The Meccan suras are the chronologically earlier suras of the Qur'an that were revealed at Mecca, Saudi Arabia. They are typically shorter, with relatively short ayat, and mostly come near the end of the Qur'an. Most of the suras containing Muqatta'at are Meccan. The other type of sura is the Madinan sura.

The division of surahs into 'Meccan surahs' and 'Medinan surahs' is primarily a consequence of stylistic and thematic considerations. Classification of the surahs into these periods is based upon factors such as the length of the verse and the presence or absence of certain key concepts or word (e.g. al-Rahman as name of God). (in Reviews) Studien zur Komposition der mekkanischen Suren by Angelika Neuwirth, Review author^*: A. Rippin, Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, Vol. 45, No. 1. (1982), pp. 149-150.

References