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Surah Memorization Order: Which Surahs to Memorize First
Key takeaways
- Start with Al-Fatihah: 7 verses on page 1, said at least 17 times a day across the five daily prayers, so it gets reviewed for you.
- Move to the Quran's last 16 surahs, An-Nas back through Az-Zalzalah: 98 verses in total, all on the last 6 pages of the Mushaf (pages 599 to 604).
- Add Al-Mulk (30 verses, 3 pages), Ya-Sin (83 verses, 6 pages), and Al-Kahf (110 verses, 12 pages) next. All three are widely recited and still short enough to finish in weeks.
- At half a page a day, that's about 6 days for Al-Mulk, 12 for Ya-Sin, and 24 for Al-Kahf, before you move on to longer surahs.
- The first ten verses of Al-Kahf are a milestone on their own: a hadith in Sahih Muslim says memorizing them protects from the Dajjal.
- Order matters less than momentum. Any order you keep reviewing daily beats a 'correct' order you abandon.
Start with Al-Fatihah, then the shortest surahs at the end of the Quran, then Al-Mulk, Ya-Sin, and Al-Kahf. All of them are short, widely recited, and give you a finished portion within days instead of months.
It isn’t a strict rule, just an order that tends to work. Each surah below gets reviewed by something you already do, before you move on to the longer surahs that make up most of the Quran.
What is the best surah memorization order for beginners?
For most beginners, the best order is: Al-Fatihah, then the last 16 surahs of the Mushaf, then Al-Mulk, Ya-Sin, and Al-Kahf, then on to longer surahs like Al-Baqarah.
| Step | Surahs | Verses | Pages |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Al-Fatihah | 7 | 1 |
| 2 | The last 16 surahs (An-Nas to Az-Zalzalah) | 98 | 6 |
| 3 | Al-Mulk, Ya-Sin, Al-Kahf | 223 | 21 |
| 4 | Longer surahs (Al-Baqarah and beyond) | the rest | 576 |
Each step is short enough to finish before you lose momentum. Every surah in steps 1 to 3 is one you’ll hear again soon, in prayer or in common practice, which does some of the review for you.
Start with Al-Fatihah, the surah you already know
Al-Fatihah has 7 verses on the Mushaf’s first page. You already recite it in every rak’ah of every prayer, at least 17 times a day across the five daily prayers.
That built-in repetition is why it comes first. Most beginners already have Al-Fatihah close to memorized without trying; a few focused sessions checking your pronunciation against a teacher usually finish the job.
Then the short surahs of Juz 30
The Quran’s last 16 surahs, An-Nas (114) back through Az-Zalzalah (99), total 98 verses on the final 6 pages of the Mushaf, pages 599 to 604. Verses stay short and often repeat the same few words, so each surah takes only a few sittings.
| Surah | Verses | Surah | Verses |
|---|---|---|---|
| An-Nas | 6 | Al-Kawthar | 3 |
| Al-Falaq | 5 | Al-Ma’un | 7 |
| Al-Ikhlas | 4 | Quraysh | 4 |
| Al-Masad | 5 | Al-Fil | 5 |
| An-Nasr | 3 | Al-Humazah | 9 |
| Al-Kafirun | 6 | Al-‘Asr | 3 |
| At-Takathur | 8 | Al-Qari’ah | 11 |
| Al-‘Adiyat | 11 | Az-Zalzalah | 8 |
Working from the back of the Mushaf forward keeps the surahs roughly shortest-first, so you bank several finished surahs in your first week. Once these 16 are solid, keep moving forward through Juz 30 the same way, toward An-Naba (78).
Four of them also appear in authentic bedtime hadith: the Prophet ﷺ recited Al-Ikhlas, Al-Falaq and An-Nas before sleep, and taught Al-Kafirun as a surah to sleep on. Together with Ayatul Kursi, they give you a set to review every night: see which surah to read before sleeping.
Juz 30 as a whole is 37 surahs on 23 pages. At half a page a day, that’s about 46 days; see how long it takes to memorize the Quran for the same estimate at other paces.
