The Quran is characterized by a unique phenomenon never found in any human authored book as it is mathematically structured book, and the literary excellence and mathematical structure are divinely maintained in the literary mathematical composition of the Quran. The number 19 is a great miracle (74:30 & 35) being a prophetic sign for the God’s Messenger of Covenant (3:81, 33:7), and a common denominator of the Quran. Every element of the Quran is mathematically composed — the surahs, the verses, the words, the number of certain letters, the number of words from the same root, the number and variety of divine names, the unique spelling of certain words, the absence or deliberate alteration of certain letters within certain words, certain commandments and many other elements of the Quran besides its content. The mathematical coding of the Quran is so comprehensive that the slightest distortion of the Quran’s text or physical arrangement is immediately exposed.
There are 29 surahs in the Quran prefixed with 14 different sets of “Quranic Initials” consisting of one to five letters per set. Fourteen letters, half the Arabic alphabet, participate in these initials. The table below is the list of Quranic initials prefixed to the surahs with their names according to arrangement in composition of the Quran.
Table A: List of Quranic Initials
Frequency of Quranic Initials
The mathematical significance of the Quranic initials remained a divinely guarded secret for 14 centuries (10:20, 25:6) being prophetic sign (72:27). These Quranic Initials constitute a major portion of the Quran’s 19-based mathematical miracle as the frequency of their occurrences in the relevant surahs is a multiple of 19. Here are details of 14 sets of Quranic initials with their frequencies in the respective surah(s) of the Quran:
1. ALM (Alif, Laam, Meem)
The initial ALM is thoroughly recounted in 6 suras, 2, 3, 29, 30, 31 and 32, and the updated ALM total is a multiple of 19 =>19874 = 19874 (19x1046). See table 1 for details.
Table 1: ALM
Note: The ALM initialed Surahs, 2, 3, 29, 30, 31 and 32 are recounted first and the major difficulty as encountered was the easy missing of Alifs and the Hamzas written on an extension (madda). The orthographic difference among the recent editions of the Quran has also been seen in verse 3:136. In verse 3:136, the word “Jaza’uhum” is written without an Alif in the Egyptian and Syrian editions but with an Alif in the King Fahd edition. The orthography of 3:136 as written in the Egyptian and Syrian edition maintains the mathematical structure in the ALM Suras. Upon proper counting the missing Alifs and free standing Hamzas replacing madda Hamzas reflecting on the orthographic difference, the updated ALM total is obtained in the ALM initialed suras is also a multiple of 19. The occurrence of Laam is corrected in Sura 30.
2. ALR (Alif, Laam, Reh)
The initial ALR is also thoroughly recounted in 5 suras: 10, 11, 12, 14 and 15, and the updated ALR total is a multiple of 19 => 9481 = 9481 (19x499). See table 2 for details.
Table 2: ALR
Note: During recounting of ALR initial, a human (scribe) error is found in the orthography of two words of the same root in Sura 10 in the Egyptian edition and King Fahd edition of the Arabic Quran. After correcting by removing extra Alif from the word “Aayatuna” in (10:15) and the word “Aayatina” in (10:21) based on the old Quran (Gold Quran), the updated ALR total is found to be a multiple of 19. The occurrence of Laam is also corrected in Surah 11.
3. ALMS (Alif, Laam, Meem, Saad)
The initial ALMS in sura 7 is recounted after correction of human error in the orthography of 7 words in the surah and the updated ALMS total is a multiple of 19 => 5301 = 5301 (19x279). See table 3 for details.
Table 3: ALMS
Note: The updated count of ALMS is obtained upon correcting the human (scribe) error in the orthography of the identified 7 words in Sura 7 in the Egyptian edition and King Fahd edition of the Arabic Quran. The study of the new and old Quran confirmed the presence of human errors in the writing of seven words in Surah 7.
4. ALMR (Alif, Laam, Meem, Ra)
The initial ALMR in sura 13 is recounted after correction of human error in the orthography of 3 words in the sura and the updated ALMR total is a multiple of 19 =>1482 = 1482 (19x78). See table 3 for details.
Table 4: ALMR
Note: The raw count of the Alifs in the new editions of the Qurans before any correction, was found to be 609, of these there were 50 Hamzas and 559 Alifs. The study of the new and old Quran confirmed the presence of human errors in the writing of three words in Sura 13.
5. HM (Ha, Meem)
The initial HM in seven surahs from 40 through 46 is counted and the total HM is a multiple of 19 =>2147 = 2147 (19x113). See Table 3 for details.
Table 5: HM
Note: Naturally, the alteration of a single letter “H” or “M” in any of the seven H.M.-initialed suras would have destroyed this intricate phenomenon.
6. Y. S. (Yaa Seen)
The counting of the initial Y.`S. prefixed to surah 36 and the Y.`S. total is a multiple of 19 =>285 = 285 (19x15. See Table 6 for details.
