Understanding the Quran
A starting point for anyone who wants to know what the Quran actually says — whether you have recited it your whole life without meeting its meaning, or have never opened it.
Start here
- What is the Quran?What the Quran is, how it is arranged, when it was revealed and what Muslims believe about it — with no background assumed.
- How do you start reading the Quran?Where to begin, why reading front to back is hard, which Surahs to start with, and how to read for meaning rather than completion.
- Who wrote the Quran?How the Quran came to be as a text: what Muslims believe about its revelation, and the historical account of how it was written down and compiled.
- How is the Quran organised?How many chapters the Quran has, how Surahs and ayahs work, what a juz or para is, and why the chapters are not in the order they were revealed.
- What is the difference between Meccan and Medinan Surahs?What separates the Surahs revealed in Mecca from those revealed in Medina, and why knowing which is which changes how a passage reads.
- What is asbab al-nuzul (the reason for revelation)?What asbab al-nuzul means, why a verse can read completely differently once you know the situation it addressed, and how to use it.
What does the Quran say about…
Go Surah by Surah
Each Surah set out with the reason it was revealed and its key teachings, in plain English and Urdu.
Browse the Surahs