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Al-Baqarah
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Al-Baqarah

chapter of the Qurʾān
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Al-Baqarah, meaning "The Cow," is the second and longest chapter of the Qur'an, containing 286 verses. It is one of the longer chapters, primarily composed of revelations from the Medinan period, though it may intermix verses from the Meccan period.12

Each surah, or chapter, of the Qur'an begins with a title, the number of verses, and the location of its revelations. Al-Baqarah, like most surahs, opens with the basmala formula: "in the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful". The content of the Qur'an is varied, offering moralistic teachings and stories of prophets, all emphasizing obedience to God.2

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
2 Britannica Sources
  1. surah
  2. Arabic literature - Revelation, compilation, and structure

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