What Are The Difference Between Dua And Surah?

Dua and surah are Arabic terms that have different meanings. Is there any difference between dua and surah? You will learn about definitions of surah and dua in detail later, in shaa Allah.

Difference Between Dua And Surah

Dua is an Arabic word which means supplication or humble request. In other words, it is asking Allah for something. Dua, in fact, is an act of worship. Surah is also an Arabic word which means chapter in the Noble Quran.

What Is Dua?

Dua is a way in which Muslims worship Allah. Muslims only make dua to Allah. We should make every kind of dua to Allah as He says:

“Invoke Me and I will answer your call.”

We should ask Allah alone for help.

When you make dua to someone you pray to that person to give you what you need. A Muslim only prays to Allah and asks Allah for whatever he needs.

Dua which also means Prayer is a great tool in the hands of a Muslim. Prayer is a Muslim’s strength. We can pray to Allah in our own language. We can pray to Allah in our own words, but it is always better to pray as our Prophet (SAW) has taught us.

Allah’s Messenger (SAW) has taught us supplications or dua for every occasion. We should make every kind of dua to Allah only.

Allah commands us over and over again to remember Him and His favours on us. Du’aa is the ‘marrow’ of worship.

The marrow of something is the most important and basic part of it. Du’aa is very essential for man’s relationship with Allah.

It is therefore best to make du’aa as often as possible on every occasion in our daily lives.

Allah’s Messenger (SAW) taught us many beautiful du’aas for various occasions. We must learn these du’aas by heart and recite them at every moment of our life.

Some of the prophetic Duas include

• Dua for wearing clothes
• Dua after eating
• Dua for parents
• Dua for visiting the graves
• Dua for thunder
• Dua for breaking fast
• Dua before leaving bathroom
• Dua before leaving home
• Dua for protection from evil eye
• Dua for protection from Dajjal
• Dua for entering masjid
• Dua for entering home
• Dua for healing wounds
• Dua for the sick
• Dua for clear speech and many others.

What is Surah?

A surah is the equivalent of “chapter” in the Qur’an. There are 114 surahs in the Quran, each divided into ayats (verses).

The chapters or surahs are of unequal length; the shortest surah (Al-Kawthar) has only three verses while the longest (Al-Baqara) contains 286 verses.

Of the 114 chapters in the Quran, 86 are classified as Meccan, while 28 are Medinan.

This classification is only approximate in regard to the location of revelation; any surah revealed after migration of Muhammad SAW to Medina (Hijrah) is termed Medinan and any revealed before that event is termed Meccan.

The Meccan surahs generally deal with faith and scenes of the Hereafter while the Medinan chapters are more concerned with organizing the social life of the nascent Muslim community and leading Muslims to the goal of darul islam by showing strength towards the unbelievers.

Except for surah At-Tawbah, all chapters or surahs commence with “In the Name of Allah, Ar-Rahman (The Beneficent), Ar-Rahim (The Merciful)”.

This formula is known as the Bismillah and denotes the boundaries between chapters.

Surahs (chapters) are recited during the standing portions (Qiyam) of Muslim prayers. Surah Al-Fatiha, the first chapter of the Quran, is recited in every unit of prayer and some units of prayer also involve recitation of all or part of any other surah.

The word surah was used at the time of Muhammad SAW as a term with the meaning of a portion or a set of verses of the Quran. This is evidenced by the appearance of the word surah in multiple locations in the Quran such as verse:

“A surah that We have sent down and appointed, and We have sent down in it signs, clear signs, that haply you will remember.”[Quran 24:1]

It is also mentioned in plural form in the Quran:

“Or do they say, He invented it? Say, “Then bring ten surahs like it and call upon whomever you can besides God, if you are truthful.”[Quran 11:13]

Some examples of surahs are:

• Surah Gashiya
• Surah Nas
• Surah Falaq
• Surah Taghabun
• Surah Haqqah
• Surah A’ala
• Surah Inshiqaq
• Surah Abasa
• Surah Teen
• Surah Lail
• Surah Qaaf
• Surah Mujadila
• Surah Muhammad.

We hope you learn the difference between dua and surah. May Allah Subhanahu Wata’ala accept our good deeds and may He grant us success. Jazakumullahu Khairn.