Why are chapters of the Koran ordered by length? Is this due to practices related to memorization? Is there any need to have the information in it ordered chronologically, and if so how is that taken care of?
I have no idea why they were ordered by length. My translations simply say that this is the “traditional” way it’s been done.
It’s certainly not universal – there are other translations of the Kora n with the chapters ordered differently. And plenty of commentaries to help sort out the chronology.
What, no Koran scholars around here lately?
Muhammad at first discouraged writing down the revelations or keeping a record of his conversations. He later relented. Even so most of the record of revelations were oral. This oral record was dying with the deaths of Muhammad’s companions. One of the successor Imams (don’t have the name) collected all written copies of the Koran and had them burned after publishing the official version. This Imam’s version is the one which established the order of the suras.
There are English translations with the suras in chronological order.
Ok, but that doesn’t explain why in that order (order of increasing length).
Chronologically, the suras and ayahs are all over the place and grouping them in this way makes more sense then trying to keep everything in the order it was actually collected. The revelations did not happen in order.