Which Surah of the Qur’an Was the First to be Revealed?

Question

Some people say that not Al-Alaq but Al-Faatihah was the first Surah to be revealed. Is this true?

Answer

I agree with the idea that Surah Al-Alaq, by its very content and subject matter, could not have been the first completely revealed Surah of the Qur’an. Surah Al-Alaq clearly relates to a time, when the Prophet (pbuh) and his followers had started facing strong opposition from the rejecters. This, obviously, could not have been the case prior to the revelation of the first Surah of the Qur’an.

However, the question that if Surah Al-Alaq was not the first revealed Surah of the Qur’an, then which one was, cannot be answered with absolute certainty. Nevertheless, in view of the content of Surah Al-Faatihah, I too am inclined toward believing that it may, in fact, have been the first revealed Surah of the Qur’an.

I hope this helps

Regards,

Moiz Amjad
September 11, 2001