What Is the Total Number of Words, Verses, and Letters in the Quran? 

Answered by Shaykh Anas al-Musa

Question

Have scholars counted the verses, words, and letters of the Quran? If so, what are their numbers?

Answer

In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate.

Yes, our scholars have indeed counted the verses, words, and letters of the Holy Quran. Their attention to the Quran has reached such a level that no phrase or meaning was left without thorough research, documentation, and scrutiny, ensuring that no one can attempt to distort the Book of Allah, the Exalted.

Number of Chapters in the Quran

As for the number of chapters in the Quran: there is consensus and agreement that there are one hundred and fourteen chapters. It is also said to be one hundred and thirteen chapters, considering “al-Anfal” and “al-Bara‘a” as a single chapter. [Ibn al-Jawzi, Funun al-Afnan; Suyuti, al-’Itqan]

Imam al-Suyuti reported another disagreement regarding the count of chapters, stating there are one hundred and sixteen, but he refuted this by explaining that some counted Surat al-Fil and Surat Quraysh as one chapter, and others counted Surat al-Duha and Surat al-Sharh as one chapter. [Zarkashi, al-Burhan; Suyuti, al-’Itqan]

Regarding the number of verses, words, and letters in the Quran, there is variation among reciters; however, this difference is more linguistic than substantive. [Fayruzabadi, Basair Dhawi al-Tamyiz fi Lata’if al-Kitab al-Aziz]

The difference in the count of Quranic verses arises from variations in determining the end of some chapters, which may be due to different narrations or scholarly discretion (Ijthad). [Ibn Ashur, al-Tahrir wa al-Tanwir]

Examples Illustrating the Difference in Verse Count

• Kufan reciters count the phrase (ص وَالْقُرْآنِ ‌ذِي الذِّكْرِ) [Quran, 48:1] as a verse, making it the first verse in the printed Mushaf in Mecca and Medina according to the narration of Hafs from Asim al-Kufi. Other reciters do not count it as a separate verse; instead, they include (فِي عِزَّةٍ وَشِقَاقٍ) in the first verse.
• Kufan reciters also count (قَالَ ‌فَالْحَقُّ ‌وَالْحَقَّ أَقُولُ) [Quran 48:84] as a separate verse, whereas others do not, including (لَأَمْلَأَنَّ جَهَنَّمَ مِنكَ وَمِمَّن تَبِعَكَ مِنْهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ) as part of the verse.
• Reciters from Mecca, Medina, Kufa, and the Sham count (وَالشَّيَاطِينَ ‌كُلَّ ‌بَنَّاءٍ ‌وَغَوَّاصٍ) [Quran 48:37] as the end of a verse, while those from Basra count (وَآخَرِينَ مُقَرَّنِينَ فِي الْأَصْفَادِ) as the end, making it a longer verse. This variation is more about naming than an actual difference in the Quranic text. Therefore, some have a higher count of Quranic verses, and some have a lesser count, not because some add or subtract from it, as adding or subtracting from the Quran is disbelief and hypocrisy; but because it is beyond human capability, as will be clarified shortly; Allah Almighty says: “Indeed, it is We who sent down the Reminder and indeed, We will be its guardian” [Quran 15:9]. [Fayruzabadi, Basa’ir Dhawi al-Tamyiz fi Lataif al-Kitab al-Aziz]Note: The reason for the differing counts of verses, words, and letters among the predecessors is that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) used to pause at the end of verses for emphasis. If the location of the pause was known and connected for complete meaning, the listener would then consider it not a separator. [Zamakhshari, al-Burhan; Ibn al-Jawzi, Funun al-Afnan; Suyuti, al-’Itqan]

