There are 114 surahs (chapters) in the Quran, containing 6,236 verses in the most widely used count. The Quran is also divided into 30 equal parts called juz (or para), which help readers finish it in a month.
These numbers come up constantly, whether you are a Muslim planning to read the whole Quran or someone curious about how Islam's holy book is put together. This guide explains each number, why you may see a different verse total in some books, and how the surahs and juz are organized.
Key takeaways
- The Quran has 114 surahs, from al-Fatihah (chapter 1) to an-Nas (chapter 114).
- The standard printed Quran has 6,236 verses, following the Kufan counting tradition; other early traditions give slightly different totals for the same text.
- The Quran is split into 30 juz of roughly equal length, and juz 30 (Juz Amma) contains the 37 short surahs from an-Naba to an-Nas.
- The longest surah is al-Baqarah with 286 verses, and the shortest is al-Kawthar with 3 verses.
- The Quran contains roughly 77,000 to 78,000 words, depending on how words are counted.
How many surahs are in the Quran?
The Quran has exactly 114 surahs. On this point there is no disagreement among Muslims. The word surah is often translated as "chapter," though it carries a sense of an enclosed or distinct section.
The surahs vary enormously in length. Some fill dozens of pages, while others are only a line or two. Apart from al-Fatihah, the short opening prayer, the surahs are roughly arranged from longest to shortest. This order is not chronological. Most Muslim scholars hold that the arrangement was taught by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) himself, though some held that part of it was decided by his companions.
Each surah has a name, often taken from a word or story in it. Al-Baqarah means "The Cow," Yusuf is named after the Prophet Joseph, and Maryam after Mary, the mother of Jesus.
Every surah except one begins with "In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful." The exception is at-Tawbah, chapter 9. Allah is the Arabic word for God, used by Arab Christians as well as Muslims.
How many verses are in the Quran?
The answer most people are looking for is 6,236 verses. This is the total in the Quran printed in most of the world today, including the widely used Madinah mushaf. Each verse is called an ayah, which also means "sign."
You will sometimes see other totals, and this can be confusing. The important point is that the words of the Quran are the same in every case. Only the places where one verse ends and the next begins are counted differently.
Why do some sources give a different number of verses?
In the early centuries of Islam, scholars in different cities preserved slightly different ways of marking verse endings, each traced back to the companions. These are known as the counting traditions of Kufa, Basra, Damascus, Makkah and Madinah.
The 6,236 total follows the Kufan count, which is tied to the recitation of Hafs from Asim, the most widespread recitation today. Other traditions give totals such as 6,204 (Basran) and 6,226 (Damascene). The differences come from small choices, for example:
- Whether the opening line "In the name of Allah" counts as verse 1 of al-Fatihah. The Kufan count includes it, while some other counts do not and instead split the final verse into two.
- Whether the separate letters at the start of some surahs, such as "Alif, Lam, Meem," count as a verse of their own.
You may also see the figure 6,666 repeated online. It is popular in some places but does not match any of the classical counting traditions.
How is the Quran divided into 30 juz?
Besides surahs, the Quran is split into 30 parts of roughly equal length called juz in Arabic or para (sipara) in Urdu and Persian. The juz boundaries are a reading aid and do not follow surah breaks. A juz can begin in the middle of a surah.
Reading one juz a day lets you finish the whole Quran in 30 days, which is why many Muslims do this during Ramadan. Each juz is further split into two hizb, making 60 in total, and many copies also mark quarters for shorter daily portions.
Many juz are known by their opening words. For example, juz 2 begins at verse 142 of al-Baqarah, with words often called "Sayaqul," and juz 29 begins with Surah al-Mulk, so it is often called "Tabarak."
What is para 30 of the Quran?
Para 30, or Juz Amma, is the last thirtieth of the Quran. It is named after its first word, amma ("about what"), from the opening verse of Surah an-Naba.
About what are they asking one another?
Juz Amma contains 37 surahs, from an-Naba (78) to an-Nas (114). Most are short, powerful Makkan surahs about God, the Day of Judgment and personal faith. This is usually the first part of the Quran children and new learners memorize, and the surahs most often recited in daily prayers. It is also a great place to start reading, as explained in our guide on how to read the Quran.
