Why are there separate surah (chapter) names and what do those names mean?

Dear Brother / Sister,

Surah (chapter) means a part (section/chapter) that is formed by bringing the verses of the Quran together and whose content is determined by the Messenger of Allah based on revelation.

The reason why certain parts of the Quran are called surahs should be due to their formation from harmonious verses or parts with a high level of spirituality, or due to forming one floor or one part of the building of the Quran.

Each surah forms a whole in itself, forming a part of the building of the Quran. The strongest evidence regarding the issue is that the smallest unit of the Quran is a surah, the equivalent of which the Quran challenges people to produce (al-Baqara 2/23). (1)

Some surahs have more than one name. All of the names of the surahs of the Quran are based on revelation. There are definitely evidences about their names based on hadiths. (2)

The names of the surahs are related to prophets, believers, unbelievers and hypocrites (munafiqs), important historical incidents, states related to the hereafter, animals, various characteristics of nature, the sun, the moon and stars;  it is thought that this is important in terms of the perception and building of a civilization. 

It is known that surahs were also named in groups. Most of those names were given by the Messenger of Allah but some of them were named based on their length and some other properties. According to a classification based on a hadith, the surahs are called tiwal (long ones), miun (having one hundred verses), mathani (repeated ones) and mufassal (separated ones). (Musnad, 4/107)

In addition, the following surahs were given names as groups:
- Al-Baqara and Aal-i Imran chapters are called zahrawayn (two roses).
- The surahs of al-Mu’min, Fussilat, ash-Shura, az-Zukhruf, ad-Dukhan, al-Jasiya and al-Ahqaf starting with “ha-mim” are called hawamim (ha-mims) or Alu ha-mim (having ha-mims).
- The surahs of ash-Shuara, an-Naml and al-Qasas starting with ta-sin or “ta-sin-mim” are called tawasin.
- The surahs of al-Hadid, al-Hashr, as-Saff, al-Jumu‘a and at-Taghabun starting with glorifying Allah are called musabbihat;
- The surahs of al-Jinn, al-Kafirun, al-Ikhlas, al-Falaq and an-Nas starting with the order “qul” (say) are called qalaqil;
- The surahs of al-Kafirun and al-Ikhlas are called ikhlasayn; besides they are also called muqashqishatayn (two curers); al-Falaq and an-Nas are also called muqashqishatayn.
- The surahs of al-Ikhlas, al-Falaq and an-Nas are called muawwidhat (protectors); al-Falaq and an-Nas are called muawwidhatayn (two protectors).

Some wisdoms behind the Quran’s being divided into surahs are mentioned and it is stated that it makes it easy for people of all ages and levels to memorize them and to read them in prayers. (3)

The books written about surahs form quite a rich literature.

After this short information, the names of the surahs (chapters) of the Quran and their meanings are as follows:

The Names of the Surahs (Chapters) of the Quran

al-Fatiha, al-Baqara, Aal-i Imran, an-Nisa, al-Maida, al-Anam, al-Araf, al-Anfal, at-Tawba, Yunus, Hud, Yusuf, ar-Rad, Ibrahim, al-Hijr, an-Nahl, al-Isra, al-Kahf, Maryam, Taha, al-Anbiya, al-Hajj, al-Muminun, an-Nur, al-Furqan, ash-Shuara, an-Naml, al-Qasas, al-Ankabut, ar-Rum, Luqman, as-Sajda, al-Ahzab, Saba, Fatir, Yasin, al-Saaffat, Sad, az-Zumar, al-Mumin, Fussilat, ash-Shura, az-Zukhruf, ad-Dukhan, al-Jasiya, al-Ahqaf, Muhammad, al-Fath, al-Hujurat, Qaf, adh-Dhariyat, at-Tur, an-Najm, al-Qamar, ar-Rahman, al-Waqia, al-Hadid, al-Mujadala, al-Hashr, al-Mumtahina, al-Saff, al-Jumua, al-Munafiqun, at-Taghabun, at-Talaq, at-Tahrim, al-Mulk, al-Qalam, al-Haaqqa, al-Maarij, Nuh, al-Jinn, al-Muzzammil, al-Muddaththir, al-Qiyamah, al-Insan, al-Mursalat, an-Naba, an-Naziat, Abasa, at-Takwir, al-Infitar, al-Mutaffifin, al-Inshiqaq, al-Buruj, at-Tariq, al-Ala, al-Ghashiya, al-Fajr, al-Balad, ash-Shams, al-Layl, al-Duha, al-Inshirah, at-Tin, al-Alaq, al-Qadr, al-Bayyina, az-Zilzal, al-Adiyat, al-Qaria, at-Takathur, al-Asr, al-Humaza, al-Fil, al-Quraysh, al-Maun, al-Kawthar, al-Kafirun, an-Nasr, Tabbat, al-Ihlas, al-Falaq, an-Nas

