Question:
Do the companions of the Prophet (s.) agree on the number of suras?
Answer:
Jalal-ud-Din As-Suyuti writes: “As far as the chapters of the Qur’an are concerned, they are agreed by those who believe in them, 114 and one says 113 by declaring Al-Anfal and At-Tawbah to be a single chapter. Abu Shaikh reported that Abu Raqw said: “Al-Anfal and At-Tawbah are a single chapter.” Abu Raja’ reported that he asked Al-Hasan Al-Basri:”Are al-Anfal and at-tawbah two chapters or one?” He said: “Two chapters.” Mujahid was reported by Mujahid a similar statement as Abu Rawq, and Ibn Abi Hatim reported it by Sufyan Ath-Thawri. Ibn Ashtah reported that Ibn Lahi’ah said: “They say that At-tawbah belongs to Al-Anfal and that is the only reason why they did not write in At-tawbah: “In the name of the gracious and merciful God. Because it belongs to Al-Anfal and their doubt is the similarity of both parts and each of them rejects the naming by the prophet (s.).” The author of Al-Iqna’ reported that “in the name of the gracious and merciful God” is written at At-Tawbah in the manuscript of Abdullah Ibn Mas’ud. He said: “It is not adopted because of this.” Al-Qushairi said: “It is true that the naming was never included in it, because Gabriel (a.) did not descend with it.” In Al-Mustadrak it is reported that Abdullah Ibn Abbas said: “I asked Ali Ibn Abi Talib: “‘Why was not At-Tawbah written in the name of the gracious and merciful God?” He said: “”Because it gives security, but t-tawbah was sent down by sword.” From Malik Ibn Anas, the interpretation is reported that when it was lost, it was also lost with it “in the name of the gracious and merciful God” and it has been proven that it corresponded to its extent according to Al-Baqarah. In the manuscript (mushaf) of Abdullah Ibn Mas’ud there are 112 chapters, for he did not write Al-Falaq and An-Nas into it, and in the manuscript of Ubayy Ibn Ka’b there are 116 chapters, for at the end of it he wrote two chapters called Al-Hafd and Al-Khal’ into it. Abu Ubaid reported that Muhammad Ibn Sirin said: “Ubayy Ibn Ka’b wrote into his manuscript (Mushaf) the chapters Al-Fatihah, Al-Falaq, An-Nas, Al-Hafd and Al-Khal’ but Abdullah Ibn Mas’ud left them out and Uthman Ibn Affan wrote into it the chapters Al-Fatihah, Al-Falaq and An-Nas.” [Al-Itqan Fi Ulum Al-Qur’an, Volume 1 Page 184]
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