Quran & Hadith

Holy Quran

Meaning

  • The Recitation
  • The Most Read Book

Other Names

  • Al-Furqan
  • Al-Kitab
  • Al-Burhan
  • Al-Dhikr

Revelation

First Revelation

First five verses of Surah Al-Alaq.

Duration of Revelation

Approximately 23 years.


Statistics of Quran

ItemNumber
Surahs114
Paras (Juz)30
Manzils7
Rukus558
Sajdah Tilawat14
Verses (Ayat)6236

Important Quranic Facts

Largest Surah

Surah Al-Baqarah

Largest Makki Surah

Surah Al-A’raf

Largest Madani Surah

Surah Al-Baqarah

Smallest Surah

Surah Al-Kawthar

Greatest Verse

Ayat-ul-Kursi (2:255)

Longest Verse

Ayat-ud-Dayn (2:282)

First Sajdah

Surah Al-A’raf

No Compulsion in Religion

Surah Al-Baqarah (2:256)

First Complete Surah Revealed

Surah Al-Fatiha

Heart of the Quran

Surah Yaseen

Bride of the Quran

Surah Ar-Rahman

One-Third of Quran

Surah Al-Ikhlas

Surah without Bismillah

Surah At-Tawbah

Surah with Two Bismillahs

Surah An-Naml

Holy Quran

Q13. First revelation was revealed in:
A. Surah Al-Fatiha
B. Surah Al-Alaq
C. Surah Al-Muddassir
D. Surah Yaseen

Q14. Total Surahs in the Quran are:
A. 110
B. 112
C. 113
D. 114

Q15. Longest Surah of the Quran is:
A. Al-Imran
B. An-Nisa
C. Al-Baqarah
D. Al-A’raf

Q16. Greatest verse of the Quran is:
A. Ayat-un-Noor
B. Ayat-e-Mubahala
C. Ayat-ul-Kursi
D. Ayat-e-Kareema

Q17. Which Surah does not begin with Bismillah?
A. Al-Anfal
B. Al-Mulk
C. Al-Kahf
D. At-Tawbah

Q18. Which Surah contains two Bismillahs?
A. Al-Baqarah
B. Al-Fatiha
C. An-Naml
D. Yaseen

Q19. Heart of the Quran is:
A. Ar-Rahman
B. Al-Mulk
C. Yaseen
D. Al-Waqiah

Q20. Bride of the Quran is:
A. Al-Mulk
B. Yaseen
C. Ar-Rahman
D. Al-Kahf

Quranic General Knowledge, Revelation, Surahs, Divine Books & Tafsir

1. Wahi (Divine Revelation)

Meaning of Wahi

Wahi literally means:

  • Secret communication
  • Swift communication
  • Divine inspiration

Types of Wahi

Wahi Matloo

  • Revelation recited as part of the Holy Quran.
  • Exact words revealed by Allah.

Wahi Ghair Matloo

  • Revelation not included in the Quran.
  • Conveyed through Hadith and Hadith-e-Qudsi.

Writers of Revelation (Katib-e-Wahi)

Famous scribes included:

  • Zaid bin Thabit (RA)
  • Ubayy bin Ka’b (RA)
  • Ali ibn Abi Talib (RA)
  • Muawiyah ibn Abi Sufyan (RA)
  • Khalid bin Saeed (RA)

Important Fact

Hazrat Zaid bin Thabit (RA) was the chief scribe of revelation.


Fatrat-ul-Wahi

  • Temporary pause in revelation after the first revelation.
  • Occurred between Surah Al-Alaq and Surah Al-Muddassir.
  • Duration is reported differently in various narrations.

2. General Quranic Knowledge

Names of the Quran

  1. Al-Quran
  2. Al-Kitab
  3. Al-Furqan
  4. Al-Dhikr
  5. Al-Burhan
  6. Al-Haqq

Statistics of the Quran

TopicNumber
Surahs114
Paras (Juz)30
Manzils7
Rukus558
Sajdah Tilawat14
Ayat6236
Makki Surahs86
Madani Surahs28

Prophets Mentioned in Quran

  • 25 Prophets are explicitly mentioned by name.

First Prophet Mentioned

Hazrat Adam (AS)

Last Prophet Mentioned

Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH)


Tawwal Surahs

The seven long Surahs:

  1. Al-Baqarah
  2. Aal-e-Imran
  3. An-Nisa
  4. Al-Ma’idah
  5. Al-An’am
  6. Al-A’raf
  7. Al-Anfal & At-Tawbah (considered together)

Nasikh and Mansukh

Nasikh

A verse that supersedes a previous ruling.

Mansukh

A verse whose legal ruling was replaced.


