The Shortest and Longest Surahs and Verses in the Quran
Which surah is the shortest and which is the longest, the longest verse in the Quran, and the short surahs most people memorise first — counted from the verified text.
Last updated: 2026-10-03
The Quran’s 114 surahs vary enormously in length: the longest fills more than two juz, while the shortest can be recited in a few seconds. All counts below come from the verified text used on this site (Kufan verse count).
The longest surah
Surah Al-Baqarah (2) is the longest surah, with 286 ayahs. It is also the second surah in the order of the Quran. Only 4 surahs have 200 ayahs or more:
| No. | Surah | Meaning | Ayahs | Revelation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Al-Baqarah البقرة | The Cow | 286 | Medinan |
| 3 | Ali 'Imran آل عمران | Family of Imran | 200 | Medinan |
| 7 | Al-A'raf الأعراف | The Heights | 206 | Meccan |
| 26 | Ash-Shu'ara الشعراء | The Poets | 227 | Meccan |
Note that a surah with many short verses can have more ayahs than a longer surah with long verses. Ash-Shu'ara has more ayahs than Ali 'Imran, but it is much shorter to read.
The shortest surahs
By number of verses, the shortest surahs have 3 ayahs each. By number of words, Surah Al-Kawthar (108) is the shortest surah in the Quran.
| No. | Surah | Meaning | Ayahs | Revelation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 103 | Al-'Asr العصر | The Declining Day | 3 | Meccan |
| 108 | Al-Kawthar الكوثر | The Abundance | 3 | Meccan |
| 110 | An-Nasr النصر | The Divine Support | 3 | Medinan |
The longest verse in the Quran
The longest single ayah is 2:282, often called the “verse of debt” because it sets out how loans should be written down and witnessed. With 128 words in the text used here, it is far longer than any other verse — the next longest are well under 100 words. It is followed by 2:283, which continues the same subject.
The shortest verses
Many ayahs consist of a single word. Several surahs begin with “disconnected letters” (al-huruf al-muqatta’at) that form an ayah of their own, such as the opening of Al-Baqarah (2:1). Other one-word ayahs appear in Ar-Rahman and Al-Fajr.
Short surahs to memorise first
Children and new Muslims usually begin with Surah Al-Fatihah (1) and the short surahs at the end of the Quran, because they are recited in daily prayer. See the last 10 surahs of the Quran for a list with meanings.
Short surahs for videos
A short surah fits completely into one vertical video, which makes it ideal for Reels, Shorts and TikTok. In Quran MP4, select every ayah of the surah, add a recitation and use “Highlight current ayah” to keep the whole surah on screen. Start a video.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the shortest surah in the Quran?
- Surah Al-Kawthar (108). It has 3 ayahs and the fewest words of any surah. Al-'Asr and An-Nasr also have 3 ayahs but more words.
- What is the longest surah in the Quran?
- Surah Al-Baqarah (2), with 286 ayahs.
- What is the longest verse in the Quran?
- Ayah 282 of Al-Baqarah, often called the verse of debt.
This article explains common understanding and history for general readers; it is not a religious ruling. For questions of practice, consult a qualified scholar. See the disclaimer.
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