THE SECRETS OF THE NUMBER 7
IN THE QUR’AN AND SUNNAH
Courtesy : Abduldaem Al-Kaheel
In this research, we explore some of the mysteries of the number 7 in both the Holy Qur’an and the Sunnah (i.e. Teachings) of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), and understand why and how God Almighty has given this number such high regard. We will reflect upon some of the wonders of this number in Allah’s Book, and witness how the Qur’an’s letters, words, Verses and Chapters come into perfect synchronisation with this number in ways that challenge imagination. We will also reflect upon certain specific Qur’anic words and Verses on their own, and discover relationships and consistencies that are always in harmony with the number 7.
The
Number 7: Great Status
Allah has
indeed given some prophets and
messengers a status greater than that of others, such as the Prophet
Muhammad, about whom He said: We sent thee not, but as a Mercy for all
creatures [Al-Anbiya’, 21:107]
Similarly,
He has given certain days and nights
special status, such as ‘Laylat Al-Qadr’ (The Night of Power), about which
Allah said was worth more than a thousand months in reward: We have
indeed revealed this (Message) in the Night of Power: (1) And what will
explain to thee what the night of power is? (2) The Night of Power is
better than a thousand months. (3) Therein come down the angels and the
Spirit by God's permission, on every errand: (4) Peace!...This until the
rise of morn! (5) [Al-Qadr, 97]
God has
given importance to certain days,
such as Friday, and to certain months like the Holy Month of
Ramadhan: Ramadhan is the (month) in which was sent down the Qur'an, as
a guide to mankind, also clear (Signs) for guidance and
judgment (Between right and wrong). So every one of you who is present
(at his home) during that month should spend it in fasting, but if
anyone is ill, or on a journey, the prescribed period (Should be made up)
by days later. God intends every facility for you; He does not want to
put to difficulties. (He wants you) to complete the prescribed period,
and to glorify Him in that He has guided you; and perchance ye shall
be grateful. [Al-Baqarah, 2:185]
Moreover,
God has given importance to certain
mosques and locations, such as Al-Masjid Al-Haram (The Sacred Mosque
or The Grand Mosque) in Mecca, and Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.
And He
has favoured some Chapters and Verses of
the Qur’an over others, making Surat Al-Fatiha ‘Umm Al-Kitab’ (The
Mother of the Book) the greatest Chapter, Surat Al-Ikhlas equal in reward
to a third of the Qur’an, and Ayat Al-Kursi (The Throne Verse, Verse 255
of Surat Al-Baqara) the greatest Verse.
And now,
if we ponder upon the numbers mentioned the Qur’an, and study the
citations of each number, we find that Allah has given a unique
preference to the number 7.
But why
7? What is it about this number, and why is it that it is repeated on
many different occasions in the Holy Qur’an? It must be pointed out
that the number 7 has many implications, in the universe, the Qur’an, and
the sayings of the Prophet Muhammad. The mere repetition of
this number in the Qur’an is fascinating. Indeed, we believe that there
is no other book on the face of this Earth in which the number 7 (or any number for that
matter) is arranged in such
spectacular fashion.
In fact,
the number 7 has proven to be a very popular number not only in the
Qur’an. One of the most frequently cited numbers in the Holy Bible is 7.
The number is mentioned more than 300 times in the Bible, not
including the different forms of the number (i.e. seventy, seventh). There seems to be a
suggestion amongst many in Christianity that this number is in fact the
‘Holy Number of God’, and a symbol of His perfection. A book is even
written on the subject, entitled The Number Seven in the Bible and Nature by
R. McCormack.
The
Number 7 in the Universe
When God
created the universe, He chose the number 7 as both the number of heavens
and number of layers in the Earth’s atmosphere. Allah says:
God is He
Who created seven
Firmaments and of the earth a similar number. Through the midst of them
(all) descends His Command: that ye may know that God has power over all
things, and that God comprehends, all things in (His)
Knowledge. [Al-Talaq, 65:12]
But even at atomic
level, this number is evident. The chemical element
nitrogen, in its molecular form, makes up the largest component of the air
we breathe, about 78%. Nitrogen is an essential building block of
proteins, which are absolutely critical to life on Earth. That being
said, the nitrogen atom is composed of
exactly 7 protons, 7 neutrons and 7 electrons, and
this alone brings about the significance of this number, even in the very
roots of creation. In addition, the days of the week are 7, the number of continents is 7, and so
is the number of colours in our visible spectrum.
It is also worth noting that the geological layers of the Earth are 7; something that scientists
only recently discovered.
