Juz Amma (Juz 30): All 37 Surahs, Their Meanings and a Memorization Order

Where does the name Juz Amma come from?

The juz is known by its first word: Surah An-Naba opens with "ʿamma yatasāʾalūn" ("About what are they asking one another?"), and the juz is therefore called Juz Amma. In Quran teaching, both in Turkey and in the Arab world, this is usually the section children and beginners study first, because its surahs are short and it contains the surahs most often recited in prayer.

The 37 surahs of Juz 30

Each name links to the Arabic text, translation and audio of that surah:

• 78. An-Naba, The Tidings: 40 verses, Meccan

• 79. An-Nazi'at, Those Who Drag Forth: 46 verses, Meccan

• 80. 'Abasa, He Frowned: 42 verses, Meccan

• 81. At-Takwir, The Overthrowing: 29 verses, Meccan

• 82. Al-Infitar, The Cleaving: 19 verses, Meccan

• 83. Al-Mutaffifin, Defrauding: 36 verses, Meccan

• 84. Al-Inshiqaq, The Splitting Open: 25 verses, Meccan

• 85. Al-Buruj, The Mansions of the Stars: 22 verses, Meccan

• 86. At-Tariq, The Nightcomer: 17 verses, Meccan

• 87. Al-A'la, The Most High: 19 verses, Meccan

• 88. Al-Ghashiyah, The Overwhelming: 26 verses, Meccan

• 89. Al-Fajr, The Dawn: 30 verses, Meccan

• 90. Al-Balad, The City: 20 verses, Meccan

• 91. Ash-Shams, The Sun: 15 verses, Meccan

• 92. Al-Layl, The Night: 21 verses, Meccan

• 93. Ad-Duhaa, The Morning Hours: 11 verses, Meccan

• 94. Ash-Sharh, The Relief: 8 verses, Meccan

• 95. At-Tin, The Fig: 8 verses, Meccan

• 96. Al-'Alaq, The Clot: 19 verses, Meccan

• 97. Al-Qadr, The Power: 5 verses, Meccan

• 98. Al-Bayyinah, The Clear Proof: 8 verses, Medinan

• 99. Az-Zalzalah, The Earthquake: 8 verses, Medinan

• 100. Al-'Adiyat, The Courser: 11 verses, Meccan

• 101. Al-Qari'ah, The Calamity: 11 verses, Meccan

• 102. At-Takathur, Rivalry in World Increase: 8 verses, Meccan

• 103. Al-'Asr, The Declining Day: 3 verses, Meccan

• 104. Al-Humazah, The Traducer: 9 verses, Meccan

• 105. Al-Fil, The Elephant: 5 verses, Meccan

• 106. Quraysh, Quraysh: 4 verses, Meccan

• 107. Al-Ma'un, Small Kindnesses: 7 verses, Meccan

• 108. Al-Kawthar, Abundance: 3 verses, Meccan

• 109. Al-Kafirun, The Disbelievers: 6 verses, Meccan

• 110. An-Nasr, The Divine Support: 3 verses, Medinan

• 111. Al-Masad, The Palm Fiber: 5 verses, Meccan

• 112. Al-Ikhlas, Sincerity: 4 verses, Meccan

• 113. Al-Falaq, The Daybreak: 5 verses, Meccan

• 114. An-Nas, Mankind: 6 verses, Meccan

Groups by number of verses

Grouping the surahs by length makes a memorization plan easier. In Juz 30 nine surahs have between 3 and 5 verses, and the longest is An-Naziat with 46 verses:

3–5 verses (9 surahs): Al-Qadr (5), Al-'Asr (3), Al-Fil (5), Quraysh (4), Al-Kawthar (3), An-Nasr (3), Al-Masad (5), Al-Ikhlas (4), Al-Falaq (5)

6–10 verses (9 surahs): Ash-Sharh (8), At-Tin (8), Al-Bayyinah (8), Az-Zalzalah (8), At-Takathur (8), Al-Humazah (9), Al-Ma'un (7), Al-Kafirun (6), An-Nas (6)

11–20 verses (9 surahs): Al-Infitar (19), At-Tariq (17), Al-A'la (19), Al-Balad (20), Ash-Shams (15), Ad-Duhaa (11), Al-'Alaq (19), Al-'Adiyat (11), Al-Qari'ah (11)

21–30 verses (6 surahs): At-Takwir (29), Al-Inshiqaq (25), Al-Buruj (22), Al-Ghashiyah (26), Al-Fajr (30), Al-Layl (21)

31–46 verses (4 surahs): An-Naba (40), An-Nazi'at (46), 'Abasa (42), Al-Mutaffifin (36)

Meccan and Medinan distribution

According to the surah data on this site, 34 of the 37 surahs in this juz are Meccan and three are Medinan: Al-Bayyinah, Az-Zalzalah and An-Nasr. Scholars differ over where Al-Bayyinah and Az-Zalzalah were revealed, and some sources count both as Meccan. An-Nasr is regarded as Medinan and is linked to the conquest of Mecca.

Main themes of the juz

The surahs of Juz 30 gather around a few themes. An-Naba, An-Nazi'at, At-Takwir, Al-Infitar, Al-Inshiqaq, Az-Zalzalah and Al-Qari'ah describe scenes of the Last Day and reckoning. Al-Ikhlas and Al-Kafirun deal with the oneness of God, while Al-Falaq and An-Nas are about seeking refuge in God. Al-Fil, Al-Buruj, Al-Fajr and Ash-Shams recall past events and peoples. Ad-Duhaa and Ash-Sharh console the Prophet, and Al-Ma'un, At-Takathur and Al-Humazah dwell on wealth, show and social responsibility. Studying a juz with these themes makes it easier to memorize the surahs in their context of meaning, not as unrelated texts.

Where should memorization start?

A common practice is to start from An-Nas and work backwards: Al-Falaq, Al-Ikhlas, Al-Masad, An-Nasr, Al-Kafirun, because the closing surahs are short and are the ones used most in prayer. Another route is to finish the short group (3–5 verses) first and then move to the 6–10 group. Whichever order you choose, repeating a few verses often lasts longer than taking many at once: Bukhari (Merits of the Quran, no. 5033) reports that the Prophet said to keep repeating the Quran, because it escapes from the chest faster than a camel escapes from its rope. For a day-by-day route, see the Essential Surahs plan.

Which surahs are recited in prayer?

In prayer, after Al-Fatihah, any portion of the Quran may be recited, and the short surahs of Juz 30 are the most practical choice. The surahs most often recited in each prayer are covered in the article on additional surahs and in the Short Surahs listening routine.