Surah (pl. Surat or Suwar) literally means ‘row’ or ‘fence’. In technical language, it is the passage with division of the Qur’anic text, i.e. a chapter or part, set apart from the preceding and following text.
In the Qur’an, there are 114 chapters or Suwar. This division is what Qur’anic 2:23 referred to when it challenged the opponents of Islam
“And if you are in doubt as to what we have revealed from time to time to our servant, then produce a Surah like it, and call your witness or helpers beside Allah S.W.T, if your doubts are true”
The chapters of the Qur’an are of varying lengths. The longest contains 286 verses. The shortest chapter contains only three verses. It should be noted that all Suwar with the exception of Surah 9 begins with the word Bismillahi Rahmanir Raheem, which mean “In the name of Allah S.W.T, The Beneficent, The Merciful”. However, Surah 27:30, the Bismillahi missing in Surah Tawbah is found thus: It is from Solomon, and is (as follows)
“In the name of Allah, The Gracious, The Merciful”.
All the 114 Suwar in the Qur’an have names which serve as a title or heading. The names are often derived from an important or distinguishing word in the text itself such as al-Anfāl (8), al-Baqara (2). In some cases, some surah are named after the first few alphabets with which the surah begins such as Ta-ha (20), al-Furqan (25), Ya-sin (36).
In the Qur’an, there are 114 chapters or Suwar. This division is what Qur’anic 2:23 referred to when it challenged the opponents of Islam
“And if you are in doubt as to what we have revealed from time to time to our servant, then produce a Surah like it, and call your witness or helpers beside Allah S.W.T, if your doubts are true”
The chapters of the Qur’an are of varying lengths. The longest contains 286 verses. The shortest chapter contains only three verses. It should be noted that all Suwar with the exception of Surah 9 begins with the word Bismillahi Rahmanir Raheem, which mean “In the name of Allah S.W.T, The Beneficent, The Merciful”. However, Surah 27:30, the Bismillahi missing in Surah Tawbah is found thus: It is from Solomon, and is (as follows)
“In the name of Allah, The Gracious, The Merciful”.
All the 114 Suwar in the Qur’an have names which serve as a title or heading. The names are often derived from an important or distinguishing word in the text itself such as al-Anfāl (8), al-Baqara (2). In some cases, some surah are named after the first few alphabets with which the surah begins such as Ta-ha (20), al-Furqan (25), Ya-sin (36).
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