Qur'an: Béda antarrépisi

Similarly, the [[Madinan sura]]s tend to be longer, including the longest sura of the Qur'an, al-Baqara.

 

Every sura but the ninth is preceded by the words ''[[basmala|Bismillah ir-Rahman ir-Rahim]]'' ([[Arabic language|Arabic]]: بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم). This is most frequently translated ''"In the Name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful."'' Interestingly, the Arabic words translated as "most gracious" (رحمان)(Rahman) and "most merciful" (رحيم)(Rahim) derive from the same [[triliteral]] (RHM; ر ح م), or "mercy." Grammatically, the form of the first word conveys magnitude, while that of the second conveys permanence. Therefore, the chapter openings may better be translated as ''"In the name of God, the most merciful, the ever merciful."'' This double declaration at the start of most chapters suggests the importance of mercy in the Muslim conception of God.