The
Number 7 in the Teachings of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)
There are
literally thousands upon thousands of sayings quoted by the Prophet
Muhammad. The number 7 plays a significant role in a substantial
amount of these sayings; an indication yet again of
its importance. Below is a brief
list of some of the Messenger’s sayings that involve the number 7 in
various contexts: ·
“Avoid
the seven great
destructive sins.”1·
“Allah
will give shade, to seven, on the
Day when there will be no shade but His...”2·
“Whoever
usurps the land of somebody unjustly, his neck will be encircled with it
down the seven earths
(on the Day of Resurrection).”3·
“...Shall
I tell you the most superior Sura in the Qur'an before I go out of the
mosque?" When the Prophet intended to go out (of the Mosque), I
reminded him and he said, "That is: "Alhamdu-lillahi Rabbil-'Alamin
(Surat Al-Fatiha) which is the seven
oft-repeated verses (Al-Mathani) and the Grand Quran which has been given
to me.”4·
"We
have been ordered to prostrate on seven bones...” 5(i.e. forehead along with nose, two hands,
two knees, two toes). ·
“The
Qur’an has been revealed to be recited in seven different ways, so recite of it whichever is easy for you .”6
“Indeed,
anyone who fasts for one day for Allah's Pleasure, Allah will keep his
face away from the (Hell) fire for (a distance covered by a journey of) seventy years.”7·
“Seventy thousand people of my
followers will enter Paradise without accounts...”8·
“He who
asks pardon is not a confirmed sinner, even if he returns to his sin seventy times a day.”9 ·
“If a dog drinks from the utensil of anyone of
you it is essential to wash it seven times.”10·
“If any
one of you improves (follows strictly) his Islamic religion then his good
deeds will be rewarded ten times to seven hundred times for each good deed and a bad deed will be recorded as
it is.”11·
“If
anyone visits a sick whose time (of death) has not come, and says with him
seven times: I
ask Allah, the Mighty, the Lord of the mighty Throne, to cure you, Allah
will cure him from that disease.”12·
“Allah's
Apostle ordered us to do seven things
and forbade us from doing seven
others...”13·
“He who eats seven 'Ajwa dates every morning, will not be affected by poison or
magic on the day he eats them.”14
Therefore,
the number 7 (and some of its multiples) is the most popularly cited number
in the narrations of the Messenger of Allah. It is also the most repeated
number in the Holy Qur’an, after the number 1.
The
Number 7 and the Pilgrimage to Mecca
As is
well known by Muslims, the last of the five pillars of Islam is ‘Hajj’, or
the pilgrimage to Mecca, which takes place once a year during the Islamic
month of “Dhu Al-Hijjah”. Interestingly enough, many of the rituals
involved in Hajj take the number 7 into consideration. For example,
during ‘tawaf’, Muslims circumambulate (i.e. walk around) the Ka’aba 7
times. They also walk and hurdle between the two hills of Safa and
Marwa 7 times. In addition, this number has been mentioned in the only
Qur’anic Verse that speaks of both Hajj and Umra (a non-obligatory pilgrimage to
Mecca) at the same time. God Almighty says:
And
complete the Hajj or 'umra in the service of God. But if ye are prevented
(From completing it), send an offering for sacrifice, such as ye may find,
and do not shave your heads until the offering reaches the place of
sacrifice. And if any of you is ill, or has an ailment in his scalp,
(Necessitating shaving), (He should) in compensation either fast, or feed
the poor, or offer sacrifice; and when ye are in peaceful conditions
(again), if any one wishes to continue the 'umra on to the hajj, He must
make an offering, such as he can afford, but if he cannot afford it, He
should fast three days during the hajj and seven days on his return, Making ten days in all. This is for
those whose household is not in (the precincts of) the Sacred Mosque. And fear
God, and know that God Is strict in punishment. [Al-Baqarah,
2:196]
What is
beautiful about this Verse is the fact that God Almighty has placed it as
the 196th Verse of Surat
Al-Baqarah (Chapter: The Cow). To be more specific, this number – 196 – is a multiple of 7 twice: 196 =
4 x 7 x 7 This example may naturally be met by scepticism (as was the
case with me) because it is only the first we have presented so far.
We, of course, now believe that it is no coincidence, simply because
after extensively long research, we have discovered that the Holy
Quran, to put it briefly, is absolutely flooded with similar and more
intricate examples that emanate the wonders of the number 7. As
mentioned earlier, these examples, as we will see later on, involve
everything from the numbers of Chapters and Verses to the numbers of
letters and words.
The
Number 7 in the Parables of the Qur’an
The
number 7 is cited in various contexts in the Qur’an, one of which is the
Qur’anic parables (short stories). In calling upon his people to believe
in God Almighty and worship Him alone, the Prophet
Noah says: "'See ye not how God has created the seven heavens one above another,
(15) "'And made the moon a light in their midst, and made the sun as
a (Glorious) Lamp? (16) [Nuh, 71:15-16] This number is also used in the
story of the Prophet Yusuf (Joseph), by the King of Egypt who talks about
his dream: The king (of Egypt) said: "I do see (in a vision) seven fat kine, whom seven lean ones devour, and seven green ears of corn, and seven(others) withered. O ye chiefs!
