What Is an Ayah?
آيَة
AA-yah (plural ayat, AA-yaat)
An ayah is a verse of the Quran. The Arabic word literally means a sign, and the Quran uses it both for its own verses and for the signs of Allah in the world, such as the night and day.
A verse and a sign
In everyday use, an ayah is one verse of the Quran, the unit between two verse markers. But the word's basic meaning is a sign, a mark or a proof that points to something beyond itself. Calling each verse an ayah suggests that every verse is a sign pointing to Allah.
The Quran uses the same word for the world around us. In 2:164 it lists the creation of the heavens and earth, the alternation of night and day, ships at sea, rain and the winds as signs for people who reason. In 30:21-22 human love and mercy between spouses, and the variety of languages and colors, are also called His signs. It also uses ayah for the miracles given to prophets, like the staff of Moses.
How verses are numbered
References like 2:255 mean surah 2, verse 255. The surah number comes first, then the verse. In printed copies, a small round marker with a number shows where each verse ends.
The Quran has 6,236 verses in the count used on this site and in most printed copies. Early schools of counting differed on where some verses end, so a few totals are slightly different, but the words of the Quran are the same in all of them.
Long and short verses
Verses vary from a single word to a long paragraph. The longest verse, 2:282, sets out how to record a loan. Some verses are just letters, such as Alif Lam Mim at the start of Surah Al-Baqarah (2:1). These opening letters, called al-muqatta'at, appear at the start of 29 surahs, and their meaning is something Muslims leave to Allah.
Meccan surahs often have short, rhythmic verses that end in a matching sound, while Medinan verses tend to be longer.
Famous verses
Some individual verses are especially well known. Ayat al-Kursi (2:255) describes Allah's knowledge and power. A hadith in Sahih Muslim calls it the greatest verse in the Quran. The last two verses of Surah Al-Baqarah (2:285-286) are often read at night; Sahih al-Bukhari reports that whoever recites them at night, they will suffice him. And 94:5-6, which says twice that with hardship comes ease, has comforted people for centuries.
Clear and less clear verses
The Quran describes two kinds of verses in 3:7: some are precise and clear in meaning and form the foundation of the Book, while others are open to more than one interpretation. Readers are encouraged to build their understanding on the clear verses.
Verses mentioned here
إِنَّ فِي خَلۡقِ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَٱخۡتِلَٰفِ ٱلَّيۡلِ وَٱلنَّهَارِ وَٱلۡفُلۡكِ ٱلَّتِي تَجۡرِي فِي ٱلۡبَحۡرِ بِمَا يَنفَعُ ٱلنَّاسَ وَمَآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ مِن مَّآءٖ فَأَحۡيَا بِهِ ٱلۡأَرۡضَ بَعۡدَ مَوۡتِهَا وَبَثَّ فِيهَا مِن كُلِّ دَآبَّةٖ وَتَصۡرِيفِ ٱلرِّيَٰحِ وَٱلسَّحَابِ ٱلۡمُسَخَّرِ بَيۡنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ لَأٓيَٰتٖ لِّقَوۡمٖ يَعۡقِلُونَ ﴿١٦٤﴾
In the creation of the heavens and the earth; in the alternation of night and day; in the ships that sail the oceans for the benefit of mankind; in the water that Allah sends down from the sky, and revives the earth with it after it had died, and scatters in it all kinds of creatures; in the changing of the winds, and the clouds disposed between the sky and the earth; are signs for people who understand.
وَمِنۡ ءَايَٰتِهِۦٓ أَنۡ خَلَقَ لَكُم مِّنۡ أَنفُسِكُمۡ أَزۡوَٰجٗا لِّتَسۡكُنُوٓاْ إِلَيۡهَا وَجَعَلَ بَيۡنَكُم مَّوَدَّةٗ وَرَحۡمَةًۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَأٓيَٰتٖ لِّقَوۡمٖ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ ﴿٢١﴾
And of His signs is that He created for you mates from among yourselves, so that you may find tranquility in them; and He planted love and compassion between you. In this are signs for people who reflect.
ٱللَّهُ لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ٱلۡحَيُّ ٱلۡقَيُّومُۚ لَا تَأۡخُذُهُۥ سِنَةࣱ وَلَا نَوۡمࣱۚ لَّهُۥ مَا فِي ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَمَا فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِۗ مَن ذَا ٱلَّذِي يَشۡفَعُ عِندَهُۥٓ إِلَّا بِإِذۡنِهِۦۚ يَعۡلَمُ مَا بَيۡنَ أَيۡدِيهِمۡ وَمَا خَلۡفَهُمۡۖ وَلَا يُحِيطُونَ بِشَيۡءٖ مِّنۡ عِلۡمِهِۦٓ إِلَّا بِمَا شَآءَۚ وَسِعَ كُرۡسِيُّهُ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضَۖ وَلَا يَـُٔودُهُۥ حِفۡظُهُمَاۚ وَهُوَ ٱلۡعَلِيُّ ٱلۡعَظِيمُ ﴿٢٥٥﴾
Allah! There is no god except He, the Living, the Everlasting. Neither slumber overtakes Him, nor sleep. To Him belongs everything in the heavens and everything on earth. Who is he that can intercede with Him except with His permission? He knows what is before them, and what is behind them; and they cannot grasp any of His knowledge, except as He wills. His Throne extends over the heavens and the earth, and their preservation does not burden Him. He is the Most High, the Great.
فَإِنَّ مَعَ ٱلۡعُسۡرِ يُسۡرًا ﴿٥﴾
With hardship comes ease.
Questions
How many ayat are in the Quran?
6,236 in the count used in most printed copies.
What does 2:255 mean in a Quran reference?
Surah 2 (Al-Baqarah), verse 255. The first number is the surah and the second is the verse.
Is an ayah the same as a hadith?
No. An ayah is a verse of the Quran. A hadith is a report of what the Prophet ﷺ said or did.