What are the longest and shortest surahs?
The longest surah is al-Baqarah, chapter 2, with 286 verses. It covers belief, the story of the Children of Israel, fasting, pilgrimage, family law and finance. It also contains the longest single verse in the Quran, verse 282, about recording debts, and the famous Ayat al-Kursi.
The shortest surah is al-Kawthar, chapter 108, with 3 short verses.
Indeed, We have granted you, [O Muhammad], al-Kawthar. So pray to your Lord and sacrifice [to Him alone]. Indeed, your enemy is the one cut off.
Al-Asr and an-Nasr also have 3 verses each, but al-Kawthar has the fewest words. Some individual verses are just one word long, such as a verse in Surah ar-Rahman describing two gardens.
Dark green [in color].
Other long surahs include ash-Shu'ara with 227 verses, al-A'raf with 206 and Ali Imran with 200. Note that the surah with the most verses is not always the one with the most pages, since verse lengths vary widely.
How many words and letters are in the Quran?
The Quran contains roughly 77,000 to 78,000 words, and more than 300,000 letters. Exact figures differ between studies because Arabic words can be counted in different ways. For example, scholars differ on whether a joined prefix such as "and" or "by" counts as a separate word.
Classical scholars took great care over these counts as part of preserving the text, and some even marked the exact halfway point of the Quran by letters. For most readers, the useful takeaway is simpler: the whole Quran is about the length of a medium-sized book, and it can be read in a month at one juz a day.
Other useful Quran numbers
- Makkan and Madinan surahs: in the classification used on this site, 86 surahs are Makkan and 28 are Madinan. Our guide to Meccan and Medinan surahs explains the difference.
- Years of revelation: about 23, from 610 to 632 CE.
- First revelation: the first five verses of Surah al-Alaq.
- Mysterious letters: 29 surahs begin with separate Arabic letters, such as "Alif, Lam, Meem," whose meaning scholars say is known fully only to God.
- Seven manzil: some copies divide the Quran into seven parts for those who complete it in a week.
The Quran describes al-Fatihah as "seven of the often repeated" verses, a reference to its seven verses being recited in every unit of prayer.
And We have certainly given you, [O Muhammad], seven of the often repeated [verses] and the great Qur'an.
See the full Quran surah list
For a complete Quran surah list with all 114 surahs, their English meanings, verse counts and Makkah or Madinah labels, visit the Quran Universe home page. Open any surah to read each verse with the Arabic text, Sahih International translation, a short context card and Tafsir Ibn Kathir. If you are new to the Quran, our overview of what the Quran is is a helpful companion.
Frequently asked questions
How many surahs are in the Quran?
There are 114 surahs in the Quran. The first is al-Fatihah, the Opening, and the last is an-Nas, Mankind. Muslims agree completely on this number.
How many verses are in the Quran?
The standard printed Quran contains 6,236 verses, following the Kufan counting tradition used with the recitation of Hafs from Asim. Other classical counting traditions give slightly different totals, such as 6,204 or 6,226. The words of the Quran are identical in all cases; only the placement of verse breaks differs.
What is Al Quran 30 juz?
The Quran is divided into 30 parts of roughly equal length called juz, or para in Urdu. This division helps people read the whole Quran in 30 days, especially in Ramadan. The juz boundaries are a reading aid and often fall in the middle of a surah.
Which surahs are in para 30?
Para 30, also called Juz Amma, contains 37 surahs, from Surah an-Naba (78) to Surah an-Nas (114). Most of them are short Makkan surahs. They are commonly memorized first and recited often in daily prayers.
What is the longest surah in the Quran?
The longest surah is al-Baqarah, chapter 2, with 286 verses. It also contains the longest single verse, verse 282, which deals with recording debts. The shortest surah is al-Kawthar, chapter 108, with only 3 verses.
How many words are in the Quran?
The Quran contains roughly 77,000 to 78,000 words. Counts vary slightly because scholars handle joined Arabic prefixes and particles in different ways. At one juz a day, the whole text can be read in about a month.