Expound to me my vision if it be that ye can interpret
visions." [Yusuf, 12:43] And in the very same Chapter, God
Almighty even repeats this number three times in a single Verse: "O
Joseph!" (he said) "O man of truth! Expound to us (the dream)
of seven fat kine
whom seven lean
ones devour, and of seven
green ears of corn and (seven) others
withered: that I may return to the people, and that they may
understand." (46) (Joseph) said: "For seven years shall ye diligently sow
as is your wont: and the harvests that ye reap, ye shall leave them in the
ear,- except a little, of which ye shall eat. (47) "Then will come
after that (period) seven
dreadful (years), which will devour what ye shall have laid by in advance
for them,- (all) except a little which ye shall have (specially)
guarded. (48) [Yusuf, 12:46-48] This number is also found when
explaining the punishment of the people who rejected the message of the Prophet
Hud: But the Thamud,- they were destroyed by a terrible Storm of
thunder and lightning! (5) And the 'Ad, they were destroyed by a furious
Wind, exceedingly violent; (6) He made it rage against them seven nights and eight days in
succession: so that thou couldst see the (whole) people lying prostrate in
its (path), as they had been roots of hollow palm-trees tumbled down!
(7) [Al-Haaqqah, 69:5-7] And in the story of Prophet Moses, the
number 70, a multiple of 7, is cited: And Moses chose seventy of his people for Our place
of meeting: when they were seized with violent quaking, he prayed: "O
my Lord! if it had been Thy will Thou couldst have destroyed, long before,
both them and me: wouldst Thou destroy us for the deeds of the
foolish ones among us? this is no more than Thy trial: by it Thou
causest whom Thou wilt to stray, and Thou leadest whom Thou wilt into
the right path. Thou art our Protector: so forgive us and give us
Thy mercy; for Thou art the best of those who forgive. [Al-A’raf,
7:155] Again, the number 7 appears in the story of the People of the
Cave, when the number of people that is said to have been in the cave
is under speculation: (Some) say they were three, the dog being the
fourth among them; (others) say they were five, the dog being the sixth,-
doubtfully guessing at the unknown; (yet others) say they were seven, the dog being the eighth. Say
thou: "My Lord knoweth best their number; It is but few that know
their (real case)." Enter not, therefore, into controversies
concerning them, except on a matter that is clear, nor consult any of them
about (the affair of) the Sleepers. [Al-Kahf, 18:22] In short, the
relationship that the number 7 (and its multiples) has with the parables
of the Qur’an is one that cannot be ignored. Those interested in
ancient history, particularly in Egyptology, will also note that this
number was of much significance in ancient Egypt, and a symbol of
completeness.
The
Number 7 and the Day of Judgment
The
number 7 does not seem to confine itself merely to this worldly life, but
is also present when mention is of the Hereafter and the Day of Judgment.
The Arabic word (Al-Qiyama), meaning ‘The Day of Judgment’ is repeated in
the Qur’an precisely seventy times,
and this, of course, is a perfect multiple of 7:
70 = 10 x 7
Furthermore,
the word (Jahannam), meaning ‘Hellfire’, is repeated exactly seventy-seven times; again, a multiple of
7:
77 = 11 x 7
God
Almighty speaks of the seven doors of
Hellfire as well: And verily, Hell is the promised abode for them all! (43) To
it are seven gates:
for each of those gates is a (special) class (of sinners) assigned.
(44) [Al-Hijr, 15:43-44]
Even when
the punishment of God Almighty is explained, a multiple of 7 is cited
again: And he that will be given his Record in his left hand, will say:
"Ah! Would that my Record had not been given to me! (25) "And
that I had never realised how my account (stood)! (26) "Ah! Would
that (Death) had made an end of me! (27) "Of no profit to me has been
my wealth! (28) "My power has perished from me!"... (29) (The
stern command will say): "Seize ye him, and bind ye him, (30)
"And burn ye him in the Blazing Fire. (31) "Further, make him
march in a chain, whereof the length is seventy cubits! (32) "This was he that would not believe in
God Most High. (33) [Al-Haaqqah, 69:25-33]
Crucially,
it must be mentioned that God Almighty uses this number when speaking of
His own divine, never-ending words: And if all the trees on earth were
pens and the ocean (were ink), with seven oceans behind it to add to its (supply), yet would not
the words of God be exhausted (in the writing): for God is Exalted
in Power, full of Wisdom. [Luqmaan, 31:27]
The
Number 7 and Charity
The
number 7 is mentioned when God Almighty speaks of the multiplied reward of
those who spend whatever blessings they have for the sake of God’s
pleasure: The parable of those who spend their substance in the way of God
is that of a grain of corn: it groweth seven ears, and each ear Hath a hundred grains. God giveth
manifold increase to whom He pleaseth: And God careth for all and He
knoweth all things. [Al-Baqarah, 2:261]
Here, we
point out to the fact that Allah on one hand speaks of the number 7, but
on another hand refers to the concept of multiplication (...each ear Hath
a hundred grains. God giveth manifold increase...). In this
example, perhaps, is an allusion to a possible numerical arrangement that
concerns the multiples of the number 7, and God Almighty knows
best. That being said, one of the multiples of 7, namely the number 70,
has been repeated several times in the Holy Qur’an. This number,
of course, is a multiple of 7 ten times (70 = 10 x 7). One of
those instances is found in Surat Al-Taubah, when God tells the
Prophet Muhammad that the hypocrites would not be forgiven for the sin
they have committed: Whether thou ask for their forgiveness, or not,
(their sin is unforgivable): if thou ask seventy times for their forgiveness, God will not forgive them: because
they have rejected God and His Apostle: and God guideth not those who are
perversely rebellious. [Al-Taubah, 9:80]
The
Number 7 and the Praise of God
In the
Holy Qur’an, there are precisely seven Chapters which begin with praise or glorification, or
“Tasbeeh”, of Allah. These Chapters are Al-Isra’, Al-Hadid,
Al-Hasyr, Al-Saff, Al-Jumu’ah, Al-Taghabun and Al-A’la. Let us take a
look at these seven opening
Verses:
1.
