The Qur’an Is not Arranged Mechanically (with chart)

In the Spirit of the Gracious and Compassionate
Creator of the Heavens and the Earth

The arrangement of the Qur’an by the length of the soorahs — generally long-to-short (except for the first soorah, which is very short) — is not mechanical.

According to Philip K. Hitti, a Lebanese Christian author, “The arrangement of the sūrahs (koranic chapters) is mechanical, in the order of their length.” (History of the Arabs, Tenth Edition, 1970, St. Martins Press, New York) Garry Wills (American author, journalist, political philosopher, and historian), in his comments on the Qur’an, has made essentially the same statement.

This is inaccurate, particularly in the use of the word “mechanical”.

There are 114 soorahs in the Qur’an. (Calling them chapters is misleading. The soorahs of the Qur’an are not sections of a continuous narrative, as are chapters in the books of the Bible.) The second soorah, “al-Baqarah”, is by far the longest and the last several soorahs are all extremely short, by comparison. And the general trend is for the soorahs to be shorter and shorter as we go from beginning to end. But the arrangement is nowhere close to being mechanical. In fact, other than the general trend from long to short, there is no apparent systematic or mechanical pattern governing the overall arrangement.

The use of the word “mechanical” supports, also, the inaccurate history that the Qur’an was assembled and arranged after the death of Muhammad. It is clear in the reports of Muhammad’s companions, and according to internal and external evidence, that the Qur’an was already in its final form before the death of Muhammad and that it has been preserved in that same exact form ever since – worldwide, ultimately – for fourteen centuries.

What is generally overlooked is that the Qur’an is recited aloud by the imam during the fajr (dawn), maghrib (sunset), and ‘ishaa’ (evening) salaahs. (Salaah is not prayer. Muhammad compared performing the five daily salaahs to bathing five times a day.) The Qur’an, and only the Qur’an, is what is recited while standing in salaah. (The word “qur’aan” actually means “that which is to be read and recited aloud”.) If the imam deviates, makes a mistake, or has a memory lapse, members of the congregation say “subhaan-Allah” (meaning that Allah alone is perfect) and correct him. This has been the universal practice since the life of Muhammad.

This, combined with written copies, is what NASA would call “multiple redundancies” – designed to keep a spacecraft on course and functioning properly throughout its mission, far from Earth. These multiple redundancies have maintained the Qur’an in its original form, worldwide, for fourteen centuries.

24 Ramadan 1446
March 24, 2025

Qur’an Chart, Arranged by Duration,
Long-to-Short – Hours:Minutes:Seconds

There are 114 soorahs (“chapters”) in the Qur’an. Each soorah has between three and 286 aayaat (“verses” — singular is “aayah” or “aayat”). The best way to determine the length of a soorah is by how long it takes to recite it — its duration. The number of aayaat is not a good indicator of how long a soorah is. In the right-hand column, the duration of reciting is given in hours, minutes, and seconds. In the left-hand column is the soorah number giving the order of the soorahs in the Qur’an.

