Surah 21
Al-Anbiyaa
The Prophets
الأنبياء
Editorial study · not independently reviewed.
- 1Part absent
- 2From a layer
- 3Absent
- 4Part absent
- 5Part absent
- 6Absent
- 7Part absent
- 8From a layer
- 9From a layer
From a layerPart supplied, part absentAbsent
Name and conventional translation
Part absent
Arabic name
الأنبياء
Source fact
Transliteration
Al-Anbiyaa
Source fact
English name
The Prophets
Source fact as Tanzil metadata gives it; Tanzil names no translator for it
Verse count and position
From a layer
Verses
112
Derived link
Words
1169
Derived link whitespace-separated tokens of the Uthmani text, the rule the morphology layer uses
Position in the mushaf order
21 of 114
Source fact
Position in a revelation ordering
73 of 114
Revelation order as encoded by the Tanzil metadata · Tanzil publishes an "order" value for each surah and documents the field only as "revelation order". It does not name which ordering it encodes, cite a scholar, or reference an edition. We have therefore not established whose ordering this is, and we do not name one. The major orderings disagree about dozens of surahs, so naming the likeliest candidate would be a guess presented as a citation.
Source fact
Place of revelation, as Tanzil classifies it
Meccan
Source fact Tanzil's classification, carried without a named authority
Juzʾ
Within juzʾ 17
Source fact juzʾ start verses from the banked Tanzil metadata file, digest-checked against its source record
Opening formula (basmala) in this edition
stands before verse 1 and is not numbered
Derived link
What the surah says of itself
Absent
Major movements and sections
Part absent
Rukūʿ divisions
| Rukūʿ | Verses | Opens |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 21:1-10 | ٱقْتَرَبَ لِلنَّاسِ حِسَابُهُمْ وَهُمْ … |
| 2 | 21:11-29 | وَكَمْ قَصَمْنَا مِن قَرْيَةٍ … |
| 3 | 21:30-41 | أَوَلَمْ يَرَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوٓا۟ … |
| 4 | 21:42-50 | قُلْ مَن يَكْلَؤُكُم بِٱلَّيْلِ … |
| 5 | 21:51-75 | وَلَقَدْ ءَاتَيْنَآ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ رُشْدَهُۥ … |
| 6 | 21:76-93 | وَنُوحًا إِذْ نَادَىٰ مِن … |
| 7 | 21:94-112 | فَمَن يَعْمَلْ مِنَ ٱلصَّٰلِحَٰتِ … |
Source fact rukūʿ start verses from the banked Tanzil metadata file, digest-checked against its source record; each runs to the verse before the next; opening words are the first 4 words of its first verse
Repeated words and themes
Part absent
Verses repeated word for word
