Surah Al-Baqarah is the longest surah of the Quran — 286 ayahs across roughly 48 pages, spanning nearly two and a half juz. It contains Ayat al-Kursi, the final two ayahs the Prophet ﷺ described as sufficient for whoever recites them at night (Sahih al-Bukhari), and the authentic promise that shaytan flees from a house in which it is recited (Sahih Muslim). Memorizing it is the single most ambitious project most huffadh-in-training take on outside a full hifz program.
Surah Al-Baqarah is the 2nd chapter of the Qur'an and its longest, a Medinan surah of 286 verses spanning two and a half juz. Its name means “The Cow”, from an account of the Children of Israel within it. It sets out belief and disbelief, law, the change of qiblah, and closes with two verses widely recited on their own.
Surah Al-Baqarah at a glance
| Surah number | 2 of 114 |
|---|---|
| Arabic name | سُورَةُ البَقَرَةِ |
| Name in English | Al-Baqarah — “The Cow” |
| Verses (ayahs) | 286 |
| Revealed in | Madinah |
| Juz | 1, 2, 3 |
| Length in the Mushaf | about 48 pages |
How it opens
The surah opens by describing three groups: those conscious of Allah who believe in the unseen, establish prayer and spend from what they were provided; those who disbelieve, for whom warning makes no difference; and, at length, the hypocrites. It then addresses mankind directly.
Law, history and the change of qiblah
Much of the surah is legislative and historical: extended accounts of the Children of Israel, Ibrahim and the building of the House, the change of the qiblah toward al-Masjid al-Haram, and rulings on fasting, pilgrimage, marriage and divorce, war, and — in its longest single verse — the writing down of debts.
How it closes
It ends with a passage affirming that Allah does not burden a soul beyond its capacity, and with a supplication asking forgiveness, pardon and mercy, and help against those who disbelieve. These closing verses are commonly memorised and recited on their own.
Read Surah Al-Baqarah in full
The Arabic below is the Uthmani script, with a Roman transliteration to help you sound out each verse and the Sahih International English translation of the meaning. If you are learning to recite it, read the Arabic line first and use the transliteration only to check yourself — leaning on it slows real reading down.
Listen to Surah Al-Baqarah (Mishary Al-Afasy)
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ الٓمٓ
Alif-Laaam-Meeem
Alif, Lam, Meem.
ذَٰلِكَ ٱلْكِتَٰبُ لَا رَيْبَ ۛ فِيهِ ۛ هُدًۭى لِّلْمُتَّقِينَ
Zaalikal Kitaabu laa raiba feeh; udal lilmuttaqeen
This is the Book about which there is no doubt, a guidance for those conscious of Allah -
ٱلَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِٱلْغَيْبِ وَيُقِيمُونَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَمِمَّا رَزَقْنَٰهُمْ يُنفِقُونَ
Allazeena yu'minoona bilghaibi wa yuqeemoonas salaata wa mimmaa razaqnaahum yunfiqoon
Who believe in the unseen, establish prayer, and spend out of what We have provided for them,
وَٱلَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ وَمَآ أُنزِلَ مِن قَبْلِكَ وَبِٱلْءَاخِرَةِ هُمْ يُوقِنُونَ
Wallazeena yu'minoona bimaa unzila ilaika wa maaa unzila min qablika wa bil Aakhirati hum yooqinoon
And who believe in what has been revealed to you, [O Muhammad], and what was revealed before you, and of the Hereafter they are certain [in faith].
أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ عَلَىٰ هُدًۭى مِّن رَّبِّهِمْ ۖ وَأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْمُفْلِحُونَ
Ulaaa'ika 'alaa hudam mir rabbihim wa ulaaa'ika humul muflihoon
Those are upon [right] guidance from their Lord, and it is those who are the successful.
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ سَوَآءٌ عَلَيْهِمْ ءَأَنذَرْتَهُمْ أَمْ لَمْ تُنذِرْهُمْ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ
Innal lazeena kafaroo sawaaa'un 'alaihim 'a-anzar tahum am lam tunzirhum laa yu'minoon
Indeed, those who disbelieve - it is all the same for them whether you warn them or do not warn them - they will not believe.
خَتَمَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِهِمْ وَعَلَىٰ سَمْعِهِمْ ۖ وَعَلَىٰٓ أَبْصَٰرِهِمْ غِشَٰوَةٌۭ ۖ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌۭ
Khatamal laahu 'alaa quloobihim wa 'alaa sam'i-him wa 'alaaa absaarihim ghishaa watunw wa lahum 'azaabun 'azeem
Allah has set a seal upon their hearts and upon their hearing, and over their vision is a veil. And for them is a great punishment.
وَمِنَ ٱلنَّاسِ مَن يَقُولُ ءَامَنَّا بِٱللَّهِ وَبِٱلْيَوْمِ ٱلْءَاخِرِ وَمَا هُم بِمُؤْمِنِينَ
Wa minan naasi mai yaqoolu aamannaa billaahi wa bil yawmil aakhiri wa maa hum bimu'mineen
And of the people are some who say, "We believe in Allah and the Last Day," but they are not believers.