The Meanings of the Names of Surahs

1. WHAT DOES AL-FATIHA MEAN?

Fatiha means “first, beginning”. It was called like that because it was the first chapter that was sent down as a whole, and the Quran was started to be written and read with it.

It is unanimously agreed that it was sent down in first years of the prophethood of Hz. Muhammad. This surah was given this name because it consists of seven verses and it is read at least twice in every prayer or another chapter or a few verses are added to it in every rak’ah. Ummul-Kitab means “the essence, basis, mother of the book”. In some hadiths, it is called “Umml-Quran” (Mother of the Quran).

2. WHAT DOES AL-BAQARA MEAN?

Al-Baqara got its name from the story narrated in verses 67-71. Accordingly, Allah ordered Sons of Israel through Hz. Musa (Moses) to slaughter a cow (baqara) but they put forward various excuses and delayed it. This is the longest surah of the Quran.

3. WHAT DOES AAL-I IMRAN MEAN?

The surah got its name from the phrase “Aalu Imran” mentioned in verse 33. Aal-i Imran means Imran family. This chapter has other names like “Aman”, “Kanz”, “Mujadila”, “Istighfar”, “Ma‘niyya” and “Tayyiba”. The Prophet mentioned the surah of Aal-i Imran along with al-Baqara as “Zahrawan” (two flowers, two luminous surahs).

4. WHAT DOES AN-NISA MEAN?

The surah has only one name: an-Nisa meaning “women”. The surah got its name from its content. It starts by mentioning the woman’s womb, which plays a significative role in the ties of kinship and ends with a verse that arranges the decrees of inheritance related to some relatives who become inheritors based on the woman (womb); it includes many verses related to decrees, explanations and evaluations regarding women.

5. WHAT DOES AL-MAIDA MEAN?

The surah got the name Maida from “dinner table” (maida) mentioned in verses 112-115; Hz. Isa (Jesus) prayed to Allah to and asked him to send a maida from the sky upon the request of his apostles.

6. WHAT DOES AL-AN’AM MEAN?

It has been called only “al-An‘am” since the Era of the Prophet. It is also known that Hz. Umar, Abdullah b. Abbas, Abdullah b. Masud and some other Companions called it like that. Therefore, it is written with this name in all Quran books, tafsirs, hadith books and other Islamic resources. (Bukhari, Tafsir, 6; Tirmidhi, Tafsir, 7)

An’am lexically means “camel”; it is the plural form of na’am, which is also used for some domestic animals like cattle and sheep and some wild animals like gazelle and deer and - some animals used for riding as it is understood from the verse in the surah of Ghafir (al-Mu’min) (40/79) “It is Allah Who made cattle for you, that ye may use some for riding and some for food” -  (see also al-Maida 5/1); it is repeated six times in verses 136, 138, 139 and 142 of this surah. The surah was given this name because some practices and views of Arabs are narrated in the verses mentioned above.

