The Meccan surat are, according to the timing and contextual background of their revelation (asbāb al-nuzūl) within Islamic tradition, the chronologically earlier chapters (suwar, singular sūrah) of the Qur'an. The traditional chronological order attributed to Ibn Abbas became widely accepted following its adoption by the 1924 Egyptian standard edition. The Meccan chapters are believed to have been revealed anytime before the migration of the Islamic prophet Muhammed and his followers from Mecca to Medina (Hijra). The Medinan surahs are those revelations which occurred after the move.
Meccan surahs are typically shorter than Medinan surahs, with relatively short verses (āyāt), and mostly come near the end of the Qur'an. (As a general rule, the chapters of the Qur'an are ordered from longest to shortest.) Most of the chapters containing Muqatta'at are Meccan.
The chapters are divided into "Meccan" and "Medinan" sections mostly due to stylistic and thematic factors. Classification of the chapters into these periods is based upon factors such as the length of the verse and the presence or absence of certain key concepts or words (e.g., al-Rahman as the name of God).
Characteristics of Meccan surahs
Following are some characteristics of Meccan verses, No 7 and 8 are stylistic characteristics, and the last 4 are content and subject characteristics: Any chapter that has a verse that commands to prostrate to Allah (آيات السجدة) is Meccan, except chapters 13 and 22. Any chapter that contains the word kalla كلا (never) is Meccan, and are found only in the second half of the Qur'an. Any chapter that has the phrase ياأيها الناس Of individual, but does not have the phrase يأيها اللذين آمنوا O you who believe is Meccan except chapter 22. Any chapter that start with initial letters muqattaat are Meccan, except chapters 2,3 and 13. Any chapter that relates the story of Adam and Iblis (i.e., Satan) is Meccan, except chapter 2. Any chapter that relates the stories of previous prophets and their people is Meccan, except chapter 2. Short verses, and strong rhetorical style and rhythmic sound. Repeated use of emphasis, exhortation, analogies and oath. Emphasis on the belief in Allah, the Day of Judgement and description of Hell and Heaven (paradise), except Chapter 2. Call for adherence to good moral and universal characters like truthfulness, kindness to relatives, old and neighbour, etc. Argument with the polytheists and refutation of their associating partners with Allah. Warning the polytheists through stories of previous messengers when punishment came to their people when they rejected their message.
Chronological order of Meccan surahs
One chronological order proposed by Abu al-Qasim `Umar ibn Muhammad ibn `Abd al-Kafi and considered the "traditional order" consists of 86 chapters, as follows: 96, 68, 73, 74, 1, 111, 81, 87, 92, 89, 93, 94, 103, 100, 108, 102, 107, 109, 105, 113, 114, 112, 53, 80, 97, 91, 85, 95, 106, 101, 75, 104, 77, 50, 90, 86, 54, 38, 7, 72, 36, 25, 35, 19, 20, 56, 26, 27, 28, 17, 10, 11, 12, 15, 6, 37, 31, 34, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 51, 88, 18, 16, 71, 14, 21, 23, 32, 52, 67, 69, 70, 78, 79, 82, 84, 30, 29, 83.
Theodor Nöldeke proposed a different chronological order, later known as the Nöldeke-Schwally chronology, consisting of 90 chapters, as follows: from the first to the fifth year of Mohammed's mission 96, 74, 111, 106, 108, 104, 107, 102, 105, 92, 90, 94, 93, 97, 86, 91, 80, 68, 87, 95, 103, 85, 73, 101, 99, 82, 81, 53, 84, 100, 79, 77, 78, 88, 89, 75, 83, 69, 51, 52, 56, 70, 55, 112, 109, 113, 114, 1 the fifth and sixth year of his mission: 54, 37, 71, 76, 44, 50, 20, 26, 15, 19, 38, 36, 43, 72, 67, 23, 21, 25, 17, 27, 18 from the seventh year to Hijra: 32, 41, 45, 16, 30, 11, 14, 12, 40, 28, 39, 29, 31, 42, 10, 34, 35, 7, 46, 6, 13.