Glancing over the Quran in the order it was revealed upon the Prophet

Part one
By Dr. Aslam Abdullah

Many Muslims and non-Muslims would go over the Quran during the month of Ramadan, the month in which Muslims believe that it began to be revealed upon the Prophet. The Prophet under his supervision arranged the Quran the way we read it. The arrangement is believed to be from the longest Surah (loosely translated as a chapter) to the shortest Surah with the exception of Surah Al-Fatiha that has only seven Ayah that is the first Surah of the Quran.

In this series, the Surahs of the Quran are being introduced the way they were revealed upon the Prophet so that we could follow the footsteps of the Prophet. During the month of Ramadan, the series would offer the summary of the dominant ideas of four Surah daily. We would also identify Surah that has Ayah requiring the believing readers to prostrate while reading it.

Surah loosely means chapter, Ayah means verse or sign, Ruku means section and Surah with Sajda Ayah means the Surah that has a verse upon whose reading the believers should offer prostration.

Each Surah has its number of revelation as well as the number of its appearance in the traditionally arranged Quran that we have. It has its Arabic name and its English translation also in parenthesis.

The following Ayahs require prostration when read.

1.      Surah Araf (7:206)

2.      Surah Raad (13:15)

3.      Surah An-Nahl (16:50)

4.      Surah Isra (17:109)

5.      Surah Maryam (19:58)

6.      Surah Al-Hajj (22:18)

7.      Surah al-Hajj (22:77) according to Imam Shafai

8.      Surah al-Furqan (25:60)

9.      Surah An-Naml (27:26)

10.  Surah As-Sajdah (32:15)

11.  Surah Saad ( 38:24)

12.  Surah Fussilat (41:38)

13.  Surah An-Najm (53:62)

14.  Surah Inshiqaq (84:21)

15.  Surah Al-Alaq (96:19)

On the authority of Prophet Muhammad, Muslims believe that the Quran is a divine revelation in Arabic sent to human beings through Angel Gabriel in a period of 23 years in Arabia peninsula. The period of revelation is between 610 CE to 632 CE. The Quran has 6,236 verses, 114 surah and about 323,000 letters. Some 33,000 companions have verified and testified that the Quran as compiled under the supervision and with the approval of the one who was receiving it is the same as they heard from him.

The Quran was revealed differently than the way it was compiled under the supervision of the Prophet. Sometimes, an entire surah was revealed to the Prophet and sometimes parts of the surah were revealed at different times and different proportions. The arrangement in this series is according to their chronology of revelation. It is possible that parts of the surah may have been revealed at different times. However, we put the Surah in chronological order according to the revelation of its first part.

We are publishing the most agreed upon the chronology of the revelation with a short introduction of the theme of each surah.

Day Two

1. Al-'Alaq (The Germ-Cell) (96)

Place of Revelation: Makkah

Al-Alaq is the 96th Surah in traditionally arranged Quran. It is the first Surah revealed upon the Prophet. It was revealed in Makkah and it has one Ruku and 19 Ayah. The first five Ayahs were revealed in the Cave of Hira in Makkah and the remaining 14 ayahs were revealed when the Prophet was asked to perform the prayers in Kasbah.

The Surah lays the foundation of faith and invites people to build their character, life, family, and society on the divinely created knowledge. It invites human being to reflect on the process of his or her own creation and alludes to the fact that only through divinely revealed knowledge. Human beings can control their rebellious instincts.

2. Al-Qalam (The Pen) (68)

Place of Revelation: Makkah

Al-Qalam was the second Surah revealed upon the Prophet. It is the 68th Surah in the traditionally arranged Quran. It was revealed in Makkah and has two Ruku and 52 Ayah. The name itself suggests that the art of writing down on paper with the pen was known to the people around the Prophet. It also implied that the divine guidance would no longer be at the discretionary power of the memory, however strong it may be, rather it would be written down so that every letter and word is recorded for eternity.