Scholars’ Opinions on the Number of Verses in the Quran 

Imam al-Suyuti, quoting Abu Amr Al-Dani, said: “They agreed that the number of verses in the Quran is six thousand verses, then they differed in what exceeded that. Some did not add anything, while others said: and two hundred and four verses and some said: and fourteen, and some said: and nineteen, and some said: and twenty-five, and some said: and thirty-six.” [Zamakhshari, al-Burhan fi ‘Ulum al-Quran; Ibn al-Jawzi, Funun al-Afnan; Suyuti, al-’Itqan]

Detailing the Differences in Opinions on the Number of Quranic Verses

• The number of verses, according to the people of Kufa, is six thousand two hundred and thirty-six verses.
• According to the first opinion of the people of Madinah, it is six thousand two hundred verses, and according to the latter opinion, it is six thousand two hundred and seventeen verses.
• According to Yazeed ibn al-Qa‘qa‘, it is six thousand two hundred and ten verses.
• According to the people of Mecca, it is six thousand and ten verses.
• According to the people of Sham, it is six thousand two hundred and twenty-six verses.
• Some said: The verses of the Quran are six thousand two hundred and eighteen verses.
• Some said: The Quran is six thousand two hundred and seventeen verses.
• Some said: The Quran is six thousand one hundred and ninety-seven verses.
• Some said: All the verses of the Quran are six thousand six hundred and sixteen verses. [Dani, al-Bayan fi ‘Adad Ayaat al-Quran; Fayruzabadi, Basa’ir Dhawi al-Tamyiz fi Lataif al-Kitab al-Aziz; Zarkashi, al-Burhan fi ‘Ulum al-Quran; Suyuti, al-’Itqan; Sakhawi, Jamal al-Qurra; Abyari, al-Mawsu‘a al-Quraniya]

Number of Words and Letters in the Quran

Some reciters disagreed on the number of words in the Quran; for example, they counted (في السماء) and (في الأرض) and (في خلق) and the like as two words, while some counted them as one word; hence, the difference occurred. Those who counted (في السماء) and similar phrases as two words had a higher number of Quranic words.

As for the number of letters in the Quran, there was also a difference in their count; because some reciters, for example, counted the emphasized letter as two letters, while some counted it as one letter; thus, those who counted the emphasized letter as two had a higher count of Quranic letters. [Fayruzabadi, Basa’ir Dhawi al-Tamyiz fi Lataif al-Kitab al-Aziz]

Detailing the Number of Words and Letters in the Quran 

Imam Abu Bakr Ahmad bin al-Hussain bin Mihran al-Maqri said: Al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf sent to the reciters of Basra, gathered them, and selected from among them Hasan al-Basri, Abu al-Aliyah, Nasr bin Asim, Asim al-Jahdari, and Malik bin Dinar, may Allah have mercy on them, and said: Count the letters of the Quran. They spent four months counting with barley, and they unanimously agreed that:

• The number of its words is seventy-seven thousand four hundred and thirty-nine words, and they unanimously agreed that:
• The number of its letters is three hundred and twenty-three thousand and fifteen letters. [Zarkashi, al-Burhan fi ‘Ulum al-Quran; Ibn al-Jawzi, Funun al-Afnan]
• It is narrated from Ata’ bin Yasar that the number of its words is seventy-seven thousand four hundred and thirty-seven words.
• It is narrated from Mujahid that the number of its letters is three hundred and twenty-one thousand letters.
• Salam Abu Muhammad al-Himmani said that the number of its letters is three hundred and forty thousand seven hundred and forty letters. [Zarkashi, al-Burhan fi ‘Ulum al-Quran]
• According to Abdullah bin Mas‘ud, its letters are three hundred thousand six hundred and seventy letters.
• Abu Mu‘adh Al-Nahwi said its letters are three hundred and twenty-one thousand two hundred. [Fayruzabadi, Basa’ir Dhawi al-Tamyiz fi Lataif al-Kitab al-Aziz]

Differences in Counting

It is natural for there to be differences in counting the words and letters of the Quran, as it is a human endeavor. Moreover, the rules of the Quranic script (the words of the Quran) allow for such discrepancies. For example, the rule of omission, like omitting the ”Alif” that follows the “Ya” in (يأيها), and differences in the recitation of some words, like the variation between (وَوَصَّى) and (وَأَوْصَى), can cause differences.

