Makki and Madini Verses

Chapter No.: 
3

It has been a tradition with the commentators of the Qur’an to label the verse of the Qur’an either Makki or Madini, so one must know what is meant by these terms. Most accepted version is that those verses which were sent down to Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) before the Hijrah (migra­tion) to Madinah are called Makki Aayaat (verses) and those verses which were sent down after the Hijrah are called Madani. It is not true that those verses which were revealed in Makkah are called Makki and those which were revealed in Madinah are called Madani. Even those verses which were revealed in Arfat, Minah, on the way to Madina or during the night of Mi’raj in the heaven are all called Makki and the verses which were revealed after the Hijrah outside Medinah or even in Makkah itself at the time of Fatah-i-Makkah (victory of Makkah) are called Madani. There are some Surahs which are called Madani but they contain some verses which were revealed in Makkah and vice verse. So, a Surah has been la­belled as Makki or Madani as per the majority of its verses that have been revealed in Makkah or Madinah. If majority of its verses were revealed in Makkah it is called Makki and if majority of its verse were revealed in Madina, then it is called Madani.

Some Characteristic of Makki & Madani verses

1. Any Surah, having an Ayat which starts with the word Kalla, is Makki. This word has come in 15 Surahs - 33 times. All these Surahs are Makki.

2. All those Surahs which have an Ayat of Sajdah are Makki except Surah Haj as per Shaafi school of thought.

3. All those Surahs in which something is narrated about the incident of Hadhrat Adam (AS) and Shaitaan except Surah Baqarah are Makki.

4. All those Surahs in which something about Jihad is narrated are Madani.

5. All those Surahs which have some mention about hypocrites (Munafiqeen) are Madani.

6. Makki Surahs usually address people as “O! People “and Madani Surahs usually address as “O! Believers”

7. Makki Aayaat and Surahs are usually smaller and Madani Aayaat and Surahs are usually longer and detailed.

8. Makki Surahs usually deal with Tawheed, Prophet-hood and Resurrection, whereas Madani Surahs deal with Social, Cultural, Administrative and other laws. (Uloom-Ul-Qur’an)