3. Classification of Surahs

Makki Surahs

  • Revealed before Hijrah.
  • Main themes:
    • Tawheed
    • Risalat
    • Akhirah

Total

86 Surahs


Madani Surahs

  • Revealed after Hijrah.
  • Main themes:
    • Laws
    • Society
    • Family matters
    • State affairs

Total

28 Surahs


Largest and Smallest Surahs

Largest Surah

Surah Al-Baqarah

Largest Makki Surah

Surah Al-A’raf

Largest Madani Surah

Surah Al-Baqarah

Smallest Surah

Surah Al-Kawthar


4. Important Surahs and Their Titles

1. Unique Surah Milestones

TopicCorrect Information
Longest SurahSurah Al-Baqarah (286 verses)
Shortest SurahSurah Al-Kawthar (3 verses)
Second RevelationSurah Al-Muddaththir
Two BismillahsSurah An-Naml
Without BismillahSurah At-Tawbah
Haroof-e-Muqatta’atFound in 29 Surahs
First Complete Surah RevealedSurah Al-Fatiha
Last Complete Surah RevealedSurah An-Nasr
30th Para (Juz Amma)Contains 37 Surahs
Middle Surah of QuranSurah Al-Kahf

2. Famous Titles of Surahs

TitleSurah
Umm-ul-Kitab (Mother of the Book)Surah Al-Fatiha
Heart of the QuranSurah Yaseen
Bride of the Quran (Uroos-ul-Quran)Surah Ar-Rahman
One-Third of Quran (in reward)Surah Al-Ikhlas
One-Fourth of Quran (commonly cited)Surah Al-Kafirun
Ad-DahrSurah Al-Insan
The CowSurah Al-Baqarah
The IronSurah Al-Hadid

Important Fact

Surah Al-Mujadilah is famous because the word “Allah” appears in every verse.


3. Important Topics Found in Surahs

Surah Al-Imran

  • Event of Mubahala with the Christians of Najran.

Surah Luqman

  • Advice of Luqman to his son.
  • Rights and respect of parents.

Surah An-Nisa

  • Marriage laws.
  • Inheritance laws.
  • Family matters.

Surah Al-Ma’idah

  • Halal and Haram foods.
  • Rules regarding lawful animals.

Surah Al-Ahzab

  • Contains the title Khatam-an-Nabiyyin for Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.

Surah Taha

Contains the famous prayer:

رَّبِّ زِدْنِي عِلْمًا
“My Lord, increase me in knowledge.”

Surah Al-Hashr

  • Last verses contain many of Allah’s beautiful names.

Surah Al-Kahf

  • Story of the People of the Cave.
  • Story of Hazrat Musa (A.S.) and Khidr.
  • Story of Zulqarnain.

4. Important Quranic Terms

TermMeaning
TarteelSlow, clear and measured recitation of the Quran
Qul (قُل)Means “Say”
WahiDivine Revelation
AyahVerse of the Quran
SurahChapter of the Quran
Juz / ParaOne of the 30 parts of the Quran

5. Important Surah Groupings

Named After Prophets

  • Surah Yunus
  • Surah Hud
  • Surah Yusuf
  • Surah Ibrahim
  • Surah Muhammad
  • Surah Nuh

Named After Animals/Insects

  • Surah Al-Baqarah (Cow)
  • Surah Al-An’am (Cattle)
  • Surah An-Nahl (Bee)
  • Surah An-Naml (Ant)
  • Surah Al-Ankabut (Spider)
  • Surah Al-Fil (Elephant)

Start with “Alhamdulillah”

  1. Surah Al-Fatiha
  2. Surah Al-An’am
  3. Surah Al-Kahf
  4. Surah Saba
  5. Surah Fatir

Start with “Qul”

  1. Surah Al-Jinn
  2. Surah Al-Kafirun
  3. Surah Al-Ikhlas
  4. Surah Al-Falaq
  5. Surah An-Nas

Three-Verse Surahs

  1. Surah Al-Asr
  2. Surah Al-Kawthar
  3. Surah An-Nasr

Named with Single Letters

  1. Surah Sad (ص)
  2. Surah Qaf (ق)
  3. Surah Nun / Al-Qalam (ن)

Most Repeated Exam MCQs

  1. Which Surah is called the Heart of the Quran?
    Ans: Surah Yaseen
  2. Which Surah contains two Bismillahs?
    Ans: Surah An-Naml
  3. Which Surah does not begin with Bismillah?
    Ans: Surah At-Tawbah
  4. How many Surahs contain Haroof-e-Muqatta’at?
    Ans: 29
  5. Which Surah is known as Umm-ul-Kitab?
    Ans: Surah Al-Fatiha
  6. Which Surah is called the Bride of the Quran?
    Ans: Surah Ar-Rahman
  7. Which Surah is equal to one-third of the Quran in reward?
    Ans: Surah Al-Ikhlas
  8. Which Surah contains the event of Mubahala?
    Ans: Surah Al-Imran
  9. Which Surah contains Khatam-an-Nabiyyin?
    Ans: Surah Al-Ahzab
  10. Which Surah contains the prayer “Rabbi Zidni Ilma”?
    Ans: Surah Taha
  11. Which Surah contains the story of Zulqarnain?
    Ans: Surah Al-Kahf
  12. How many Surahs are in the 30th Para?
    Ans: 37
  13. Which was the second revelation after Surah Al-Alaq?
    Ans: Surah Al-Muddaththir
  14. Which Surah is known as Ad-Dahr?
    Ans: Surah Al-Insan
  15. Which Surah discusses inheritance laws in detail?
    Ans: Surah An-Nisa