7. WHAT DOES AL-A’RAF MEAN?

The word a’raf, is the plural form of the word urf, which lexically means “rampart, the peak of a mountain and hill”; it is used as the name of a place between Paradise and Hell in the surah; it is mentioned in verses 46 and 48. It is also called “Miqat” since this word is mentioned in verse 143 and “Mithaq” due to the content of verse 172. However, its common name used since the beginning is A‘raf.

8. WHAT DOES AL-ANFAL MEAN?

This surah was also called Badr since it started to be sent down during the Battle of Badr and it includes some decrees related to the Battle of Badr and wars in general. However, its most famous and used name is Anfal. It is called like that because the word anfal is mentioned in the first verse and the decrees about booties (anfal) are mentioned in the surah.

9. WHAT DOES AT-TAWBA MEAN?

This surah is called at-Tawba because the word tawba is mentioned in verse 104. It is also known as the surah of Baraah since its first word is “baraah”. This surah has also names like Muhziya, Qadima and Fadiha.

10. WHAT DOES YUNUS MEAN?

The name of the Prophet Yunus and the information about his struggle are included in a more detailed way in verses 139-148 of the surah of as-Saaffat. His name is mentioned only once in verse 98 in this surah. However, it is important in terms of the general purpose of the Quran that the name “Yunus” is given to this surah, not the surah of as-Saaffat. The purpose of the narration of the stories of prophets in the Quran is not to make people have a pleasant time but to make them take lessons from the past.

11. WHAT DOES HUD MEAN?

This surah is called Hud because the name Hud is mentioned five times and especially because the life of the Prophet Hud, who was sent to the Ad tribe of Arabia, and his struggle against his idolatrous tribe are narrated in verses 50-60.

12. WHAT DOES YUSUF MEAN?

The surah took its name from the Prophet Yusuf, whose story is narrated from verse 4 to the end of verse 101.

13. WHAT DOES AR-RA’D MEAN?

The surah took its name from the word ra‘d, which is stated to have glorified Allah in verse 13 and which means “thunder”; it has been called ar-ra’d since the Era of the Companions.

14. WHAT DOES IBRAHIM MEAN?

The surah took its name from Hz. Ibrahim, whose name and supplications are mentioned in verses 35-41.

15. WHAT DOES AL-HIJR MEAN?

There is no information that the surah was given any names other than “Hijr”. Hijr, is the name of the valley in the northwest of the Arabian Peninsula on Madinah-Tabuk way through which Hejaz railway passes and the town in this valley. The reason why this region or town was given to this name, where the Thamud tribe of Arab origin lived, is probably its being a protected place.

16. WHAT DOES AN-NAHL MEAN?

The surah is generally known as Nahl, which is mentioned in verse 68 and which means “bee”. Besides, it is said that the surah is also called “surah of an-Niam” since the boons Allah granted and will grant to His slaves are mentioned in detailed in the surah.

17. WHAT DOES AL-ISRA MEAN?

The surah took its name from verse 1. Isra expresses the journey of the Prophet from Masjid al-Haram to Masjid al-Aqsa and then to the sky. It was also called “the surah of Bani Israil” during the Era of the Companions since Sons of Israel are mentioned between verses 2 and 8. As a matter of fact, the chapter in the tafsir sections of hadith collections of Bukhari and Tirmidhi about this surah is called “Bani Israil”. It is also called “the surah of Subhan” due to its first word.

18. WHAT DOES AL-KAHF MEAN?

The surah took its name from Ashab al-Kahf, which means “cave friends”, and whose story is narrated in verses 9-26.

19. WHAT DOES MARYAM MEAN?

The surah took its name from Hz. Maryam, whose story is narrated in verses 16-40. It is also called “Kaf-ha-ya-ayn-sad”, which is the first verse of the surah. (Bukhari, Tafsir, 19)

20. WHAT DOES TAHA MEAN?

The surah took its name from its first verse. It is stated in tafsir books that “Taha” means "O man!" in some dialects of Arabic or that it is one of the names of Allah and that this name is vowed in the verse. This surah is mentioned as “Suratul-Kalim” and “Suratu Musa” in some resources.