No verse of this surah repeats another word for word.
Derived link verses of this surah whose Uthmani text is byte-identical to another verse of it
Phrases repeated word for word
| Times | Words | Phrase | Verses |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 3 | مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ | 66-67, 98 |
Derived link runs of at least 3 consecutive words, inside one verse, occurring at least 3 times in this surah, kept only where no longer run has the same occurrences; a run that is only ever a whole repeated verse is listed above instead
Roots carried by the most words
1169 words390 with one root, counted93 conflicting roots192 no root recorded494 not analysed
| Root | Words, at least | Verses | Forms in this surah |
|---|---|---|---|
| ق.و.ل | 15 | 15 | قَالَ قُلْ فَقُلْ قَٰلَ قُلْنَا لَيَقُولُنَّ وَيَقُولُونَ |
| ع.ل.م | 13 | 12 | يَعْلَمُ عَٰلِمِينَ وَعِلْمًا تَعْلَمُونَ عَلِمْتَ لِلْعَٰلَمِينَ وَيَعْلَمُ يَعْلَمُونَ |
| ج.ع.ل | 11 | 10 | وَجَعَلْنَا جَعَلْنَا جَعَلْنَٰهُمْ فَجَعَلَهُمْ وَجَعَلْنَٰهَا وَجَعَلْنَٰهُمْ |
| ذ.ك.ر | 11 | 9 | ٱلذِّكْرِ بِذِكْرِ ذِكْرٌ ذِكْرٍ ذِكْرُ ذِكْرِ وَذِكْرًا وَذِكْرُ يَذْكُرُ يَذْكُرُهُمْ |
| ك.ل.ل | 10 | 10 | كُلٌّ وَكُلًّا بِكُلِّ كُلَّ كُلُّ كُلِّ وَكُلٌّ |
| ظ.ل.م | 9 | 9 | ظَٰلِمِينَ ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ تُظْلَمُ ظَالِمَةً ٱلظَّٰلِمُونَ |
| ع.ب.د | 8 | 8 | عَٰبِدِينَ تَعْبُدُونَ أَفَتَعْبُدُونَ عِبَادٌ لِلْعَٰبِدِينَ |
| ق.ب.ل | 8 | 8 | قَبْلِكَ قَبْلُ قَبْلَكَ قَبْلَهُم قَبْلِى |
| ر.ح.م | 7 | 7 | رَحْمَةً ٱلرَّحْمَٰنُ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ أَرْحَمُ |
| ص.ل.ح | 6 | 6 | ٱلصَّٰلِحِينَ صَٰلِحِينَ وَأَصْلَحْنَا ٱلصَّٰلِحَٰتِ ٱلصَّٰلِحُونَ |
| ف.ع.ل | 6 | 6 | فَٰعِلِينَ فَعَلَ يَفْعَلُ |
| و.ه.م | 6 | 6 | وَهُمْ |
58 more roots
| ب.ع.د | 5 | 5 | بَعِيدٌ بَعْدَ بَعْدَهَا بَعْدِ مُبْعَدُونَ |
| د.و.ن | 5 | 5 | دُونِ دُونَ دُونِنَا |
| ر.س.ل | 5 | 5 | أَرْسَلْنَا أَرْسَلْنَٰكَ أُرْسِلَ بِرُسُلٍ |
| س.ب.ح | 5 | 5 | سُبْحَٰنَكَ فَسُبْحَٰنَ يَسْبَحُونَ يُسَبِّحُونَ يُسَبِّحْنَ |
| س.م.ع | 5 | 5 | يَسْمَعُونَ سَمِعْنَا يَسْمَعُ ٱلسَّمِيعُ |
| ك.و.ن | 5 | 5 | كَانَ كَانَتَا كَانَتْ |
| ن.ف.س | 5 | 5 | أَنفُسِهِمْ أَنفُسُهُمْ نَفْسٌ نَفْسٍ |
| أ.ت.ي | 4 | 4 | أَتَيْنَا أَفَتَأْتُونَ فَلْيَأْتِنَا نَأْتِى |
| أ.م.ن | 4 | 4 | يُؤْمِنُونَ مُؤْمِنٌ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ |
| خ.ل.ق | 4 | 4 | خَلَقَ خَلَقْنَا خَلْقٍ خُلِقَ |
