Quran API and MCP Server for Developers
Build with Quran Gallery data: the Quran API at /quran/developers, the MCP server for AI assistants, keys, limits and licences.
On this page
Quran Gallery has two ways to build with its data: a public Quran API and an MCP server for AI assistants. They cover different data and have different rules, so this page keeps them apart.
The Quran API
The Quran API serves Quran text, translations, tafsirs, search and audio metadata from our own database. Nothing on a reading page depends on a third-party API. The developers page is the reference.
The base address is https://qurangallery.com/quran/api/quran. Responses follow the v4 response shape that most Quran tools already expect. The developers page documents these endpoints:
| Endpoint | What it returns |
|---|---|
/chapters | All 114 surahs with their metadata |
/verses/by_chapter/:id | The verses of one surah |
/search | Full-text search across translations |
/resources/recitations | Available reciters and audio files |
/resources/translations | Available translations, all languages |
They take the usual query parameters: language, translations, words and page. For example, https://qurangallery.com/quran/api/quran/chapters lists the surahs.
The corpus holds the complete Quran in six script variants, 150 translations, 23 tafsirs, and the page and line position of every word in each mushaf.
Keys, limits and licence
- Auth. The Quran API route checks no key and no sign-in. You do not need an account to call it.
- Rate limits. The developers page publishes none for the Quran API. Keep requests modest and cache what you fetch. A full-chapter response can be several megabytes.
- Licence. There is no single licence for all the data. Each source records its own terms, and the sources page shows them. Sources that cannot be redistributed are not served at all; the app shows a citation instead. Check the source of each translation or tafsir before you reuse it.
The MCP server
The MCP server is for AI assistants. It searches the Shamela library of classical Arabic books and returns verbatim passages with edition, volume and page.
- Address:
https://qurangallery.com/mcp/shamela. - No key is needed to start. Without a key you get 10 tool calls a minute and 200 a day per IP address. A free key gives 60 requests a minute. Create one in your account under Developers; see API keys.
- Every tool is read-only, and queries must be in Arabic.
The MCP docs cover the rest: what it does, getting started, the tool list and limits and errors.
What is not available
- The Quran text through MCP. The MCP server searches classical books, not the Quran corpus. Use the Quran API for Quran text.
- Books through the Quran API. The Quran API does not serve the Shamela library.
- Account data. Bookmarks, notes and progress are saved through the apps’ own endpoints for signed-in users. The developers page does not document them as a public API.
- Recitation audio files. We list reciters and file addresses. The audio itself streams from QuranCDN.
- Withheld sources. Text from sources marked as not redistributable is never returned.
- Bulk book export and hadith grading. The MCP server returns pages one call at a time, with a rate limit, and it never grades a hadith.
- An SDK or an OpenAPI file. None is documented.
How to ask for access
You do not need to ask for the Quran API or the keyless MCP tier. For a higher MCP limit, create a free key as above. For anything else, such as heavier use, a missing endpoint or a licence question, write to support@qurangallery.com or use the contact page.
Questions
Does Quran Gallery have a free Quran API?
Yes. The Quran API is public and the developers page lists its endpoints. The route itself checks no key and no sign-in. It serves Quran text, translations, recitation lists and search from our own database.
Do I need an API key for the Quran API?
No. The Quran API route does not ask for a key. Keys exist for the MCP server, where a free key raises the rate limits.
Is there an MCP server for the Quran and Islamic books?
Yes, for classical Arabic books. It runs at https://qurangallery.com/mcp/shamela, searches 8,594 works from the Shamela library, and needs no key to start. It does not search the Quran text itself.
What are the rate limits and the licence?
The developers page publishes no rate limit for the Quran API. The MCP server allows 10 calls a minute and 200 a day without a key, and 60 a minute with one. Each data source has its own licence, shown on the sources page.
Is there an SDK or an OpenAPI file for the Quran API?
None is documented. The developers page lists the endpoints and the query parameters, and nothing else. For API questions write to support@qurangallery.com.