21. WHAT DOES AL-ANBIYA MEAN?

The surah was called Anbiya meaning “Prophets” because seventeen prophets are mentioned and information is given about their relationships with their nations in addition to other issues.

22. WHAT DOES AL-HAJJ MEAN?

The word hajj, which is the name of the surah, is mentioned in verse 27. It was given this name because Hz. Ibrahim is shown the place of Baytullah (Allah’s house) and the order to call people to perform hajj is mentioned.

23. WHAT DOES AL-MU’MINUN MEAN?

The generally accepted name of the surah is Mu’minun, which means “believers” and which is mentioned in the first verse; their distinguished characteristics are mentioned in the verses that follow.  

24. WHAT DOES AN-NUR MEAN?

It means "something that illuminates, light". The surah took its name from verse 35, which explains Allah’s light with a simile, and from verse 40, which states that those who are deprived of the light Allah will grant will not be able to find another light.

25. WHAT DOES AL-FURQAN MEAN?

It means "what distinguishes the truth from falsehood". It takes its name from the first verse. Furqan is also one of the names of the Quran.

26. WHAT DOES ASH-SHUARA MEAN?

It takes its name from the word shuara, which means “poets”, mentioned in verse 224. 

27. WHAT DOES AN-NAML MEAN?

The surah took its name from the word naml, which means “ants”, mentioned in verse 18.

28. WHAT DOES AL-QASAS MEAN?

The surah took its name from the word “qasas” (story, life story) mentioned in verse 25. It is possible that this name was given because the story of Hz. Musa is narrated in detail.

29. WHAT DOES AL-ANKABUT MEAN?

It was given the name Ankabut because the state of those who relied on beings other than Allah was likened to spider (ankabut) web in verse 41.

30. WHAT DOES AR-RUM MEAN?

The surah took its name from the word Rum mentioned in verse 2. Rum means Byzantines.

31. WHAT DOES LUQMAN MEAN?

It was given the name Luqman because Hz. Luqman’s name is mentioned in verses 12 and 13. It is stated in the Quran that Hz. Luqman is a person who was given wisdom.

32. WHAT DOES AS-SAJDA MEAN?

Sajda means to prostrate: "to bow down or to put the forehead on the ground". It takes its name from verse 1..

33. WHAT DOES AL-AHZAB MEAN?

The surah took its name from the word ahzab mentioned in verses 20 and 22. Ahzab is the plural form of the word hizb meaning “part, section; congregation; arm and weapon”.

34. WHAT DOES SABA MEAN?

The surah was given this name because of the word Saba’, which expressed a community living in Yemen.

35. WHAT DOES FATIR MEAN?

The surah was given this name because the word fatir, which means “creator” is mentioned in the first verse; it is also called “the surah of Malaika” because the word malaika meaning “angels” is mentioned in the same verse.

36. WHAT DOES YASIN MEAN?

It takes its name from its first verse. Its meaning is not known definitely but some scholars say it means "O man". The surah is also called “Qalbul-Quran (heart of the Quran)” based on a hadith narration.

37. WHAT DOES AS-SAAFFAT MEAN?

The surah is mentioned as Saaffat in all resources; this word, which is mentioned in the first verse and which means “those who align in rows, who form rows”, refers to angels according to the majority of interpretations.  

38. WHAT DOES SAD MEAN?

It took its name from the letter Sad in the first verse. "Sad" is one of the letters called huruf al-muqatta’a (the disjointed letters).

39. WHAT DOES AZ-ZUMAR MEAN?

The word zumar, which is the name of the surah and which means “groups, communities”, is mentioned in verses 71 and 73; it is stated in those verses that deniers will be driven to Hell in groups and believers will be taken to Paradise in groups.

