A Mathematical Approach to the Quran
The science of numbers has been cultivated across traditions and continues to be invoked by mystics, faith healers, occultists, astrologists and philosophers in Phythagorean tradition. Annameri Schimmel has written a whole book on the use and significance of numbers in Islamic tradition. One of the most compelling arguments for the primacy of intelligence in the structure of cosmos is specially designed mathematical subtext. The claim that the Quran is coded in mathematical language and as such claims our attention towards its divine origin or authorship is well known, and compelling by any standards. Many researchers have turned to Quranic numerology and amazing findings are continuously emerging due to the extensive use of computing resources. In fact, since the birth what is called the theory of number 19, many researchers have been following the same pattern of research that depends basically on counting words and letters in the Quran to check their divisibility on certain numbers such as 19 and 7.
A recent review of attempts on applied numerology of the Quran notes lack of comprehensiveness and sophistication. In particular, no study has yet included the whole contents of the Quran. Further, literature lacks consistent methodologies and appropriate research paradigm in the field of Quran numerology and this usually creates controversy, confusion, division and raise questions of the plausibility, quality and viability of the research results.
Based on the popular system of Abjad numeral system – old Arabic system of numerology which has been very popular long before Islam, in which 28 Arabic alphabets are assigned numerical values. Scholars have noted that this method of calculation was extensively utilized long before the revelation of the Quran and even before the development of the Roman or Arabic numeral systems. It is also important to note that, historically, the origin of this numerical system is unknown and still a mystery, even many have claimed divine origin for thus system of numerology. Regardless of veracity of such claims, all pervading influence and use –and abuse – of numerology in many traditional including Islamic cultures needs to be cognized for judging attempts based on it to approach the Quran.
Surveying numerous attempts at mathematical design of the Quran one is more and more fascinated by varied dimensions of mathematical structures in the Quran. There has been geometric framing of many verses as well. Before presenting the case of mathematical coding of the Quran some popular criticisms of it need to be addressed.
One is that certain mathematical patterns can be deciphered or read into other scriptures. That doesn’t explain away the presence of the intelligent design of the Quran but corroborates it and shows Revealed texts are a class apart from merely human texts.
Such numerological patterns are probabilistic and may well be deciphered in many human texts. The premise of the book by Hakeem Muhammad Tahir is that the Quran has a mathematical subtext couched in numerical indices of the Surah numbers, the verse numbers, number of verses in the Surah, number of letters in a word, phrase or verse, number of times a word is repeated and the Abjad values of the Arabic letters. One may here note that this subtext is not projected or imposed or imagined but hinted in the text itself – the Quran assets that “He encompasses all that is with them it has counted everything by means of numbers” and does allude to certain numbers such as 19 and 7 and chooses names of chapters on the basis of a particular word in the text and counts such facts as 12 months as divine law and takes history, dates, periodicity seriously and we find some verses rather opaque to conventional interpretations. We need to note that this attempt by the author doesn’t lend itself to routine criticisms of claims to see repetitions of certain numbers as it simply correlates chapter number, verse number, place and meaning and proposes no new hypothesis but simply applies abjad system to arrive at a coding pattern that is neither ad hoc nor uninteresting. The onus lies on those who don’t subscribe to this explanation of mathematical coding. Let us note some results in the book to consider for our cognizance and if we can explain away these interesting findings or derivations. The author has no claim to infallibility and is open to feedback. Let us see if we can share his excitement in working out these interpretations.
The author asserts that years of study and contemplation have given him the conviction that Arabic is the language of creation. Its letters and words are building blocks of diverse phenomena of the universe. He quotes the Quranic verse and points that the word used ‘ahcy’ has abjad value 109 and sum of 109 that is 1+2+…..109=5995. Abjad value of all letters in Arabic is also 5995 and digits in both cases add up to 28 which is the number of letters in Arabic alphabet. This curious relationship suggests for the author the Arabic weightage of the Arabic letters isn’t a mere human enterprise.
1)
SURAH al-Qadr describes Inna coded way the key data of the event of commencement of Revelation
- a)
27; Date of commencement of Revelation - b)
9th Month of Islamic Calender Ranadhan - c)
610 Year of the month of commencement of the revelation - d)
13 Corresponding year according to Islamic calendar
2)
Joseph’s entry into Egypt is narrated Inna verse (12:99) which is read as coding number of years Jacob lived in Egypt (17), total years he lived (147) and age at the time of his entry into Egypt (130). Many important dates in the history of Bani Israel are also similarly derived to be coded in the letters and numbers of verses and place in the Quran.
3)
Total years people of the cave remained in the cave is shown to be 300 solar years or 309 lunar years and further other amazing results unearthed. To illustrate: The verse “They remained in the cave for 300 years (18:25) is thus decoded:
If we put the surah number (18) and verse number (25) in concatenation, we get 1325 and divide the figure by 25 we have figure 365 which is number of days in a solar year. If we add verse number (25) as a fraction to 365 we obtain the most accurate of solar year 365.25 days. The author further proposes multiplying 365.25x300 (years)=109575 which if divided by 354 (days in a lunar year)=309.53 say 309 days and we may recall the verse (They remained in the cave for 300 years (Solar) and add 9 (to compute lunar years). The authors adds that this statement has been made in an era when such simple solar-lunar year conversion might hardly have been known.
4)
The author similarly reads the verse (18:83) on Dhulqarnyn to claim that what is historically known about Cyrus the Great – rise of historical performance and death date – is couched in the mathematical subtext of the Quran about Dhulqrnyn.
5)
The author points out about iron (AlHydyd) that its abjad value is 57 which happens to be surah number of Alhdyd. Besides, abjad value of Hdyd is 26 which is atomic number of iron. By other steps our author is able to drive exact weight of iron as 55.845. The place of mention of gold, silver and copper in various surahs corresponds to their respective atomic weights.