Table 6: Y`S
Note: The letter “Yaa” is written in the Quran in two forms; one is obvious and the other is subtle. The subtle form of the letter may be confusing to those who are not thoroughly familiar with the Arabic language. A good example is the word “Araany” which is mentioned twice in 12:36. The letter “Y” is used twice in this word, the first “Y” is subtle and the second is obvious. Surah 36 does not contain a single “Yaa” of the subtle type. This is a remarkable phenomenon, and one that does not normally occur in a long surah like Sura 36.
7. `A.`S.Q. (`Ayn Seen Qaaf)
The initial `A`SQ in surah 42 is counted and the total `A`SQ is a multiple of 19 => 209 = 209 (19x11). See table 7 for details.
Table: 7 `A`SQ
Note:The letter Q (Qaf) occurs 57 times in surah 42, which is also a multiple of 19 => 57 = 57 (19x3).
8. K.H.Y.`A.S. (Kaaf Ha Yaa `Ayn Saad)
K.H.Y.`A.S. (Kaaf Ha Yaa `Ayn Saad) is the longest set of initials consisting of 5 letters which prefixes sura 19. The total occurrence of these five letters is a multiple of 798 = 798 (19x42). See table 8 for details.
Table 8: Kaaf Ha Yaa `Ayn Saad
Note: This is the longest set of initials, consisting of five letters, and it occurs in one surah, Surah 19 wherein the virgin birth of Jesus is mentioned.
9. T.H. (Taa Haa)
10. T.`S. (Taa Seen)
11. T.`S.M. (Taa Seen Meem)
The initial H is found in surahs 19 and 20. The initial TH prefixes Surah 20. The initial TS are found in Surah 27, while the initial TSM prefixes its surrounding surahs 26 & 28. An intricate interlocking relationship links these overlapping Quranic Initials produce a total is a multiple of 19 => 1767 = 1767 (19x93). See table 9 for details.
Table 9: H; TH; T`S; T`SM
Note: The interlocking initials H, TH, TS and TSM prefix surahs describing the miracles of Moses, Jesus, and the uncommon occurrences surrounding Solomon and his jinns. God thus provides stronger evidence to support stronger miracles.
12. S (Saad)
The initial S prefixes three suras, 7, 19, and 38, and the total occurrence of the letter “S” (Saad) in these three suras is a multiple of 19 =>152 = 152 (19x8). See table 10 for details.
Table 10: S
Note: The word “Bastatan” in 7:69 is written in some printings with a “Saad,” instead of “Seen.” This is an erroneous distortion that violates the Quran’s code. By looking at the oldest available copy of the Quran, the Tashkent Copy, it is found that the word “Bastatan” is correctly written with a “Seen”. Upon correction, the total count of Saad is a multiple of 19.
13. Q (Qaaf)
The initial Q prefixes Surahs, 42 and 50 is counted and the Q total is a multiple of 19 => 114 = 114 (19x6. See table 11 for details.
Table 11: Q
- The Q-initialed Surahs were studied first and the same number of Qs in both Q-initialed Surahs is the first hint that this is a deliberate mathematical system might exist in the Quran.
- Sura 50 is entitled “Q,” prefixed with “Q,” and the first verse reads, “Q, and the glorious Quran.” This indicated that “Q” stands for “Quran” and the total number of Q’s in the two Q-initialed suras represents the Quran’s 114 suras [57 + 57] = 114 = 114 (19x6). This idea was strengthened by the fact that “the Quran” occurs in the Quran 57 times.
- The Quran is described in Surah “Q” as “Majeed” (glorious), and the Arabic word “Majeed” has a gematrical value of 57 => Meem -> 40 + Jeem -> 3 + Yaa -> 10 + Dal -> 4 => 40 + 3 + 10 + 4 = 57.
- Surah 42 consists of 53 verses, if Surah no and verse no. are added, we have =>42 + 53 = 95 = 95 (19x5).
- Surah 50 consists of 45 verses, if Surah no. and verse no. are added, we have => 50 + 45 = 95 = 95 (19x5, the same total as in Sura 42.
- The total occurrence of the letter “Q” in the two Q-initialed suras is 114, which equals the number of suras in the Quran.
- “Qur’aan” is mentioned in the Quran 57 times => 57 = 57 (19x3).
- The number of Q’s in all verses numbered “19” throughout the Quran is 76 = 76 (19x4).
14. NuN (Noon)
This initial is unique and occurs in one sura (sura 68). The name of the letter is spelled out as three letters – Noon Wow Noon – in the original text, and is, therefore, counted as two N’s, and the total count of this letter is a multiple of 19 =>133 = 133 (19x7).
Table 12: NuN
Note: There are proofs that the initial “NuN” must be spelled out to show two N’s. This N-initialed sura is the first revelation according to Order of Revelation but is the last in the physical arrangement of the Quran among all the initialed suras.