40. WHAT DOES AL- MU’MIN MEAN?

Mumin means "believer". This surah was called Mumin because a believer from the family of Pharaoh is mentioned in verses 28-45.

41. WHAT DOES FUSSILAT MEAN?

The word fussilat, which is the name of the surah and which means “clarified”, is mentioned in verses 3 and 44.

42. WHAT DOES ASH-SHURA MEAN?

The word shura, which is mentioned in verse 38 and which means “to consult” was given as a name to the surah.

43. WHAT DOES AZ-ZUKHRUF MEAN?

The word zukhruf, which lexically means “adornment” and which is also used in the sense of gold since it is an indispensable tool of adornment, is mentioned in verse 35 of this chapter and in some other verses of other chapters in the Quran (al-Anam 6/112, Yunus10/24, al-Isra 17/93). The reason why it was given as a name to this surah is that it is used related to the context of “the comparison of the beauties of the world and the hereafter, and encouragement of eternal beauty”, which is one of the purposes and topics of the surah.

44. WHAT DOES AD-DUKHAN MEAN?

Dukhan means "Smoke". The surah takes its name from verse 10.

45. WHAT DOES AL-JASIYA MEAN?

It is one of the seven chapters that begin with the letters Ha-mim; its famous name is Jasiya, which means “crouching”.

46. WHAT DOES AL-AHQAF MEAN?

The famous name of the surah is Ahqaf. This surah was given the name Ahqaf, which means “sand dunes” because it is used only in verse 21 of this surah.  

47. WHAT DOES MUHAMMAD MEAN?

It takes its name from the name of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), mentioned in verse 2 and meaning "praised". It is also called qital since one of the main topics of the surah is war and it includes verses that encourage believers to fight in the way of Allah and the word "qital" meaning "war" is mentioned in verse 20.

48. WHAT DOES AL-FATH MEAN?

The surah takes its name from the word fath, mentioned in the first verse. It means "opening, conquering".

49. WHAT DOES AL-HUJURAT MEAN?

The Prophet’s house consisted of nine rooms (hujurat), which is the plural form of the word hujra meaning room. This chapter is called Hujurat because that word is mentioned in verse 4.

50. WHAT DOES QAF MEAN?

The surah starts with the Arabic letter “qaf”. “Qaf” is one of the letters called huruf al-muqatta’a.

51. WHAT DOES ADH-DHARIYAT MEAN?

The word dhariyat mentioned in the first verse and meaning “scatterers, winnowers” was given as a name to this surah; it is also called the surah of wadh-dhariyat in some famous hadith and tafsir books.

52. WHAT DOES AT-TUR MEAN?

The word “Tur” mentioned in the first verse and generally understood as Mount Sinai was given as a name to the surah.

53. WHAT DOES AN-NAJM MEAN?

The word najm mentioned in the first verse and meaning “star” was given as a name to the surah.

54. WHAT DOES AL-QAMAR MEAN?

The word qamar mentioned in the first verse and meaning “moon” was given as a name to the surah.

55. WHAT DOES AR-RAHMAN MEAN?

The word “rahman”, which is mentioned in the first verse and which is one of the names of Allah, was given as a name to the surah. Rahman expresses the vastness of Allah's mercy and His giving boons to all slaves whether they worship Him or not. The surah is also called “Arusul-Quran (Bride of the Quran)”.

56. WHAT DOES AL-WAQIA MEAN?

The word waqia, which is used to express the Day of Judgment, which is mentioned in the first verse and which means “event, incident”, was given as a name to the surah.

57. WHAT DOES AL-HADID MEAN?

The word hadid mentioned in verse 25 and meaning “iron” was given as a name to the surah.

58. WHAT DOES AL-MUJADALA MEAN?

The name of the surah is pronounced in two different ways: “Mujadala” or “Mujadila”. The first one means “to discuss, to quarrel” and the second one means “the woman who discusses”. The surah took this name from the verb derived from the same root mentioned in the first verse. It is also called the surah of “Qad Samia”, which are the first two words of the surah.

