Surah

A Surah (Arabic: سورة, romanized: Sūrah) is the term for a chapter in the Quran, the holy book of Islam. The Quran is divided into 114 surahs, each varying in length from a few lines to several pages. The surahs are arranged roughly in order of decreasing length, with the exception of the first surah, Al-Fatihah, which is a short chapter serving as an introduction. The term Surah can be translated to Hebrew as פרק (Perek), which means "chapter" or "section." In Persian, it is translated as سوره (Sūrah), and in Turkish as Sure. Each surah has a specific name, often derived from a prominent word or theme found within the chapter. Surahs are further divided into verses, known as ayat (آية), and are believed by Muslims to be the verbatim word of God as revealed to the Prophet Muhammad over a period of approximately 23 years.