[2] Surah Al-Baqarah mind map

Al-Baqarah is the longest surah in the Qur'an, and the reason it feels unmemorisable is that people approach 286 verses as a list. It is not: it opens with three kinds of people, moves through the history of one nation, legislates for another, and closes on a prayer.

  • 286 Ayahs
  • 10 Blocks
  • Medinan Revealed

Your memorisation plan

3

At this pace the whole surah takes 96 study days.

Study days are days you actually sit down to memorise — miss one and the plan simply moves with you.

The map

  1. 1

    Three kinds of people

    Ayahs 1-29

    بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ الٓمٓٱلسَّمَآءِ فَسَوَّىٰهُنَّ سَبْعَ سَمَٰوَٰتٍۢ ۚ وَهُوَ بِكُلِّ شَىْءٍ عَلِيمٌۭ

    The God-fearing in four verses, the disbelievers in two, and the hypocrites in thirteen — with the parables of the fire and the rainstorm.

    Study days 1-10

  2. 2

    Adam, and the trust of the earth

    Ayahs 30-39

    وَإِذْ قَالَ رَبُّكَ لِلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةِ إِنِّى جَاعِلٌۭ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِوَكَذَّبُوا۟ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَآ أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ أَصْحَٰبُ ٱلنَّارِ ۖ هُمْ فِيهَا خَٰلِدُونَ

    The angels' question, the names taught, the prostration and Iblis, the tree, and the descent with guidance promised.

    Study days 10-13

  3. 3

    The Children of Israel

    Ayahs 40-123

    يَٰبَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ ٱذْكُرُوا۟ نِعْمَتِىَ ٱلَّتِىٓ أَنْعَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَأَوْفُوا۟مِنْهَا عَدْلٌۭ وَلَا تَنفَعُهَا شَفَٰعَةٌۭ وَلَا هُمْ يُنصَرُونَ

    The favours listed and the covenants broken, the calf, the cow they were told to slaughter, and hearts that became harder than stone.

    Study days 14-41

  4. 4

    Ibrahim, the House, and the qibla

    Ayahs 124-152

    وَإِذِ ٱبْتَلَىٰٓ إِبْرَٰهِۦمَ رَبُّهُۥ بِكَلِمَٰتٍۢ فَأَتَمَّهُنَّ ۖ قَالَ إِنِّىفَٱذْكُرُونِىٓ أَذْكُرْكُمْ وَٱشْكُرُوا۟ لِى وَلَا تَكْفُرُونِ

    The trials he fulfilled, the raising of the foundations with Isma'il, the prayer for a messenger, and the turning towards the Sacred Mosque.

    Study days 42-51

  5. 5

    What righteousness actually is

    Ayahs 153-177

    يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱسْتَعِينُوا۟ بِٱلصَّبْرِ وَٱلصَّلَوٰةِ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَوَحِينَ ٱلْبَأْسِ ۗ أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ صَدَقُوا۟ ۖ وَأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْمُتَّقُونَ

    Patience and prayer, Safa and Marwah, the lawful and the good — and the verse that defines righteousness by what a person gives and keeps.

    Study days 51-59

  6. 6

    Retaliation, fasting, pilgrimage

    Ayahs 178-203

    يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ ٱلْقِصَاصُ فِى ٱلْقَتْلَىلِمَنِ ٱتَّقَىٰ ۗ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَٱعْلَمُوٓا۟ أَنَّكُمْ إِلَيْهِ تُحْشَرُونَ

    The law of equality in punishment, the bequest, the month of Ramadan and the verse of nearness, and the rites of Hajj.

    Study days 60-68

  7. 7

    Community rulings

    Ayahs 204-242

    وَمِنَ ٱلنَّاسِ مَن يُعْجِبُكَ قَوْلُهُۥ فِى ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَاكَذَٰلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمْ ءَايَٰتِهِۦ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ

    Spending, fighting, wine and gambling, orphans, marriage, divorce, suckling — and the verse of the two witnesses to a wife's rights.

    Study days 68-81

  8. 8

    Talut, the Throne Verse, and Ibrahim's question

    Ayahs 243-260

    أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى ٱلَّذِينَ خَرَجُوا۟ مِن دِيَٰرِهِمْ وَهُمْٱدْعُهُنَّ يَأْتِينَكَ سَعْيًۭا ۚ وَٱعْلَمْ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌۭ

    The thousands who fled death, the river test, the greatest verse in the Qur'an, the king who argued about life — and: show me how You give life.

    Study days 81-87

  9. 9

    Charity, usury, and debt

    Ayahs 261-283

    مَّثَلُ ٱلَّذِينَ يُنفِقُونَ أَمْوَٰلَهُمْ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ كَمَثَلِيَكْتُمْهَا فَإِنَّهُۥٓ ءَاثِمٌۭ قَلْبُهُۥ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ عَلِيمٌۭ

    The grain that yields seven hundred, giving without reproach, the war declared on usury — and the longest verse in the Qur'an, on writing down a debt.

    Study days 87-95

  10. 10

    The Messenger believed

    Ayahs 284-286

    لِّلَّهِ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَمَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ ۗ وَإِنلَنَا وَٱرْحَمْنَآ ۚ أَنتَ مَوْلَىٰنَا فَٱنصُرْنَا عَلَى ٱلْقَوْمِ ٱلْكَٰفِرِينَ

    The closing three verses: what is in your souls, the plea not to be burdened beyond capacity, and the prayer that ends the surah.

    Study days 95-96

Download as PDF

The lesson

Almost every legal passage in it is followed by a verse about the heart — the surah never lets a ruling stand without saying what it is for.

The sections of this surah, explained

A short walk through all 10 sections of this surah, in the order you will memorise them.

Common questions

How long does it take to memorise Surah Al-Baqarah mind map?
At 3 ayahs a day, its 286 ayahs take 96 study days. Change the pace above and every date on this page updates.
Do I have to memorise it in order?
Most teachers keep the surah's own order, because the 10 blocks below follow one another for a reason. The map matters more than the sequence: knowing which block you are inside is what stops the similar passages blurring together.
Do I need a teacher for this?
You can memorise from a map alone, but almost nobody corrects their own recitation. A teacher hears the mistakes you cannot, and holds you to the schedule you just set.

A plan is easier to keep when someone is holding you to it

Book a first lesson with a Quran teacher and bring this schedule with you. Many of our teachers offer that first lesson free.

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