Summary
The Holy Qur’an contains 86,430 words, 6,348 ayaat (verses), and 114 surahs (chapters). The Holy Qur’an is a compilation of the verbal revelations revealed to the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) and is the divine scripture of the religion of Islam. Muslims believe all words in the Holy Qur’an are directly from Allah (God). The Holy Qur’an lays down the law, commandments and codes of life for Muslims relating to their social and moral behaviour.
Table of Contents
How many total words are in the Qur’an?
The Holy Qur’an is the holy book of Muslims and was revealed to the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) over a period of 23 years. The Holy Qur’an contains 86,430 words and provides laws, commandments, and codes of conduct for social and moral behaviour for all mankind (Hadi, 2008).
The Holy Qur’an was revealed in Arabic and has been translated into over 70 languages by islamic scholars. God revealed the Holy Qur’an in Arabic because it is a clear and simple language. God says in the Holy Qur’an:
‘We have made it a Book in clear, eloquent language that you may understand’ (The Holy Qur’an 43:4).
The word Qur’an means a book that is meant to be read and conveyed to all people (The Holy Qur’an, n.d.).
God has mentioned:
‘Allah has sent down the best Message in the form of a Book, whose verses are mutually supporting and repeated in diverse forms at which do creep the skins of those who fear their Lord; then their skins and their hearts soften to the remembrance of Allah. Such is the guidance of Allah; He guides therewith whom He pleases. And he whom Allah adjudges ashtray – he shall have no guide’ (The Holy Qur’an 39:24).
The words of the Holy Qur’an have remained unchanged in the past 1400 years since its revelation. The preservation of the Holy Qur’an is unique in history as many ancient religious texts have been altered overtime. This is a unique characteristic of the Holy Qur’an as God has said:
‘Verily, We Ourself have sent down this Exhortation, and most surely We will be its Guardian’ (The Holy Qur’an 15:10).
How many verses are in the Qur’an?
There are 6,348 ayaat (verses) in the Holy Qur’an spread over 600 pages (Hadi, 2008). The verses of the Holy Qur’an are divided into 30 parts and over 500 ruku (sections). The division of the Holy Qur’an was done for the convenience of recitation and memorization.
The Fifth Caliph and worldwide Head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, His Holiness, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad (aba) has mentioned that God revealed the Holy Qur’an in the form of verses and it was the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) that established their present order with the guidance of God. The division of the Holy Qur’an into manazil (stages) and ruku (sections) was done in the latter days, many years following the death of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa). It is important to note that the division of the Holy Qur’an does not change the understanding of the Holy Qur’an nor does it affect its authenticity (Why Is the Holy Quran Divided Into 30 Parts?, n.d.).
How many chapters are in the Qur’an?
The Holy Qur’an consists of 114 surahs (chapters) and each chapter contains verses that vary in length. Some chapters are long while others are short. For example, the longest chapter in the Holy Qur’an is Surah Al-Baqarah with 287 verses. The shortest chapter is Surah Al-Kauthar which is only 4 verses long (About Holy Quran, n.d.).
What is the significance of the Qur’an’s word count?
Compared to other religious scriptures, the Holy Qur’an is considered short in length with only 86,430 words. Both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible have over 750,000 words. The Holy Qur’an may be concise but is comprehensive. It was revealed in a unique manner so as to communicate various messages with a limited number of words. God made this possible by revealing the Holy Qur’an in Arabic.
For example, God says in the Holy Qur’an:
‘All praise belongs to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds’ (The Holy Qur’an 1:2).
God’s choice of the Arabic word حَمۡدُ (praise) rather than a different word for praise such as shukr, or al madha communicates a more specific message. That message being that the praise belonging to God is one that is true, contains no exaggeration, and is independent of an onlooker. As such, God does not require others to praise Him, His praise exists on its own.
The words God has chosen in the Holy Qur’an are specific and deliberate. They are used to convey a specific message in the simplest way possible. By studying and comparing the Arabic words, one can develop a deeper understanding of God’s message (Ahmad, 1984).
How many unique words are in the Qur’an?
