A verse of the Qur鈥檃n, (pl. 膩y膩t). It is the smallest semantically independent Qur鈥檃nic speech. Cognates of the word 膩ya occur also in Hebrew and Syriac, and the term is often translated as a sign. The word also refers to miracles, as in the birth of Jesus to the Virgin Mary (Q. 19:21); and wonders of nature as signs of God鈥檚 power in the universe (see, e.g. Q. 30:20鈥25). The number of 膩y膩t (verses) differs from one sura to another. An individual verse may be just a single word or long passages; the longest 膩ya in the Qur鈥檃n is the verse known as al-Dayn 鈥榯he Debt鈥, Q. 2: 282.
