Sunday, May 6, 2012

Nineteen - The Authenticity Detector of the Qur'an

In our daily life, a signature or fingerprint is used as an identifier authenticity of a person. With signed a document, or by providing a fingerprint stamp to a document, it can be ascertained whether or not the document is original or genuine.

In computer science, there is terms called checksum or CRC . Sometimes we have to zip or rar a file or folder in our computer. When we open a file zip or rar , sometimes we get the error " CRC checksum error ". That means the file that we zip or rar is corrupted, such as changes of the contents of the file, so that the file is considered to be not genuine anymore and finally could not be opened.


In the photography, there is the so-called watermark , such as providing a "signature" of the photos we take, so it can be authenticated that it is indeed our shots. Allah, in the Qur'an, also gives authenticity detection ( checksum ). Even Allah specifically gives the key of the checksum to mankind in surah Al-Muddatstsir verse 30:
[74:30] Over it are nineteen
Note : most translations provide an additional "(guardian angels)" for the translation of this verse. Note that the translation of the Qur'an, which is in the brackets are translator's notes. Allah does not use "in brackets" mark for any verses in the Qur'an. 

Over it are "Nineteen", Allah says, indicate that the 19 is very special number, that will discuss in this post. In the next verse Allah explains the purpose of the existing of numbers "Nineteen" in the Qur'an: 
[74:31] ... and We have fixed their numbers :
- only as a trial for Unbelievers,
- in order that the People of the Book may arrive at certainty
- and the Believers may increase in Faith,
- and that no doubts may be left for the People of the Book and the Believers,
- and that those in whose hearts is a disease and the Unbelievers may say,
"What symbol doth Allah intend by this?"
Thus doth Allah leave to stray whom He pleaseth, and guide whom He pleaseth: and none can know the forces of thy Lord, except He and this is no other than a warning to mankind.
Let's look at a few of this " in determining the authenticity of  the Qur'an. In another post will be discussed also much further on the role of these 19 number.  

Please keep in mind that the Qur'an was revealed gradually, little by little, in 22 years 2 months 22 days, and not in order (the five first verses revealed were the first 5 verses of surah 96). The arrangement of the surahs and verses all revealed by God to the prophet Muhammad SAW, forms a very perfect book, that will be discussed in this post and subsequent posts.

First Checksum 

Let us take a look at the structure of the Qur'an:
  1. Number of surah in the Qur'an are 114 (6 x 19).
  2. The number of 114 is somewhat unique, because the 114th primes number 619, and 114 is (6 x 19).
  3. There are 6346 verses in the Qur'an (including bismillah in the beginning chapters / the 0th verse) (19 x 334) (6 + 3 + 4 + 6 = 19).
  4. We also know that the contents of the Qur'an is divided into 30 chapters. The number of 30 is the 19th composite number (natural number greater than 1 and not a prime number) : 4, 6, 8, 9,10,12,14, 15, 16, 18, 20, 27, 22 , 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 30.
  5. There are 114 bismillah in the Qur'an. A Bismillah is the first verse of  surah Al-Fatihah and 112 other bismillah are opening of the surah but not include in verses numbering or sometimes  said to be the 0st verse, with the exception of surah 9 (not opened with bismillah) and a bismillah in middle of the surah 27 verse 30. (114 = 19 x 6).
  6. Bismillahirrahmanirrahim consists of 19 letters (in Arabic).
  7. The only chapters that do not begin with Bismillah is in surah 9, and the only chapters in which bismillah appears two times is surah 27. Counting the surah number from surah 9 to surah 27 (including all 9 chapters and chapters to 27), there are 19 surah.
  8. The first five verses revealed in the Qur'an (surah 96 ayah 1-5) consists of 19 words.
  9. There are 30 kind of number mentioned in the Qur'an: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 19, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 99, 100, 200, 300, 1000, 2000, 3000, 5000, 50000, and 100000, which when all 30 numbers that add up to 162 146 (19 x 8534)
Specific to the point 9 above,  we can see how the Qur'an keep the number 19 consistently so that when Qur'an mentioned about the age of the prophet Noah AS, the Qur'an uses the phrase "... a thousand years less fifty years ..." [29:14], instead of ".. nine hundred and fifty years ...".


Second Checksum 

The Qur'an is structured in the form of 6 x (10 + 9) or 60 + 54, in which there are 60 surah that have total of the verses is even, and 54 surah that have total of the verses is odd. An example is Al-Fatihah (1) has 7 verses that makes Al-fatihah as surah with the odd total verses. But Al-Baqarah (2) has 286 verses that makes this surah as surah with the even total verses. Prof. Jalghoom Abdullah of Jordan finds some mathematical relation with above conditions, as follow:
  1. All of 60 surah with even total verses if the number of the surah is summed up, will come out with result of 3450 or 345 x 10.
  2. All of 54 surah with odd total verses if the number of the surah is summed up, will come out with result of 3150 or 345 x 9.
  3. The total of all the number of surah is 655 or 345 x 19 (1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 +7 + .... +114 = 6555) 
Thus, the number of the surah and the total of the verses cannot be exchanged each other, which if be exchanged then the structure above does not apply. For instance, surah Al-Fatihah and surah Al-Baqarah exchanged their place each other, then the sum of even total verses becomes 3449 and the sum of odd total verses becomes 3151.