| ر.ب.ب | 4 | 4 | رَبَّهُم رَبِّكَ رَبِّهِم وَرَبُّنَا |
| ر.ج.ع | 4 | 4 | يَرْجِعُونَ تُرْجَعُونَ رَٰجِعُونَ |
| ن.ج.ي | 4 | 4 | وَنَجَّيْنَٰهُ فَنَجَّيْنَٰهُ |
| ع.م.ل | 4 | 3 | عَمَلًا وَيَعْمَلُونَ يَعْمَلُونَ يَعْمَلْ |
| ح.ك.م | 3 | 3 | حُكْمًا يَحْكُمَانِ |
| خ.ل.د | 3 | 3 | خَٰلِدُونَ خَٰلِدِينَ |
| س.م.و | 3 | 3 | ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ |
| ش.ه.د | 3 | 3 | شَٰهِدِينَ يَشْهَدُونَ ٱلشَّٰهِدِينَ |
| ق.ر.ي | 3 | 3 | قَرْيَةٍ |
| ق.و.م | 3 | 3 | قَوْمَ قَوْمًا |
| ك.ت.ب | 3 | 3 | كَتَبْنَا كَٰتِبُونَ كِتَٰبًا |
| ل.ع.ب | 3 | 3 | لَٰعِبِينَ يَلْعَبُونَ ٱللَّٰعِبِينَ |
| ل.ه.م | 3 | 3 | لَهُمْ |
| ن.ه.ر | 3 | 3 | وَٱلنَّهَارَ وَٱلنَّهَارِ |
| و.ص.ف | 3 | 3 | تَصِفُونَ يَصِفُونَ |
| و.ع.د | 3 | 3 | تُوعَدُونَ وَعْدًا |
| أ.م.ر | 2 | 2 | أَمْرَهُم بِأَمْرِنَا |
| أ.م.م | 2 | 2 | أَئِمَّةً أُمَّةً |
| أ.و.ن | 2 | 2 | إِنَّكُمْ |
| ب.ر.ك | 2 | 2 | بَٰرَكْنَا |
| ب.ش.ر | 2 | 2 | بَشَرٌ لِبَشَرٍ |
| ب.ص.ر | 2 | 2 | أَبْصَٰرُ تُبْصِرُونَ |
| ب.ي.ن | 2 | 2 | بَيْنَ بَيْنَهُمَا |
| ث.م.م | 2 | 2 | ثُمَّ |
| ج.ه.ن.م | 2 | 2 | جَهَنَّمَ |
| ح.ي.ن | 2 | 2 | حِينٍ حِينَ |
| د.خ.ل | 2 | 2 | وَأَدْخَلْنَٰهُ وَأَدْخَلْنَٰهُمْ |
| ذ.و.ي | 2 | 2 | وَذَا |
| ر.أ.ي | 2 | 2 | يَرَ يَرَوْنَ |
| ش.ف.ق | 2 | 2 | مُشْفِقُونَ |
| ش.ي.أ | 2 | 2 | شَىْءٍ |
| ط.و.ع | 2 | 2 | يَسْتَطِيعُونَ |
| ع.ق.ل | 2 | 2 | تَعْقِلُونَ |
| غ.ف.ل | 2 | 2 | غَفْلَةٍ |
| ف.ت.ن | 2 | 2 | فِتْنَةً فِتْنَةٌ |
| ف.ه.م | 2 | 2 | أَفَهُمْ فَفَهَّمْنَٰهَا |
| ك.ب.ر | 2 | 2 | كَبِيرًا يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ |
| ك.ي.د | 2 | 2 | كَيْدًا لَأَكِيدَنَّ |
| ل.ه.و | 2 | 2 | لَاهِيَةً لَهْوًا |
| م.ت.ع | 2 | 2 | مَتَّعْنَا وَمَتَٰعٌ |
| م.ث.ل | 2 | 2 | وَمِثْلَهُم ٱلتَّمَاثِيلُ |
| ن.ص.ر | 2 | 2 | نَصْرَ وَنَصَرْنَٰهُ |
| ن.و.س | 2 | 2 | لِلنَّاسِ ٱلنَّاسِ |
| ه.د.ي | 2 | 2 | يَهْتَدُونَ يَهْدُونَ |
| و.ح.د | 2 | 2 | وَٰحِدٌ وَٰحِدَةً |
| و.ر.ث | 2 | 2 | يَرِثُهَا ٱلْوَٰرِثِينَ |
| و.ه.ب | 2 | 2 | وَوَهَبْنَا |
| ي.و.م | 2 | 2 | لِيَوْمِ يَوْمَ |
Derived link a word counts toward a root only where every analysis Camel Morph kept for it names that one root and no analysis records none; words with no analysis, no root or conflicting roots are not counted anywhere. Roots on at least 2 words.
Not supplied
Words the analyser did not read
494 of this surah's 1169 words have no analysis, and a further 285 have no single root, so the root counts are minimums. Camel Morph MSA is a Modern Standard Arabic analyser meeting Qur'anic Arabic.
