Meccan and Medinan Surahs: What Is the Difference?

The most common definition among scholars is based on time: anything revealed before the migration (hijrah) is Meccan, and anything after it is Medinan, even if it was revealed somewhere else. So a passage revealed in Mecca during the farewell pilgrimage, near the end of the Prophet's life, still counts as Medinan.

The Meccan period lasted about thirteen years and the Medinan period about ten. Most of the Quran's surahs are Meccan, but because Medinan surahs include several very long ones like Al-Baqarah, Al-Imran and An-Nisa, the two periods are closer in total length than the number of surahs suggests.

In Mecca the Muslims were a small, often persecuted group. The Meccan surahs focus on the basics of belief: that Allah is One, that people will be raised and judged, and that the Prophet ﷺ is a true messenger. They often use oaths, vivid images of the Day of Judgment, and stories of earlier prophets and the peoples who rejected them.

Their verses are usually short and rhythmic. Surah Al-Muddaththir, one of the earliest, opens in 74:1-2 with a command to rise and warn. Surah At-Takwir opens with the sun being folded up (81:1), and Surah An-Naba (78) describes the earth laid out like a cradle and the mountains as pegs.

In Medina the Muslims became a community with its own leadership, neighbors and enemies. The Medinan surahs include guidance for that community: fasting in Ramadan (2:183-185), the pilgrimage, inheritance, marriage, contracts, and rules of war and peace. They also address the hypocrites, people who claimed faith but worked against the community, and include direct discussion with the Jews and Christians of Arabia.

Their verses are generally longer. Many passages begin with the address O you who believe, which is rare in Meccan surahs. The longest verse in the Quran, 2:282 on recording debts, is Medinan.

The classification of some surahs is disputed. Surahs such as Ar-Ra'd (13), Ar-Rahman (55), Al-Insan (76) and Az-Zalzalah (99) are listed as Medinan in some sources and Meccan in others. The labels printed in most copies today follow one view, and this site uses those labels.

Many surahs also contain verses from the other period. A Meccan surah may include a few Medinan verses and the reverse, so the label describes the surah as a whole. Scholars worked these out from reports of the Companions and from the content of the verses, which is why some questions remain open.

Knowing whether a surah is Meccan or Medinan helps readers understand its setting. A verse about patience under persecution reads differently when you know it came to a small group facing hostility in Mecca. Scholars of law also use the timing to understand how certain rulings were introduced in stages.