Principles of Correcting Human Error
There are three significant rules applied to the counted initials when there is a disagreement among the different editions of the Mus-haf. For a word to be considered a human error in any of the new editions and then corrected, it has to pass these three strict criteria, all of them and in this order:
- The orthography of the written word in the new edition of the Quran should differ from the orthography of the same word as written in the oldest copy of the Quran in its exact specific location.
- The orthography of the written word in its suspected form, in the new edition of the Quran, should differ from the orthography of the same word written in other verses and suras of the same new edition of the Quran, unless the word is not repeated anywhere else in the rest of the Quran..
- The correction of the written word in the new edition after meeting the first two criteria will then correct any disturbance of the mathematical structure of the Quran based on number 19 as it has been proved by other initials, words, numbers and orders in the Quran.
Special Observations
The Quranic initials occur at certain frequency in the relevant Surahs which prevent the text of the Quran from letter level distortions. Moreover, these physical proofs of the Quran from God also emerge the following other miracles:
- 29 suras in the Quran are prefixed with 14 different sets of “Quranic Initials” consisting of 14 Arabic letters and if we add these numeric properties related to the initials we have => 14 + 14 + 29 = 57 = 57 (19x3).
- The fact that “N” is the last Quranic Initial (see Table A) brings out a number of special observations. The number of verses from the first Quranic Initial, A.L.M (2:1) to the last initial, N (68:1) is a multiple of 19 =>5263 = 5263 (19x277).
- The word “God” (Allah) occurs 2641 (19x139) times between the first initial and the last initial. Since the total occurrence of the word “God” is 2698. The word “God” (Allah) occurs 2641 (19x139) times between the first initial and the last initial. Since the total occurrence of the word “God” is 2698 (19x142), it follows that its occurrence outside the initials “A.L.M.” of 2:1 on one side, and the initial “N” of 68:1 on the other side, is 57 = 57 (19x3).
- It should be noted that the longer, more complex, interlocking and overlapping initials are found in the surahs where uncommonly powerful events are narrated. For example, the virgin birth of Jesus is given in Surah 19, which is prefixed with the longest set of initials, K.H.Y.`A.S.
- The people who disbelieved in Lot are mentioned 13 times in the Quran and they are referred to as “Qawm” with a single exception of the Q-initialed Surah Q (Sura 50) where they are referred to as “Ikhwaan” (50:13). Obviously, if the regular, Q-containing word “Qawm” were used, the count of the letter “Q” in Surah 50 would have become 58, and this whole phenomenon would have disappeared. With the recognized absolute accuracy of mathematics, the alteration of a single letter destroys the system.
- The reference to Mecca in 3:96 as “Becca”! is a strange spelling of the renowned city has puzzled Islamic scholars for many centuries. Although Mecca is mentioned in the Quran properly spelled in 48:24, the letter “M” is substituted with a “B” in 3:96. It turns out that sura 3 is an M-initialed sura, and the count of the letter “M” would have deviated from the Quran’s code if “Mecca” was spelled correctly in 3:96.
- The Quranic initials in the physical arrangement play a crucial role in the mathematical analysis of the Quran whereas these initials in the order of revelation contribute to the literary review to understand its crucial information immediately follows these initials.
Conclusion
The study on counting of Quranic initials was not a straight forward process but every attempt has been made to get an appropriate occurrence of each initial in the relevant suras. Both new and old Quran are studied to correct any human error during counting of initials followed by a defined acceptable process. When any word in new editions is considered to be human error, it has to pass this process. The old Quran (Tashkent copy and Gold Quran) confirms the presence of human errors in the new Quran (Egyptian, King Fahd, Syrian editions) and the edition in new Quran also helps to find the human error as well. The study supports the understanding that the Hafs writing of the Quran is the best representation of the original Mus-haf as it represents the intact mathematical miracle of the Quran. It is also found that this mathematical miracle of the Quran is not only useful to prove the frequency of occurrences of the initials in the relevant suras but can also be used as an excellent tool to verify human errors in future or past writing of the Mus-haf. Thus, the Quranic initials serve as incontrovertible proofs that the Quran is God’s message to the world.
Peaceful Friday, salaam and God bless.
Tafazzal (11/14/2014)
How Arabic Alphabets look in different locations in a word.
Notes:
1. Initial form means how the alphabet appears in the beginning of the word or in the middle of a word if it follows some Arabic alphabets that do not connect with it, e.g. alif, Dal , Thal, Reh, zen, waw….
2. Medial form means how the alphabet appears when written in the middle of a word, when it connects with the surrounding alphabets.
3. Final form means when the alphabet appears at the end of a word, unless it follows some Arabic alphabets that do not connect with it, e.g. alif, Dal , Thal, Reh, zen, waw…..
4. Isolated form means when the alphabet is free standing.