Short Surahs to Memorize First (An Easy Order for Kids)

Most children — and many adults and new Muslims — begin memorizing with the short surahs at the end of the Quran. They're short, beautiful, and used in daily prayers. Here's an order that works well for beginners.

Start here

Order	Surah	Verses	Why start with it
1	Al-Fatiha	7	Recited in every unit of prayer
2	Al-Ikhlas	4	Short, and equal to a third of the Quran (Bukhari 5013)
3	Al-Kawthar	3	The shortest surah
4	Al-Asr	3	A whole way of life in three verses
5	An-Nas	6	Recited for protection
6	Al-Falaq	5	Paired with An-Nas
7	An-Nasr	3	Short and easy to picture
8	Al-Kafiroon	6	Repetitive structure helps memory
9	Al-Ma‘un	7	Teaches caring for others
10	Quraish	4	Rhythmic and short
11	Al-Fil	5	A story children love

After these, continue backwards through Juz ‘Amma towards An-Naba.

How to memorize them

1. Listen to the surah several times.
2. Learn one verse at a time, then join it to the previous one.
3. Recite it in your prayers the same day.
4. Revise every surah you know at least once a week.

The Prophet ﷺ recited Al-Ikhlas, Al-Falaq and An-Nas before sleeping every night (Sahih al-Bukhari 5017) — a lovely bedtime routine to share with children.

More tips: How to memorize the Quran and the best age for kids to start.

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