Please Explain to Me the Meanings of These Terms: Al-Tiwal, Al-Mi’un, Al-Mathani, and Al-Mufassal.

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate,

The scholars have given titles to the Qur’anic suras with labels that classify them into four types: al-Tuwal (or al-Tiwal), al-Mi’un, al-Mathani, and al-Mufassal.

The Source of this Categorization

Perhaps the scholars relied on the hadith narrated from Abu Umama, in which the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said: “My Lord gave me in place of the Torah the seven Tiwal and in place of the Gospel the Mi’un, and I was honored with the Mufassal.” [Tabarani, al-Muʿjam al-Kabir]

And from Wathilah ibn al-Asqa‘, who said: The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said: “I was given in place of the Torah the seven, and in place of the Psalms the Mi’un, and in place of the Gospel the Mathani, and I was given preference with al-Mufassal.” [Ahmad, Tayalisi, Bayhaqi in Shuʿab al-Iman]

The Meaning of These Terms

1. Al-Tuwal or al-Tiwal:

They are named such for their length, and they are seven chapters: Baqara, Ali ʿImran, Nisa’, Maʾida, Anʿam, and Aʿraf. These are six, and there is disagreement over the seventh: whether it is Anfal and Bara’a together, due to the absence of the Basmala separating them, Surat Yunus. Knowing that the number of verses in Sura Anfal is seventy-five, the total number of verses in Sura Anfal and Bara’a becomes two hundred and four, which fits that Anfal and Tawba combined are among the Tiwal.

Zarkashi in al-Burhan explains the reason for considering Sura Tawbah and Anfal as one chapter, saying: “The seven Tiwal begin with Baqara and end with Bara’a, as they considered Anfal and Bara’a one chapter, and therefore did not separate them because they were both revealed in the campaigns of the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace)… And it is narrated from Saʿid ibn Jubayr that he counted the seven Tawal as Baqara, Ali ʿImran, Nisa’, Maʾida, Anʿam, Aʿraf, and Yunus.”

Ibn ‘Abbas said regarding the verse, “We have certainly granted you the seven often-repeated verses and the great Quran” (Quran, 15:87) “These are the seven al-Tawal.” [Tabarani, al-Kabir]

Said ibn Jubayr said regarding the verse, “We have certainly granted you the seven often-repeated verses and the great Quran” (Quran): “They are the seven Tiwal: Baqara, Ali ’Imran, Nisa, Ma’ida, An’am, A‘raf, and Yunus. Mujahid said they are the seven Tawal.” [Dani. al-Bayan fi ’add Aay al-Quran; al-Raghib al-Asfahani, Mufradat al-Quran; Tafsir Ibn Kathir]

Anas narrates that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) felt something, and when he awoke, it was said: “O Messenger of Allah, the effect of pain is evident on you.” He said: “I am indeed as you see. I read the seven Tawal last night.” [Hakim, al-Mustadrak; Sahih Ibn Hibban]

Note: The common name for “the seven Tiwal” is with a kasra on the taa, although Zarkashi said: al-Tuwal: with a dhammah on the taa, plural of tula, like Kubar, plural of Kubra. Abu Hayyan al-Tawhidi said: “And the kasrah on the taa is disapproved.” [Zarkashi, al-Burhan]

2. Al-Mi’un:

The Mi’un are those that come after the seven Tiwal. They are named so because each chapter of them is more than a hundred verses or close to it, more or less, and they end with Sura al-Qasas. [Zarkashi, al-Burhan fi Ulum al-Quran; Ibn Rajab, Fath al-Bari; al-Itqan fi Ulum al-Quran; Zarqani, Manahil al-‘Irfan; Said Hawwa, al-Asas fil-Tafsir; Said Hawwa, al-Asas fil-Sunna]

3. Al-Mathani:

The Mathani are those that follow al-Mi’un, ending with Sura Qaf (with disagreement on this, as will be discussed). The Quranic chapters are all sometimes called Mathani, as in the verse, “˹It is˺ Allah ˹Who˺ has sent down the best message—a Book of perfect consistency and repeated lessons (mathani)” [Quran, 39:23] and, ”We have certainly granted you the seven often-repeated verses (mathani) and the great Quran.” [Quran, 15:87]

The entire Quran is called Mathani because the stories and narratives are repeated in it. It is said that the Mathani in Aya 87 Sura 15 are the verses of Sura Fatiha and that they are called Mathani because they are repeated in every unit of prayer. [Zarkashi, al-Burhan]

Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali said: “And it was named Mathani because it follows al-Mi’un as if al-Mi’un are the first and these are the second. And it is said because in it the stories, examples, obligations, and limits are repeated.” [Tafsir Sura Fatiha]

Farra’ said: “They are the chapters whose verses are less than a hundred because they are repeated more than the Tiwal and Mi’un.” Meaning they are more frequently recited. [al-Itqan fi ‘Ulum al-Quran]

Ibn ‘Abbas asked Uthman: “What made you place Anfal, which is among the Mathani, and Bara’ah, which is among the al-Mi’un, together, and you did not write between them the line of ‘Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim,’ and you placed it among the seven Tiwal? What made you do that…?” [Ahmad; Mustadrak al-Hakim]

4. Al-Mufassal

The Mufassal suras are the last part of the Quran, or what follows the Mathani from the short chapters, ending unquestionably with Sura Nas. This section of sura is named al-Mufassal for the many separations between the suras with “Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim.” It is also said to be due to the scarcity of abrogated verses in it; that is why it is also called “al-Muhkam.” [Zarkashi, al-Burhan fi ‘Ulum al-Quran; Fahd al-Rumi, Dirasat fi ‘Ulum al-Quran]

Said ibn Jubayr said: I heard Ibn ‘Abbas saying: “What you call al-Mufassal is al-Muhkam. The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) passed away when I was ten years old, and I had read al-Muhkam.” [Bukhari, Ahmad; see: al-Itqan fi Ulum al-Quran, Manahil al-‘Irfan]

A Disagreement in the Start of the Mufassal Section

There is disagreement on the beginning sura of the Mufassal section, with twelve opinions: 1. aJathiya 2. Qital (Sura Muhammad) 3. Hujurat 4. Qaf. 5. Saffat 6. Saff 7. Tabarak 8. Bayyinah 9. Rahman 10. Insan 11. Sabbih (A’la) 12. Duha.

