Quran & Islamic Terms Glossary

Of Arabic origin, lexically meaning "sign, mark, proof." In Quranic terminology, a numbered sentence or group of sentences within a surah with a defined beginning and end. According to the widely used Kufic counting method, the Quran consists of 6,236 ayahs.

The name given to each of the sections of the Quran that carry their own internal unity, formed by multiple ayahs coming together. The Quran consists of 114 surahs; the shortest are Al-Kawthar, Al-Asr, and An-Nasr with 3 verses each, the longest is Al-Baqarah with 286 verses.

A practical division scholars later added on top of the surahs to make regular reading and completing the Quran easier — not a matter of revelation. The Quran is divided into 30 juz in total; juz boundaries often fall in the middle of a surah.

The discipline of explaining and interpreting Quranic verses based on language, context, occasion of revelation, and scholarly opinion. Distinct from a translation: a translation renders a verse's meaning into another language, while tafsir explains that meaning in depth through context, grammar, and reports.

The rendering of Quranic verses' meaning into another language. A translation does not replace the Arabic original; it reflects the translator's understanding, which is why wording can differ between translations of the same verse.

The completion of a full recitation of the Quran from Al-Fatihah through An-Nas. Commonly divided across the 30 juz to be completed within a month, though there is no fixed time requirement.

The discipline of reciting the Quran with correct Arabic letter articulation points and rules such as elongation and assimilation. Tajwid knowledge preserves the way the Quran was transmitted in recitation.

The written, bound book form of the Quran. The standard copy reproduced and sent to Muslim lands during the caliphate of Uthman is also referred to in sources as the "Uthmanic Mushaf."

A person who has memorised the entire Quran by heart. Memorisation is traditionally undertaken with a teacher, with memorised portions kept stable through regular review.

Divine knowledge communicated by God to a chosen prophet, either directly or through the angel Gabriel. The Quran is the revelation sent down to Prophet Muhammad in stages over approximately 23 years.

Careful reading of the Quran and following the revelation being recited. The word relates to both "reading" and "following." Tilawah is not only vocal recitation; it also includes reading the text accurately, attending to its meaning, and taking its guidance seriously — distinct from tajwid, which concerns the rules of pronunciation.

A Quranic-sciences term for the event of a verse or surah being revealed by God to the Prophet. The "order of revelation" refers to a chronological assessment of how the revelation unfolded, distinct from the current mushaf ordering of surahs. Because no single chronology is undisputed for every surah, information about revelation order should be presented with its source and method.

Under the widely used scholarly classification, verses and surahs revealed before the Prophet's emigration (hijrah) to Medina are called Meccan, and those revealed after are called Medinan. This classification rests primarily on the hijrah as its criterion, not simply on whether the revelation geographically occurred in Mecca or Medina. General stylistic and thematic tendencies can be described for each category, but they should not be presented as strict, exceptionless rules.

A Quranic verse whose recitation or hearing raises the matter of "prostration of recitation" (sajdah at-tilawah). The number of such verses and the religious ruling on this prostration are assessed differently across schools of Islamic law — the Hanafi view common in Turkey holds there are 14 such verses and that the prostration is obligatory (wajib); other schools may differ in count and ruling. This topic should therefore be presented with its legal framework specified, rather than treating one view as the single, absolute answer.

The shortened name for the phrase "Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim" (In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful). It appears at the start of 113 surahs of the Quran (all except Surah At-Tawbah), and also as its own verse within Prophet Solomon's letter in Surah An-Naml 27:30. Scholars differ on whether the basmala at the start of the other 112 surahs is a separate verse or part of the surah itself; this site displays it once as a heading at the start of each surah and numbers verses according to the widely used Kufic method.

Isti'adhah, lexically meaning "to seek refuge," refers to seeking refuge in God before beginning to recite the Quran, through the phrase "A'udhu billahi minash-shaytanir-rajim" (I seek refuge in God from Satan, the accursed). Surah An-Nahl 16:98 states: "So when you recite the Quran, seek refuge in God from Satan, the expelled [from His mercy]" — this verse is the Quranic basis for isti'adhah. Isti'adhah itself is not a verse of the Quran — it is a preparatory phrase said before recitation, and should not be confused with the basmala.