Makki and Madani

Makkī (Arabic: المکّي, suras revealed in Mecca) and Madanī (Arabic: المَدَني, suras revealed in Medina) are used to refer to the verses and suras of Qur'an, as Mecca and Medina were the two places in which most of the Qur'an has been revealed in. Recognizing the place of revelation of the verses was one of the concerns of the Qur'anic studies from the first centuries of Islam up till now.

There are different views about which one of the verses and/or suras are Makki, which ones are Madani; What is the criterion for identifying if a sura of the holy Qur'an is Makki and/or Madani?; what are the methods of specifying a Makki or Madani verse?; what are the characteristics of the Makki and Madani verses?

The above cases are the subjects of the "'ilm al-Makki wa l-Madani" and knowing it, is one of the most useful Qur'anic studies.

No.	Name	Order	Place
1	Al-Fatiha (the Opening)	5	Makki (?)
2	Al-Baqara (the Cow)	87	Madani
3	Al 'Imran (the Family of 'Imran)	89	Madani
4	Al-Nisa' (Women)	92	Madani
5	Al-Ma'ida (the Table)	112	Madani
6	Al-An'am (Cattle)	55	Makki
7	Al-A'raf (the Elevations)	39	Makki
8	Al-Anfal (the Spoils)	88	Madani
9	Al-Tawba (Repentance)	113	Madani
10	Yunus (Jonah)	51	Makki
11	Hud	52	Makki
12	Yusuf (Joseph)	53	Makki
13	Al-Ra'd (Thunder)	96	Madani (?)
14	Ibrahim (Abraham)	72	Makki
15	Al-Hijr	54	Makki
16	Al-Nahl (the Bee)	70	Makki
17	Al-Isra' (the Night Journey)	50	Makki
18	Al-Kahf (the Cave)	69	Makki
19	Maryam (Mary)	44	Makki
20	TaHa	45	Makki
21	Al-Anbiya (the Prophets)	73	Makki
22	Al-Hajj (the Pilgrimage)	103	Madani
23	Al-Mu'minun (the Faithful)	74	Makki
24	Al-Nur (the Light)	102	Madani
25	Al-Furqan (the Criterion)	42	Makki
26	Al-Shu'ara (the Poets)	47	Makki
27	Al-Naml (the Ants)	48	Makki
28	Al-Qasas (the Story)	49	Makki
29	Al-'Ankabut (the Spider)	85	Makki
30	Al-Rum (the Byzantines)	84	Makki
31	Luqman	57	Makki
32	Al-Sajda	75	Makki
33	Al-Ahzab (the Confederates)	90	Madani
34	Saba' (Sheba)	58	Makki
35	Fatir (the Originator)	43	Makki
36	YaSin	41	Makki
37	Al-Saffat (the Ranged Ones)	56	Makki
38	Sad	38	Makki
39	Al-Zumar (the Throngs)	59	Makki
40	Al-Ghafir (the Forgiver)	60	Makki
41	Fussilat (Elaborated)	61	Makki
42	Al-Shura (Consultation)	62	Makki
43	Al-Zukhruf (Ornaments)	63	Makki
44	Al-Dukhan (Smoke)	64	Makki
45	Al-Jathiya (Crowling)	65	Makki
46	Al-Ahqaf	66	Makki
47	Muhammad	95	Madani
48	Al-Fath (Vicroty)	111	Madani
