Say, “I seek refuge in the Lord of mankind”

This remarkable concluding surah of the Qur’an consists of six ayahs that together form a single, unified sentence.

This structure itself provides a powerful indication that ayahs should not be studied in isolation.

Sometimes ten ayahs together make one sentence, while at other times ten sentences comprise just one ayah. This teaches us that the Qur’an must be studied in its natural flow and coherence.

The word surah originally means a high floor upon which another floor is built, and another upon that.

This illustrates how not only are ayahs connected to each other, but surahs themselves are interconnected, like floors stacked upon floors.