Mutashabihat Verses Explained: Mastering the Quran’s Similar Ayat

Answer first

Mutashabihat (المتشابهات) are Quranic verses that are similar or identical in wording but appear in different surahs or different places in the same surah. They are the leading cause of confusion for memorizers — and the leading cause of errors during tasmee’, tests, and Taraweeh. Mastering mutashabihat requires deliberate recognition, labeling, and targeted review, not just general memorization.

Key takeaways

If a memorized verse starts identically to another and changes halfway, you’re dealing with a mutashabihat pair.

The brain defaults to the version it has heard most often; this is why mutashabihat errors feel so natural.

Awareness is 80% of the solution: label the pairs as you meet them.

Targeted Mutashabihat Challenge drills cement the distinction.

Examples of mutashabihat

Identical openings, different endings

Compare Surah Ash-Shu’araa 26:8 and 26:67:

إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَةً وَمَا كَانَ أَكْثَرُهُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ (26:8)

إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَةً وَمَا كَانَ أَكْثَرُهُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ (26:67)

The structure repeats across many stories in the surah — a classic mutashabihat cluster.

Same story, different words

Stories of Prophets (Moosa, Nuh, Ibrahim) told multiple times across different surahs with minor variations. One story might say “ahlakna” (we destroyed) while another says “dammarna” (we crushed).

Micro-differences

Surah Al-Baqarah 2:58 vs. Al-A’raaf 7:161 — single-word differences in otherwise near-identical commands.

Why mutashabihat trip memorizers

The brain compresses. When two passages are 90% identical, the brain stores them as one cluster and fills in the divergent 10% from the stronger memory. In daily Salah, the stronger memory usually wins — which is why Taraweeh imams often make mutashabihat mistakes even with decades of hifz.

Method to master them

Step 1 — Recognize

Mark any verse you memorize that feels familiar from elsewhere. Use the app’s “mark as mutashabihat” action, or simply note it in a notebook.

Step 2 — Pair

Find the counterpart(s) — the similar verse(s) elsewhere in the Quran. There are published concordances of mutashabihat (e.g., Mutashabih al-Qur’an literature); some apps surface pairs automatically.

Step 3 — Label the divergence

Name the exact word or phrase that differs. Write it down. Memorize the difference as explicitly as the verse.

Step 4 — Contextual anchor

For each variant, tie the correct wording to a memorable contextual hook — the surah name, the story, a specific theme.

Step 5 — Drill separately

Practice reciting each variant in isolation, then transitioning between them:

Recite variant A in its surah.

Recite variant B in its surah.

Recite A, jump to B, jump back to A — force your brain to keep them distinct.

Step 6 — Use a challenge mode

HafizPrime’s Mutashabihat Challenge quizzes you by playing the first part of a verse and asking which surah and which ending. Your accuracy over time tells you which pairs still need work.

Most common mutashabihat clusters

Stories of Prophets across Al-A’raaf, Hood, Ash-Shu’araa, An-Naml, Al-Qasas.

Closing refrains in Surah Ar-Rahman (“Fabi ayyi aalaa’i rabbikuma tukadhdhibaan”) and Surah Al-Mursalat.

Near-identical supplications and declarations sprinkled across the Quran.

Repetitions within Surah Al-Baqarah and Aali ‘Imran that touch similar themes.

When mutashabihat are actually a gift

They are not a flaw in the Quran — they are a feature. The repetition with variation is itself an eloquent rhetorical device. Recognizing mutashabihat deepens appreciation of the Quran’s structure, not just its memorization.

Tools that help

HafizPrime Mutashabihat Challenge

Classical concordances (consult your teacher for recommended editions).

A dedicated notebook for your personal “confusion map.”

Keep reading

How to Memorize the Quran

The Science of Spaced Repetition for Hifz

Retention Score

Frequently asked questions

What is mutashabihat in simple terms?

Verses or phrases that resemble each other across the Quran — same words, slightly different continuations. They’re the single biggest source of memorization errors for advanced students.

Are mutashabihat the same as repetition?

No. Repetition is identical recurrence (e.g., the refrain in Ar-Rahman). Mutashabihat are near-repetition — similar enough to confuse, different enough to require careful labeling.

How do I drill mutashabihat without a teacher?

Build a spreadsheet (or use HafizPrime’s tagger) listing each pair side-by-side, the surah and ayah of each, and a one-word context label. Recite both in sequence daily for 30 days.

Scholar-reviewed by the HafizPrime Scholar Panel.