Parables in the Quran and what they teach
The parables in the Quran (amthal) are short comparisons that make unseen truths easy to picture: the good word like a firm tree, Allah’s light like a lamp in a niche, false protection like a spider’s house. Here are eight well-known parables, what they teach, and where to read them.
Last updated: 8 October 2026
The good word and the good tree
أَلَمْ تَرَ كَيْفَ ضَرَبَ ٱللَّهُ مَثَلًۭا كَلِمَةًۭ طَيِّبَةًۭ كَشَجَرَةٍۢ طَيِّبَةٍ أَصْلُهَا ثَابِتٌۭ وَفَرْعُهَا فِى ٱلسَّمَآءِ ﴿٢٤﴾ تُؤْتِىٓ أُكُلَهَا كُلَّ حِينٍۭ بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهَا ۗ وَيَضْرِبُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلْأَمْثَالَ لِلنَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَذَكَّرُونَ ﴿٢٥﴾
Eight parables of the Quran
| Parable | Meaning | Read it in |
|---|---|---|
| The good word and the good tree | A good word is like a tree with firm roots and branches in the sky, giving fruit in every season. | Ibrahim 14:24–26 |
| The light of Allah | Light like a niche with a lamp in glass, lit from a blessed olive tree: “light upon light”. | An-Nur 24:35 |
| The spider’s house | Those who take protectors other than Allah are like a spider and its house, the flimsiest of houses. | Al-‘Ankabut 29:41 |
| The fire-lighter in darkness | The hypocrites are like one who kindles a fire, then Allah takes away their light. | Al-Baqarah 2:17 |
| The grain of seven ears | Spending for Allah is like a grain that grows seven ears, each with a hundred grains. | Al-Baqarah 2:261 |
| The rain on a rock | Charity followed by reminders and hurt is like soil on a rock washed away by rain. | Al-Baqarah 2:264 |
| The two gardens | A proud owner of two gardens, and a humble friend who reminds him to say “masha’ Allah”. | Al-Kahf 18:32–44 |
| The life of this world | Like rain that brings growth, then the plants dry and scatter in the wind. | Al-Kahf 18:45 |
Reflecting on the parables
Each parable rewards slow reading: what is the image, what is being compared, and what does it ask of me? This is tadabbur, reflection; see how to understand the Quran and tafsir books. Two of these parables are in Surah Al-Kahf; for the Quran’s people and stories, see prophets in the Quran and women in the Quran.
Frequently asked questions
Why does the Quran use parables?
“These examples We present to people that perhaps they will reflect” (59:21). Parables make unseen truths easy to picture and remember.
What is the Arabic word for parable?
Mathal (plural amthal). Scholars wrote whole books on the amthal of the Quran, a branch of the sciences of the Quran.
Are the stories of the prophets parables?
No. The stories of the prophets are accounts of real events. Parables are comparisons that illustrate a meaning.
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