59. WHAT DOES AL- HASHR MEAN?

It means "to gather, to come together". It takes its name from verse 2.

60. WHAT DOES AL-MUMTAHINA MEAN?

The surah was given this name because the verb imtahinu (imperative form) “test, try” is mentioned in verse 10.

61. WHAT DOES AS- SAFF MEAN?

The word saff meaning “row, array” mentioned in verse 4 was given as a name to the surah.

62. WHAT DOES AL-JUMUA MEAN?

It took its name from verse 9, which mentions the importance of Friday prayer.

63. WHAT DOES AL-MUNAFIQUN MEAN?

The word munafiqun meaning “munafiqs (hypocrites)” mentioned in the first verse was given as a name to the surah.

64. WHAT DOES AT-TAGHABUN MEAN?

The word taghabun meaning “being deceived, deceiving, profit-loss” mentioned in verse 9 related to the Day of Judgment when real profit and loss will be clear was given as a name to the surah.

65. WHAT DOES AT-TALAQ MEAN?

Talaq is a term expressing ending a marriage through “divorce”. The surah was given this name because divorce is the topic of the surah and the verbs derived from the same root are used in the first verse.

66. WHAT DOES AT-TAHRIM MEAN?

“Tahrim”, which is the infinitive form of the verb mentioned related to the temporary prohibition the Prophet imposed for himself, became the name of the   surah.

67. WHAT DOES AL-MULK MEAN?

The surah took its name from the word mulk, which means “owning, sovereignty”, etc., mentioned in the first verse.  

68. WHAT DOES AL-QALAM MEAN?

The surah took its name from the word “qalam” mentioned in the first verse and it is commonly used for this surah. It is also called the surah of “Nun” in tafsir books. Bukhari used the name “Nun wal-qalam” for the surah (see Tafsir, 68).

69. WHAT DOES AL-HAAQQA MEAN?

The surah took its name from the word haaqqa mentioned in the first verse and meaning “the thing that will take place (Doomsday)”; this name is widely used for the surah.  

70. WHAT DOES AL-MAARIJ MEAN?

The surah took its name from the word maarij mentioned in verse and meaning “degrees of elevation, means of elevation”; it is generally known by this name. In some hadith resources, it is mentioned as “Saala sailun”, which are the first words of the surah (Bukhari, Tafsir, 70); it is also mentioned as “Waqi‘”.

71. WHAT DOES NUH MEAN?

This surah is called Nuh because Hz. Nuh’s being sent as a prophet and his struggle against deniers are narrated in this surah.

72. WHAT DOES AL-JINN MEAN?

The surah took its name from the word “jinn” mentioned in the first verse. It is also called “Qul uhiya ilayya”, which are the first words of the surah (Bukhari, Tafsir, 72) or “Qul uhiya” in short.

73. WHAT DOES AL-MUZZAMMIL MEAN?

The surah took its name from the word muzzammil mentioned in the first verse and meaning “the one wrapped in garments”.

74. WHAT DOES AL-MUDDATHTHIR MEAN?

The surah took its name from the word muddaththir mentioned in the first verse and meaning “the one wrapped up”.

75. WHAT DOES AL-QIYAMAH MEAN?

The word “qiyamah” mentioned in the first verse was given as a name to the surah. It is also called “La uqsimu”.

76. WHAT DOES AL-INSAN MEAN?

The surah took its name from the word "insan" mentioned in the first verse. The word insan is derived from ins, which means “human being, human community”; it refers to a social being that speaks and understands.

77. WHAT DOES AL-MURSALAT MEAN?

The surah took its name from the word mursalat mentioned in the first verse and meaning “those who were sent”.

78. WHAT DOES AN-NABA MEAN?

The surah took its name from the word naba mentioned in the first verse and meaning "news".