The motivation for our scholars’ interest in knowing the counts of the Quran’s letters, words, and verses stems from their comprehensive concern for the Quran and their diligence to ensure that not a letter, word, or verse is lost or overlooked.

Moreover, understanding the count of the Quran’s letters and words also helps in appreciating the promised rewards for Quranic recitation. This, in itself, is a significant motivator. Additionally, knowing the number of verses offers benefits that extend beyond the knowledge of the count of letters and words. [Abdul Salam Muqbil al-Mujaydi, Idhab al-Huzn wa Shifa’ as-Sadr as-Saqim]

The scholars’ dedication to understanding the details of the Holy Quran was so profound that they determined the frequency of each letter of the Arabic alphabet in the Quran. For example, the letter “Alif” appears 38,283 times, “Hamza” 28,718 times, “Ba’” 11,490 times, “Ta’” 12,864 times, “Tha’” 1,414 times, “Jim” 3,317 times, “Ha’” 4,138 times, “Kha’” 2,492 times, and so on. [Abu Shawfa, al-Mu‘jizah al-Quraniyah]

Some scholars even went beyond just counting the letters. They identified the midpoint of the Quran in terms of letters, pinpointing it in specific suras and words. For instance, the halfway point by letters is the ‘Nun’ in the word: (نُكْرًا) [Quran, 18:74], or the ‘Fa’ in (وَلْيَتَلَطَّفْ) [Quran, 18:19]. They also noted where half the number of words ends, at the word: (وَالْجُلُودُ) [Quran, 22:20], and where half the number of verses ends, at verse (45) of Surat al-Shu‘ara in the verse: (فَأَلْقَى مُوسَى عَصَاهُ فَإِذَا هِيَ تَلْقَفُ مَا ‌يَأْفِكُونَ) [Quran, 26:45].

They even determined the midpoint of the total number of suras, ending at Surat al-Hadid, which is the 57th in the order of the Mushaf. All this meticulous work leaves no room for anyone to even consider tampering with the Quran, an impossibility in light of the aforementioned efforts. This is a testament to Allah’s saying: “It is certainly We Who have revealed the Reminder, and it is certainly We Who will preserve it.” [Quran, 15:9; Ibid]

Recommendation and Summary

I recommend you refer to an important and beneficial book from the Quranic sciences, ”al-Bayan fi ‘Adad Ayat al-Quran” by Imam Abu Amr Al-Dani (d. 444H). In this book, he detailed discussions on every surah of the Quran, noting its type (Meccan or Medinan), the number of its verses and the differences among reciters regarding this, and the number of its words and letters. This book is published with the verification of Ghanem Al-Qaduri Al-Hamd.

The Prophet Muhammad (Allah bless him and give him peace) said: “Whoever reads a letter from the Book of Allah will have a good deed recorded for it, and a good deed is worth ten times its like. I do not say that ‘Alif Lam Meem’ is a letter, but Alif is a letter, Lam is a letter, and Meem is a letter.” [Tirmidhi].

And he (Allah bless him and give him peace) says: “Pass on information from me, even if it is only a verse of the Quran; and relate traditions from the Bani Isra’il, for there is no restriction; but let him who deliberately lies against me come to his abode in hell.” [Bukhari]

This gives us a clear understanding of the motivation that drove some scholars to count the verses and letters of the Quran.

Finally: All of the above extraordinary care for the Book of Allah, the Exalted, reassures us of the divine nature of the book in our hands and motivates us to immerse ourselves in it, reading and reflecting, to extract reasons for our happiness, elevation, and success in this world and the hereafter.

And may Allah send blessings upon our master and prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and companions. Peace and blessings be upon them.

[Shaykh] Anas al-Musa