People and events named
Absent
Common claims the text does not itself establish
Part absent
Provisional stand-in: studies tagged a common misconception that cite this surah
- Did the Qur'an predict modern science - and does any verse say it is making a prediction?21:30
- Does the Qur'an teach that the sun orbits the earth - and does it say what the sun moves around?21:33
Derived link every current study that carries the common-misconception tag and cites a verse of this surah. That tag is a discovery aid, not a mark that the text does not establish the claim — that mark does not exist yet — so this list is provisional and not a complete account of the claims the text does not establish. The question is quoted; the answer is on the study.
Links to related topical studies
From a layer
Current studies citing a verse of this surah
34 current studies
Prophets & messengers6
- Was Abraham thrown into a fire in the Qur'an?21:57-67, 68-70
- What does the Qur'an say about Solomon's power over the jinn and the wind?21:81-82
- What does the Qur'an say about Job and his patience?21:83-84
- What does the Qur'an say about Jonah and the fish?21:87-88
- What does the Qur'an say about Zachariah and John (Yahya)?21:89-90
- What does the Qur'an say about the virgin birth of Jesus?21:91
Science claims6
- What does the Qur'an say about the heavens and earth being 'joined, then parted'?21:30
- Did the Qur'an predict modern science - and does any verse say it is making a prediction?21:30
- What does the Qur'an say about the mountains as 'pegs'?21:31
- What does the Qur'an say about the sky as a 'protected roof'?21:32
- What does the Qur'an say about the sun, the moon, and their orbits - and does it name a centre?21:33
- Does the Qur'an teach that the sun orbits the earth - and does it say what the sun moves around?21:33
Muhammad in the Qur'an4
God & divine attributes3
Resurrection, judgment, paradise & hell3
Supplications & remembrance3
Knowledge, reason & reflection2
Other faiths & interreligious relations2
End-times claims1
Magic, dreams & the supernatural1
Money, work & economic ethics1
Nature & environmental responsibility1
Questions the Qur'an does not directly answer1
Derived link every study whose current signature cites at least one verse of this surah, grouped by its /studies theme (largest first, ties by name, no theme last) and ordered by first verse cited. A citation is not a statement that the study is about this surah.
Source and review status
From a layer
Sources this page draws on
| Source | Licence | Attribution notice |
|---|---|---|
| Tanzil Qur'an text (Uthmani) Uthmani, Version 1.1 · cleared | Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 | Qur'anic text from the Tanzil Project. Copyright (C) 2007-2026 Tanzil Project License: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Source: tanzil.net · Updates: tanzil.net/updates/ https://tanzil.net/updates/ |
| Tanzil Qur'an metadata quran-data.xml v1.0 · cleared | Creative Commons Attribution — version not specified by the source | Surah metadata from Tanzil Qur'an metadata (quran-data.xml, version 1.0), Tanzil Project, tanzil.net. (C) 2008-2009 Tanzil.info. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution; the source does not state a version. Values are reproduced unchanged; this site selects and arranges them, and derives verse ranges from the division start points. https://tanzil.net/res/text/metadata/quran-data.xml |
| Camel Morph MSA v1.0, LREC-COLING 2024 release · cleared | Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International | Morphological analyses from Camel Morph MSA (LREC-COLING 2024 release) by Christian Khairallah, Salam Khalifa, Reham Marzouk, Mayar Mohamadein Nassar and Nizar Habash, CAMeL Lab, New York University Abu Dhabi (Khairallah et al., 2024), https://github.com/CAMeL-Lab/camel_morph. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. Modified: this site runs the analyser over its Qur'anic text, keeps only analyses whose vocalisation matches the text, removes duplicates and counts the result. https://github.com/CAMeL-Lab/camel_morph |
Source fact
Verse restatements signed for this surah
0
Derived link
Signed introduction to this surah
One hundred and twelve verses of prophets in quick succession, most given only a few: Abraham among the broken idols answering that the largest one did it, Job calling out, the man of the fish crying out in the darkness, Zachariah, the woman who guarded her chastity, David and Solomon judging a field of crops. It takes its name from them collectively.
AALAMIN Editor · signed 2026-08-29 · Editorial
Editorial