يُخَٰدِعُونَ ٱللَّهَ وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَمَا يَخْدَعُونَ إِلَّآ أَنفُسَهُمْ وَمَا يَشْعُرُونَ
Yukhaadi'oonal laaha wallazeena aamanoo wa maa yakhda'oona illaaa anfusahum wa maa yash'uroon
They [think to] deceive Allah and those who believe, but they deceive not except themselves and perceive [it] not.
فِى قُلُوبِهِم مَّرَضٌۭ فَزَادَهُمُ ٱللَّهُ مَرَضًۭا ۖ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌۢ بِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَكْذِبُونَ
Fee quloobihim mara dun fazzdahumul laahu maradan wa lahum 'azaabun aleemum bimaa kaanoo yakziboon
In their hearts is disease, so Allah has increased their disease; and for them is a painful punishment because they [habitually] used to lie.
وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ لَا تُفْسِدُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ قَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّمَا نَحْنُ مُصْلِحُونَ
Wa izaa qeela lahum laa tufsidoo fil ardi qaalo innamaa nahnu muslihoon
And when it is said to them, "Do not cause corruption on the earth," they say, "We are but reformers."
أَلَآ إِنَّهُمْ هُمُ ٱلْمُفْسِدُونَ وَلَٰكِن لَّا يَشْعُرُونَ
Alaaa innahum humul mufsidoona wa laakil laa yash'uroon
Unquestionably, it is they who are the corrupters, but they perceive [it] not.
وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ ءَامِنُوا۟ كَمَآ ءَامَنَ ٱلنَّاسُ قَالُوٓا۟ أَنُؤْمِنُ كَمَآ ءَامَنَ ٱلسُّفَهَآءُ ۗ أَلَآ إِنَّهُمْ هُمُ ٱلسُّفَهَآءُ وَلَٰكِن لَّا يَعْلَمُونَ
Wa izaa qeela lahum aaminoo kamaaa aamanan naasu qaalooo anu'minu kamaaa aamanas sufahaaa'; alaaa innahum humus sufahaaa'u wa laakil laa ya'lamoon
And when it is said to them, "Believe as the people have believed," they say, "Should we believe as the foolish have believed?" Unquestionably, it is they who are the foolish, but they know [it] not.
وَإِذَا لَقُوا۟ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ قَالُوٓا۟ ءَامَنَّا وَإِذَا خَلَوْا۟ إِلَىٰ شَيَٰطِينِهِمْ قَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّا مَعَكُمْ إِنَّمَا نَحْنُ مُسْتَهْزِءُونَ
Wa izaa laqul lazeena aamanoo qaalooo aamannaa wa izaa khalw ilaa shayaateenihim qaalooo innaa ma'akum innamaa nahnu mustahzi'oon
And when they meet those who believe, they say, "We believe"; but when they are alone with their evil ones, they say, "Indeed, we are with you; we were only mockers."
ٱللَّهُ يَسْتَهْزِئُ بِهِمْ وَيَمُدُّهُمْ فِى طُغْيَٰنِهِمْ يَعْمَهُونَ
Allahu yastahzi'u bihim wa yamudduhum fee tughyaanihim ya'mahoon
[But] Allah mocks them and prolongs them in their transgression [while] they wander blindly.
أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱشْتَرَوُا۟ ٱلضَّلَٰلَةَ بِٱلْهُدَىٰ فَمَا رَبِحَت تِّجَٰرَتُهُمْ وَمَا كَانُوا۟ مُهْتَدِينَ
Ulaaa'ikal lazeenash tara wud dalaalata bilhudaa famaa rabihat tijaaratuhum wa maa kaanoo muhtadeen
Those are the ones who have purchased error [in exchange] for guidance, so their transaction has brought no profit, nor were they guided.
مَثَلُهُمْ كَمَثَلِ ٱلَّذِى ٱسْتَوْقَدَ نَارًۭا فَلَمَّآ أَضَآءَتْ مَا حَوْلَهُۥ ذَهَبَ ٱللَّهُ بِنُورِهِمْ وَتَرَكَهُمْ فِى ظُلُمَٰتٍۢ لَّا يُبْصِرُونَ
Masaluhum kamasalillazis tawqada naaran falammaaa adaaa'at maa hawlahoo zahabal laahu binoorihim wa tarakahum fee zulumaatil laa yubsiroon
Their example is that of one who kindled a fire, but when it illuminated what was around him, Allah took away their light and left them in darkness [so] they could not see.
صُمٌّۢ بُكْمٌ عُمْىٌۭ فَهُمْ لَا يَرْجِعُونَ
Summum bukmun 'umyun fahum laa yarji'oon
Deaf, dumb and blind - so they will not return [to the right path].
