Qur'an Basics: Surahs, Juz', Verses and How to Start

The Qur'an is one book, but it is organised in several overlapping ways: by surah, by verse, by juz' and hizb for reading, and by place of revelation. Knowing these divisions makes the mushaf, the audio apps and the Ramadan plans make sense. This article gives the numbers, what they mean, and a plan for turning them into daily reading.

The Qur'an in numbers

The longest surah is al-Baqarah (286 verses, nearly two and a half juz'); the shortest is al-Kawthar (3 verses). The surahs are arranged roughly from longest to shortest, not in the order they were revealed.

Surah, ayah, basmalah

A surah is a chapter; every surah except al-Tawbah (9) opens with the basmalah ("Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim"). In the Kufan count the basmalah is counted as a verse only in al-Fatiha, which is why al-Fatiha has seven verses.

An ayah is a verse, literally a "sign". References are written surah:ayah, so 2:255 is Ayat al-Kursi, the 255th verse of the second surah, al-Baqarah. This is the format used throughout this site.

Juz' and hizb: the reading divisions

The 30 juz' are a reading aid, not part of the revelation; they were marked so that the Qur'an could be completed in a month, one part a night, which is still the standard Ramadan practice. The 30th juz', often called juz' 'Amma after its first word, contains the 37 shortest surahs (78 to 114) and is where most children and new Muslims start memorising.

Each juz' is halved into two hizb, and each hizb into four quarters. In a printed mushaf the quarter marks appear as small ornaments in the margin; in audio apps they are the usual bookmarks. A quarter is about two and a half pages, or around seven minutes of reading, which is a convenient unit for a busy day.

Makki and Madani

Surahs are classed by whether they were revealed before or after the Hijrah (the migration to Madinah in 622 CE), not by where the Prophet was standing. The common count is 86 Makki and 28 Madani surahs, though a few are disputed. Most prints mark this in the surah heading.

The two periods differ in tone. Makki surahs are usually shorter, with strong rhythm, and concentrate on belief in one God, the Hereafter and the earlier prophets. Madani surahs are longer and set out law and community life: fasting, prayer, inheritance, marriage. This is why al-Baqarah (Madani) reads so differently from al-Takwir (Makki).

The first revelation

The first verses revealed were 96:1–5, in the cave of Hira' near Makkah, during Ramadan. The meaning: "Read, in the name of your Lord who created; created man from a clinging clot. Read, and your Lord is the Most Generous, who taught by the pen, taught man what he did not know." The surah is called al-'Alaq (the clot) or Iqra' (Read).

The Qur'an says of itself that it was sent down in Ramadan (2:185) and that it was revealed in stages so that it could be read to people gradually (the meaning of 17:106 and 25:32). That gradual pattern, a few verses at a time over 23 years, is a useful model for a reader too.

How to start reading daily

The hadith reported by al-Bukhari says the best of you is the one who learns the Qur'an and teaches it. Learning starts with small, fixed amounts.

Choose a unit

Choose the smallest unit you are sure you can keep for 40 days. One page a day, every day, beats a juz' on Sunday and nothing until the next weekend. The hadith on intentions (Bukhari 1) is a reminder that the daily page, done for Allah, is complete in itself; it is not a failed juz'.

Attach it to a prayer

The most reliable slot is right after Fajr, before the day starts, or after Maghrib before dinner. Check the prayer times for your city and pick the prayer you are most likely to be at home for. Keep the mushaf, or the app, in the same place as the prayer mat.

Read with meaning

For a non-Arabic speaker, read the Arabic (slowly, even if your reading is weak) and then the translation of the meanings for the same lines. The reading the Qur'an with translation guide explains how to choose a translation and when to add a tafsir. New Muslims who are still learning to pray may find first steps in salah and understanding al-Fatiha the natural starting points.

Ramadan

In Ramadan 2027 (expected to begin Monday 8 February 2027; the date in your country depends on moon sighting and may differ by a day), the traditional target is one juz' a day to complete the Qur'an in the month. The Ramadan Qur'an plan breaks that into four slots around the prayers and gives lighter options for those who cannot manage a full juz'. Tarawih prayers in most masjids also cover one juz' a night, so a listener who attends every night hears the whole Qur'an by Eid.

Friday

Surah al-Kahf (18) on Friday is a weekly fixed point for many Muslims; it is 110 verses, about 11 pages, and the Surah al-Kahf on Friday article shows how to fit it into the day.

Keeping it going

• Mark your place with the quarter-hizb ornaments, not page numbers; the units are the same in every print and every app.
• If you miss a day, read today's unit, not two. Catching up is how plans die.
• Once a unit is automatic for a month or two, go up one step in the table.
• Keep a short list of verses whose meaning struck you; reading them again later is part of how the Qur'an is meant to be read: a little, often, and with attention.