٱذۡكُرُوهُ كَمَا هَدَىٰكُمۡ وَإِن كُنتُم مِّن قَبۡلِهِۦ لَمِنَ ٱلضَّآلِّينَ ١٩٨

Laysa ʿalaykum junāḥun an tabtaghū faḍlam mir rabbikum, fa idhā afaḍtum min ʿarafātin fadhkurullāha ʿindal-mashʿaril-ḥarām, wadhkurūhu kamā hadākum wa in kuntum min qablihī laminaḍ-ḍāllīn.

There is no blame upon you for seeking bounty¹ from your Lord [during ḥajj]. But when you depart from ʿArafāt, remember Allāh at al-Mashʿar al-Ḥarām.² And remember Him, as He has guided you, for indeed, you were before that among those astray.

وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِي سَخَّرَ ٱلۡبَحۡرَ لِتَأۡكُلُواْ مِنۡهُ لَحۡمٗا طَرِيّٗا وَتَسۡتَخۡرِجُواْ مِنۡهُ حِلۡيَةٗ تَلۡبَسُونَهَاۖ وَتَرَى ٱلۡفُلۡكَ مَوَاخِرَ فِيهِ وَلِتَبۡتَغُواْ مِن فَضۡلِهِۦ وَلَعَلَّكُمۡ تَشۡكُرُونَ ١٤

Wa huwal-ladhī sakhkharal-baḥra litaʾkulū minhu laḥman ṭariyyaw wa tastakhrijū minhu ḥilyatan talbasūnahā, wa taral-fulka mawākhira fīhi walitabtaghū min faḍlihī wa laʿallakum tashkurūn.

And it is He who subjected the sea for you to eat from it tender meat and to extract from it ornaments which you wear. And you see the ships plowing through it, and [He subjected it] that you may seek of His bounty; and perhaps you will be grateful.

وَجَعَلۡنَا ٱلَّيۡلَ وَٱلنَّهَارَ ءَايَتَيۡنِۖ فَمَحَوۡنَآ ءَايَةَ ٱلَّيۡلِ وَجَعَلۡنَآ ءَايَةَ ٱلنَّهَارِ مُبۡصِرَةٗ لِّتَبۡتَغُواْ فَضۡلٗا مِّن رَّبِّكُمۡ وَلِتَعۡلَمُواْ عَدَدَ ٱلسِّنِينَ وَٱلۡحِسَابَۚ وَكُلَّ شَيۡءٖ فَصَّلۡنَٰهُ تَفۡصِيلٗا ١٢

Wa jaʿalnal-layla wan-nahāra āyatayn, famaḥawnā āyatal-layli wa jaʿalnā āyatan-nahāri mubṣiratal litabtaghū faḍlam mir rabbikum walitaʿlamū ʿadadas-sinīna wal-ḥisāb, wa kulla shayʾin faṣṣalnāhu tafṣīlā.

And We have made the night and day two signs, and We erased the sign of the night and made the sign of the day visible¹ that you may seek bounty from your Lord and may know the number of years and the account [of time]. And everything We have set out in detail.

وَمِن رَّحۡمَتِهِۦ جَعَلَ لَكُمُ ٱلَّيۡلَ وَٱلنَّهَارَ لِتَسۡكُنُواْ فِيهِ وَلِتَبۡتَغُواْ مِن فَضۡلِهِۦ وَلَعَلَّكُمۡ تَشۡكُرُونَ ٧٣

Wa mir raḥmatihī jaʿala lakumul-layla wan-nahāra litaskunū fīhi walitabtaghū min faḍlihī wa laʿallakum tashkurūn.

And out of His mercy He made for you the night and the day that you may rest therein and [by day] seek from His bounty and [that] perhaps you will be grateful.

وَمِنۡ ءَايَٰتِهِۦ مَنَامُكُم بِٱلَّيۡلِ وَٱلنَّهَارِ وَٱبۡتِغَآؤُكُم مِّن فَضۡلِهِۦٓۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَأٓيَٰتٖ لِّقَوۡمٖ يَسۡمَعُونَ ٢٣

Wa min āyātihī manāmukum bil-layli wan-nahāri wabtighāʾukum min faḍlih, inna fī dhālika laʾāyātil liqawmiy yasmaʿūn.

And of His signs is your sleep by night and day and your seeking of His bounty. Indeed in that are signs for a people who listen.

فَإِذَا قُضِيَتِ ٱلصَّلَوٰةُ فَٱنتَشِرُواْ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَٱبۡتَغُواْ مِن فَضۡلِ ٱللَّهِ وَٱذۡكُرُواْ ٱللَّهَ كَثِيرٗا لَّعَلَّكُمۡ تُفۡلِحُونَ ١٠

Fa idhā quḍiyatiṣ-ṣalātu fantashirū fil-arḍi wabtaghū min faḍlillāhi wadhkurullāha kathīral laʿallakum tufliḥūn.

And when the prayer has been concluded, disperse within the land and seek from the bounty of Allāh, and remember Allāh often that you may succeed.

هُوَ ٱلَّذِي جَعَلَ لَكُمُ ٱلۡأَرۡضَ ذَلُولٗا فَٱمۡشُواْ فِي مَنَاكِبِهَا وَكُلُواْ مِن رِّزۡقِهِۦۖ وَإِلَيۡهِ ٱلنُّشُورُ ١٥

Huwal-ladhī jaʿala lakumul-arḍa dhalūlan famshū fī manākibihā wa kulū mir rizqih, wa ilayhin-nushūr.

It is He who made the earth tame¹ for you - so walk among its slopes and eat of His provision - and to Him is the resurrection.

