Why do surah names not always describe a surah’s main subject?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Qurʾān Qurʾān with illuminated manuscript pages featuring ink, gold, and lapis, late 18th–early 19th century.

In the Qur'an, the 114 surahs (chapters) are identified by names that are typically derived from an unusual or distinctive image, word, or theme appearing within the text of that specific chapter.1

These names are not intended to serve as summaries or indicators of the surah’s general subject matter. Because the Qur'an originated from oral revelations that were later compiled, the text often features revelations from different periods interwoven together. Consequently, a single topic may be dispersed across multiple surahs, and a surah itself may contain a variety of subjects ranging from stories of prophets to eschatology. The naming convention serves primarily as a means of identification rather than a thematic label for the chapter's contents.12