The Structure of the Qur'an

[center][font=Arial][size=16][b]The
Structure of the Qur'an[/b][/size][/font]


[/center]


[font=Arial][size=12]The numerical structure of the
Qur'an is a relatively new study and began when the first full
indexes of the Qur'an were composed through putting the text on
to computers. [/size][/font]


[font=Arial][size=12]Surah 11, Verse 1[/size][/font]


<blockquote>
<blockquote>
[font=Arial][size=12]This is a scripture whose
verses are perfected and then explained.[/size][/font]

</blockquote>
</blockquote>

[font=Arial][size=12]This verse indicates that no words
are wasted in the Qur'an, it could not be in a better form. One
could not use fewer words to say the same thing. To do so would
add unnecessary information. One way to look for structure is to
look, not to the meanings of the words, but to treat them as
abstract logical terms (programmers would call them parameters or
variables) which are used in phrases that could be understood as
formulas or equations. To make this clear consider the difference
between[/size][/font]


[font=Arial][size=12]"London is a large city"
[/size][/font]


[font=Arial][size=12]and [/size][/font]


[font=Arial][size=12]"London has 6 letters"[/size][/font]


<blockquote>
<blockquote>
[font=Arial][size=12]In one phrase I am
referring to the city and in the other to the name
'London'.[/size][/font]

</blockquote>
</blockquote>

[font=Arial][size=12]In the Qur'an we have several
statements that could be thought to be equations. Specifically
this is where the phrase "the likeness of A is as the
likeness of B" ('mathal A kamathal B' in Arabic). But in
what sense are A and B alike in an abstract way? Well the answer
is that their number is the same, i.e. the number of times that
the noun words or noun phrases occur is the same.[/size][/font]


[font=Arial][size=12]The occurrences of this include:
Surah 3 Verse 59 [/size][/font]


[font=Arial][size=12]The likeness of Jesus before Allah
is as the likeness of Adam.[/size][/font]


[font=Arial][size=12]Both the Name "Adam" and
"Jesus" occur in the Qur'an 25 times each.[/size][/font]


[font=Arial][size=12]Surah 7, Verse 176 [/size][/font]


<blockquote>
<blockquote>
[font=Arial][size=12]The likeness of those who
reject Our signs is as the likeness of the dog.[/size][/font]

</blockquote>
</blockquote>

[font=Arial][size=12]Both the Phrase "Those who
reject our signs" and the word "dog" occur in the
Qur'an 5 times. Surah 29, Verse 41 [/size][/font]


<blockquote>
<blockquote>
[font=Arial][size=12]The likeness of those who
take protectors other than Allah is as the likeness of
the spider[/size][/font]

</blockquote>
</blockquote>

[font=Arial][size=12]In this case both A and B only
occur twice.[/size][/font]


[font=Arial][size=12]Another expression in Arabic which
can be understood as an equation, is the inequality statement
expressed directly as "A is not equal to B" (la
yastawee A wa B). This is sometimes stated as a question "Is
A equal to B?" (hal yastawee A wa B) the indication
invariably is that they are not equal. So we would expect that
the number of occurrences of these 2 words are not the same.
Nothing amazing in that, you may think it is indeed quite likely
that the occurrences would be different. However, what we find is
that the occurrence of the two unequal words differs by one
exactly.[/size][/font]


[font=Arial][size=12]In 4:96 those who sit around are
declared as not equal to those who strive in the cause of Allah.
The former term has 2 forms for the same word in the Qur'an
"al-qa-idoon" and "al-qa-ideen" . These
different forms are exactly the same word but their ending is
changed because of the grammatical case (nominative and
accusative respectively). The latter term for strivers also has 2
forms "al-mujahidoon" and "al-mujahideen".
When we compare occurrences of these words we find
"al-qa-idoon"=2, "al-mujahidoon"=1,
"al-qa-ideen"=4, "al-mujahideen"=3. In each
form the difference in the occurrence of the 2 words is 1. In
6:50 the blind (Al-a'maa) and the seeing (al-Baseer) are set as
unequal. The word for the blind occurs 8 times and the word for
the seer occurs 9 times - 1 more. In 13:16 the depths of darkness
(Al-dhulumaat) and the light (al-noor) are set as unequal. The
occurrences of these two words are 14 and 13 respectively. There
is one exception to this pattern. In 5:100 the good (al-tayib)
and the bad (al-khabeeth) are said to be unequal, but we find the
occurrence of both words is 7. The explanation is found in the
verse that sets the equation, which immediately goes on to say
that you will be dazzled by the amount of the bad. In another
verse (8:37) God explains that he piles the bad one on another
together so as to separate it from the good. This is also
reflected in the Qur'an - the occurrences of 'the good' are
scattered throughout the Qur'an but the occurrences of 'the bad'
are sometimes 'piled together' two in one verse. [/size][/font]