Add Al-Mulk, Ya-Sin, and Al-Kahf next
Once the shortest surahs feel solid, three more make a natural next step. Each is longer, but still short enough to finish in weeks, and each is a surah you’ll keep reciting long after you memorize it.
| Surah | Verses | Pages | Why it’s often chosen next |
|---|---|---|---|
| Al-Mulk | 30 | 3 | Commonly recited at night. A Hasan hadith describes it interceding for its reciter |
| Ya-Sin | 83 | 6 | One of the most commonly recited surahs in the Muslim world |
| Al-Kahf | 110 | 12 | Commonly recited on Fridays. The first ten verses carry a specific, sourced virtue |
At half a page a day, that’s about 6 days for Al-Mulk, 12 for Ya-Sin, and 24 for Al-Kahf. See how long it takes to memorize the Quran for these same three surahs at other paces.
تَبَـٰرَكَ ٱلَّذِى بِيَدِهِ ٱلْمُلْكُ وَهُوَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدِيرٌ
Blessed is He in whose hand is dominion, and He is over all things competent -
The Prophet ﷺ described what this surah, “Tabarak alladhi biyadihil-mulk”, does for the one who carries it:
Al-Kahf offers an early milestone inside a longer surah. You don’t need to finish all 110 verses to reach it:
The ten verses take about 2 minutes to recite. For the text, what they say and a five-day plan, see the first 10 verses of Surah Kahf.
What to memorize after that
Once you’ve finished these surahs, you’ve memorized more than 300 verses and kept a daily habit going. From here, most people move to Al-Baqarah and continue through the Quran in order, since that’s how review naturally accumulates.
The pace you set for these early surahs is the pace you’ll likely keep. Our Quran memorization plan turns it into a fixed daily schedule of new lesson and review. For the listen-recite-review method itself, see our full guide on how to memorize the Quran.
Mistakes to avoid when choosing an order
- Changing your order every week. Jumping between surahs because a new one caught your attention leaves several half-finished and none reviewed.
- Taking on Al-Kahf or Ya-Sin whole, on day one. Start with the first ten verses of Al-Kahf, or the first page of Ya-Sin, and extend once that much is solid.
- Dropping the short surahs once you move on. They only stay memorized with recitation, in prayer or otherwise, like everything else.
- Waiting for the “right” order before starting. Any of the surahs on this page is a reasonable place to begin today.
Pick your first surah today
If you haven’t started, open with Al-Fatihah or An-Nas today, at whatever pace fits your day. Both fit on a single page, and both come back to you the moment you next pray.
For more on why this effort matters, see the virtues of memorizing the Quran.
Frequently asked questions
What is the easiest surah to memorize?
Al-Ikhlas, Al-Falaq, and An-Nas are usually the easiest: 4 to 6 verses each, short lines, and heavy repetition of the same few words. Al-Kawthar and An-Nasr, at only 3 verses, are shorter still, but their meaning is denser and less repetitive.
Should I memorize the Quran in order, or start with short surahs?
Most beginners start with short surahs, not surah order (1 to 114). Short surahs give you finished portions in days, and several are already part of your daily prayers, so reviewing them takes no extra time.
Is it okay to memorize surahs out of Mushaf order?
Yes. There's no requirement to memorize in the order surahs appear in the Mushaf. Many memorizers finish Juz 30 out of order, then move to Al-Baqarah and continue in order from there.
How long does it take to memorize Juz Amma (Juz 30)?
Juz 30 has 37 surahs across 23 pages. At half a page a day that's about 46 days, and at a full page a day, about 23 days, not counting the review time you'll need to keep it.
What surah should a child memorize first?
The same starting point works well for children: Al-Fatihah, then the shortest surahs of Juz 30, such as Al-Ikhlas, Al-Falaq, and An-Nas. Short, repeated lines are easier for a child to hold, and hearing them in prayer helps them stick.
What are the 10 basic surahs to memorize?
There is no fixed official list, and teachers choose differently. One sensible set from the order on this page is Al-Fatihah plus nine short surahs from the end of the Mushaf: An-Nas, Al-Falaq, Al-Ikhlas, Al-Masad, An-Nasr, Al-Kafirun, Al-Kawthar, Al-Ma'un and Quraysh. That is 50 verses in all.