What is the Quran?
A short welcome. No background needed, and nothing to finish — read as much or as little as you like.
Short answer
The Quran is a book in Arabic, arranged in 114 chapters, each made of verses. Muslims hold it to be revelation from God; anyone is welcome to read it and judge for themselves.
On Bayyina you can read every chapter in Arabic beside a named English translation, listen to it, and tap any word to explore it. It's free, and you never need an account.
What the Quran is
The word قُرْآن (qurʾān) is the name the text uses for itself. It also calls itself a book and says it was given in Arabic so that it could be understood:
ذَٰلِكَ ٱلْكِتَٰبُ لَا رَيْبَ ۛ فِيهِ ۛ هُدًۭى لِّلْمُتَّقِينَ
This is the Book about which there is no doubt, a guidance for those conscious of Allah -
إِنَّآ أَنزَلْنَٰهُ قُرْءَٰنًا عَرَبِيًّۭا لَّعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ
Indeed, We have sent it down as an Arabic Qur'an that you might understand.
It asks its readers to reflect on what they read:
أَفَلَا يَتَدَبَّرُونَ ٱلْقُرْءَانَ ۚ وَلَوْ كَانَ مِنْ عِندِ غَيْرِ ٱللَّهِ لَوَجَدُوا۟ فِيهِ ٱخْتِلَٰفًۭا كَثِيرًۭا
Then do they not reflect upon the Qur'an? If it had been from [any] other than Allah, they would have found within it much contradiction.
Chapters and verses
In Arabic a chapter is called a surah and a verse an ayah. A reference like 2:255 means chapter 2, verse 255. Chapters range from 3 verses to 286, and you can begin with any of them.
How the Quran is organised explains the structure in more depth.
Arabic and translations
The Quran is in Arabic. Every English version is a person's attempt to carry its meaning across, and translators often choose differently. That's why Bayyina always shows the Arabic first and names the translation under every verse.
When two translations differ, go back to the Arabic. Word study shows you the Arabic word, its root and everywhere else it is used, so you can compare for yourself.
The English translations on Bayyina tells you who made each one.
How to read here
- Open the Quran and pick any chapter. Short ones near the end, or The Opening at the start, are gentle first reads.
- Press play to hear the recitation; the verse being recited is highlighted as it goes.
- Tap an Arabic word to see its root and the other places it appears.
- Save a verse to come back to it. Your place is remembered on this device, no sign-up needed.
Where to go next
Follow whatever you're curious about. Each guide answers one question and shows the verses it relies on, so you can check every step.
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