surahs

Surahs are the chapters of the Qur'an, the holy book of Islam. The Qur'an comprises 114 surahs, arranged in a largely descending order of length rather than chronological sequence. Each surah is divided into verses, or ayahs. The name of each surah is usually derived from a distinctive word or theme found within it, such as Al-Fatiha (The Opening) or Al-Baqarah (The Cow). The surahs vary greatly in length; the longest is Al-Baqarah with 286 verses, and the shortest is Al-Kawthar with just 3 verses.

Surahs are traditionally classified as Meccan or Medinan, depending on where the revelations were received by the Prophet Muhammad. Meccan surahs generally focus on beliefs about God, prophecy, and eschatology, while Medinan surahs contain more guidance on social organization and legislation.

Muslims regard the surahs as the verbatim word of God, revealed to Muhammad through the Angel Gabriel. They are read and memorized in daily prayers, study, and ritual recitation. The text is further divided into verses called ayahs; together with the surah structure, they form the basis for Qur'anic exegesis, or tafsir, and for liturgical use with tajweed rules governing pronunciation.

Surah names are sometimes used to refer to the surah by topic, or to identify its opening word. The Quran's overall organization as 114 chapters, with standard numbering, is fixed in the canonical text used by Muslims worldwide.