Ever since the advent of Islam and revelation of Qur'an on the last of the prophets, Muhammad ﷺ, Qur'an and its contents have been debated, contested or even claimed that it is a man written document borrowing information from the earlier Divine scriptures. At the time of its revelation, the pagan of Makkah were very good at poetry and they dismissed Muhammad ﷺ being a poet and Qur'an as his collection of poetic thoughts.
Even at that time, to rebut the rejecters of Qur'an, Allah asked them to produce one single verse like that of Qur'an or even near to it and despite their best efforts the pagan poets and intellectual could not do so. The question thus arises why is it not humanly possible to replicate Qur'an. The plain answer is that Qur'an is a well packed document where each verse perfectly fits into its place and interconnects it to other verses, same as mathematical complexities are bounded together.
And it is for this reason that men of wisdom, intellect and critical thinking have started to understand the mathematical correlation between verses of Qur'an, the numerical indicators that perfectly match the scientific knowledge of day, something that was amiss at the time of revelation of Qur'an.
It is for this reason that Qur'an is revered as the word of Allah by Muslims, and its authenticity and miraculous nature are fundamental aspects of Islamic belief. While mathematics or scientific methods cannot "prove" religious truths in a direct, empirical way, there are aspects of the Quran that many scholars, both Muslim and non-Muslim, have pointed to as signs of its divine origin, including some aspects that appear to be linked to mathematical structures.
Here are some ways in which mathematics is thought to be associated with the Quran:
Numerical Patterns in the Quran
- The Frequency of Certain Words: Some scholars have observed that certain words in the Quran appear in specific frequencies that may hold mathematical significance. For instance, the word "day" ("yawm") appears 365 times in various forms, which some scholars suggest could be a symbolic reflection of the number of days in a year. Similarly, the word "month" ("shahr") appears 12 times, which correlates with the number of months in a year.
- The Use of the Number 7: The number 7 appears frequently in the Quran. There are seven heavens (Quran 67:3), seven days of the week, seven verses in the opening chapter (Al-Fatiha), and seven circumambulations around the Ka'bah during Hajj. This recurrent usage of 7 could be seen as a reflection of a divine mathematical structure.
The Mathematical Miracle of the Quran's Structure
- Symmetry in the Quranic Text: One of the key mathematical features often pointed out is the symmetry between the number of times certain phrases or concepts appear. For example:
- The word "believers" ("mu’minun") appears 79 times in the Quran, and the word "disbelievers" ("kafirun") also appears 79 times.
- The word "angel" ("mala'ika") appears 88 times, and the word "devil" ("shayatin") also appears 88 times.
- Such symmetry is seen by many as an indication of the divine organization of the Quranic text.
The Mathematical Concept of Miraculous Numerical Structure
- The Number 19: One of the most well-known mathematical patterns discussed by some scholars is the number 19. The Quran’s chapter (Surah) 74 is called Al-Muddathir and contains 56 verses, but it is particularly significant because many Muslims have pointed to a series of mathematical properties of the number 19:
- Bismillah: The phrase “Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim” ("In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful") appears 114 times in the Quran, and when divided by 19, the number of occurrences of this phrase has specific mathematical significance.
- Scholars such as Rashad Khalifa have explored the idea that the number 19 plays a key role in the Quran’s structure, as the Quran’s length, the repetition of certain phrases, and the arrangement of verses are said to correspond to multiples of 19 in various ways.
Mathematical Coding and the Quranic Text
- Gematria (Abjad Numerology): This ancient Arabic numerical system, similar to Hebrew gematria, assigns numerical values to Arabic letters. When words are analyzed based on this system, some claim to find a mathematical structure or hidden codes within the Quran. For example, the numerical value of the word "Quran" (in Arabic: القرآن) can be explored and compared to other related words, revealing numerical relationships that some interpret as evidence of divine design.
- The Abjad System: The Abjad system, in which each Arabic letter has a specific numerical value, is sometimes used to draw connections between words or verses based on their numerical values. Some see patterns when words with the same numerical values appear in related contexts.
The Fibonacci Sequence and Quranic Verses: The Fibonacci sequence is a series of numbers where each number is the sum of the two preceding ones (1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, etc.). Some proponents suggest that certain structures in the Quran's verses, surah lengths, and even word frequencies may correspond to Fibonacci numbers. However, these claims are often debated and may not always hold up under rigorous mathematical scrutiny.
The Concept of Equilibrium: The Quran reflects a deep sense of balance and equilibrium in nature and creation, which can be linked to mathematical principles. For example, in Surah Ar-Rahman (55:7), Allah mentions that He "has raised the sky and established the balance (mizan)," referring to a divine order in nature that is in harmony, which resonates with the laws of physics, chemistry, and mathematics that govern the universe.
Cosmic Order and Mathematical Laws
- The Quran speaks of the creation of the universe, the balance in nature, the movement of celestial bodies, and the mathematical precision of the natural world. In Surah Al-Anbiya (21:33), it states: "It is He who created the night and the day, and the sun and the moon, each floating in an orbit." This aligns with modern scientific understanding of celestial mechanics, which relies heavily on mathematics.
- Order in Creation: Numerous references in the Quran (such as in Surah Al-Mulk, 67:3) talk about the perfection of the created world, which can be interpreted as a reference to the mathematical order present in nature.
The Uniqueness of the Quran’s Linguistic Structure: The Arabic language of the Quran is unique in its structure and rhythm, with some experts suggesting that it contains linguistic and mathematical patterns that enhance the poetic and rhetorical beauty of the text. The balance and rhythm of verses (known as Saj') also point to an underlying structure that some link to mathematical principles of harmony and proportion.
Limitations of Mathematical Proofs
While these numerical patterns and structures are intriguing, it's important to note that mathematics alone cannot serve as definitive proof of the Quran's divine origin. Mathematical patterns may point to a higher level of order or design, but the ultimate proof of the Quran’s truthfulness lies in its theological and spiritual messages, the consistency of its teachings, and the profound impact it has had on the lives of millions of people for over 1,400 years.
You may now like to watch an interesting video and discover the incredible true story of Dr. Jeffrey Lang, a committed atheist mathematician who set out to disprove the Quran and ended up embracing Islam through mathematical evidence and baffled by the mathematical connections he reverted to Islam:
The mathematical properties discussed above are seen by many Muslims and non Muslims as signs or ayat (signs) of the Quran's divine nature, but these should be understood as part of a broader, multifaceted approach to understanding the Quran, which includes faith, reason, spiritual insight, and reflection, and of course an open mind to understand the Divine scriptures.
May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door.
وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ
(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”
That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.
Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully. It will also help the Muslims to have grasp over social issues and their answers discussed in the Qur'an and other matter related to inter faith so that they are able to discuss issues with non-Muslims with authority based on refences from Qur'an.
May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.
Note: When we mention God in our posts, we mean One True God, we call Allah in Islam, with no associates. Allah is the Sole Creator of all things, and that Allah is all-powerful and all-knowing. Allah has no offspring, no race, no gender, no body, and is unaffected by the characteristics of human life.
You may like to read more posts on similar theme in our series of posts related to: Divine Revelations in Qur'an validated by Scientific Discoveries (Reference Page)
You may read more posts on similar theme in our series of posts related to: The Rebuttal: Countering disinformation being spread about Islam (Reference Page)
For more Selected Subjects, please refer to our reference page: Selected Verses from Al Qur'an about a Specific Subject (Reference Page) to know more about what Qur'an says about specific subjects.
For more Selected Verses, please refer to our reference page: Selected Verses from the Qur'an. You may also refer to our Reference Pages and Understanding Al Qur'an for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.
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