The most unique words in the Holy Qur’an relate to the names and attributes of God. Many believe God to have 99 names. However, the Fourth Caliph of the Ahmadiyya community, Hazrat Mirza Tahir Ahmad (rh) mentioned that God’s names are innumerable. We as His creation do not have the capacity to understand Him in His entirety.
God has mentioned some of His names and attributes in a specific verse:
‘He is Allah, the Creator, the Maker, the Fashioner. His are the most beautiful names. All that is in the heavens and the earth glorifies Him, and He is the Mighty, the Wise’ (The Holy Qur’an 59:25).
God has described His four main attributes in the first chapter of the Holy Qur’an, Surah Al-Fatihah. The Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) called Surah Al-Fatihah the ‘Mother of the Qur’an’ because according to the Promised Messiah and founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as), Surah Al-Fatihah perfectly captures the essence of the Holy Qur’an in an excellent manner (Mir et al., 2008).
When one contemplates God’s attributes, it is as if one can see the face of God (Ahmad, 2018). God has four main names:
According to the Holy Qur’an, to establish a bond of love with God, we must understand His attributes to the best of our God-given ability (The Attributes of God (Asmaa-ul-husnaa), n.d.).
What are the most common words in the Qur’an?
The most common words in the Holy Qur’an are Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem (In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful). This is the first verse in every surah of the Holy Qur’an except one (chapter 9, Surah At-Taubah). These words had been revealed as the first verse of each chapter as an indicator for the Holy Prophet (sa) that a new surah of the Holy Qur’an had begun to be revealed (Iqbal, n.d.).
A companion of The Holy Prophet (sa) narrated that the Holy Prophet (sa) would not distinguish between two surahs until the words, ‘Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem (In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful)’ were revealed to him (Iqbal, n.d.).
Why is reciting even a single word of the Qur’an rewarding?
Reciting the Holy Qur’an is associated with many blessings. Huzoor (His Holiness) (aba) has mentioned that when a believer recites the Holy Qur’an, reflects over its meanings, then it is Allah’s promise that the reciter’s righteousness shall be increased and they shall be a winner in the present life and the hereafter (Ahmad, 2004).
The Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) has been recorded to have said:
“This Qur’an is the banquet from Allah, take as much as you can from His banquet. Indeed, this Qur’an is the Rope of Allah, and it is the clear Light and effective Healing. It is Protection for the one who clings to it and Rescue for the one who follows it. It is not crooked and it puts things straight. Its wonders do not cease. It does not wear out with repetition. So, recite it, for Allah will reward you for the recitation of every letter with a tenfold reward, I do not say that Alif-Laam-Meem is one letter, but alif is a letter, laam is a letter and meem is a letter.” (Al-Mustadrak) (Shraiky, 2022).
Reciting the Holy Qur’an comes with a multitude of blessings, however, the Promised Messiah (as) when asked how the Holy Qur’an should be recited responded by saying:
“The Holy Qur’an should be read carefully and should be reflected on…The Holy Qur’an should be read with due care and attention and it should be practiced on.” (Ahmad, 2018).
Moreover, Huzoor (His Holiness) (aba) has said:
“The Holy Qur’an is an easy book to follow, however, one must read it with purity of heart, reflect over it and make an effort to act upon its guidance because without effort, nothing can be attained.” (Ahmad, 2004).
Contents of the Qur’an
A key topic discussed in the Holy Qur’an is the concept that God is a source of light and goodness for all of mankind. One way for Muslims to obtain that light is through the Holy Qur’an which God says is a source of light for everyone who reads and understands its teachings,
‘This is a Book which We have revealed to thee that thou mayest bring mankind out of the depths of darkness into light, by the command of their Lord, to the path of the Mighty, the Praiseworthy’ (The Holy Qur’an 14:2).
In addition, the Holy Qur’an mentions that it is a guardian in two respects (18:3). Firstly, it safeguards the teachings revealed in earlier scriptures by removing the misinterpretations and changes that have occurred to those scriptures over time. It thus preserves the original teachings of each of the previous revealed scriptures that are still relevant for humanity. Secondly, it is a guardian for future generations as it provides commandments and codes of conduct for all moral and social behaviour through which one can attain their purpose in life (The Holy Qur’an Five, 1949).
