Suras or Surahs are a collection of sayings that divide the holy book of Muslims, the Quran, into various chapters. These sayings are said to be wise words spoken to the prophet Mohammad by God.
Key Takeaways
- Meccan Suras originate from the early period of Islam in Mecca, while Medinan Suras come from the later period in Medina.
- Meccan Suras focus on faith, monotheism, and morality, whereas Medinan Suras address social, legal, and political issues.
- Medinan Suras are longer and more detailed than Meccan Suras.
Meccan Suras vs Medinan Suras
The Meccan suras are short verses from the final chapters of the Quran, which include the sayings of God to Prophet Mohammed when he was in Mecca. Medinan suras are the prophecies God said to Prophet Mohammed when he was in Medina. It is long verses about the Islamic law and legislation mentioned in the first chapters of the Quran.
Meccan suras are the saying told by god to Pophrt Mohammad when he was living in Mecca. There are the initial chapters of the Quran according to their timing, but as the Quran is from long to short surahs, they are found at the end of the Quran.
The Medinan suras were the ones that were delivered to Mohammad by god when he migrated to Medina. the sayings cover one-third of the whole suras.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Meccan Suras | Medinan Suras |
|---|---|---|
| What are they? | The Meccan suras were the sayings that were told by God to Prophet Mohammad when he was in Meccan. | The Medinan suras were the sayings told to prophet Mohammad by God when he was in the Medina. |
| The verses length | The verses are short. | The suras are prolonged ones. |
| Chapter | They are in the last chapters of the Quran. | They are in the earlier chapters of the Quran. |
| Coverage of Quran | They cover about two-thirds of the whole suras. | They cover about one-third of the whole suras. |
| What are they about? | They are reminiscent of the soothsayers. | They are about earlier history and laws. |
What are Meccan Suras?
Meccan suras are the sayings of God that were told to the Prophet (Someone who can foresee the future) Mohammad when he was living in Mecca.
Meccan Suras are short, they have short verses and are found in the later chapters of the Quran. However, these suras were timely stated first, and so are the very first sayings which were told to man by god.
The first of the suras are said to be presented in such a manner that they can be passed along orally. These suras were said to be the light for people.
What are Medinan Suras?
The median suras are the suras that are told by God to Prophet Mohammad after he had migrated to the medina. The Islamic community was much more developed in the medina.
These suras are also known as Madni Surahs, Surah Madniyah, and Madani Chapters. These suras are about the legislation, the laws that Islamism should follow.
The median suras are mentioned in the earlier chapters of the Quran as they are long verses. These suras are considered the latest suras as they were revealed to Mohammad after his migration to Medina from Mecca.
Main Differences Between Meccan And Medinan Suras
- Meccan suras are found in the end chapters of the Quran as the Quran is organized from longest to shortest. Therefore the Medinan suras are found in the earlier chapters.
- Meccan suras remind about the prophets of the pagans, which involve oaths and celestial bodies, while the Medinan suras are about earlier laws and prophets.
Last Updated : 19 August, 2023
I’ve put so much effort writing this blog post to provide value to you. It’ll be very helpful for me, if you consider sharing it on social media or with your friends/family. SHARING IS ♥️
Chara Yadav holds MBA in Finance. Her goal is to simplify finance-related topics. She has worked in finance for about 25 years. She has held multiple finance and banking classes for business schools and communities. Read more at her bio page.
I found the article to be very enlightening and intellectually stimulating.
Highly informative.
It was well presented and explained. I have gained a lot of knowledge from this article.
I also share the same thoughts.
I agree, the article is very detailed which is helpful to understand the context of the Quran.
The article was very informative and helped me understand the differences between the Meccan and Medinan Suras which I had confusion about before.
Yes, I also found it helpful and well written.
This article gives a great understanding of the differences between the Meccan and Medinan Suras.
It has really shed light on the differences.
I agree, an enlightening read.
The comprehensive enough information given in the article provides solid criteria to differentiate Meccan and Medinan Suras. It’s well written and can be easily understood.
Great explanation from the article.
The article has helped me understand the chronological sequencing of Meccan and Medinan Suras.
Very well-explained, these are the essential keys to understanding the Meccan and Medinan Suras.
A very strong and compelling perspective.
I couldn’t agree more, well put.
The article gave a clear and in-depth view of Meccan and Medinan Suras.
The information provided is enlightening.
Indeed, the article presents a concise view.
The content is very informative, it gives a structured view of the differences.
This helped me to understand the Quran better. The details and analyses provided are truly insightful.
I concur, very insightful.