49	Al-Hujurat (Apartments)	106	Madani
50	Qaf	34	Makki
51	Al-Dhariyat (the Scatterers)	67	Makki
52	Al-Tur (the Mount)	76	Makki
53	Al-Najm (the Star)	23	Makki
54	Al-Qamar (the Moon)	37	Makki
55	Al-Rahman (the All-beneficent)	97	Madani (?)
56	Al-Waqi'a (Imminent)	46	Makki
57	Al-Hadid (Iron)	94	Madani
58	Al-Mujadila (the Pleader)	105	Madani
59	Al-Hashr (the Banishment)	101	Madani
60	Al-Mumtahana (the Tested Woman)	91	Madani
61	Al-Saff (Ranks)	109	Madani (?)
62	Al-Jumu'a (Friday)	110	Madani
63	Al-Munafiqun (the Hypocrites)	104	Madani
64	Al-Taghabun (Disposession)	108	Madani (?)
65	Al-Talaq (Divorce)	99	Madani
66	Al-Tahrim (the Forbidding)	107	Madani
67	Al-Mulk (Sovereignty)	77	Makki
68	Al-Qalam (the Pen)	2	Makki
69	Al-Haqqa (the Inevitable)	78	Makki
70	Al-Ma'arij (Lofty Stations)	79	Makki
71	Nuh (Noah)	71	Makki
72	Al-Jinn (the Jinn)	40	Makki
73	Al-Muzzammil (Enwrapped)	3	Makki
74	Al-Muddaththir (Shrouded)	4	Makki
75	Al-Qiyama (Resurrection)	31	Makki
76	Al-Insan (Man)	98	Madani
77	Al-Mursalat (the Emissaries)	33	Makki
78	Al-Naba' (the Tiding)	80	Makki
79	Al-Nazi'at (the Wrestlers)	81	Makki
80	'Abasa (He Frowned)	24	Makki
81	Al-Takwir (the Winding Up)	7	Makki
82	Al-Infitar (the Rending)	82	Makki
83	Al-Mutaffifin (the Defrauding)	86	Makki (?)
84	Al-Inshiqaq (the Splitting)	83	Makki
85	Al-Buruj (the Houses)	27	Makki
86	Al-Tariq (the Nightly Visitor)	36	Makki
87	Al-A'la (the Most Exalted)	8	Makki
88	Al-Ghashiya (the Enveloper)	68	Makki
89	Al-Fajr (the Dawn)	10	Makki
90	Al-Balad (the City)	35	Makki
91	Al-Shams (the Sun)	26	Makki
92	Al-Layl (the Night)	9	Makki
93	Al-Duha (the Morning Brightness)	11	Makki
94	Al-Sharh (Expanding)	12	Makki
95	Al-Tin (the Fig)	28	Makki
96	Al-'Alaq (Clinging Mass)	1	Makki
97	Al-Qadr (the Ordainment)	25	Makki (?)
98	Al-Bayyina (the Proof)	100	Madani (?)
99	Al-Zalzala (the Quake)	93	Madani (?)
100	Al-'Adiyat (the Chargers)	14	Makki
101	Al-Qari'a (the Catasrophe)	30	Makki
102	Al-Takathur (Rivalry)	16	Makki
103	Al-'Asr (Time)	13	Makki
104	Al-Humaza (the Scandal-monger)	32	Makki
105	Al-Fil (the Elephant)	19	Makki
106	Quraysh	29	Makki
107	Al-Ma'un (Aid)	17	Makki
108	Al-Kawthar (Abundance)	15	Makki
109	Al-Kafirun (the Faithless)	18	Makki
110	Al-Nasr (the Help)	114	Madani
111	Al-Masad (Palm Fibre)	6	Makki
112	Al-Ikhlas (Monotheism)	22	Makki (?)
113	Al-Falaq (Daybreak)	20	Makki (?)
114	Al-Nas (Humans)	21	Makki (?)