Third Checksum


The Qur'an with its 114 surah can be divided in two groups categorized by its structure:
  1. 57 (19 x 3) surah are homogeneous, where the type of the number of surah is same as its total verses which is  even-even or odd-odd. As example is Al-Fatihah or "the Opening", its surah's number is 1 which is odd. Its total verses also odd, which has 7 verses in total. Another example is Al-Baqarah or" Female Cow ". Its surah's number is 2 which is even, and its total verses is 286 which is also even. All of these homogeneous surah, the sum of the number of the surah add up with the sum of the total verses of each surah of this kind, has result of 6236, or equal to the total verses in the Qur'an entirely.
  2. 57 (19 x 3) surah are heterogeneous, where the type of the number of surah is different with its total verses which is  even-odd or odd-even. As example is Ali'Imran or Family of Imran, has surah's number is 3 or odd, but it has 200 verses which is even. The sum of these heterogeneous surah's number add with total verses of each surah of this kind, has result of  6555, or equal to the sum of the number of surah from 1 to 114 (1 +2 +3 +4 + .... +114).
When these two groups of surah are added together, will generate a prime numbers: 6236 + 6555 = 12791 which is the 1525th prime number.



Note : image table above is taken from Indonesian version. Surat homogen = homogenous surah, surah heterogen = heterogenous surah, nama surah= name of surah, ayat=verses


Fourth Checksum


The coosen of 114 as total of surah has very interesting purpose, because it can be divided or partitioned into 3 major symmetrical groups, which are of course related to the number 19, as shown in the table below:


Note : image table above is taken from Indonesian version. Dapat dibagi 2, tidak dapat dibagi 3 = can be divided by 2, cannot be divided by 3, dapat dibagi 3 = can be divided by 3, tidak dapat dibagi 2 & 3 = cannot be divided by 2 nor 3, jumlah = total


Fifth Checksum

There are only 19 surah, no more or less - from those 114 surah - in which the sum of the number of surah and its particular total verses of that surah, has prime number as the result.


Note : image table above is taken from Indonesian version. Ayat = verses, jumlah= total


Sixth Checksum

The first 19 surah in which their total verses are prime number, if added up will me a number that multiple of 19.


Note : image table above is taken from Indonesian version. Nama surat = the name of surah, banyaknya ayat=total verses/the number of verses


Seventh Checksum

The Qur'an can also be divided into two groups of surah:
  1. 29 surah that have the initials ( fawatih ) at the first verse of the surah. Initials is a mysterious combination of the arabic alphabet, such as the nun, shad, alif lam mim. There are 14 arabic alphabets in total as initials. Those alphabet combinations is a prefix in all Makiah surah (surah that revealed in Mekkah/Mecca) , with the exception of two surah. Just for note that 29 is a 10th prime number.
  2. The remaining 85 surah (5 x 17, which are both prime) has no initials at the first verse of the surah, where the number of 5 x 17 associated with the order of shalat/prayer, five times a day amounted to 17 raka'ahs.
From the 29 surah that have initials, can be further categorized as follows:
  • 19 surah where the combination of alphabet (initials) is a whole one verse. An example is Al-Baqarah, surah number 2. The remaining 10 surah, the initials is a part of a sentence in that verse, not as a whole one verse.
  • 19 chapters where the number of the surah is not prime number. For example, surah Thaha, surah number 20. The remaining 10 chapters, numbered with prime numbers: 2, 3, 7, 11, 13.19, 29, 31, 41, and 43. Just pay attention that surah number 19 are placed in the 6th from the sequence of primes in those remaining 10 surah, which is when multiplied by (6 x 19 = 114), as much as the number of surah in the Qur'an. Their total of the number of  those remaining 10 surah is : 2 + 3 + 7 + 11 + 13 + 19 + 29 + 31 + 41 + 43 = 198, where 198 is the middle number of twin primes (197,199). Twin primes are pairs of primes that differed by two.
  • Surah 19, Maryam (Mary), is the 10th of this 29 initials-have surah.


Note : image table above is taken from Indonesian version. Nama = the name of surah, inisial=initials, ayat=verse


Please take a note of the arrangement of the initials surah as above.
  • Surah al-Ankabut or "Spiders", located in the middle position, in which surah's number is 29.
  • Before al-Ankabut, there are 14 initals-have surah and so after that, there are 14 initials-have surah. This initials-have surah start from surah 2 (Al-Baqarah) until surah 68 (Al-Qalam). This formation is perfectly symmetric.

Those surah are arranged in very unique way, symmetrical to each other, with the surah 29 is placed in the middle of those 29 kind of surah. Another conclusions that can be obtained from the table above are:
  • Among those initials-have surah, surah number 2 to number 68, there are 38 surah which do not have initials, or equal to (2 x 19).
  • Five surah before the middle of the table above (no 15/surah number 29) is the surah 19 and five chapters after the middle of the table above (no 15/surah number 29) is the surah 38, or (2 x 19).
  • From surah 19 (Maryam/Mary) until the end of the Qur'an, there are 19 initials-have surah.
  • Before surah Shad, which has surah's number 38 (19 x 2), there are 19 initial-have surah.

wallahu a'lam
Allah the Most Righteous with His words  
(from various sources) 

 To view and search the verses of the Qur'an can be through http://www.quranplus.com