6)
The author derives cosmic time or age of the universe and matter energy distribution (ordinary matter, dark matter and dark energy) from numerical indices. Building on words Tayn (clay) building material of man, Insan and Aadam, the author is able to arrive at genetic code, number of genes, number of chromosomes and even sex chromosomes in humans.
7)
In a chapter on messengers, the author argues that the verses 19:29-30 mentioning infant Jesus’ talk gives date of birth as 1AD. Key events in the lives of Moses and David are similarly found coded in numerical indices. Lastly life of Muhammad (p.b.u.h) – date of birth in 570 AD, commencement of prophethood in 610 AD.
8)
We can discern in the Quran Surah Al-Nur (The Light) is serially 24th surah of the Quran and has the light verse (Allah is the light of the heavens and the earth). The author notes that the very number 24 defines light in its most absolute form and gives the following derivation:
The product of digits in the number 24 equals to 2x4=8 which divided by 24 is 8.333 and if we add the two we get 8.333 which is the time in minutes it takes the light to travel distance (93000000 miles) from the sun to the earth and noting 8.333 minutes are equal to 8.333x60=499.998 or 500 seconds which codes speed of light in miles per second as 93000000/500=1860000 miles/second.
9) Surah Al-Rad (The Thunder - 13:13) is the 13th Surah and the chapter has 43 verses.The author adds the digits of the number 43 and obtains 4+3=7 and if we add 7 to 43 we get 50 and if we add main derivatives in sequence we get 750 which is velocity of sound in air at sea level -750 miles per hour. Furthermore, the author adds that Sural Al-Rad is numbered 13 and occurs only once in 13th verse and 13+13=26. Abjad value of Al-Rad is 274 and difference between 274 and 26 is 248 which happens to be the converse factor for the velocity of light miles per hour and the spread if light miles per second—750x248=186000.
10) From the abjad value of Alard (the earth) the author derives in few simple steps that fourth standard child can do such figures as 24,365.25 and 3969 which are number if hours in a day, days in a year and radius of earth in miles respectively. He further derives exact proportion of the land and aquatic expanses on the earth’s surface. The author derives speed of light from the abjad value of the sun. He also derives distance from the sun to seven planets as well from their respective abjad values. He also derives at yet another place speed of light from the abjad value of NWR (light).
11) The author derives abjad value of Islam on the basis of twin shahadah statements of faith in Allah and Muhammad as the Messenger, on the basis of multiplication of abjad values of Allah as 12 and Muhammad as 11=132. Further, the sum of Abjad value of Muhammad Rasul Allah (454) and square of 12 letters in it is 610. Digits in 454 add to 13 which is the year before Hijra when the prophethood was granted. Further two steps help him to derive the value of 186000 which is the speed of light in miles per second and as light symbolizes spiritual awakening. Similarly different pillars of faith such as Salah and saum are read to see coded figures. The verse on Salah “Be attentive to your prayers, especially the middle prayer, be totally devoted to Allah (2:38)” is framed thus:
Number of Surah=2
Number of verses=238
The product of surah and verse number= 476
The digits in 476 add up to 17 which is number of obligatory units
Again 238/17=14 whose digits add up to 1+4=5 which is number of daily prayers
Further derivations of number of units in each prayer are also done.
Zakat calculus is derived from the verse “And those who give obligatory charity” (23:4). Verse number 4. The sum of 4 equals 1+2+3+4 + 10 and 10/4=2.5 which is the exact percentage of zakat. Surah number cited is 23. The product if the digits is 6 and the sum of 23 (1+2….) =276 whose digits add up to 15 and 15/6=2.5 which is percentage of obligatory charity. Again digits in Surah number 23 add up to 5 and 2.5=7.5 which is nisab of gold (7.5 tolas)
13) The author speculates from the shapes of names of Surahs Nun and Qaf structure of Hydrogen and Helium and from numerical values of atomic weights of Hydrogen and Helium and interprets a Quranic verse in the language of atomic physics. The verse “Not even a fraction of an atom in the heavens and the earth, or something smaller or greater than it, is hidden from Him: There is nothing except that it is recorded in the all too manifest book (34:3) to claim that fraction of an atom is electron, smaller than it is subatomic particles, greater than mithqal of zarh is atom itself.
Although the book deals with about 50 of total of 6236 verses of the Quran, the author claims that every statement in the Quran contains its mathematical elucidation. Besides we find key themes of the Quran treated in the book and framed in mathematical terms. As such it is an approach to the Quran as a whole that calls for attention.
To the possible objection that this approach doesn’t Illuminate meanings or establishes nothing but proof of divine authorship and that too not unproblematically one may reply that any help in settling authorship is itself a great service and this approach does help illuminate certain meanings or settle certain controversies and even has predictive value according to our author.
The author has no pretension to any great achievement on his part. He simply and humbly submits his fascinating experience of meditating on the Quran for “an unreserved comment of all those who may happen to go through this human effort of reading the numerical indices of the Quranic text beyond the apparent. The author, we need to note, isn’t claiming to have unlocked hidden meanings but coded mathematical language that serves as special key to preserve its structure or insurance against tempering.
If we take this work seriously the possibility of celebrating Laylat al qadr is on 27th Ramadhan is strengthened (the author reads 2:185 verse as containing 25 letters and surah number 2 and sums up as 27 and derives total number of chapters of the Quean as 114 and total number of years of revelation as 23). The author sees both big bang and crunch as well when examining relevant verses describing expansion of the universe. Similarly many other problems may be settled by taking this approach seriously where traditional scholarship or exegesis is clueless.
The book deserves attention and informed response from mathematicians and Quran scholars.