The Surah reminds people that the message being revealed upon the Prophet is the continuation of the divine message given to human beings through messengers throughout human history. Even though it is being revealed in the Arabic language, it is for all human beings. It is also declaring that the ideas that are shared by the Prophet were rooted in rationality and they were relevant to the needs of the society. It asks people to ensure that those who are forced to live in a state of dependence causing them humiliation must be helped. It shares the story of a people who had a garden with plenty of produce, yet they would deny the needy any share in it. Consequently, they lost everything. It lays the foundation of a society that creates conditions for acquiring the means of subsistence for everyone. It also narrated the story of Prophet Jonah, and his followers and urges the followers of the Prophet not to give up and continue their mission to spread virtue in their society.  It introduces the idea of learning from the past to better the present.

3. Al-Muzzammil (The Enwrapped one) (73)

Place of Revelation: Makkah

Al-Muzammil was the third Surah revealed upon the Prophet. It is the 73rd Surah in the traditionally arranged Quran. It was revealed in Makkah and has two Ruku (sections) and 20 ayahs.  It is the seventy-third Surah in traditionally arranged Quran. It reminds the believers to focus on the message of the Quran and make it's reading part of the prayer. It invites the adherents to the faith to take strength from reliance on the divine message as being revealed upon the Prophet.

4. All-Muddathir (The Enfolded One) (74)

Makkah

Al-Mudassir was the fourth Surah revealed upon the Prophet. It is the 74th Surah in the traditionally arranged Quran. It was revealed in Makkah and has two Ruku and 56 ayahs. It dwells upon the manners of sharing the faith with others and elaborates upon the manners of dawah. It exhorts the believers to identify the evils plaguing the society and work to remove them, It also reminds the people that those who deny the truth would suffer the consequences.

Day Three

5. Al-Fatiha (The Opening) (1)

Place of Revelation: Makkah

Al-Fatiha was the fifth Surah revealed upon Prophet Muhammad. In the traditionally arranged Quran, it is the first Surah.  It was revealed in Makkah and has seven Ayah. It is known by different names and it has seven ayahs. It summarizes the essence of divine guidance and explains the basic principles of the faith. It reminds the people that if they do not follow the divine path, they would be lost and might indulge in actions that would harm them. It exhorts them constantly to be in a state of gratitude to God seeking his succor in all aspects of life. It also reminds them of the Day of Judgment when each of his creations would return to give an account of their deeds and words.

6. Al-Lahab (the Twisted Strands) (11)

Place of Revelation: Makkah

Al-Lahab or Al-Masad was the sixth Surah revealed upon the Prophet and it was revealed in Makah and has five Ayah. It is 111th in the traditionally arranged Quran and known by the above mentioned two names. Even though it names the enemies of the divine guidance, it reminds the believers that those who deny the truth consciously will never succeed in hiding it. Abu Lahab, whose name has been mentioned in this revelation along with his wife, lived several years after its revelation. He had the opportunity to challenge the truthfulness of the Quran by changing his faith to Islam. Yet, he refused and thus, testified the accuracy of the Quranic message.  It establishes the principle that each one is responsible for one’s action.

7. Al-Takwir (Shrouding in Darkness) (81)

Place of Revelation: Makkah

Al-Takwir is the seventh Surah revealed upon the Prophet. It is the 81st Surah in the traditionally arranged Quran and it was revealed in Makkah and has 29 Ayah. It describes the happenings at the end of the world and shows a glimpse of the scenes of the Last Day. It explains that everything would cease to exist and no one would get a chance to go back and change their wrongful deeds. It urges people to become morally upright in order to succeed on the Last Day. The purpose of this message is to remind people to become morally upright.

