# How to Read a Quran Reference Like 2:255

Quran references use a surah:verse form, and knowing it lets you find any passage in seconds.

## What does 2:255 mean in a Quran reference?

The first number is the surah and the second is the verse within it, so 2:255 means Surah 2 (Al-Baqarah), verse 255 — the verse widely known as Ayat al-Kursi. A range is written 2:255-257, and a reference to a whole surah is just its number or name.

## Numbers, names, or both

References appear as numbers (2:255), as names (Al-Baqarah 255), or as both (Quran 2:255, Al-Baqarah). All three point to the same verse. Names vary in spelling between sources — Al-Baqarah, Al-Baqara, Al-Baqarah — because they are transliterated from Arabic, so the number is the unambiguous form.

## Verse numbering is fixed but not universal

This site uses the Kufan numbering of the Hafs reading, which gives 6,236 verses and is the numbering in almost all printed mushafs today. Other historical counting schemes exist and can shift a verse number by one in a few places, which is why a reference from an older source may be off slightly.

## Finding a verse here

Type a reference straight into the search box and it will be recognised as one. Every verse also has a permanent link of the form /quran/al-baqarah/#v255, which you can share or cite.

## Common questions

**How many verses are in the Quran?**

6,236 in the Hafs reading used in almost all printed mushafs and on this site.

**What is Ayat al-Kursi's reference?**

2:255 — Surah Al-Baqarah, verse 255.

**Why do some references have three numbers?**

A form like 2:255-257 is a range: Surah 2, verses 255 through 257.

## See this on the site

- [Quran 2:255, Ayat al-Kursi — a reference resolved](https://quranonlineread.com/quran/al-baqarah/#v255)
- [Search by word, phrase or reference](https://quranonlineread.com/quran/search/)
- [All surahs, with an anchor on every verse](https://quranonlineread.com/quran/)

## Related

- [What a Juz Is, and Why the Quran Has 30](https://quranonlineread.com/learn/what-is-a-juz/)
- [Meccan and Medinan Surahs: What the Labels Mean](https://quranonlineread.com/learn/meccan-and-medinan-surahs/)

## Source

Published by: QuranOnline
Canonical page: https://quranonlineread.com/learn/understanding-verse-references/
Last updated: 2026-09-08T17:04:00.171Z
Editorial policy: https://quranonlineread.com/about/#editorial