{The Quran [continued]}[9th April 1991]

[Redbook9:57][19910409:1239c]{The Quran [continued]}[9th April 1991]

.1239

[continued]

‘In the accepted version now in use, each sūrah has a heading contining the following elements:

(1) a title, which is usually derived from some conspicuous word in the sūrah, such as “The Cow”, “The Bee”, “The Poets”, but usually not indicating the contents of the whole chapter;

(2) the “basmalah”; i.e., the formula-prayer “In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate”;

(3) an indication of whether the sūrah was revealed at Mecca or at Medina and the number of its verses; and finally

(4) in some cases one or more fawātih, or detached letters (e.g., tā, sīn, tā sīn mīm), or alif lām mīm,* the meaning of which has not been satisfactorily explained, though is thought that they might stand for abbreviated words, indicate certain collections of sūrahs, or have an esoteric significance.

**

*sic

**[– Encyclopaedia Britannica 22:6]

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