Surahs (Singular: Surah, (Arabic: سورة (Sūrah) f., (plural سُوَر (suwar))) are the chapters of the Quran—similar to chapters in a book—and contain the words that were revealed to the Prophet Muhammad by Allah.

  *There are 114 Surahs, each subdivided into Ayaat (Verses).   *The longest Surah is Al-Baqara (286 Verses), the shortest Al-Kauthar (3 Verses).   *All Surahs begin with the Basmala (“In the name of God…”) – except Surah 9.

  *Every Surah has at least one name, often based on a prominent word within it or the beginning of the Surah.   *The order of the verses (Ayat) within a Surah was determined by revelation, according to Islamic consensus.

Surahs are distinguished according to the period of their revelation:   *Meccan: Before the Hijra (emigration to Medina).   *Medinan: After the Hijra, even if they were revealed in Mecca.   *Mixed: Surahs with verses from both periods – the predominant number counts here. Medinan Surahs are usually longer.