The Quran is divided into 30 paras (juz) of roughly equal length. Para 1 starts at the beginning of Al-Faatiha, Para 2 at Al-Baqara verse 142, and Para 30 at the start of An-Naba. The table below lists where every para begins and ends, with a link to read each one.
Why the Quran is divided into paras
The division into 30 parts is not part of the revealed order of the Quran. It was added later as a reading aid, so that the whole Quran can be read in a month, one part a day. The word para is used in Pakistan and India; in Arabic it is juz (plural ajza).
The paras are equal in length, not in meaning, so a para often starts in the middle of a surah. Only 9 of the 30 paras begin at the first verse of a surah.
All 30 paras: start and end
| Para | Starts at | Ends at | Surahs starting in it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Para 1 | Al-Faatiha 1:1 | Al-Baqara 2:141 | 2 |
| Para 2 | Al-Baqara 2:142 | Al-Baqara 2:252 | 0 |
| Para 3 | Al-Baqara 2:253 | Aal-i-Imraan 3:92 | 1 |
| Para 4 | Aal-i-Imraan 3:93 | An-Nisaa 4:23 | 1 |
| Para 5 | An-Nisaa 4:24 | An-Nisaa 4:147 | 0 |
| Para 6 | An-Nisaa 4:148 | Al-Maaida 5:81 | 1 |
| Para 7 | Al-Maaida 5:82 | Al-An’aam 6:110 | 1 |
| Para 8 | Al-An’aam 6:111 | Al-A’raaf 7:87 | 1 |
| Para 9 | Al-A’raaf 7:88 | Al-Anfaal 8:40 | 1 |
| Para 10 | Al-Anfaal 8:41 | At-Tawba 9:92 | 1 |
| Para 11 | At-Tawba 9:93 | Hud 11:5 | 2 |
| Para 12 | Hud 11:6 | Yusuf 12:52 | 1 |
| Para 13 | Yusuf 12:53 | Ibrahim 14:52 | 2 |
| Para 14 | Al-Hijr 15:1 | An-Nahl 16:128 | 2 |
| Para 15 | Al-Israa 17:1 | Al-Kahf 18:74 | 2 |
| Para 16 | Al-Kahf 18:75 | Taa-Haa 20:135 | 2 |
| Para 17 | Al-Anbiyaa 21:1 | Al-Hajj 22:78 | 2 |
| Para 18 | Al-Muminoon 23:1 | Al-Furqaan 25:20 | 3 |
| Para 19 | Al-Furqaan 25:21 | An-Naml 27:55 | 2 |
| Para 20 | An-Naml 27:56 | Al-Ankaboot 29:45 | 2 |
| Para 21 | Al-Ankaboot 29:46 | Al-Ahzaab 33:30 | 4 |
| Para 22 | Al-Ahzaab 33:31 | Yaseen 36:27 | 3 |
| Para 23 | Yaseen 36:28 | Az-Zumar 39:31 | 3 |
| Para 24 | Az-Zumar 39:32 | Fussilat 41:46 | 2 |
| Para 25 | Fussilat 41:47 | Al-Jaathiya 45:37 | 4 |
| Para 26 | Al-Ahqaf 46:1 | Adh-Dhaariyat 51:30 | 6 |
| Para 27 | Adh-Dhaariyat 51:31 | Al-Hadid 57:29 | 6 |
| Para 28 | Al-Mujaadila 58:1 | At-Tahrim 66:12 | 9 |
| Para 29 | Al-Mulk 67:1 | Al-Mursalaat 77:50 | 11 |
| Para 30 | An-Naba 78:1 | An-Naas 114:6 | 37 |
References are written as surah:verse. For example, 2:142 means Surah Al-Baqara, verse 142.
A few things the list shows
- Al-Baqarah is long. The second surah fills all of Para 1 after Al-Faatiha, all of Para 2 and part of Para 3.
- The last para holds the most surahs. Para 30, often called Juz Amma after its first word, contains 37 short surahs, from An-Naba to An-Naas. Many children learn these first.
- Paras are split further. Most printed mushafs also divide each para into quarters (rub) and halves (nisf), and mark ruku sections in the margin.
Para versus surah versus ruku
A surah is a chapter; there are 114, from very long to just three verses. A para is one of 30 equal reading portions. A ruku is a shorter section, usually a passage on one theme, marked in the margin of South Asian mushafs. Many imams recite roughly one ruku in each rakat of taraweeh.
Para names
In Pakistan, paras are often called by the opening Arabic words of each one rather than by number, for example Alif Lam Meem for the first para, and these names are printed at the top of each page in most local mushafs. The number is the clearest way to refer to them, which is why this list uses numbers. The Arabic opening words of every para are shown at its start in our reader.
Memorising and revising
Students of hifz in Pakistan usually work through the Quran para by para, often starting from Para 30 and moving backwards to the longer surahs. The para boundaries in this table are also the usual units teachers use when setting daily revision.
Using the list
If you are following a one-para-a-day plan in Ramadan, this list tells you where to stop each day. It is also handy when a teacher or imam says “we are in the 15th para” and you want to find the place quickly. Page numbers vary between the Madani mushaf and Pakistani 16-line or 13-line prints, but para boundaries are the same in all of them.
To read any para with Urdu translation, tap it in the table or open our Quran reader. Start with Para 1, or jump to Surah Yaseen, which many people read on Thursday nights and Fridays. For daily reading plans, see how to finish the Quran in Ramadan.
Frequently asked questions
How many paras are in the Quran?
There are 30 paras (ajza), each roughly the same length. Reading one a day completes the Quran in a month.
Which para has Surah Yaseen?
Surah Yaseen (surah 36) starts in Para 22 and continues into Para 23. You can read it in our Quran reader.
Which is the shortest para?
The paras are designed to be roughly equal, so none is much shorter. Para 30 feels quickest to many people because it is made of short surahs they know by heart.
Are paras the same in every mushaf?
Yes. The para boundaries are standard, even though page counts differ between the Madani mushaf and Pakistani 16-line or 13-line prints.