Are the Chapters and Verses in the Quran in the Order of Their Revelation?
Answered by Shaykh Anas al-Musa
Question
Is the arrangement of the Quranic chapters (suras) and verses according to the order in which they were revealed to the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace)?
Answer
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
All praise is due to Allah, Lord of all worlds. Peace and blessings be upon the Messenger sent as a mercy to the worlds, our Master and Prophet, Muhammad, and his Family and Companions.
Arrangement of Quranic Suras and Verses
The arrangement of the chapters (suras) and verses of the Quran is not according to the chronological order in which they were revealed to the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace). Instead, the Quran is arranged differently from the order in which it was revealed.
First and Last Revelations: An Evidence of Non-Chronological Arrangement
This is evident when we consider the Quran’s first and last revelations and their placement within the mushaf.
The First Revelation
The first verses revealed from the Quran were the opening verses of Surat al-Alaq:
“Read, (O Prophet,) in the Name of your Lord Who created—created humans from a clinging clot. Read! And your Lord is the Most Generous. Who taught by the pen—taught humanity what they knew not.” [Quran, 96:1-5]
Surat al-‘Alaq is found in the 30th Juz’ (part) of the Quran, which is the final Juz’, and it is the 96th Sura in the sequence of 114 Suras in the Quran.
‘Aisha (Allah be pleased with her) clarified that the opening verses of Surah al-Alaq were the first to be revealed when she described the beginning of the revelation to the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace). She narrated:
The Angel came to him and said, ‘Read!’ He said, ‘I am not a reader.’ The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, ‘The Angel took hold of me and pressed me until I could not bear it anymore, then he released me and said, “Read!” I said, “I am not a reader.” So, he took hold of me and pressed me a second time until I could not bear it anymore, then he released me and said, “Read!” I said, “I am not a reader.” Then he took hold of me and pressed me a third time until I could not bear it anymore, then he released me and said: “Read, (O Prophet,) in the Name of your Lord Who created—created humans from a clinging clot. Read! And your Lord is the Most Generous…” [Quran, 96:1-3]” [Bukhari]
The Last Revelation
As for the last verse revealed from the Quran, it is the saying of Allah (Most High):
“Be mindful of the Day when you will (all) be returned to Allah, then every soul will be paid in full for what it has done, and none will be wronged.” [Quran, 2:281]
Ibn ‘Abbas said, “The last thing revealed from the Quran was: {Be mindful of the Day when you will (all) be returned to Allah}” [Quran, 2:281]. This verse is found in Surat al-Baqara, which is located in the first Juz’ (part) of the Quran, and it is the second sura in the order of the Quran. [Nasa‘i]
Proof of the Quran’s Unique Arrangement
If the arrangement of the Quranic suras and verses were according to the order of revelation, then the opening verses of Surat al-‘Alaq would be the first sura in the Quran, and verse 281 of Surat al-Baqara would be the last verse.
This clearly demonstrates that the Quranic suras and verses are not arranged according to the chronological order in which they were revealed to the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace).
The Miraculous Nature of the Quran’s Arrangement
Placing the last revealed verse of the Quran in the second sura and the first revealed verses in the last part of the Quran is a striking proof of the miraculous nature of Allah’s (Most High) Word. This arrangement shows that the Quran is indeed from Allah (Most High). We recite the Quran without feeling the time gap between the revelations of these two suras, a gap that spans nearly twenty-three years. This coherence and precision in the arrangement of the Quranic suras is what makes it divinely unique.
Allah (Most High) says the truth:
“(This is) a Book whose verses are well perfected and then fully explained. (It is) from the One (Who is) All-Wise, All-Aware.” [Quran, 11:1]
Recommendation
If you wish to delve deeper into the wisdom behind the arrangement of the Quranic suras, I recommend the book “al-Naba’ al-‘Azim” by Abdullah Daraz, “Tanasuq al-Durar fi Tanasub al-Suwar” by Imam Suyuti, and “Nazm al-Durar fi Tanasub al-Ayat wa al-Suwar” by Biqa‘i. [See: Zurqani, Manahil al-‘Irfan; ‘Itr, ‘Ulum al-Quran]
May Allah bless the Prophet Muhammad and give him peace, and his Family and Companions.
And Allah knows best.
[Shaykh] Anas al-Musa
Shaykh Anas al-Musa, born in Hama, Syria, in 1974, is an erudite scholar of notable repute. He graduated from the Engineering Institute in Damascus, where he specialized in General Construction, and Al-Azhar University, Faculty of Usul al-Din, where he specialized in Hadith.
He studied under prominent scholars in Damascus, including Shaykh Abdul Rahman al-Shaghouri and Shaykh Adib al-Kallas, among others. Shaykh Anas has memorized the Quran and is proficient in the ten Mutawatir recitations, having studied under Shaykh Bakri al-Tarabishi and Shaykh Mowfaq ‘Ayun. He also graduated from the Iraqi Hadith School.
He has taught numerous Islamic subjects at Shari‘a institutes in Syria and Turkey. Shaykh Anas has served as an Imam and preacher for over 15 years and is a teacher of the Quran in its various readings and narrations.
Currently, he works as a teacher at SeekersGuidance and is responsible for academic guidance there. He has completed his Master’s degree in Hadith and is now pursuing his Ph.D. in the same field. Shaykh Anas al-Musa is married and resides in Istanbul.