Glory to (God) Who did take His servant for a Journey by night from
the Sacred Mosque to the farthest Mosque, whose precincts We did bless,-
in order that We might show him some of Our Signs: for He is the One Who
heareth and seeth (all things). [Al-Isra’, 17:1] 2. Whatever is
in the heavens and on earth,- let it declare the Praises and Glory of God:
for He is the Exalted in Might, the Wise. [Al-Hadid, 57:1] 3.
Whatever is in the heavens and on earth, let it declare the Praises
and Glory of God: for He is the Exalted in Might, the Wise. [Al-Hasyr,
59:1] 4. Whatever is in the heavens and on earth, let it declare
the Praises and Glory of God: for He is the Exalted in Might, the
Wise. [Al-Saff, 61:1] 5. Whatever is in the heavens and on
earth, doth declare the Praises and Glory of God,- the Sovereign, the Holy
One, the Exalted in Might, the Wise. [Al-Jumu’ah, 62:1] 6.
Whatever is in the heavens and on earth, doth declare the Praises
and Glory of God: to Him belongs dominion, and to Him belongs praise: and
He has power over all things. [Al-Taghabun, 64:1] 7. Glorify
the name of thy Guardian-Lord Most High, [Al-A’la, 87:1]
This
result hides, perhaps, a certain numerical relationship between the number
seven and the
above Verses, that may be discovered in the near future, and again, God
knows best.
The
Number 7 and the Letters of the Qur’an
Indeed,
the Divine Wisdom of God Almighty has called for the Holy Qur’an to be
sent down in the Arabic language, a language which consists of precisely
28 alphabetic letters, a multiple of 7 [28 = 4 x 7].
The
number 7 is evident in the opening Chapter of the Qur’an, namely Surat
Al-Fatiha, which God comprised of 7 Verses. And in Surat Al-Hijr, we find
that God Almighty directly addresses the Prophet Muhammad by speaking to
him of Surat Al-Fatiha: And We have bestowed upon thee the Seven Oft-repeated (verses) and
the Grand Qur'an. [Al-Hijr, 15:87]
The above
phrase “Seven-oft
repeated (verses)” is a reference Surat Al-Fatiha. It is considered the
greatest Chapter of the Qur’an, and is indeed oft-repeated, not least
because this is the only Chapter that all Muslims recite in each of their
five daily prayers. In addition, it not only consists of 7 Verses, but
this very fact has been emphasised by the above Verse from Surat Al-Hijr. Having said
that, we now point out to the following wonderful fact. Of the
28 letters that make up the Arabic language, exactly 21 are used
in Surat Al-Fatiha. Conveniently enough, 21, as we all know, is
another multiple of 7 [21 = 3 x 7]! Another interesting fact resides
in the Qur’an. The Holy Qur’an contains some ‘special letters’ which
create ‘special phrases’ that are used as the opening Verses of 29
Chapters. We will call them ‘special’ because the full meaning
behind these seemingly disconnected characters has not yet been fully understood.
These various opening phrases are listed below: (اﻟﻢ، اﻟﻤﺺ،
اﻟﺮ، اﻟﻤﺮ، ﻛﮭﯿﻌﺺ، ﻃﮫ، ﻃﺲ، ﯾﺲ، ص، ﺣﻢ، ﻋﺴﻖ، ق، ن)
Peculiarly,
as you can clearly see, there are exactly 14 opening special phrases - a
multiple of 7 again [14 = 2 x 7]. Please note that some of these
phrases consist of just one Arabic letter (ن), some two (ﺣﻢ), some three
(اﻟﺮ), some four (اﻟﻤﺺ), and one of them – ﻛﮭﯿﻌﺺ– consists of five
letters. Bet here is where it gets really interesting. Not only are
there 14 special words, but the number of different letters making up
these phrases is also 14! In other words, exactly 14 different
opening letters are found in various combinations to form these 14
phrases, and these letters are as follows: ا ل م ص
ر ك ه ي ع ط س ح ق ن
Perhaps, in this presence of the number 14 twice, is an indication as to
the existence of a relationship between these specific letters and the
number 7 and its multiples. However, that will only be explored
in part 7 of this book, so for now, it will have to wait.