5. Haroof-e-Muqatta’at

  • Found in 29 Surahs.
  • Examples:
    • Alif Lam Mim
    • Ha Mim
    • Qaf
    • Sad

6. Divine Scriptures


ScriptureRevealed ToLanguageImportant Facts
Tawrat (Torah)Hazrat Musa (A.S.)HebrewContains laws and commandments for the Israelites.
Zabur (Psalms)Hazrat Dawood (A.S.)HebrewConsists mainly of prayers and praises.
Injeel (Gospel)Hazrat Isa (A.S.)AramaicGuidance revealed to Prophet Isa (A.S.).
Holy QuranHazrat Muhammad (ﷺ)ArabicFinal divine scripture; preserved in its original form.

5. Major Translations of the Holy Quran

LanguageTranslatorExam Point
PersianShah Waliullah DehlaviFirst prominent Persian translation in the Subcontinent.
UrduShah Abdul Qadir DehlaviFirst complete Urdu translation (Mozeh-ul-Quran).
UrduShah Abdul Aziz DehlaviProduced explanatory Urdu translation.
SindhiAkhwand Azizullah MuttalawiOne of the earliest Sindhi translations.
PunjabiHafiz Muhammad LakhviFamous Punjabi translation.
LatinRobert of KettonFirst Latin translation of the Quran (1143 AD).
EnglishAlexander RossFirst English version (1649), translated from French.
EnglishAbdullah Yusuf AliMost popular English translation with commentary.
EnglishMarmaduke PickthallThe Meaning of the Glorious Quran.
EnglishMuhammad AsadThe Message of the Quran.

Most Important Exam MCQs

  1. Who translated the Quran into Persian in the Subcontinent?
    Ans: Shah Waliullah Dehlavi
  2. Who produced the first complete Urdu translation of the Quran?
    Ans: Shah Abdul Qadir Dehlavi
  3. Who authored the famous English translation with commentary?
    Ans: Abdullah Yusuf Ali
  4. Who made the first Latin translation of the Quran?
    Ans: Robert of Ketton
  5. Who wrote The Meaning of the Glorious Quran?
    Ans: Marmaduke Pickthall

6. Famous Tafasir (Exegesis) of the Quran

TafsirAuthorExam Importance
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (Tafsir al-Quran al-Azim)Ibn KathirMost famous narration-based Tafsir.
Tafsir al-Tabari (Jami al-Bayan)Muhammad ibn Jarir al-TabariOldest and most authoritative classical Tafsir.
Tafheem-ul-QuranAbul A’la MaududiModern and widely used Tafsir.
Tarjuman-ul-QuranAbul Kalam AzadLiterary and intellectual Tafsir.
Bayan-ul-QuranAshraf Ali ThanwiFamous Urdu Tafsir.
Ahsan-ul-BayanSalahuddin YusufConcise modern Tafsir.
Ahkam al-QuranAl-JassasFocuses on legal rulings of the Quran.
Maarif-ul-QuranMufti Muhammad ShafiPopular contemporary Urdu Tafsir.
Bayan-ul-Quran (Lectures)Israr AhmedBased on Quranic lecture series.

Important Hadith Collections

Hadith BookCompiler
Sahih al-BukhariMuhammad al-Bukhari
Sahih MuslimMuslim ibn al-Hajjaj
Sunan Abu DawoodAbu Dawood
Jami’ al-TirmidhiAl-Tirmidhi
Sunan al-Nasa’iAl-Nasa’i
Sunan Ibn MajahIbn Majah

One-Line MCQs for Exams

  • Who wrote Tafsir Ibn Kathir? → Ibn Kathir
  • Who compiled Jami al-Bayan? → Al-Tabari
  • Who authored Tafheem-ul-Quran? → Abul A’la Maududi
  • Who wrote Tarjuman-ul-Quran? → Abul Kalam Azad
  • Who authored Bayan-ul-Quran? → Ashraf Ali Thanwi
  • Who wrote Ahsan-ul-Bayan? → Salahuddin Yusuf
  • Which Tafsir focuses on Islamic jurisprudence? → Ahkam al-Quran
  • Who compiled Sahih al-Bukhari? → Imam Bukhari
  • Who compiled Sahih Muslim? → Imam Muslim
  • What are the six authentic Hadith books called?Sihah Sittah

Most Repeated Past-Paper Questions

Author of Bayan-ul-Quran → Ashraf Ali Thanwi

First complete Urdu translation of the Quran → Shah Abdul Qadir

First Latin translation of the Quran → Robert of Ketton (1143 AD)

Author of Tafsir Ibn Kathir → Ibn Kathir

Author of Tafsir al-Tabari → Al-Tabari

Author of Tafheem-ul-Quran → Maulana Maududi

Compiler of Sahih al-Bukhari → Imam Bukhari

Number of books in Sihah Sittah → Six

Most famous English translation of the Quran → Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Author of Maarif-ul-Quran → Mufti Muhammad Shafi

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