The surahs of the Quran are often grouped as Makki or Madani. The labels tell you roughly when a surah was revealed, and that helps you read it. This article explains what the two terms mean, what each group usually talks about, and why the difference matters for understanding the text.
The two terms
Makki surahs were revealed before the Prophet ﷺ migrated to Madinah in 622 CE. Madani surahs were revealed after the migration, which is called the Hijrah.
The most common view uses time, not place. A passage revealed after the migration counts as Madani, even if it came down in Makkah, for example during a visit or the Conquest of Makkah. A passage revealed before the migration counts as Makki, even if it came down outside Makkah, for example while travelling.
Some scholars define the terms by place instead. Makki surahs are those revealed in Makkah, and Madani surahs are those revealed in Madinah. Both views agree on the broad picture: the Makki period came first, and the Madani period followed.
The labels are not stated in the Quran. Scholars worked them out from narrations that the companions passed down. This makes the labels a tool for study, not a part of the revealed text.
Typical features
These features are tendencies, not rules. Many surahs mix them, and some surahs are disputed.
Makki surahs usually focus on:
- Belief in the oneness of Allah, and rejection of idols.
- The Hereafter, Paradise, and the Fire.
- Stories of earlier prophets, such as Musa, Nuh, and Ibrahim, told to strengthen the Prophet ﷺ and his small community.
- Short verses with a strong rhythm, and many oaths.
- The address "O mankind" (ya ayyuha an-nas), which speaks to all people.
Madani surahs usually focus on:
- Laws on worship, family, inheritance, trade, and justice.
- Rules for the community, including war and peace.
- Dealing with the hypocrites (munafiqun) and with the People of the Book.
- Longer verses and longer surahs.
- The address "O you who believe" (ya ayyuha alladhina amanu), which speaks to the believing community.
Themes repeat across both periods
The labels describe the balance of a surah, not its only content. Madani surahs still speak about belief, and Makki surahs still speak about worship and conduct.
Ayat al-Kursi is a good example. It sits in Surah Al-Baqarah, which is Madani, yet its content is pure tawhid: the oneness of Allah, His life, and His knowledge. A reader who expects belief to appear only in Makki surahs will miss this. A reader who knows the period can see why a Madani surah opens with rules and still returns to the core of the faith.
When you read a surah for the first time, look at three things. Check who is being addressed, whether the surah deals with law, and how long the verses are. These signs are not proof, but they often point to the period. The commentary can then confirm it.
Why the difference helps
A verse makes more sense when you know the situation it answered. In Makkah, the early Muslims were a small group under pressure. Makki verses call people to belief and remind them that Allah sees and knows everything.
In Madinah, the Muslims had a community, a government, and daily problems to solve. Madani verses give rules for those problems. The shift in topic follows the shift in circumstances.
Take the prohibition of wine as an example. The Quran did not ban it in one step. Surah Al-Baqarah first says that the harm of intoxicants is greater than their benefit (2:219). Surah An-Nisa then tells believers not to pray while intoxicated (4:43). Surah Al-Ma'idah gives the final prohibition (5:90). All three surahs are Madani. Seeing them in order makes the gradual approach easy to follow.
Scholars also use the Makki and Madani division when they discuss abrogation (naskh). When two verses seem to disagree, knowing which came first can help. Scholars differ on how much abrogation the Quran contains, so this is a topic to study with a qualified teacher.
Examples
Makki surahs include Al-Ikhlas, Al-Kahf, Ya-Sin, and Al-Mulk. Most of the short surahs at the end of the Quran are Makki.
The first revelation is a clear Makki example. It came in the cave of Hira, and the Prophet ﷺ received it before he migrated. The opening verses are these:
ٱقْرَأْ بِٱسْمِ رَبِّكَ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ ١ خَلَقَ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ مِنْ عَلَقٍ ٢ ٱقْرَأْ وَرَبُّكَ ٱلْأَكْرَمُ ٣ ٱلَّذِى عَلَّمَ بِٱلْقَلَمِ ٤ عَلَّمَ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ مَا لَمْ يَعْلَمْ ٥
(1) Recite in the name of your Lord who created - (2) Created man from a clinging substance. (3) Recite, and your Lord is the most Generous - (4) Who taught by the pen - (5) Taught man that which he knew not.
Surah Al-Alaq (96:1-5)
Madani surahs include Al-Baqarah, Aal-'Imran, An-Nisa, Al-Ma'idah, and An-Nur. Here is a well-known Madani verse, about the month of Ramadan:
شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أُنزِلَ فِيهِ ٱلْقُرْءَانُ هُدًۭى لِّلنَّاسِ وَبَيِّنَـٰتٍۢ مِّنَ ٱلْهُدَىٰ وَٱلْفُرْقَانِ ۚ فَمَن شَهِدَ مِنكُمُ ٱلشَّهْرَ فَلْيَصُمْهُ ۖ وَمَن كَانَ مَرِيضًا أَوْ عَلَىٰ سَفَرٍۢ فَعِدَّةٌۭ مِّنْ أَيَّامٍ أُخَرَ ۗ يُرِيدُ ٱللَّهُ بِكُمُ ٱلْيُسْرَ وَلَا يُرِيدُ بِكُمُ ٱلْعُسْرَ وَلِتُكْمِلُوا۟ ٱلْعِدَّةَ وَلِتُكَبِّرُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ عَلَىٰ مَا هَدَىٰكُمْ وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ ١٨٥
The month of Ramadhan [is that] in which was revealed the Qur'an, a guidance for the people and clear proofs of guidance and criterion. So whoever sights [the new moon of] the month, let him fast it; and whoever is ill or on a journey - then an equal number of other days. Allah intends for you ease and does not intend for you hardship and [wants] for you to complete the period and to glorify Allah for that [to] which He has guided you; and perhaps you will be grateful.
Surah Al-Baqara (2:185)
Notice the difference in tone between the two passages. The first is short and urgent, and it focuses on reading and creation. The second is a practical instruction within a community that is already fasting and worshipping together.
Disputed surahs
Scholars do not agree on every surah. Al-Fatiha is classed as Makki by most lists, though some scholars say it was revealed twice, once in each period. Surah Ar-Ra'd and Surah Al-Insan are also disputed.
Some surahs contain verses from both periods. Surah Al-Hajj is one example that scholars discuss. When you meet a verse in a surah that seems to belong to the other period, it is useful to check what the scholars of tafsir say about it.
Reading with the order in mind
The order of the mushaf is not the order of revelation. Surah Al-Baqarah comes first in the mushaf, but it was revealed in Madinah, after many Makki surahs. The mushaf order was set for recitation, not for chronology.
If you want to follow the revelation as it happened, you can read a chronological list of surahs. A simple way to start is to read one Makki surah and one Madani surah side by side. Notice what each one asks of the reader, and how the setting changes what the verses say.