Makki and Madani Surahs

Two groups of surahs: Scholars divide the surahs of the Quran into two groups, by where and when they were revealed:

• Makki surahs were revealed in Makkah, before the Hijrah (the migration to Madinah). They are mostly short, powerful surahs.
• Madani surahs were revealed in Madinah, after the Hijrah. They are usually longer, with more detail.

Two different flavours: The two groups have different flavours:

• Makki surahs focus on belief — Allah, the Day of Judgement, the stories of earlier prophets — and on building a strong, patient heart.
• Madani surahs focus on building a community — prayer, fasting, family, trade, justice, and how Muslims live together.

86 Makki, 28 Madani: About 86 surahs are counted as Makki and 28 as Madani, though scholars differ slightly in counting. The total is 114 surahs.

Key Terms

• Makki (مکی) — revealed in Makkah, before the Hijrah
• Madani (مدنی) — revealed in Madinah, after the Hijrah
• Hijrah (الهجرة) — the migration of the Prophet (SAW) from Makkah to Madinah
• Surah (سورة) — a chapter of the Quran; 114 in total

Quran or Hadith

Quran 2:185 — the month of Ramadan is the month "in which the Quran was sent down." — to be checked.

A short explanation, in a small box in the app: Ramadan is the month of the Quran. That is why Muslims read it more in this month than in any other.

Fresh diagram to be drawn

Diagram to be drawn: a two-column table — Makki (where, when, style, focus) vs Madani (where, when, style, focus). In Project Desk colours.

Example

A school with two stages: Think of a school. In the first years, children learn the basics — reading, counting, good manners. In the later years, they learn the details — science, history, how to work in a team.

Foundations, then details: The Makki period built the foundations of belief. The Madani period built the details of a Muslim community.