How were the Surahs of the Qur'an named?
The naming of the Surahs in the Qur'an has historical roots tied to the revelations received by the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. According to a narration from Uthman ibn Affan, he explained the inclusion of certain Surahs in the Qur'an without separating them by the phrase "In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate." He stated: I asked Uthman ibn Affan about why you included Al-Bara'ah (At-Tawba), which is among the Maki chapters, and Al-Anfal, which is among the Medinan chapters, in the seven long surahs, without a bismillah line between them. He said: The Prophet (peace be upon him) would receive revelation and command those who wrote for him to place the verse where it concerned, and when a verse or verses arrived he instructed accordingly. Al-Anfal was among the earliest Medinan revelations and Al-Bara'ah one of the last in the Quran. Because their stories were related, I thought to include them among the seven long ones without adding a bismillah line between. The Prophet (peace be upon him) passed away without us being informed that these chapters were to be separated by bismillah.
Sunan Abu Dawud 2:396.
Additionally, Uthman also mentioned that the Prophet ﷺ did not recognize the division of the Surah until the phrase "In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate" was revealed to him. As noted, The Prophet (peace be upon him) did not recognize the division of the Surah until the phrase 'In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate' was revealed to him.
Sunan Abu Dawud 2:398.
These narrations illustrate the process of how Surahs were named and organized in the Qur'an, emphasizing the Prophet's instructions and the context of the revelations.
Sources
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Sunan Abu Dawud 2:396
Sunan Abu Dawud · Book 2, Hadith 396 · Narrated by Ibn Abbas
I asked Uthman ibn Affan about why you included Al-Bara'ah (At-Tawba), which is among the Maki chapters, and Al-Anfal, which is among the Medinan chapters, in the seven long surahs, without a bismillah line between them. He said: The Prophet (peace be upon him) would receive revelation and command those who wrote for him to place the verse where it concerned, and when a verse or verses arrived he instructed accordingly. Al-Anfal was among the earliest Medinan revelations and Al-Bara'ah one of the last in the Quran. Because their stories were related, I thought to include them among the seven long ones without adding a bismillah line between. The Prophet (peace be upon him) passed away without us being informed that these chapters were to be separated by bismillah. Abu Dawud added that al-Shabi, Abu Malik, Qatadah, and Thabit ibn Amarah said the Prophet did not write 'In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate' until the revelation of Surah An-Naml. This is its meaning.
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Sunan Abu Dawud 2:398
Sunan Abu Dawud · Book 2, Hadith 398 · Narrated by Ibn Abbas
The Prophet (peace be upon him) did not recognize the division of the Surah until the phrase 'In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate' was revealed to him. This is the wording of Ibn al-Sarih.
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