[font=Arial][size=12]Other words have more direct
numerical meanings. [/size][/font]


[font=Arial][size=12]The Arabic word for month is
shahr. It occurs 12 times.[/size][/font]


[font=Arial][size=12]This is counting only the definite
and indefinite articles: 'the month' and 'a month' There are also
occurrences of other forms of this word which are in the plural.
The total number of the occurrences in the plural is nine which
is the length of a human pregnancy and perhaps the next most
obvious period of time measured in months after a year.[/size][/font]


[font=Arial][size=12]The Arabic word for Day is yawm
and you will find it occurs 365 times in the Qur'an.[/size][/font]


[font=Arial][size=12]This is also only counting the
definite and indefinite articles: 'the day' and 'a day'. There
are other occurrences of the word day in the plural and forms
where they are tied together to pronouns, which make one word
such as 'their day'. Interestingly enough the number of
occurrences of the word day in the plural forms is 30 - the
closest whole number of days in a lunar month and the average
number of days in a solar month.[/size][/font]


[font=Arial][size=12]The word for year is sana and that
occurs 19 times. [/size][/font]


[font=Arial][size=12]The significance of 19 here is
that each period of 19 years is a repetition of all the relative
positions of the Earth and the moon. This cycle was discovered by
a Greek called Meton and is known as the Metonic Cycle.[/size][/font]


[font=Arial][size=12]This is counting the definite and
indefinite articles 'the year' and 'a year' but also the plurals.
The word occurs 12 times in the plural form and 7 times in the
singular form. There are no other occurrences. The fact that this
calculation takes into account plurals whereas when considering
the word for month I ignored plurals has caused people to level
the charge that the number relationships were fudged. I also saw
the weakness in the pattern. However, I believed there was still
something there. Maybe it was to do with the type of plural
(broken and unbroken)? This is what was put on my web site for
several months. But I discovered that that reasoning was wrong
since both plurals are really broken plurals. Looking again for
the significance of 12 and 7 we find what must be the answer:[/size][/font]


[font=Arial][size=12]Meton of Athens (ca. 440 BC)
noticed that 235 lunar months made up almost exactly 19 solar
years. Using modern measurements, [/size][/font]


[font=Arial][size=12]1 year is 365.2425 days; [/size][/font]


[font=Arial][size=12]1 lunar month is 29.53059 days[/size][/font]


[font=Arial][size=12]19 years = 365.2425 / 29.53059 [/size][/font]


[font=Arial][size=12]= 234.997 lunar months[/size][/font]





[font=Arial][size=12]This 19-year Lunar Cycle became
known as the Metonic cycle, and was the basis for the Greek
calendar until the Julian calendar was introduced in 46 BC. Since
12 lunar months equal 354.367 days, about 11 days less than a
solar year, an additional 235-19(12) = 7 lunar months were added
to synchronise the cycle. These were added in years 3, 5, 8, 11,
13, 16, and 19 of the cycle. [/size][/font]


[font=Arial][size=12]So, almost certainly, we have here
the importance of the numbers 12 and 7 (the occurrence of the
plural and the single of 'sanat' (year) respectively). The
metonic cycle is 19 solar years pretty exactly or in lunar years
it is 19 and 7/12 ths!![/size][/font]


[font=Arial][size=12]The remaining words you might
think of related to time are "week" which doesn't occur
at all, and hour. The word hour occurs in the Qur'an not, as
might be expected, 24 times but 48 times! This is still a bit of
a puzzle to me but there is something that might be noted here. A
given calendar day e.g. 19th of January 1998 exists for exactly
48 hours. How is this? Well, it begins existing at the
international dateline when the whole world is momentarily on
18th of January 1998. After 12 hours half the world is 19th of
January 1998 and the other half is 18th of January 1998 after 24
hours the whole world is momentarily 19th of January 1998. After
36 hours half the world is 19th of January 1998 and half the
world is 20th of January 1998 and after 48 hours 19th of January
1998 ceases to exist and momentarily the whole world is 20th of
January 1998. From this we see that a day lasts not 24 hours but
48 hours!!!! [/size][/font]


