al-Qurʾān — Makkan Sūrahs

Makkan Sūrahs are those chapters of the Qurʾān revealed to the Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ before the Hijrah (migration) from Makkah to Madīnah in 622 CE, regardless of the place of revelation. They constitute the larger portion of the Qurʾān and primarily focus on establishing the foundations of Islamic belief, moral reform, and spiritual consciousness. Classical Muslim scholars identified Makkan revelations through transmitted reports (riwāyāt), thematic content, style, and historical context. Approximately eighty-six sūrahs are generally classified as Makkan, although some chapters contain verses revealed at different times, leading to scholarly discussions regarding mixed revelations. Among the well-known Makkan sūrahs are Sūrat al-Fātiḥah, al-Anʿām, al-Aʿrāf, Yūnus, Hūd, Yūsuf, al-Ḥijr, al-Kahf, Maryam, Ṭā Hā, al-Anbiyāʾ, al-Muʾminūn, al-Furqān, al-Shuʿarāʾ, al-Naml, al-Qaṣaṣ, Yā Sīn, al-Ṣāffāt, Ṣād, al-Zumar, Ghāfir, Fuṣṣilat, al-Shūrā, al-Zukhruf, al-Dukhān, Qāf, al-Raḥmān, al-Mulk, al-Qalam, al-Muddaththir, al-Muzzammil, and al-ʿAlaq.

The themes of Makkan Sūrahs revolve around tawḥīd (the oneness of God), prophethood, revelation, the Hereafter, resurrection, accountability, and ethical purification. These revelations addressed the religious and social environment of pre-Islamic Makkah, where polytheism, tribal rivalry, economic injustice, and moral decline were widespread. Consequently, the Makkan discourse repeatedly calls humanity to worship Allah alone, abandon idolatry, and reflect upon divine signs in nature and history. Narratives of earlier prophets such as Nūḥ, Ibrāhīm, Mūsā, and ʿĪsā (AS) are frequently mentioned to console the Prophet ﷺ and to demonstrate continuity in divine guidance.

Stylistically, Makkan Sūrahs are characterized by shorter verses, rhythmic language, powerful imagery, and emotionally compelling rhetoric. Their vivid descriptions of Paradise and Hell, oaths by natural phenomena, and repeated appeals to reflection distinguish them from many Madinan revelations. Early Makkan sūrahs, such as Sūrat al-ʿAlaq, al-Muddaththir, al-Muzzammil, and al-Fātiḥah, emphasize personal spiritual formation and preparation for prophetic responsibility. Later Makkan revelations, including Sūrat al-Anʿām, Yūnus, Hūd, and al-Zumar, increasingly address public opposition, persecution, and theological debate with the Quraysh. The Qurʾān itself alludes to this gradual process of revelation: “And the disbelievers say: Why was the Qurʾān not revealed to him all at once? Thus [it is] so that We may strengthen your heart thereby” (Qurʾān 25:32).

Makkan Sūrahs played a decisive role in shaping the earliest Muslim community by cultivating faith, patience, perseverance, and reliance upon Allah. Their teachings laid the theological and moral foundations upon which the later Madinan Islamic society was established. For this reason, scholars of ʿUlūm al-Qurʾān regard the study of Makkan revelations as essential for understanding the development of Qurʾānic legislation, prophetic mission, and the chronological progression of Islamic teachings. The distinction between Makkan and Madinan sūrahs remains a central topic in Qurʾānic studies, assisting exegetes in contextualizing verses and deriving their historical and legal significance.

According to most scholars of ʿUlūm al-Qurʾān, there are approximately 86 Makkan sūrahs. The exact number of Makkan verses is debated because some sūrahs contain both Makkan and Madinan passages. However, Makkan revelations constitute the majority of the Qurʾānic text and cover nearly two-thirds of the Qurʾān.

## References

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