Key Verses

1. 2:259Al-BaqarahCommand
   أَوۡ كَٱلَّذِي مَرَّ عَلَىٰ قَرۡيَةٖ وَهِيَ خَاوِيَةٌ عَلَىٰ عُرُوشِهَا قَالَ أَنَّىٰ يُحۡيِۦ هَٰذِهِ ٱللَّهُ بَعۡدَ مَوۡتِهَاۖ فَأَمَاتَهُ ٱللَّهُ مِاْئَةَ عَامٖ ثُمَّ بَعَثَهُۥۖ قَالَ كَمۡ لَبِثۡتَۖ قَالَ لَبِثۡتُ يَوۡمًا أَوۡ بَعۡضَ يَوۡمٖۖ قَالَ بَل لَّبِثۡتَ مِاْئَةَ عَامٖ فَٱنظُرۡ إِلَىٰ طَعَامِكَ وَشَرَابِكَ لَمۡ يَتَسَنَّهۡۖ وَٱنظُرۡ إِلَىٰ حِمَارِكَ وَلِنَجۡعَلَكَ ءَايَةٗ لِّلنَّاسِۖ وَٱنظُرۡ إِلَى ٱلۡعِظَامِ كَيۡفَ نُنشِزُهَا ثُمَّ نَكۡسُوهَا لَحۡمٗاۚ فَلَمَّا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُۥ قَالَ أَعۡلَمُ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيۡءٖ قَدِيرٞ
   Or (bethink thee of) the like of him who, passing by a township which had fallen into utter ruin, exclaimed: How shall Allah give this township life after its death? And Allah made him die a hundred years, then brought him back to life. He said: How long hast thou tarried? (The man) said: I have tarried a day or part of a day. (He) said: Nay, but thou hast tarried for a hundred years. Just look at thy food and drink which have not rotted! Look at thine ass! And, that We may make thee a token unto mankind, look at the bones, how We adjust them and then cover them with flesh! And when (the matter) became clear unto him, he said: I know now that Allah is Able to do all things.
   In context

   Or do you know the example of the one who passed by a town in which the roofs had fallen, the walls had collapsed and the people had died, making it a deserted ruin? This man said in surprise, ‘How will Allah ever bring these people back to life?’ Allah then caused him to die for a period of one hundred years and then brought him back to life and asked him, ‘How long were you dead for?

2. 16:8An-NahlPromise
   وَٱلۡخَيۡلَ وَٱلۡبِغَالَ وَٱلۡحَمِيرَ لِتَرۡكَبُوهَا وَزِينَةٗۚ وَيَخۡلُقُ مَا لَا تَعۡلَمُونَ
   And horses and mules and asses (hath He created) that ye may ride them, and for ornament. And He createth that which ye know not.
   In context

   He created horses, mules and donkeys for you to ride and carry your goods on and for them to be an adornment for you that you can beautify yourselves with amongst people. He will create in the future means of transport and other things that you do not know about.

3. 31:19LuqmanCommand
   وَٱقۡصِدۡ فِي مَشۡيِكَ وَٱغۡضُضۡ مِن صَوۡتِكَۚ إِنَّ أَنكَرَ ٱلۡأَصۡوَٰتِ لَصَوۡتُ ٱلۡحَمِيرِ
   Be modest in thy bearing and subdue thy voice. Lo! the harshest of all voices is the voice of the ass.
   In context

   Be moderate in your manner of walking: between hastiness and lethargy, displaying dignity. And lower your voice; do not raise it such that it causes inconvenience. Indeed, the most hideous of sounds is that of the donkey because of them being loud.

4. 35:27Fatir
   أَلَمۡ تَرَ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ أَنزَلَ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ مَآءٗ فَأَخۡرَجۡنَا بِهِۦ ثَمَرَٰتٖ مُّخۡتَلِفًا أَلۡوَٰنُهَاۚ وَمِنَ ٱلۡجِبَالِ جُدَدُۢ بِيضٞ وَحُمۡرٞ مُّخۡتَلِفٌ أَلۡوَٰنُهَا وَغَرَابِيبُ سُودٞ
   Hast thou not seen that Allah causeth water to fall from the sky, and We produce therewith fruit of divers hues; and among the hills are streaks white and red, of divers hues, and (others) raven-black;
   In context

   O Messenger, have you not seen that I sent rainwater from the sky, then I extracted fruits of different colours from that water, amongst them red, green, yellow and others, after I had watered their trees from it? And from the mountains are white tracts, red tracts and extremely black tracts.

5. 62:5Al-Jumuah
   مَثَلُ ٱلَّذِينَ حُمِّلُواْ ٱلتَّوۡرَىٰةَ ثُمَّ لَمۡ يَحۡمِلُوهَا كَمَثَلِ ٱلۡحِمَارِ يَحۡمِلُ أَسۡفَارَۢاۚ بِئۡسَ مَثَلُ ٱلۡقَوۡمِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَذَّبُواْ بِـَٔايَٰتِ ٱللَّهِۚ وَٱللَّهُ لَا يَهۡدِي ٱلۡقَوۡمَ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ
   The likeness of those who are entrusted with the Law of Moses, yet apply it not, is as the likeness of the ass carrying books. Wretched is the likeness of folk who deny the revelations of Allah. And Allah guideth not wrongdoing folk.
   In context

   After Allah mentioned His favour by sending the messenger and revealing the Qur’ān, He mentions the conduct of some of the followers of Moses (peace be upon him) who turned away from practicing on what was contained in the Torah, as a warning to this nation against following them, and He said: The example of the Jews who were charged with carrying out what was contained in the Torah and who left o…

6. 74:50Al-MuddaththirNarrative
   كَأَنَّهُمۡ حُمُرٞ مُّسۡتَنفِرَةٞ
   As they were frightened asses
   In context

   As if they, in their turning away from and aversion to it, are wild donkeys that are extremely resistant.