The
Number 7 and the Creation of the Heavens
There are
Verses in the Holy Qur’an that speak about the creation of the 7
Heavens and the Earth in six days. If we happen to look
for them, we find there are precisely 7 such Verses in the
Qur’an:
1.
Your Guardian-Lord is God, Who created the heavens and the earth in six days, and is firmly established
on the throne (of authority): He draweth the night as a veil o'er the day,
each seeking the other in rapid succession: He created the sun, the moon,
and the stars, (all) governed by laws under His command. Is it not His to
create and to govern? Blessed be God, the Cherisher and Sustainer of the
worlds! [Al-A’raf, 7:54]
2.
Verily your Lord is God, who created the heavens and the earth in six days, and is firmly established on
the throne (of authority), regulating and governing all things. No
intercessor (can plead with Him) except after His leave (hath been
obtained). This is God your Lord; Him therefore serve ye: will ye not
receive admonition? [Yunus, 10:3]
3.
He it is Who created the heavens
and the earth in six Days- and His Throne was over the waters - that He
might try you, which of you is best in conduct. But if thou wert to say to
them, "Ye shall indeed be raised up after death", the
Unbelievers would be sure to say, "This is nothing but obvious
sorcery!" [Hud, 11:7]
4.
He Who created the heavens and the
earth and all that is between, in six days, and is firmly established
on the Throne (of Authority): God Most Gracious: ask thou, then, about Him
of any acquainted (with such things). [Al-Furqan, 25:59]
5.
It is God Who has created the heavens
and the earth, and all between them, in six Days, and is firmly
established on theThrone (of Authority): ye have none, besides Him, to protect
or intercede (for you): will ye not then receive
admonition? [Al-Sajdah, 32:4]
6.
We created the heavens and the
earth and all between them in Six Days, nor did any sense of weariness
touch Us. [Qaaf, 50:38]
7.
He it is Who created the heavens
and the earth in Six Days, and is moreover firmly established on the
Throne (of Authority). He knows what enters within the earth and what
comes forth out of it, what comes down from heaven and what mounts up
to it. And He is with you wheresoever ye may be. And God sees well all that
ye do. [Al-Mujadalah, 58:7]
The
phenomenon of the creation of the 7 Heavens is repeated 7 times, just like
the number of Heavens. The question of whether this is coincidence
or divine precision is not up to us, of course. As you will have
noticed in the seven Verses above,
they all mentioned the heavens, but none of them referred to the heavens
as the seven heavens. That
is why we will now look at how the ‘seven heavens’ are repeated in the Qur’an, and extend our argument
in favour of the notion that the repetition of Verses and words in this
wonderful Book is all in accordance with a deliberate, intricately
detailed arrangement.
The
Number 7 and the Seven Heavens
When we
look for the mention of the seven heavens
in the Holy Qur’an, we find a connection between this and the number
7, because the precise number of Verses which mention the seven heavens in the entire book
is (yes, you guessed it) 7:
1.
It is He Who hath created for you all things that are on
earth; Moreover His design comprehended the heavens, for He gave
order and perfection to the seven firmaments; and of all things He hath perfect
knowledge. [Al-Baqarah, 2:29]
2.
The seven heavens
and the earth, and all beings therein, declare His glory: there is not a
thing but celebrates His praise; And yet ye understand not how they
declare His glory! Verily He is Oft Forbear, Most Forgiving! [Al-Isra’,
17:44]
3.
Say: “Who is the Lord of the seven heavens, and the Lord of the Throne (of Glory) Supreme?”
(86) They will say, “(They belong) to God.” Say: “Will ye not then be
filled with awe?” (87) [Al-Mu’minun, 23:86-87]]
4.
So He completed them as seven
firmaments in two Days, and He assigned to each heaven its duty and
command. And We adorned the lower heaven with lights, and (provided it) with
guard. Such is the Decree of (Him) the Exalted in Might, Full of
Knowledge. [Fussilat, 41:12]
5.
God is He Who created seven
Firmaments and of the earth a similar number. Through the midst of them
(all) descends His Command: that ye may know that God has power over all
things, and that God comprehends, all things in (His)
Knowledge. [Al-Talaq, 65:12]
6.
He Who created the seven heavens
one above another: No want of proportion wilt thou see in the Creation of
(God) Most Gracious. So turn thy vision again: seest thou any flaw? [Al-Mulk,
67:3]
7.
“’See ye not how God has created the seven heavens one above another, (15) “’And made the moon a light
in their midst, and made the sun as a (Glorious) Lamp? (16) [Nuh,
71:15-16]
So to
reflect, we say the following: God Almighty has created 7 glorious
heavens, only one of which is visible to the naked eye. And by His
Wisdom, He cites the ‘seven heavens’
in the Holy Qur’an no more or less than precisely 7 times.