8. Al-A'la (The All Highest) (87)

Place of Revelation: Makkah

Al-Ala is 87th Surah in the traditionally arranged Quran was the eight Surah revealed upon the Prophet. It was revealed in Makkah has 19 verses in one Ruku.  It defines the majesty and grandeur of the Creator and invites people to express gratitude towards him. It asserts that divine guidance would make human progress and their denial would make them stagnant. It reminds people of the continuity of the divine guidance through successive messengers and invites them to follow the divine guidance to succeed in this life and the life hereafter. It also refers to the Last Day.  

Day Four

9. Al-Layl (The Night) (92)

Place of Revelation: Makkah

Al-Layl was the ninth Surah revealed upon the Prophet. In the traditionally arranged Quran, it is 92nd Surah. It was revealed in Makkah and has 21 verses in one Ruku. The Surah reminds humans of the two main choices they all have, the choice to live a good life and the choice to lead a life with evil actions.  It informs them that their actions would have consequences to bear. It has basically the same theme as the previous Surah, but it tells us about the two ways of life: good way and the evil way and the consequences of both ways.

10. Al-Fajr (The Dawn)

Place of Revelation: Makkah (89)

Al-Fajr is the tenth revealed upon the Prophet. It is the 89th Surah in the traditionally arranged Quran. It was revealed in Makkah has 30 Ayah in one Ruku. It explains the concepts of reward and punishment through historical references of Pharaoh and the people of Aad and Thamud. It reminds people that when they neglect their responsibilities towards the neglected and the deprived ones and start indulging in a lifestyle that makes them forget Allah, they invite consequences to their actions. It also introduces the concept of a comforted soul that upon its return to God joins the ranks of those who dwell in the heavens among the closest to God.  

11. Ad-Duha (The Bright Morning Hours) (92)

Place of Revelation: Makkah

Ad-Duha is the eleventh Surah revealed upon the Prophet. In the traditionally arranged Quran, it is the 93rd Surah. It was revealed in Makkah and has eleven Ayah. It highlights the internal search for truth that every human has and explains that regardless of the human conditions one faces, the truth becomes manifest upon searching for it. It invites people to devote their resources for the poor and the needy and assures them the coming days would be better than the days of difficulties.

12. Ash Sarah (The Opening of the heart) (94)

Place of Revelation: Makkah

Ash- Sharah is the twelfth Surah in the chronology of the revelation. It is the 94th Surah in the traditionally arranged Quran. It was revealed in Makkah and has eight verses in one Ruku. It introduces humans to a permanent rule that difficulties do not last forever as they always lead to ease. It also reminds people that their work for the good of humanity lasts more than their lifetime.

Fifth day

13. Al-‘Asr (The Time) (103)

Makkah

Al-Asr is the thirteenth Surah revealed upon the Prophet was Al-Asr. It is 103rd in the traditionally arranged Quran and has three ayahs. It was revealed in Makkah and has three Ayah in one Ruku. It summarizes the essence of human history with the conclusion that human beings would continue to harm themselves if they do not adhere to the path of truth and perseverance. It explains that truth is the only substance that liberates humans from all bondages.

14. Al-'Adiyat (The Chargers)

Makkah

Al-Adiyat is the 100th Surah in the traditionally arranged Quran and is the fourteenth Surah revealed upon the Prophet. It was revealed in Makkah and has 11 Ayah in one Ruku. Referring to human history, it shows the ungratefulness that humans have toward the Creator and towards each other. It also reflects on the wild and imbalanced lifestyle of Arabs and reminds humans that on the Day of Judgment all that human beings were hiding would be exposed.

15. Al-Kawthar (Good in Abundance) (108)

Makkah

Al-Kawthar is the 108th Surah in the traditionally arranged Quran. It is the fifteenth Surah revealed upon the prophet. It was revealed in Makkah and has three verses in one Ruku. It is a Surah of hope and glad tidings. It assures the people that the divine guidance would ultimately be accepted by them and truth will prevail.