79. WHAT DOES AN-NAZIAT MEAN?

The surah took its name from the word "nazi'at" mentioned in the first verse and meaning "those who pull out". It is also called “wan-nazi'at", "as-Sahirah" and "at-Taamma".

80. WHAT DOES ABASA MEAN?

The surah took its name from the word abasa, which is the first word of the surah and which means “he frowned”.

81. WHAT DOES AT-TAKWIR MEAN?

The word “takwir” is the infinitive form of the verb kawwara, which is mentioned in the first verse of the surah and which means “folded up, wrapped”. The surah took its name from this verb.

82. WHAT DOES AL-INFITAR MEAN?

The word “infitar” is the infinitive form of the verb infatara, which is mentioned in the first verse of the surah and which means “cleft asunder”. The surah took its name from this verb.

83. WHAT DOES AL-MUTAFFIFIN MEAN?

The surah took its name from the word mutaffifin, which is mentioned in the first verse of the surah and which means “those who give less in measure and weight”. It is also called “waylun lil-mutaffifin”.

84. WHAT DOES AL-INSHIQAQ MEAN?

It is generally called “Inshiqaq” in the resources. It takes its name from the first verse of the surah expressing the sky’s being rent asunder. It is also called “Idhassamaunshaqqat” and “Inshaqqat”.

85. WHAT DOES AL-BURUJ MEAN?

The surah took its name from the word buruj, which is mentioned in the first verse of the surah and which means “zodiac signs”.

86. WHAT DOES AT-TARIQ MEAN?

The surah took its name from the word tariq mentioned in the first verse and meaning “star”.

87. WHAT DOES AL-A’LA MEAN?

The surah took its name from the word a‘la mentioned in the first verse and meaning “the highest”; it is generally known by this name in the resources. It is also called “Sabbihisma rabbikal-a‘la” and “Sabbih”.

88. GAŞIYE WHAT DOES AL-GHASHIYAH MEAN?

The surah took its name from the word ghashiyah mentioned in the first verse and meaning “that covers”. It is also called “Hel ataka...”.

89. WHAT DOES AL-FAJR MEAN?

The surah took its name from the word fajr mentioned in the first verse and meaning “dawn, daybreak”.

90. WHAT DOES AL-BALAD MEAN?

The surah took its name from the word balad, which is mentioned in the first two verses, which means “city, country” and which is used for the city of Makkah. It is also called “La uqsimu”. (Bukhari, Tafsir, 90)

91. WHAT DOES ASH-SHAMS MEAN?

The surah took its name from the word ash-shams mentioned in the first verse and meaning “the sun”.

92. WHAT DOES AL- LAYL MEAN?

The surah took its name from the word layl mentioned in the first verse and meaning “night”. It is also called “Wallayli idha yaghsha”. (Bukhari, Tafsir, 92)

93. WHAT DOES AD-DUHA MEAN?

The surah took its name from the word duha mentioned in the first verse and meaning “morning light”. It is also called “Wad-duha”. (Bukhari, Tafsir, 93)

94. WHAT DOES AL-INSHIRAH MEAN?

Inshirah means “to expand, to attain peace”. The surah was given the name “Inshirah” because a verb derived from the same root is used in the first verse and it is stated that the Prophet was relieved and attained peace. It is also called “Sharh, Alam nashrah”.

95. WHAT DOES AT-TIN MEAN?

The surah took its name from the word tin mentioned in the first verse and meaning “fig”. It is also called “Wat-tin”.

96. WHAT DOES AL-ALAQ MEAN?

The surah took its name from the word alaq mentioned in verse 2 and meaning “the clinging thing”. It is also called “Iqra’“ and “Iqra’ bismi rabbika” due to its first word meaning “read”.

97. WHAT DOES AL-QADR MEAN?

The surah was given this name because the night of Qadr (Power) is mentioned in it. It is also called “Inna anzalna”.

