The longest surah in the Quran, and the shortest
The longest surah in the Quran is Al-Baqarah, with 286 verses over 48 pages; the shortest is Al-Kawthar, with three verses and about ten words. Here are the five longest and the shortest surahs, the longest verse, and why the order of the surahs is not simply by length.
Last updated: 8 October 2026
The five longest surahs (by verses)
| # | Surah | Verses | Pages (Madinah mushaf) | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Al-Baqarah | 286 | 48 | Madani |
| 26 | Ash-Shu'ara | 227 | 10 | Makki |
| 7 | Al-A'raf | 206 | 26 | Makki |
| 3 | Al Imran | 200 | 27 | Madani |
| 37 | As-Saffat | 182 | 7 | Makki |
By number of words the order changes: An-Nisa’ and Al ‘Imran are longer than Ash-Shu‘ara’, whose 227 verses are mostly very short. See Surah Al-Baqarah.
The shortest surahs
| # | Surah | Verses | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 103 | Al-'Asr | 3 | Makki |
| 108 | Al-Kawthar | 3 | Makki |
| 110 | An-Nasr | 3 | Madani |
| 106 | Quraysh | 4 | Makki |
| 112 | Al-Ikhlas | 4 | Makki |
These are the surahs most children learn first: Al-Kawthar, Al-‘Asr and the 4 Quls. See all of them in the last 10 surahs and Juz Amma.
More numbers
For the totals (114 surahs, 6,236 verses in the Kufan count), see how many surahs and ayahs are in the Quran; for page counts, how many pages are in the Quran; and for every surah, the list of surahs.
Frequently asked questions
What is the longest surah in the Quran?
Surah Al-Baqarah: 286 verses over 48 pages of the Madinah mushaf, about two and a half juz.
What is the shortest surah in the Quran?
Surah Al-Kawthar (108): three verses and about ten words. Al-‘Asr and An-Nasr also have three verses, but more words.
What is the longest verse in the Quran?
Al-Baqarah 2:282, the verse of debt (ayat ad-dayn), about recording loans in writing. It fills most of a page.
Are the surahs arranged by length?
Broadly, longer surahs come first and shorter ones last, but not strictly: Al-Fatihah opens the Quran with seven verses, and the order was set by the Prophet ﷺ, not by length.
Start with the short surahs
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