16. Al-Takathur (Greed for More and More) (102)

Makkah

Al-Takathur is the 102nd Surah in the Quran and it was the sixteenth surah revealed upon the Prophet. It was revealed in Makkah has 8 Ayah in one Ruku and it refers to the human tendency, in general, to be greedy for more and more. It reminds people of the consequences of materialistic lifestyle and explains that this practice is a recipe for disaster for all as the society remains divided between haves and have nots and the greed prevails the relationship.

Sixth Day

17. Al-Ma’un (Assistance) (107)

Makkah

Al-Maun is the 107th Surah of the Quran. It is the seventeenth in the chronology of the revelation. It was revealed in Makkah and has seven Ayah in one Ruku. It defines faith in terms of its inspiration to people to help the poor and the needy. It reminds them that faith is lip service as long as it does not lead to creating a compassionate and kind society for all.

18. Al-Kafirun (The deniers of the Truth) (109)

Makkah

Al-Kafirun is the eighteenth Surah revealed upon the Prophet and it is the 109th Surah in the traditionally arranged Quran. It was revealed in Makkah and has six Ayah in one Ruku. It establishes the principle of freedom of religion and argues that any compromise in matters of faith would reduce the significance of divine guidance by mixing the truth with falsehood.

19. All-Feel (The Elephant)

Makkah

Al-Feel is the nineteenth surah that was revealed to the Prophet is also the 105th Surah in the traditionally arranged Quran. It was revealed in Makkah and has five Ayah in one Ruku. It refers to the invasion of Makkah for the purpose of demolishing the Kaaba by the ruler of Yemen. In the midst of hostilities towards the Prophet, the Surah reassures him that Allah is the protector of the faith and his protection is for all who stand for the truth.

20. Al-Falaq (The Rising Dawn) (113)

Makkah

Al-Falaq is the twentieth Surah revealed upon the Prophet and its number in the traditionally arranged Quran is 113th. It was revealed in Makkah has five Ayah in one Ruku. It explains that evil forces are out there to tempt humans away from the truth to harm them and destroy their peace. It invites people to find refuge in the divine guidance from the forces of darkness.

Seventh Day

21. An-Nas (Human Beings) (114)

Makkah

Immediately after the revelation of Al-Falaq, the 114th Surah known as An-Nas was revealed. It was revealed in Makkah and is the 21st Surah revealed upon the Prophet. It has six Ayah in one Ruku. It exposes the satanic strategy to whisper evil ideas in the minds and hearts of people and advises them to focus on the divine guidance in their words and deeds to succeed in this life and the life hereafter.

22. Al-Ikhlas   (The declaration of God’s Perfection) (112)

Makkah

Al-Ikhlas was the 22nd revealed upon the Prophet. It is the 112th Surah in the traditionally arranged Quran. It was revealed in Makkah and has four verses in one Ruku. It is a statement of monotheism and an elaboration on how the monotheism should be defined. It speaks of the uniqueness and oneness of Allah without attributing any biological traits.

23. An-Najm (The Unfolding) (53)

Makkah

An-Najm is the 23rd Surah of the Quran revealed upon the Prophet. It appears as 53rd Surah in the traditionally arranged Quran. It was revealed in Makkah and has 62 Ayah spread over three Ruku. The Surah refers to the incident of the Prophet’s ascension to heavens to experience the closeness with Allah. It asks the unbelievers to take divine guidance and the status of the messenger seriously. It refutes the narration that angels were like the daughters of Allah. The Surah refers to the issue of the intercession of Angels on behalf of humans.

24. 'Abasa (He Frowned) (80)

Abasa is the 80th Surah in the traditionally arranged Quran and 24th Surah revealed upon the Prophet. It was revealed in Makkah has 42 Ayah in one Ruku. It establishes the rule that in the dissemination of divine guidance, everyone should be treated equally. The divine message is for everyone and the decision to accept or reject is the prerogative of every individual who is exposed to it. It reminds the people that those accept it would benefit from it and those who reject it would suffer the consequences.