Soorah Number	Name of Soorah	Number of Aayaat	Duration of Reciting
2	Al-Baqarah (The Heifer)	286	2:01:06
4	An-Nisaa’ (The Women)	176	1:13:52
3	Aali `Imraan (The Imraan Family)	200	1:13:06
7	Al-A`raaf (The Heights)	206	1:11:08
6	Al-An`aam (The Cattle)	165	1:00:33
5	Al-Maa’idah (The Supper-Table)	120	0:57:09
9	At-Taubah (Repentance)	129	0:52:12
11	Huud	123	0:39:29
10	Yuunus (Jonah)	109	0:36:21
12	Yuusuf (Joseph)	111	0:35:34
16	An-Nahl (The Bee)	128	0:35:07
17	Banee Israa’eel (The Children of Israel)	111	0:30:07
18	Al-Kahf (The Cave)	110	0:29:05
28	Al-Qasas (The Narration)	88	0:26:48
24	An-Nuur (Light)	64	0:26:03
26	Ash-Shu`araa’ (The Poets)	227	0:25:50
8	Al-Anfaal (The Spoils of War)	75	0:25:47
33	Al-Ahzaab (The Confederates)	73	0:25:32
22	Al-Hajj (The Pilgrimage)	78	0:24:29
20	Taa Haa	135	0:24:13
40	Al-Mu’min (The Believer)	85	0:24:03
21	Al-Anbiyaa’ (The Prophets)	112	0:23:39
27	An-Naml (The Ant)	93	0:23:16
39	Az-Zumar (Crowds)	75	0:23:07
23	Al-Mu’minuun (The Believers)	118	0:21:00
29	Al-`Ankabuut (The Spider)	69	0:19:41
19	Maryam (Mary)	98	0:19:03
14	Ibraaheem (Abraham)	52	0:18:09
34	Saba’ (Sheba)	54	0:17:31
25	Al-Furqaan (The Criterion)	77	0:17:26
37	As-Saaffat (Those Arranged in Ranks)	182	0:17:08
43	Az-Zukhruf (Gold)	89	0:16:29
35	Faatir (A Fashioner)	45	0:16:28
42	Ash-Shooraa (Mutual Consultation)	53	0:16:12
13	Ar-Ra`d (Thunder)	43	0:16:11
41	Fussilat (Clarification)	54	0:15:59
30	Ar-Ruum (Rome)	60	0:15:57
36	Yaa-Seen	83	0:15:19
38	Saad	88	0:14:12
15	Al-Hijr (The Rocky Heights)	99	0:13:36
46	Al-Ahqaaf (The Storm)	35	0:12:34
57	Al-Hadeed (Iron)	29	0:12:02
50	Qaaf	45	0:11:12
47	Muhammad	38	0:11:11
48	Al-Fath (Victory)	29	0:10:59
31	Luqmaan	34	0:10:19
45	Al-Jaathiyah (The Crouching)	37	0:10:19
59	Al-Hashr (Banishment)	24	0:09:22
58	Al-Mujaadilah (The Complaining Woman)	22	0:09:01
56	Al-Waaqi`ah (The Overwhelming Event)	96	0:08:52
55	Ar-Rahmaan (The Beneficient)	78	0:08:49
32	As-Sajdah (Prostration)	30	0:08:17
49	Al-Hujuraat (The Inner Apartments)	18	0:07:35
60	Al-Mumtahinah (The Examined Woman)	13	0:07:12
44	Ad-Dukhaan (The Smog)	59	0:07:09
69	Al-Haaqqah (The Overwheming Truth)	52	0:06:54
51	Adh-Dhaariyaat (The Winnowing Winds)	60	0:06:49
54	Al-Qamar (The Moon)	55	0:06:45
53	An-Najm (The Star)	62	0:06:29
67	Al-Mulk (The Dominion)	30	0:06:22
52	At-Toor (The Peak)	49	0:06:03
65	At-Talaaq (Divorce)	12	0:05:49
76	Al-Insaan (The Human Being)	31	0:05:43
68	Al-Qalam (The Pen)	52	0:05:40
66	At-Tahreem (The Forbidden)	12	0:05:06
72	Al-Jinn (The Jinns)	28	0:05:01
70	Al-Ma`aarij (The Ways of Ascent)	44	0:04:55
64	At-Taghaabun (Mutual Disillusion)	18	0:04:54
74	Al-Muddaththir (The Cloaked One)	56	0:04:49
71	Nuuh (Noah)	27	0:04:25
78	An-Naba’ (The Tidings)	40	0:04:14
61	As-Saff (The Ranks)	14	0:04:13
77	Al-Mursalaat (The Emissaries)	50	0:03:59
73	Al-Muzzammil (The Shrouded One)	20	0:03:44
79	An-Naazi`aat (Those Who Drag Forth)	46	0:03:41
63	Al-Munaafiqoon (The Hypocrites)	11	0:03:31
75	Al-Qiyaamah (The Resurrection)	40	0:03:18
62	Al-Jumu`ah (The Gathering)	11	0:03:16
83	Al-Mutaffifeen (The Cheaters)	36	0:03:15
80	`Abasa (He Frowned)	42	0:03:03
89	Al-Fajr (Dawn)	30	0:02:50
82	Al-Infitaar (The Cleaving)	19	0:02:06
85	Al-Buruuj (The Constellations)	22	0:02:06
81	At-Takweer (The Overthrowing)	29	0:02:03
98	Al-Bayyinah (The Clear Proof)	8	0:02:01
84	Al-Inshiqaaq (The Sundering)	25	0:01:58
88	Al-Ghaashiyah (The Overwhelming)	26	0:01:46
90	Al-Balad (The City)	20	0:01:28
92	Al-Lail (Night)	21	0:01:28
87	Al-A`laa (The Most High)	19	0:01:16
86	At-Taariq (The Night Visitor)	17	0:01:10
96	Al-`Alaq (The Clot)	19	0:01:09
91	Ash-Shams (The Sun)	15	0:01:00
99	Al-Zilzaal (The Earthquake)	8	0:00:56
1	Al-Faatihah The Opening)	7	0:00:50
100	Al-`Aadiyaat (The Courser)	11	0:00:49
101	Al-Qaari`ah (The Calamity)	11	0:00:48
93	Ad-Duhaa (The Morning Hours)	11	0:00:47
97	Al-Qadr (The Power)	5	0:00:47
102	At-Takaathur (Rivalry in Increase)	8	0:00:41
104	Al-Humazah (The Traducer)	9	0:00:41
95	At-Teen (The Date)	8	0:00:36
109	Al-Kaafiroon (The Disbelievers)	6	0:00:35
114	An-Naas (Mankind)	6	0:00:35
94	Ash-Sharh (Relief)	8	0:00:26
107	Al-Maa`oon (Small Kindnesses)	7	0:00:26
105	Al-Feel (The Elephant)	5	0:00:24
111	Al-Masad (Palm-fiber)	5	0:00:24
106	Quraish	4	0:00:20
110	An-Nasr (The Help)	3	0:00:20
113	Al-Falaq (Daybreak)	5	0:00:20
103	Al-`Asr (The Declining Day)	3	0:00:17
108	Al-Kauthar (Abundance)	3	0:00:12
112	Al-Ikhlaas (Purity)	4	0:00:11

6 Dhul-Qa’dah 1446
May 4, 2025