[font=Arial][size=12]Another example of structure is
spotted in Surah 15, Verse 33 [/size][/font]


<blockquote>
<blockquote>
[font=Arial][size=12]For no statement do they
bring you but We reveal the Truth to thee and the best
explanation[/size][/font]

</blockquote>
</blockquote>

[font=Arial][size=12]In the Qur'an the word for 'they
said' is qaalu and this occurs 332 times. The replies Allah gives
to the reader of the Qur'an are commands to 'Say!'. The Arabic
word for 'say!' in the imperative is qul and this occurs in the
Qur'an 332 times.[/size][/font]


[font=Arial][size=12]Another example is that the Muslim
should try to keep a balance between wanting the good in this
life "dunya" and wanting the good in the next life
"akhira". When we look for balance between these two
words in the Qur'an we find it: Both the word "dunya"
and "Akhira" occur 115 times.[/size][/font]


[font=Arial][size=12]One more thing I noticed was the
result of an email dispute between a couple of people. The first
was pointing out that the word Trinity never occurs in the Bible.
The reply to this was that the word Tawhid never occurs in the
Qur'an. The word Tawhid is an emphatic form of the meaning of
oneness, which means aloneness (i.e. without partners) and is a
very important term in Islamic theology. I checked this out and
it is true that the word "Tawhid" doesn't occur in the
Qur'an. This is somewhat contrary to what one might naively
expect given the importance of the concept of God's oneness in
Islam. However, I did notice that the word "wahid"
meaning "alone" did occur in the Qur'an. What would you
expect for this word, how many times is the word
"alone" in the Qur'an? The answer is once. It is alone.[/size][/font]


[font=Arial][size=12]These are just starting points and
I'm sure there is much more to discover. It deserves further
investigation and I for one shall investigate this more as time
permits. If you think that ignoring the remaining forms of the
words (e.g. not considering the plurals for each word) is
inconsistent then [/size][/font][url=http://islamic.org.uk/I4WM/click2.htm][font=Arial][size=12]click here [/size][/font][/url][font=Arial][size=12]for
the apparent consistency of these forms to the patterns spotted.[/size][/font]


[font=Arial][size=12]Please note that I have personally
verified these through my study of the concordance of the Qur'an.
This book is in Arabic and is called "al-muhjam al-mufahris
li alfaadh al-Qur'an al-kareem" it was compiled by Muhammad
Abdel Baaqee (and now you can do so too with the aid of an online concordance of
the Quran I have built - [url=http://aspnet.lamaan.com/QuranSearch.aspx]click
here to use it[/url]). In the introduction he explains how he validated
the concordance by reading through the entire Qur'an and checking
that every occurrence of every word was mentioned in the
concordance. He found 14 omissions only and these have been
included in the copy I now own as an appendix and integrated in
later editions. It was only after he compiled this concordance
that these discoveries were made and this concordance was
compiled and published earlier this century (1940's). You must
ask yourself, ‘Could Muhammad have put this structure in the
Qur'an?’ Even if he could what would have been his aim
seeing that the structure was not known about for 1350 years?
Would it have justified the effort for any material gain of
Muhammad? [/size][/font]


[font=Arial][size=12]If you make a balanced and
objective analysis of the evidence you may well realise that to
deny that the Qur'an is revelation from God, is to be quite
unreasonable, a self deception and therefore a sin of disbelief
that you will have to answer for on Judgement day. At such a
point your choice is clear. If you never reach such a point
despite your good thinking then it will be due to the lack of
knowledge that you have been able to find. This will then be the
fault of the Muslims in not delivering the message adequately.
Muslims may be at fault both in terms of not providing exemplary
behaviour because our conduct does not follow the teachings of
Islam closely enough or it may be through us not communicating
the message effectively. If this is the case you have some valid
excuse on Judgement day for not accepting Islam.[/size][/font]