The Quran is the scripture of the Muslim community, revered by Muslims around the world and given authority by them to instruct both faith and life. Its 114 chapters, called sūras, are arranged approximately in order of length from longest to shortest. The entire collection is introduced by a short prayer known as al-Fātiḥa, or “the Opening.” The contents of the Quran come from the Middle East in the seventh century AD, though scholars do not agree on precisely how or where it came together.