Numbers and Disputes

It is agreed that the Madani suras are 20, the disputed cases are 12 and the rest are Makki.

Agreed cases of Madani suras are: Qur'an 2, Qur'an 5, Qur'an 24, Qur'an 48, Qur'an 58, Qur'an 62, Qur'an 66, Qur'an 3, Qur'an 8, Qur'an 33, Qur'an 49, Qur'an 59, Qur'an 63, Qur'an 110, Qur'an 4, Qur'an 9, Qur'an 47, Qur'an 57, Qur'an 60, Qur'an 65.

Disputed cases are: Qur'an 1, Qur'an 61, Qur'an 13, Qur'an 64, Qur'an 55, Qur'an 83, Qur'an 97, Qur'an 98, Qur'an 99, Qur'an 112, Qur'an 113, Qur'an 114

The 82 remaining suras are Makki.

Criterion

There are three opinions about the criterion of identifying Makki and Madani suras:

• According to the time: Some believe that what (of Qu'ran) has been sent down before Hijra is Makki and what is revealed afterward, is regarded as Madani.

• According to the place of revelation: Some believe that what is revealed in Mecca and its outskirts is Makki, and what is sent down in Medina and around it, is then Madani.

• According to the people addressed in verses: Some believe that what is revealed addressing all the people is Makki, and what is revealed addressing the believers is Madani. The addressed people is identified by what is meant with the "O mankind!" (یاایهاالناس), a phrase which addresses all the people whether believer or disbeliever, so this is revealed in Mecca -as in Mecca the majority of people were disbelievers- and what is revealed with "O you who have faith!" (یاایها الذین آمنوا) addresses the believers, so this is revealed in Medina, as they were Muslims while the Prophet (s) emigrated to Medina.

As most of the contemporary Qur'an researchers have stated, the best and most reasonable criterion is the first one.

Method of Identification

• The most important method of identification is the hadiths of the Prophet (s), Ahl al-Bayt (a), and the reports of the companions. In this way, studying the authentic narrations and reports about the suras and verses according to the science of dirayat al-hadith, is necessary.

• As the above mentioned method isn't enough for the determination of the status of all of the verses, Some of the researchers have applied the comparative method. In this way, the researcher must first study the characteristics and the content of the known Makki and Madani verses and then should try to determine the status of the disputed verses for whether they are Makki or Madani.

Some suras of Qur'an are indeed Makki (based on the first criterion mentioned above) and some of them are totally Madani. But in some suras the beginning of the sura is revealed in Mecca and the middle or the ending of it is revealed in Medina. In such cases the majority of the verses are taken into consideration. Some of the Qur'an researchers notice the beginning of suras to recognize them as Makki or Madani for such cases.

Characteristics

Makki Suras

• The verses for which Sujud is obligatory are found in these suras.
• The verses beginning with the word "Never!" (Arabic: کلّا, kalla) and the verses before and after them are regarded as Makki.
• These suras begin with Muqatta'at.
• These suras are short and they have shorter verses.
• Makki suras mainly regard the monotheism while rejecting the polytheism.
• The legislation is few in the verses.
• There are many mentions of the stories of the prophets (Qisas al-Anbiya) in these verses.
• The verses have an impressive eloquence.
• In the verses, people are mainly addressed with "O mankind!" and "O Children of Adam!".

Madani Suras

• The obligations and penalties (hadd) are mostly described in these suras.
• Expressing the social, judicial, governmental rules and the rules of war and peace are among the main characteristics of these suras.
• The suras are long and they have longer verses.
• The verses begin with the phrase "O you who have faith!".
• In these verses, the wrong beliefs of "people of the book" (Arabic: اَهلَ الکِتاب, the Christians and Jews) are described and thereupon invited to Islam.
• The verses describe the status and actions of the hypocrites (Munafiqun), and the attitude of the Prophet (s) and the Muslims against them.

The aforementioned characteristics are not approximate and are not always true and for each one of them as there are exceptions. For example Sura al-Baqara (Qur'an 2) expresses the story of Prophet Adam (a) but isn't Makki. Although Sura al-Nasr (Qur'an 110) is short and its verses are short too and even the state of the sura is like the Makki ones but it is Madani.

Benefits

• Exegesis: as understanding the referrals and fine points of a verse depends on the place of revelation, studying the Makki and Madani verses is essential for an exegete.

• Nasikh and Mansukh: as identification of Nasikh and Mansukh -which is one of the most sensitive and controversial subjects of Qur'anic sciences- needs the recognition of the preceding and following verses, studying the Makki and Madani verses is essential for the subject,

• Understanding the evolution of legislation,

• Resolution of the historical disagreements,

One of the necessary subjects in the field is the study of the verses revealed in Mecca but their ruling has to be implemented in Medina; also, the studying of verses revealed in the travel, the seasons of the revelation of the verses, the verses revealed in day or night, are other related subjects.