The First
and Last Mention of 7 in the Qur’an: Symmetry Unmatched
A number
of profound numerical consistencies are found between the first and last
mention of seven in the
Holy Qur’an. The number 7 is first cited when God Almighty declares:
It is He Who hath created for you all things that are on
earth; Moreover His design comprehended the heavens, for He gave
order and perfection to the seven firmaments; and of all things He hath perfect
knowledge. [Al-Baqarah, 2:29] The last time the number is mentioned
is in the following Verse: And (have We not) built over you the seven firmaments, [Al-Naba’,
78:12] Now, we observe the following facts that demonstrate a
mysterious accuracy between the above two Verses:
Fact
1 The number of Chapters from Surat Al-Baqarah, where 7 is
first cited, to Surat Al-Naba’ where it is last cited, is 77 Chapters –
a multiple of 7:
77 = 11 x 7
So,
having just confirmed that the number of Chapters in between the first and
last citation of 7 divides by 7, we tackle more sensitive grounds by
asking: What about the number of Verses?
Fact
2 If we count the number of Verses, from the Verse where 7 is
first mentioned (29thVerse of Surat Al-Baqarah) until the last Verse
where 7 is mentioned (12thVerse of Surat Al-Naba’), we find the number
of Verses to be precisely 5649. And this is a perfect multiple of 7: 5649
= 807 x 7 So far, we have discovered that both the number of Chapters
and Verses between the first and last repetition of the number 7 are
exact multiples of 7. But there’s more to come.
Fact
3 The number of Verses from the very beginning of Surat
Al-Baqarah (The Chapter where 7 is first mentioned) until the very end of
Surat Al-Naba’ (The Chapter where 7 is last mentioned) is 5705 –
a multiple of 7:
5705 = 815 x 7
So not
only are the numbers of Chapters and Verses turning out to be multiples of
7, but don’t forget that the number 7 is the very subject of our
discussion, because we are looking at where this number is used in the
Qur’an!
Fact
4 The number of Verses from the beginning of Surat Al-Baqarah up
to the Verse which precedes the one mentioning the number 7 in
that very Chapter is 28, a multiple of 7 [28 = 4 x 7]. This makes
perfect sense of course, because the Verse which mentions 7 is the
29thVerse of Surat Al-Baqarah, meaning that 28 Verse precede it. In other
words, when we count the number of Verses from the first Verse to the
Verse that comes directly before God’s saying, It is He Who hath created
for you all things that are on earth; Moreover His design comprehended the
heavens, for He gave order and perfection to the seven firmaments; and of all things
He hath perfect knowledge. [Al-Baqarah, 2:29] we find that there
are exactly 28 Verses. That is regarding the first time 7 is
mentioned in the Holy Qur’an. Which begs the question: What about the last
time this number is ever mentioned in the Qur’an? Is there any
similar arrangement there? The answer is yes. In fact, the
corresponding arrangement is so beautiful that it involves the same
number, 28. If we count the number of Verses from the Verse coming directly
after the 12thVerse of Surat Al-Naba’ (where 7 is last cited) until the
very end of Surat AlNaba’, we find that there are precisely 28 Verses! That is
not all, however. Now we ask: What about the number of Verses from the
very beginning of the Qur’an, to the very end of Surat Al-Naba’, the
Chapter which last mentions the number 7?
Fact
5 Counting the number of Verses from the first Verse in the
Holy Qur’an to the last Verse in Surat Al-Naba, we find that there are
5712 Verses, a number which perfectly divides by 7:
5712 = 816 x 7
Fact
6 Finally, it is interesting to note that in the Arabic language,
the number 7 in word form (i.e. seven) can be written in several different ways depending on the
context of a given passage. That being said, when the number is
first found in the Qur’an in Surat Al-Baqarah, it is written as (ﺳﺒﻊ) with
three letters (ع ب س). When it is last cited, however, it is written
as (ﺎًﺳﺒﻌ) with four letters (ًا ع ب س). Therefore, the total
number of letters making up the first and last mentions of ‘seven’ in the Qur’an is 7! It is
necessary to ask the following question: Could these consistencies have
been simply blind coincidence? This is a judgment that we do not
make, it is up to each individual reader to decide for their own. We
simply state what we personally believe, and try to support our views with
evidence that addresses human intellect. So far, we’ve witnessed precision
that extends as far as individual words examined on their own, so just
what could be found if all the words of the Qur’an were similarly
analysed? Scientific reasoning suggests that such numerical coincidence
can only exist in a book when the author actually makes the effort of
arranging his words in a specific manner. And we believe that
the arrangements that are found in the Qur’an which relate to the number 7
are abundant proof that God Almighty, with his infinite wisdom, has
miraculously arranged the letters of His Book, thus proving that the
Qur’an is a Book sent down by the very Creator of the 7 heavens. Quite
honestly, we will never be able to calculate or count just how many
examples of numerical consistencies exist within the Qur’an, but we will
explore the numerical miracle in more detail in the upcoming Parts of this
book.
Just what
is the Numerical Miracle?
Every
function in this world works according to a particular arrangement.