98. WHAT DOES AL-BAYYINA MEAN?

The surah took its name from the word bayyina mentioned in the first verse and meaning “clear evidence, definite document”. It is also called “Qayyima, Bariyya, Infiqaq”.

99. WHAT DOES AZ-ZILZAL MEAN?

The surah was given the name zilzal meaning “earthquake” because the great earthquake to take place during Doomsday is mentioned in the surah. It is also called “Zalzala”.

100. WHAT DOES AL-ADIYAT MEAN?

The surah took its name from the word adiyat mentioned in the first verse and meaning “running horses”.

101. WHAT DOES AL-QARI’A MEAN?

The surah was named qari’a mentioned in the first verse and meaning “hard object, horrible sound and knocker on the door”.

102. WHAT DOES AT-TAKATHUR MEAN?

The surah took its name from the word takathur mentioned in the first verse and meaning “race of plentifulness, boasting of wealth/abundance”.

103. WHAT DOES AL-ASR MEAN?

The surah took its name from the word asr mentioned in the first verse and meaning “time, era, afternoon”.

104. WHAT DOES AL-HUMAZA MEAN?

The surah took its name from the word humaza mentioned in the first verse and meaning “backbiting”.

105. WHAT DOES AL-FIL MEAN?

The surah took its name from the word fil (elephant) mentioned in the first verse. The story of the army of elephants is narrated in the surah. Its topic is the attack by Abraha, who was the Abyssinian commander and the governor general of Yemen and who wanted to demolish the Kaaba, on Makkah with elephants. 

106. WHAT DOES AL-QURAYSH MEAN?

The surah took its name from the word “Quraysh” mentioned in the first verse. It is also called “Li-ilafi Qurayshin”. The name of the tribe to which the Prophet (pbuh) belonged was Quraysh.

107. WHAT DOES AL-MA’UN MEAN?

It takes its name from the last verse. Maun means charity or alms given to a person.

108. WHAT DOES AL-KAWTHAR MEAN?

The surah took its name from the word kawthar mentioned in the first verse. It is also called “Inna a’tayna...” and “Nahr”. Kawthar means plenty of boons. Kawthar is also the name of a pool in Paradise. It is the shortest surah of the Quran.

109. WHAT DOES AL-KAFIRUN MEAN?

The surah took its name from the word kafirun mentioned in the first verse and meaning “deniers”.

110. WHAT DOES AN-NASR MEAN?

The surah took its name from the word nasr mentioned in the first verse and meaning “help, victory”.

111. WHAT DOES TABBAT MEAN?

The surah took its name from the word tabbat mentioned in the first verse and meaning “let perish!” in this context.

112. WHAT DOES AL-IKHLAS MEAN?

It means "sincerity, intimacy". The surah has more than twenty names in the resources. However, it is generally known by the name “Ikhlas”, which is a concise expression of the belief of oneness, which is the basic principle of the religion of Islam. One of the most widely used names of the surah is “Qul huwallahu ahad”.

113. WHAT DOES AL-FALAQ MEAN?

The surah took its name from the word falaq mentioned in the first verse and meaning “morning”.

114. WHAT DOES AN-NAS MEAN?

The surah took its name from the word nas mentioned in the first verse and meaning “humans/people”. It is also called “Qul audhu bi rabbin-nas”; The surahs of al-Falaq and an-Nas are called “Muawwidhatayn and Muqashqishatayn” together. (4)

REFERENCES:

1) Fakhruddin ar-Razi, Mafatih, 2/117.
2) Ahmet Bedir, “Surelerin İsimleri” (Harran Üniversitesi İlahiyat Fakültesi Dergisi, p. 5 [Şanlıurfa 1999], p. 167-216.
3) Fakhruddin ar-Razi, 2/117; Zarkashi, 1/362; Suyuti, 1/207-208.
4) Kuran Yolu, Tefsir, Diyanet Işleri Başkanlığı; Ahmet Bedir, Surelerin İsimleri, ibid.

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