C H A P T E R II
“ I N T E R L U D E ” B E F O R E T H E N E X T C H A P T E R S .
In the Quran there sometimes are verses that “collide” or verses there one is stricter than the other. In those cases one use the abrogation rule: The youngest verse is the one that counts - the older one is exchanged for a better one - this even the Quran mentions. You meet Muslims protesting that such a rule exists, because that means that Allah was not wise enough to make the rules good enough at once and from the start - he had to try and fail. In a way quite correct - - - but some verses (about 100?) are changed anyhow. This they try to explain with that Allah did not change the rules, just made them stricter - the rules for alcohol are often used as an example. But the problem still stands: Allah had to try and fail to find the rule. And the problem for readers, are to know which are older than which, as it is mostly not said in the Quran. Most verses from the Mecca period (610-622 AD) mild towards non-Muslims f. ex. are overridden by verses of hate, blood and killing from Medina (622-632 AD).
When it comes to subjects like war, treatment of non-Muslims, and connections with non-Muslims, it is very essential for us to know which verses counts, and which not (or less).
Because of this I have found this table. BUT I STRESS VERY STRONGLY THAT IT SHOULD BE USED WITH THE GREATEST CARE, PARTLY BECAUSE IT IS NOT A CANONIZED ONE, AND PARTLY BECAUSE EVEN ISLAM DOES NOT KNOW THE EXACT AGES OF MOST OF THEM. There is sure to be at least minor mistakes. More exact lists are told to exist (f. ex. one made by Th. Noldike), but I have been unable to find any of them yet. If/when I find a better one, I will adjust this list. But it will make no great difference, as the main and great divide is between before and after the flight from Mecca in 622 AD, and that divide any list has mainly correct.
But until I find one that is better, I will use this one. The result will be at least roughly correct.
The left and the middle list the surahs by approximate age + the serial numbers I use. The far right shows which surah has which serial number. Beware that the list to the right - 2 columns - has no direct connection to the rest. It is just placed there because it was convenient.
In the chapter about war/jihad and in a few other chapters, the surahs are arranged by the serial numbers because they very approximately range the surahs according to age. Then it may be easier to find the surah you look for, by first finding the serial number. NB: As the main overview is ranged by age, it also automatically is ranged by serial numbers – see the last column in that overview. To find the serial number of a surah, see the cross reference.
NB: The two last columns is a totally different list, the cross reference - only placed there for the sake of convenience.
|
The surahs and serial numbers reckoned in chronological order by approximate age: |
Cross references: |
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|
Surah no. |
Made year (approxim.) |
Exceptions verse |
Comments |
Serial no. |
Surah no. |
Serial no. |
|
096 |
610 |
V.6-19 later |
No.1 (July/Aug 610) |
001 |
001 |
002 |
|
001 |
610-614 |
|
|
002 |
002 |
088 |
|
068 |
611-614 |
|
Likely no 3. |
003 |
003 |
092 |
|
073 |
611-614 |
|
Likely no 4. |
004 |
004 |
096 |
|
080 |
611-614 |
|
Early |
005 |
005 |
107 |
|
111 |
611-614 |
|
Likely no 6. |
006 |
006 |
063 |
|
081 |
611-615 |
|
Likely no 7. |
007 |
007 |
062 |
|
087 |
611-615 |
|
Likely no 8. |
008 |
008 |
090 |
|
092 |
611-615 |
|
Likely no 9. |
009 |
009 |
105 |
|
089 |
611-615 |
|
Likely no 10. |
010 |
010 |
066 |
|
093 |
611-615 |
|
After 89 |
011 |
011 |
067 |
|
094 |
611-615 |
|
Just after 93 |
012 |
012 |
068 |
|
103 |
611-615 |
|
Shortly after 94 |
013 |
013 |
109 |
|
072 |
611-615 |
|
|
014 |
014 |
072 |
|
074 |
611-615 |
|
|
015 |
015 |
069 |
|
075 |
611-615 |
|
|
016 |
016 |
078 |
|
102 |
611-615 |
|
|
017 |
017 |
065 |
|
107 |
611-615 |
|
|
018 |
018 |
077 |
|
109 |
611-615 |
|
Shortly after 107 |
019 |
019 |
035 |
|
112 |
611-615 |
|
|
020 |
020 |
036 |
|
091 |
611-615 |
|
Shortly after 97 |
021 |
021 |
070 |
|
085 |
611-615 |
|
Shortly after 91 |
022 |
022 |
047 |
|
095 |
612-615 |
|
Shortly after 85 |
023 |
023 |
073 |
|
101 |
612-615 |
|
After 95 |
024 |
024 |
098 |
|
053 |
612-615 |
V. 13-18 (later +?) |
Shortly after 112 |
025 |
025 |
033 |
|
104 |
613 |
|
|
026 |
026 |
042 |
|
054 |
614? |
|
Just after 053? |
027 |
027 |
043 |
|
086 |
614 |
|
|
028 |
028 |
064 |
|
077 |
614 |
|
Between 104 and 50 |
029 |
029 |
076 |
|
050 |
614 |
|
|
030 |
030 |
044 |
|
090 |
614-615 |
|
Just after 50 |
031 |
031 |
038 |
|
036 |
614-615 |
|
Just before 25 |
032 |
032 |
074 |
|
025 |
614-615 |
|
Same time as 19 |
033 |
033 |
095 |
|
035 |
614-615 |
|
Between 25 and 19 |
034 |
034 |
058 |
|
019 |
614-615 |
|
Just after 19 |
035 |
035 |
034 |
|
020 |
614-615 |
|
Late 614/early 615 |
036 |
036 |
032 |
|
038 |
614-615 |
|
|
037 |
037 |
045 |
|
031 |
614-617 |
|
|
038 |
038 |
037 |
|
070 |
614-617 |
|
|
039 |
039 |
046 |
|
088 |
614-618 |
|
|
040 |
040 |
048 |
|
056 |
615 |
|
|
041 |
041 |
049 |
|
026 |
615-616 |
|
|
042 |
042 |
050 |
|
027 |
615-616 |
|
Shortly after 26 |
043 |
043 |
051 |
|
030 |
615-616 |
|
|
044 |
044 |
052 |
|
037 |
615-617 |
|
|
045 |
045 |
053 |
|
039 |
615-617 |
|
Medium Mecca |
046 |
046 |
056 |
|
022 |
616 app |
39+49=622, some 624 |
Medium Mecca |
047 |
047 |
078 |
|
040 |
616-618 |
|
Group of 7 (40-46) |
048 |
048 |
100 |
|
041 |
616-618 |
|
Just after 40 |
049 |
049 |
106 |
|
042 |
616-618 |
|
Group of 7 (40-46) |
050 |
050 |
030 |
|
043 |
616-619 |
|
Group of 7 (40-46) |
051 |
051 |
059 |
|
044 |
616-619 |
|
Group of 7 (40-46) |
052 |
052 |
075 |
|
045 |
616-620 |
|
Group of 7 (40-46) |
053 |
053 |
025 |
|
067 |
618-619 |
|
|
054 |
054 |
027 |