Zarkashi said: “And the correct opinion among the people of tradition is that the first of it is Qaf.” [al-Burhan fi ‘Ulum al-Quran)]

Division of the Suras into Sections

This is supported by the hadith of Aws ibn Hudhayfa, in which he said: “We asked the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) when we awoke, saying: ‘How do you divide the Quran into sections?’ They said: ‘We divide it into three suras, and five suras, and seven suras, and nine suras, and eleven suras, and thirteen suras, and then the section of al-Mufassal from Qaf until it ends.’” [Ahmad]

The total of that equals 48 chapters, and after it comes Sura Qaf. The detailed division is as follows:

• The section of three suras: Baqarah, Ali ‘Imran, and Nisa’
• The section of five suras: Ma’ida, An’am, A‘raf, Anfal, and Bara’a
• The section of seven suras: Yunus, Hud, Yusuf, Ra‘d, Ibrahim, Hijr, and Nahl
• The section of nine suras: Isra’, Kahf, Maryam, Ta-Ha, Anbiya’, Hajj, Mu’minun, Nur, and Furqan
• The section of eleven suras: Shu‘ara’, Naml, Qasas, ‘Ankabut, Rum, Luqman, Sajdah, Ahzab, Saba’, Fatir, and Ya-Sin
• The section of thirteen suras: Saffat, Sad, Zumar, Ghafir, Fussilat, Shura, Zukhruf, Dukhan, Jathiya, Ahqaf, Qital (Surat Muhammad), Fath, and Hujurat.
• Then after that comes the section of Mufassal, starting with Sura Qaf. [al-Burhan fi Ulum al-Quran]

A Division within the Mufassal Section

Al-Mufassal has long, medium, and short chapters within it. Its long ones are from the beginning of Hujurat to Sura Buruj. Its medium suras are from Sura Tariq to Sura Bayyina. Its short suras are from Surat Zalzala to the end of the Quran. [Suyuti, al-Itqan fi ‘Ulum al-Quran; Zarqani, Manahil al-‘Irfan]

Categorizing Sura Fatiha

Surat Fatiha, based on what has been mentioned, is among the Mathani because it is not among the seven Tiwal, nor among the Mi’un, nor among Mufassal. Therefore, it is determined to be among the Mathani.

The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) named Sura Fatiha the seven Mathani for its distinct meanings among the rest of the chapters of Mathani, like its repetition in the prayer, and other reasons, making it an independent type by itself.

Thus, it was named: “the seven Mathani,” even though in the narration of Tirmidhi, the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said to Ubayy ibn Ka‘b: “Would you like me to teach you a chapter not revealed in the Torah, nor in the Gospel, nor in the Psalms, nor in the Furqan like it?” He said: Yes, O Messenger of Allah. The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said: “How do you read in the prayer?” He recited Umm al-Qur’an, so the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said: “By the One in Whose hand is my soul, nothing like it has been revealed in the Torah, nor in the Gospel, nor in the Psalms, nor in the Furqan, and it is the seven of the Mathani and the great Quran that I was given.” [Tirmidhi; see: Ibn Rajab, Tafsir Sura Fatiha]

The Wisdom in the Sections of the Suras

Maraghi mentioned in his Tafsir: “Anyone who looks at the arrangement of all the chapters in the mushaf sees that the length, medium-ness, and shortness have been considered in their arrangement, making it more helpful for recitation and easier to memorize for people start reading it from the beginning. It transitions from the seven Tiwal to al-Mi’un, then al-Mathani, then al-Mufassal, which is less tedious and more motivating. They start memorizing it from its end because that is easier for children, and because the relevance of the meanings of the chapters has been considered along with the relevance in the extent of their length and shortness.”

And may the blessings of Allah be upon our master and Prophet Muhammad, and upon his Family and Companions.

Shaykh Anas al-Musa, born in Hama, Syria, in 1974, is an erudite scholar of notable repute. He graduated from the Engineering Institute in Damascus, where he specialized in General Construction, and Al-Azhar University, Faculty of Usul al-Din, where he specialized in Hadith.

He studied under prominent scholars in Damascus, including Shaykh Abdul Rahman al-Shaghouri and Shaykh Adib al-Kallas, among others. Shaykh Anas has memorized the Quran and is proficient in the ten Mutawatir recitations, having studied under Shaykh Bakri al-Tarabishi and Shaykh Mowfaq ‘Ayun. He also graduated from the Iraqi Hadith School.

He has taught numerous Islamic subjects at Shari‘a institutes in Syria and Turkey. Shaykh Anas has served as an Imam and preacher for over 15 years and is a teacher of the Quran in its various readings and narrations.

Currently, he works as a teacher at SeekersGuidance and is responsible for academic guidance there. He has completed his Master’s degree in Hadith and is now pursuing his Ph.D. in the same field. Shaykh Anas al-Musa is married and resides in Istanbul.