By following the commandments and codes of conduct for all moral and social behaviour detailed in the Holy Qur’an, everyone has the ability to improve their spiritual status. The Promised Messiah (as), explains his own experience with The Holy Quran,
‘I call Allah to witness that the Holy Qur’an is a rare pearl. Its outside is light and its inside is light and its above is light and its below is light and there is light in every word of it. It is a spiritual garden whose clustered fruits are within easy reach and through which streams flow. Every fruit of good fortune is found in it and every torch is lit from it. Its light has penetrated to my heart and I could not have acquired it by any other means’ (Ahmad, 2004).
Conclusion
There are 86,430 words in the Holy Qur’an which are contained within 6,348 ayaat (verses) and 114 surahs (chapters). All words in the Holy Qur’an are considered by Muslims to be the words of Allah (God) revealed to the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa). The Holy Qu’ran contains guidance for social and moral behaviours for all of mankind and, unlike other religious scriptures, its text has remained unchanged since its revelation.
References
About Holy Quran. (n.d.). Islam Ahmadiyya. https://www.alislam.org/articles/about-holy-quran/
Ahmad, H.M.G. (2004). The Holy Qur’an. In The Essence of Islam – Volume I (pp.356). Islam International Publications Limited.
Ahmad, H.M.G. (2018). Malfuzat – Volume I (pp. 202-205). Islam International Publications Limited.
Ahmad, H.M.G. (2019). Malfuzat – Volume II (pp. 143). Islam International Publications Limited.
Ahmad, H.M.G. (2018). Malfuzat – Volume V (pp. 157). Islam International Publications Limited.
Ahmad, M. M. (2004). Glories of the Holy Quran. Friday Sermon September 24, 2004. https://www.alislam.org/video/darsul-quran-english-june-10-1984-surah-al-faatiha-verses-1-7/
Ahmad, M. T. (1984). Darsul Quran (English) June 10, 1984: Surah Al-Faatiha verses 1-7. Islam Ahmadiyya. https://www.alislam.org/video/darsul-quran-english-june-10-1984-surah-al-faatiha-verses-1-7/
Hadi, S. A. (2008). Allah & His Message. In Basics of Religious Education (pp. 35–36). Islam International Publications Limited.
Iqbal, F. (n.d.). Why is Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem counted as the first verse? Islam Ahmadiyya.https://www.alislam.org/articles/why-is-bismillahir-rahmanir-raheem-counted-as-first-verse/
Mir, A. M., Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmed, London Mosque, & Islam International Publications. (2008, February 23). Surah Fatihah in the light of the writings of the Promised Messiah (as). https://www.alislam.org/library/articles/Surah-Fatihah-and-Promised-Messiah.pdf
Rehmatullah, N. (n.d.). The sequence of verses of The Holy Quran. Islam Ahmadiyya.https://www.alislam.org/articles/sequence-of-verses-of-holy-quran/
Shraiky, R. (2022, December 2). The Holy Quran: A code of conduct and a source of morality, etiquette and manners. Al Hakam. https://www.alhakam.org/the-holy-quran-a-code-of-conduct-and-a-source-of-morality-etiquette-and-manners/
The attributes of God (Asmaa-ul-husnaa). (n.d.). Islam Ahmadiyya. https://www.alislam.org/articles/attributes-of-god-asmaa-ul-husnaa/
The Holy Qur’an (Maulawi Sher ‘Ali, Trans.). (2021). Islam International Publications Limited.
The Holy Qur’an. (n.d.). Islam Ahmadiyya. https://www.alislam.org/book/selected-verses-holy-quran/holy-quran/
The Holy Qur’an Five Volume Commentary in English. (1949). Vol. 3. Islam International Publications LTD, 2018.
Why Is the Holy Quran divided into 30 parts? (n.d.). Islam Ahmadiyya. https://www.alislam.org/question/why-is-holy-quran-divided-into-30-parts/