Especially in the 21stcentury, the language of numbers is inevitably
used for most, if not all those functions. Today, for instance, when
scientists speak of the celestial cycles of the moon and the sun, the
distances between planets, the estimated age of the Earth and of mountains
and rocks - all this is governed by numbers. Without numbers, we
could not have precisely calculated the future dates and times when various
phenomena, such as the solar and lunar eclipses, take place. Quite
simply, without numbers, we would not have known what time it was.
Numbers give meaning to our world. The days of the month and
months of the year are all strictly defined by numbers, and this is
something that God Almighty even refers to in the Holy Qur’an: The
number of months in the sight of God is twelve (in a year) - so ordained
by Him the day He created the heavens and the earth; of them four are
sacred: that is the straight usage... [Al-Taubah, 9:36] This brings
us to the word of God Almighty. Naturally, the words of God are
unlike those of man. Therefore, we are going to use the simple
language of numbers to express the wonderful precision of the Qur’an’s
words, and hence conclude that this Book is structured in amazingly
accurate fashion. In other words, it is our belief that God Almighty has
miraculously arranged His words in a manner such that part of their beauty
lies in their arrangement, in a numerical sense. Not only that, but
we shall be using an abundance of examples of numerical accuracy to
prove that if indeed this Qur’an was the word of man, it simply must
have contained numerous contradictions, at this numerical level at least.
And now, we will look at some more arrangements connecting the beginning
of the Qur’an to its end.
The First
and Last Chapters of the Qur’an
There are
defined numbers in the Holy Qur’an, about which there can be no argument.
For instance, the Qur’an consists of 114 Chapters, and the first
Chapter – Surat Al-Fatiha (Chapter: The Opening) - is Chapter #1. It
follows that the last Chapter – Surat AlNas (Chapter: The People) – is Chapter
#114. These two Chapters, the first and the last, are beautifully
connected to each other with respect to the number 7. We now first
write the number 1 (which represents Surat Al-Fatiha) followed by the
number 114 (which represents Surat Al-Nas) next to it:
The Last Chapter’s Number=114 The First Chapter’s
Number =1
Arranging
these two numbers next to each other in logical sequence gives the number
1141. Exquisitely, this is a multiple of 7:
1141 = 163 x 7
Not only
that, but adding each separate unit of this number also gives us exactly
7!
1 + 1 + 4 + 1 = 7
At this
point, and from this point onwards, it is crucial to note the following:
We follow one fixed mathematical method of arranging
numbers, according to their logical sequence in the Holy Qur’an. In
other words, the Arabic language, the language of the Qur’an,
is communicated from right to left, unlike English, for instance,
which reads from left to right. This means that one begins reading
the Chapters of the Qur’an from the right to the left. In accordance
with this rule, we arrange the numbers from right to left, exactly as
they appear in the Qur’an.
Unique Numbers
in the Qur’an
There are
a few unique numbers that distinguish the Holy Qur’an from any other text.
Among these are: The number of its Chapters, the number of its Verses and
the number of years it took for the Book to be sent down. The Qur’an
has 114 Chapters, 6236 Verses1and was sent down to the Prophet Muhammad
over 23 years of revelation. We will now observe how these clearly
distinct numbers achieve consistent numerical results that no person can
ever come to produce, no matter how hard they try. The sheer
brilliance of the following numbers is witnessed, of course, using the
same method of arranging numbers next to each other, and from largest to
smallest. And since there are three numbers to deal
1 This is the number
of Verses according to the most popular style of recitation, known as Hafs
bin Aasim. This number slightly differs from other recitations;
perhaps these differences mean the existence of multiple numerical arrangements,
and God Almighty knows best.
with,
there are three possible number combinations that could result in
multiples of 7, as we can see below:
1.
The Arrangement of the number of Qur’anic Verses 6236, with the
number of Qur’anic Chapters 114, forms the number: 114 6236
2.
The Arrangement of the number of Qur’anic Verses 6236, with the
number of years of its revelation 23, forms the number: 23 6236
3.
The Arrangement of the number of Qur’anic Chapters 114, with the
number of years of its revelation 23, forms the number: 23 114 Having
derived three different numbers from the Qur’an, we will now observe how
accurately these numbers are connected to the number 7. The same
pattern is always found: these numbers are perfect multiples of 7, and in
whichever direction they are read. The First Number: Verses +
Chapters Let us now write the number of Verses of the Holy Qur’an, in
addition to the number of Chapters: Number of Qur’anic Chapters= 114
Number of Qur’anic Verses =6236 The number that represents
the Verses and Chapters of the Qur’an is 1146236. This number consists of seven digits, and is a
pure multiple of 7:
1146236 = 163748 x 7
The First
Number Reversed
We will
now take our chances with the number 1146236 and reverse it completely
(i.e. read it from left to right, so 1 followed by 1 then 4 then 6, etc.),
to give us 6326411. Even though we have switched the order of the
original number, amazingly, this new number is a multiple of 7 yet
again:
6326411 = 903773 x 7
Final
Note: An interesting point to make is that the sum of the digits making up
the number 1146236 (which consists of the number of the Qur’ans Verses and
Chapters) is:
1 + 1 + 4
+ 6 + 2 + 3 + 6 = 23
[And 23
is the number of years of the Qur’an’s revelation!]