۞ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ يَعۡلَمُ أَنَّكَ تَقُومُ أَدۡنَىٰ مِن ثُلُثَيِ ٱلَّيۡلِ وَنِصۡفَهُۥ وَثُلُثَهُۥ وَطَآئِفَةٞ مِّنَ ٱلَّذِينَ مَعَكَۚ وَٱللَّهُ يُقَدِّرُ ٱلَّيۡلَ وَٱلنَّهَارَۚ عَلِمَ أَن لَّن تُحۡصُوهُ فَتَابَ عَلَيۡكُمۡۖ فَٱقۡرَءُواْ مَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنَ ٱلۡقُرۡءَانِۚ عَلِمَ أَن سَيَكُونُ مِنكُم مَّرۡضَىٰ وَءَاخَرُونَ يَضۡرِبُونَ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ يَبۡتَغُونَ مِن فَضۡلِ ٱللَّهِ وَءَاخَرُونَ يُقَٰتِلُونَ فِي سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِۖ فَٱقۡرَءُواْ مَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنۡهُۚ وَأَقِيمُواْ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَءَاتُواْ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ وَأَقۡرِضُواْ ٱللَّهَ قَرۡضًا حَسَنٗاۚ وَمَا تُقَدِّمُواْ لِأَنفُسِكُم مِّنۡ خَيۡرٖ تَجِدُوهُ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ هُوَ خَيۡرٗا وَأَعۡظَمَ أَجۡرٗاۚ وَٱسۡتَغۡفِرُواْ ٱللَّهَۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورٞ رَّحِيمُۢ ٢٠

Inna rabbaka yaʿlamu annaka taqūmu adnā min thuluthayil-layli wa niṣfahū wa thuluthahū wa ṭāʾifatum minal-ladhīna maʿak, wallāhu yuqaddirul-layla wan-nahār, ʿalima al lan tuḥṣūhu fatāba ʿalaykum, faqraʾū mā tayassara minal-qurʾān, ʿalima an sayakūnu minkum marḍā wa ākharūna yaḍribūna fil-arḍi yabtaghūna min faḍlillāhi wa ākharūna yuqātilūna fī sabīlillāh, faqraʾū mā tayassara minh, wa aqīmuṣ-ṣalāta wa ātuz-zakāta wa aqriḍullāha qarḍan ḥasanā, wa mā tuqaddimū liʾanfusikum min khayrin tajidūhu ʿindallāhi huwa khayraw wa aʿẓama ajrā, wastaghfirullāh, innallāha ghafūrur raḥīm.

Indeed, your Lord knows, [O Muḥammad], that you stand [in prayer] almost two thirds of the night or half of it or a third of it, and [so do] a group of those with you. And Allāh determines [the extent of] the night and the day. He has known that you [Muslims] will not be able to do it¹ and has turned to you in forgiveness, so recite what is easy [for you] of the Qur’ān. He has known that there will be among you those who are ill and others traveling throughout the land seeking [something] of the bounty of Allāh and others fighting for the cause of Allāh. So recite what is easy from it and establish prayer and give zakāh and loan Allāh a goodly loan.² And whatever good you put forward for yourselves - you will find it with Allāh. It is better and greater in reward. And seek forgiveness of Allāh. Indeed, Allāh is Forgiving and Merciful.

وَجَعَلۡنَا ٱلنَّهَارَ مَعَاشٗا ١١

Wa jaʿalnan-nahāra maʿāshā.

And made the day for livelihood

وَأَن لَّيۡسَ لِلۡإِنسَٰنِ إِلَّا مَا سَعَىٰ ٣٩

Wa al laysa lil-insāni illā mā saʿā.

And that there is not for man except that [good] for which he strives

وَأَنَّ سَعۡيَهُۥ سَوۡفَ يُرَىٰ ٤٠

Wa anna saʿyahū sawfa yurā.

And that his effort is going to be seen -

ثُمَّ يُجۡزَىٰهُ ٱلۡجَزَآءَ ٱلۡأَوۡفَىٰ ٤١

Thumma yujzāhul-jazāʾal-awfā.

Then he will be recompensed for it with the fullest recompense -

قَالَتۡ إِحۡدَىٰهُمَا يَٰٓأَبَتِ ٱسۡتَـٔۡجِرۡهُۖ إِنَّ خَيۡرَ مَنِ ٱسۡتَـٔۡجَرۡتَ ٱلۡقَوِيُّ ٱلۡأَمِينُ ٢٦

Qālat iḥdāhumā yāʾabatistaʾjirh, inna khayra manistaʾjartal-qawiyyul-amīn.

One of the women said, "O my father, hire him. Indeed, the best one you can hire is the strong and the trustworthy."

۞ وَلَقَدۡ ءَاتَيۡنَا دَاوُۥدَ مِنَّا فَضۡلٗاۖ يَٰجِبَالُ أَوِّبِي مَعَهُۥ وَٱلطَّيۡرَۖ وَأَلَنَّا لَهُ ٱلۡحَدِيدَ ١٠

Wa laqad ātaynā dāwūda minnā faḍlā, yājibālu awwibī maʿahū waṭ-ṭayr, wa alannā lahul-ḥadīd.

And We certainly gave David from Us bounty. [We said], "O mountains, repeat [Our] praises with him, and the birds [as well]." And We made pliable for him iron,

أَنِ ٱعۡمَلۡ سَٰبِغَٰتٖ وَقَدِّرۡ فِي ٱلسَّرۡدِۖ وَٱعۡمَلُواْ صَٰلِحًاۖ إِنِّي بِمَا تَعۡمَلُونَ بَصِيرٞ ١١

Aniʿmal sābighātiw wa qaddir fis-sard, waʿmalū ṣāliḥā, innī bimā taʿmalūna baṣīr.

[Commanding him], "Make full coats of mail and calculate [precisely] the links, and work [all of you] righteousness. Indeed I, of what you do, am Seeing."