أَوْ كَصَيِّبٍۢ مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ فِيهِ ظُلُمَٰتٌۭ وَرَعْدٌۭ وَبَرْقٌۭ يَجْعَلُونَ أَصَٰبِعَهُمْ فِىٓ ءَاذَانِهِم مِّنَ ٱلصَّوَٰعِقِ حَذَرَ ٱلْمَوْتِ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ مُحِيطٌۢ بِٱلْكَٰفِرِينَ
Aw kasaiyibim minas samaaa'i feehi zulumaatunw wa ra'dunw wa barq, yaj'aloona asaabi'ahum feee aazaanihim minas sawaa'iqi hazaral mawt' wallaahu muheetum bilkaafireen
Or [it is] like a rainstorm from the sky within which is darkness, thunder and lightning. They put their fingers in their ears against the thunderclaps in dread of death. But Allah is encompassing of the disbelievers.
يَكَادُ ٱلْبَرْقُ يَخْطَفُ أَبْصَٰرَهُمْ ۖ كُلَّمَآ أَضَآءَ لَهُم مَّشَوْا۟ فِيهِ وَإِذَآ أَظْلَمَ عَلَيْهِمْ قَامُوا۟ ۚ وَلَوْ شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ لَذَهَبَ بِسَمْعِهِمْ وَأَبْصَٰرِهِمْ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍۢ قَدِيرٌۭ
Yakaadul barqu yakhtafu absaarahum kullamaaa adaaa'a lahum mashaw feehi wa izaaa azlama 'alaihim qaamoo; wa law shaaa'al laahu lazahaba bisam'ihim wa absaarihim; innal laaha 'alaa kulli shai'in Qadeer
The lightning almost snatches away their sight. Every time it lights [the way] for them, they walk therein; but when darkness comes over them, they stand [still]. And if Allah had willed, He could have taken away their hearing and their sight. Indeed, Allah is over all things competent.
Showing the first 20 of 286 verses. Read the complete surah with translation at Quran.com.
Learning Surah Al-Baqarah
Al-Baqarah is a multi-year project, not a surah to attempt in one push. Almost everyone begins with the opening verses and the closing two, then works through it a page at a time under a teacher. Revision, not new memorisation, is what decides whether it holds.
Why memorize Surah Al-Baqarah?
Because it changes you. Students who complete Al-Baqarah have built the daily discipline, revision system and stamina that make the rest of the Quran feel achievable — and along the way they've memorized the ayahs most present in daily worship and protection.
How long does Surah Al-Baqarah take to memorize?
Honest answer: it depends on your daily portion and whether someone is correcting you. Surah Al-Baqarah is about 662 lines of mushaf text. Here is what that means at three realistic paces — each assuming you also run the revision cycle (which is what makes it permanent):
| Pace | New memorization per day | Time to finish Surah Al-Baqarah | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Relaxed | ~3 lines | about 7 months | Busy adults, first-time memorizers |
| Steady | ~5 lines | about 4 months | Most students — the sweet spot |
| Focused | ~10 lines | about 2 months | Experienced memorizers, school holidays |
Add roughly a consolidation week at the end — the point where you can recite the whole surah to a listener without prompts. Our guide to how long the whole Quran takes uses the same arithmetic.
The smart way to memorize Surah Al-Baqarah
Treat Al-Baqarah as a campaign, not a sprint. Break it into its natural quarters (roughly ayahs 1–74, 75–141, 142–202, 203–286) and give each quarter its own celebration milestone. Never let new memorization outrun revision — the classic sabaq–sabqi–manzil cycle exists precisely for surahs this size, where page 40 can quietly erase page 3. Anchor landmarks first: Ayat al-Kursi (255), the final two ayahs, the du'a passages — they become fixed islands the rest connects to.
A milestone plan for Surah Al-Baqarah
At the steady pace (~5 lines a day), Surah Al-Baqarah breaks into four milestones. Print our free planner PDF and mark them off:
| Portion | New-memorization time | Cumulative | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milestone 1 | Ayahs 1–71 | ~33 days | Day 33 |
| Milestone 2 | Ayahs 72–142 | ~33 days | Day 66 |
| Milestone 3 | Ayahs 143–213 | ~33 days | Day 99 |
| Milestone 4 | Ayahs 214–286 | ~34 days | Day 133 |
Sabaq, sabqi, manzil — the three gears
Memorize new lines (sabaq), keep this week's lines warm (sabqi), and cycle everything older (manzil) — three gears that together make memorization permanent instead of temporary. The pattern is centuries old because it works. Get it as a printable system in our free Quran memorization planner, or run it with a teacher on the Hifz course.
Don't memorize your mistakes
The most expensive error in memorization is invisible: reciting to yourself, you cannot catch your own mispronunciations — and repetition welds them in. This is why every serious hifz program pairs students with a listening teacher. Ours work one-to-one on a live synchronized Quran page, correcting letter by letter, with female teachers available for women and girls. The trial lesson is free.