Medinan surah facts for kids

The Madani Surahs (also called Surah Madaniyah) are 28 special Surahs, or chapters, from the Quran. Muslims believe these chapters were revealed in the city of Medina. This happened after the Prophet Muhammad and his followers made their journey from Mecca.

When these chapters were revealed, the Muslim community in Medina was much larger. It was also more organized than when they were in Mecca.

The Medinan Surahs are mostly found at the beginning and in the middle of the Qur'an. Even though they appear earlier, they were revealed later in time. These chapters usually have more and longer ayat (verses). Because the Muslim community was growing, these surahs often talk about important rules for life. They cover laws, how to build a community, and even rules for defending themselves. Sometimes they start with "O people!" or talk about Prophet Muhammad working with God.

Scholars like Theodor Noldeke studied the style and topics of the surahs. This helped them figure out which ones were from Mecca and which were from Medina. They looked at things like verse length and certain words, like al-Rahman (a name for God).

What Makes Medani Surahs Different?

Medinan Surahs have some unique features. Here are a few things you might notice:

• They talk about 'Jihad', which means a struggle or effort for good. They also explain rules related to this effort.
• They give details about Islamic laws. This includes rules for families, money, international relations, and how to worship.
• They mention 'Munafiq', which means hypocrites. These are people who pretend to be Muslims but are not truly believers.
• Many verses start with the phrase "O you who believe" (يا أيها للذين آمنوا).
• The verses are often longer than those in Meccan surahs.
• The words used are generally easier to understand.
• They often discuss the People of the Book, which refers to Jews and Christians.

The Medina Period

The time when the Medinan Surahs were revealed lasted about 10 years. This period began when Prophet Muhammad moved to Madina. It ended with his passing. While the main ideas from the Meccan surahs were still important, the Muslims in Medina became a stronger community. They formed what is known as the Ummah, which is the global Muslim community.

How Medani Surahs Are Ordered

A scholar named Theodor Nöldeke created a list of the Medinan chapters in the order he believed they were revealed. This list is often called the Nöldeke-Schwally chronology. It includes 26 chapters:

• 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 22, 24, 33, 47,
• 48, 49, 55, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61,
• 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 76, 98, 110.

See also

• Meccan surah
• List of chapters in the Quran