يهدف هذا البحث إلى تأطير منهج واضح المعالم محدد الأركان ، يمكن من خلاله معرفة الوسائل التى اعتمد عليها العلماء في بيان الهدف العام للسورة؛ ذلك لأن هذه الوسائل جاءت متفرقة في كتبهم ، منثورة في مؤلفاتهم ، يُشار إليها مرة تنظيرا ، وتُذكر أخرى تطبيقا ، فكانت هذه الدراسة المتواضعة التى أجمع فيها ما فُرق، وأرتب بها ما نُثر على نحو يبلور هذا المنهج . واقتضت الدراسة أن ينتظم البحث في: مقدمة وتمهيد وأربعة مباحث وخاتمة ، تحدثت في المقدمة عن أهداف البحث ، وحدوده ، ومشكلته ، والمنهج المتبع فيه ، وخطته ، وأما التمهيد فقد اشتمل على مطلبين ، عرضت في الأول : تعريف المصطلحات ، وتناولت في الثاني : خصائص الهدف العام للسورة ، وأما المباحث فقد تناولت في الأول : أدلة وحدة الهدف في السورة ، وفي الثاني : موقف العلماء من دراسة الهدف العام ، وفي الثالث: تناولت منهج العلماء في بيان الهدف العام ، وذلك من خلال عرض الوسائل التى اعتمدوا عليها في ذلك ، وجمعتها في (ثماني عشرة) وسيلة ، وفي المبحث الرابع: ذكرت ثلاث وسائل أخرى وفّق الله إليها .
ثم كانت الخاتمة ، وضمنتها النتائج والتوصيات، وانتهى الباحث إلى جملة من النتائج ، أهمها : أن علماءنا قد اهتموا اهتماما بالغا بدراسة الهدف العام للسورة ، وأنهم قد اعتمدوا في بيان الهدف العام على جملة من الوسائل تشكل في مجموعها منهجا متكاملا في هذا الجانب ،كما أوصى الباحث بضرورة تناول كل وسيلة بدراسة خاصة ، وأن يفرد كل مفسر ممن عُنى بهذه القضية بدراسة مستقلة .

This paper aims to provide a lucid and developed framework for locating the means by which scholars could define the overarching purpose of the Suras (Quranic chapters). Such means are dispersed in their writings, sometimes in the form of theory-making while others through application. This study therefore assembles such means and orders them in such a way as to crystalize the proposed framework. In so doing, I implement the “inductive reasoning" methodology. The study is organized as follows: an introduction, a preamble, four sections, and a conclusion. In the introduction, I explain the reasons that motivated the study, the methodology, the relevant previous studies, and the problem and plan of the study. In the preamble, I address two main points, the first of which introduces the terminologies contained in the title, and the second explores the features that characterize the general purpose of the Surah. The first section presents the evidence of the unified purpose in Suras generally. The second section exhibits the contributions scholars made on this topic. The third section explains the methodology scholars followed in the study of the general purpose of the Surah via exploring the means that formulated such methodology, the total of which is eighteen.
Their order is as follows: Attentive and minute consideration of the beginnings of Suras, the careful reading of the Suras' endings, connecting the beginnings of Suras with their respective endings, relying on the endings of the Surah to explain the purpose of its successive Surah, consulting the occasion of revelation, factoring the most famous names by which Suras are known for in the company of their other names, observing the subtle connections holding together the issues addressed in the Surah, making a distinction between the special issues germane to the Surah and the secondary meanings, relying on some Surahs to discover the general purpose of other verses, reflecting on the merits of the Suras, factoring the order of Suras, recognizing the implications of repeated verses and words, reflecting on the repetitions of meanings, contemplating the stories in the Quran, locating the occasions of revelation,  understanding the general objectives of the Quran, and consulting the reports of the early generations [of Muslims]. I ensure to reference exemplary quotations from exegetes under each of the previous means. The fourth section adds three more means Allah blessed me with as a result of my deep reading of this topic. They are: reflecting on the lessons of the Quran, attending to the overarching theme in each Surah, and studying the legal rulings mentioned in the Suras.
In the conclusion, I list the findings and some recommendations. To name a few of the findings:  the unity of purpose in the Suras is a Quranic fact and a linguistic miracle. Pinning down such general purposes is based on an Ijtihad and accuracy of deduction. Our scholars have paid a special attention to the study of the general purpose of the Surah, relying on a number of means that collectivelt constitute a fully developed methodology in this regard. The writer of this paper recommends a special and dedicated study of each mean as well as devoting an independent study for each exegete who was concerned with this topic.