Second Longest Surah in the Quran

Surah An-Nisa is the Second Longest in Terms of Pages

Surah An-Nisa is the second longest surah in the Quran after Surah Al-Baqarah, based on the number of pages it occupies within the complete Quran. It is a Medinan revelation, revealed after the Prophet Muhammad's migration to Medina, and appears in the third part of the Quran. It has been described as "the longer of the two long ones," referring to Surah Al-Baqarah and Surah An-Nisa.^[1]

Surah An-Nisa is located in the third section of the Quran and consists of seventy-one verses. It is also known as "Al-Nisa al-Kubra" (The Greater Women), while Surah At-Talaq is referred to as "Al-Nisa al-Sughra" (The Smaller Women). The surah covers various topics such as laws concerning women, orphans, wealth, inheritance, the virtue of migration, and discussions about the People of the Book and hypocrites.^[2]

Surah Ash-Shuara is the Second Longest in Terms of Verses

Surah Ash-Shuara is a Meccan surah and ranks as the second longest in the Quran by the number of verses it contains—two hundred and twenty-seven verses. Its distinguishing feature is its stern rebuke of disbelievers and comforting message to the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, who endured great hardship from the Quraysh idolaters.^[3]

The surah strongly emphasizes the foundational principles of Islamic faith. It includes numerous Quranic stories that illustrate God’s protection and preservation of His prophets and messengers.^[4]

The Longest Surah in the Quran

Surah Al-Baqarah is the longest surah in the Quran in terms of both page count and number of verses. It spans forty-eight pages in the Quran and contains approximately two hundred and eighty verses. It is considered the greatest surah after Surah Al-Fatiha due to the extensive legal rulings it contains. For this reason, it is often called "the palace of the Quran."^[5]

Several virtues are attributed to this surah. Among them are the following:^[6]

• (Learn Surah Al-Baqarah and Surah Al-Imran, for they are the two radiant ones; on the Day of Resurrection, they will shade their owner like clouds, or like two flocks of birds flying in formation.)^[7]
• (Do not turn your homes into graves; indeed, Satan flees from the house where Surah Al-Baqarah is recited.)^[8]
• (Learn Al-Baqarah, for taking it brings blessings, and abandoning it leads to regret; it cannot be mastered by the weak-minded.)^[9]

The Longest Verse in the Quran

The longest verse in the Quran is the verse of debt, found in Surah Al-Baqarah. It occupies an entire page and appears toward the end of the surah. This verse discusses matters related to contracts, debt agreements, loans, delayed payments, and the requirement of testimony—specifically, one man’s testimony or the testimony of two women whom trustworthy witnesses approve.^[10]

An authentic narration regarding this verse was reported by the esteemed companion Ibn Abbas ﷺ: (I testify that debt with a specified due date has been permitted by Allah in His Book, then he recited: 'O you who believe! When you contract a debt for a fixed period, write it down.')^[11][10]

References

1. ↑ Badr al-Din al-'Iny, Kitab Umdat al-Qari Sharh Sahih al-Bukhari, p. 23–24. Adapted.
2. ↑ Jafar Sharaf al-Din, Al-Mawsu'ah al-Qur'aniyya: Khassai al-Sour, p. 107. Adapted.
3. ↑ Muhammad Duruzah, Al-Tafsir al-Hadith, p. 241. Adapted.
4. ↑ Jafar Sharaf al-Din, Al-Mawsu'ah al-Qur'aniyya: Khassai al-Sour, p. 138. Adapted.
5. ↑ Muhammad al-Amin al-Harri, Tafsir Hidayat al-Ruh wa al-Raihan fi Rawa'ib 'Ulum al-Quran, p. 99–100. Adapted.
6. ↑ Muhammad al-Harri, Tafsir Hidayat al-Ruh wa al-Raihan fi Rawa'ib 'Ulum al-Quran, p. 95. Adapted.
7. ↑ Reported by al-Baghawi in Tafsir al-Baghawi, from Buraq ibn al-Husayb al-Aslamy, p. or no.: 64, Ghareeb.
8. ↑ Reported by Muslim in Sahih Muslim, from Abu Huraira, p. or no.: 780, Sahih.
9. ↑ Reported by Shuaib al-Arna'ut in Takhrij al-Musnad, from Buraq ibn al-Husayb al-Aslamy, p. or no.: 22975, Sahih li-ghayrihi.
10. ^ ^{A B} Ibn Abi al-'Az, At-Tanbih 'ala Mushkilat al-Hidayah, p. 427.
11. ↑ Reported by al-Albani in Arwa' al-Ghiliil, from Abu Hasan al-A'raj, p. or no.: 1369, Sahih.