To
briefly summarise: The outcome of arranging the number of the Qur’an’s
Verses and its Chapters is a number that divides perfectly by 7, even when
it’s read backwards, and the sum of its digits is 23; the number of years
of it took for the Qur’an to be revealed.
The
Second Number: Verses + Years of Revelation
For our
second number, we write the number of Verses of the Qur’an, in addition to
the number of years of its revelation:
Years of
Qur’anic Revelation=23 Number of Qur’anic Verses= 6236
The
resulting number is 236236, a number which is also a multiple of 7:
236236 = 33748 x 7
The
Second Number Reversed
And as we
did in the first case, we will now completely reverse this number, making
it 623632, a multiple of 7:
632632 = 89089 x 7
Therefore,
in summary, we say that the same consistent pattern of divisibility by 7
both ways, is found when taking the number of years of revelation of the
Qur’an into account.
The Third
Number: Chapters + Years of Revelation
The third
number is formed when joining the number of Chapters in the Qur’an with
the number of years of revelation of the Qur’an:
Years of Qur’anic Revelation=23 Number of
Qur’anic Chapters =114
The
resulting number is 23114, a multiple of 7:
23114 = 3302 x 7
The Third
Number Reversed
We
expect, of course, that reversing this number should give us a multiple of
7. Indeed, this is precisely the case:
41132 = 5876 x 7
Therefore,
in our final case, the same consistency is preserved: the number of
Qur’anic Chapters alongside the years of its revelation form a number that
is a multiple of 7, even when read in the opposite direction. It
cannot be forgotten that all the above combinations were arranged in
precisely the same manner: from larger to smaller figures (i.e. starting
with the larger number on the right followed by the
smaller number). Please note: Had the three numbers, 6236, 114 and
23, been any different, in other words, if the Qur’an had one more or one
less Verse or Chapter, or if it had taken one more or one less year to
be sent down, this entire numerical pattern would be shattered,
and therefore irrelevant. We’re not done, however. These
numbers still have more to reveal. Connecting the Three Numbers Regarding
the three numbers we derived above, it is interesting that they have
different numbers of digits, and these digits are in perfect descending
order. In other words, the first number consists of 7 digits, the second 6
digits and the third 5 digits:
First
Number: 1146236 consists of 7
digits
Second
Number: 236236 consists of 6
digits
First
Number: 23114 consists of 5
digits
And now,
we arrange the number of digits of each number in logical order and
observe the result:
Digits in
3rdNumber= 5
Digits in
2ndNumber = 6
Digits in
1stNumber= 7
The resulting number is 567, which is a
multiple of 7:
567 = 81 x 7
This
incredible connection of the Qur’an’s Chapters, Verses and years of
revelation to the number seven with
such profound accuracy, is but stunning evidence of an intricate
numerical arrangement that no human can construct.
The First
and Last Words in the Qur’an
We will
now reflect upon some separate words in the Holy Qur’an, in an attempt to
emphasise the fact that every word in this Book is indeed deliberately and
expertly arranged in its proper place. For now, we shall examine the very
first and very last word in the Qur’an in terms of arrangement.
After that, we will look at the first and last word in terms of
revelation, because it must be pointed out that that the order of the
Qur’an’s Chapters is not the same as the order with which they were
revealed. For instance, Surat Al-Fatiha is the first Chapter of the
Qur’an, but it is not the first Chapter to be revealed to the Prophet
Muhammad. That being said, we now look at the normal arrangement of
the Qur'an, and opening the first page, we find that the first word in
this Book is (ﺑﺴﻢ) (In the Name of)2. This is found in the first
Verse of Surat Al-Fatiha, where God Almighty says (اﻟﺮﺣﯿﻢ اﻟﺮﺣﻤﻦ اﷲ ﺑﺴﻢ)
(In the Name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful) [Surat Al-Fatiha, 1:1].
Now, turning to the last page, we find that the last word is
(اﻟﻨﺎس)(men). This is found in Surat Al-Nas (Chapter: Mankind), in the
final Verse which states (واﻟﻨﺎس اﻟﺠﻨﺔ ﻣﻦ) (Among Jinns and among
men). The word (اﺳﻢ) (Name) is found 22 times in the Qur’an, and the
word (اﻟﻨﺎس) (men) has been repeated 241 times in the Qur’an. And
now, we arrange the two numbers as we always do, and observe the
outcome: Repetition of Last Word in Qur’an = 241 , Repetition
of First Word in Qur’an = 22
2‘In the
Name of’ is 4 English words, but in Arabic, it is just one. The number we
arrive at from combining these two numbers is 241223. Again, this
number is a multiple of 7:
24122 = 3446 x 7
The first
and last words mentioned in the Qur’an are linked to the number 7.
So does this consistency remain when we observe the first and last
words to be revealed?
The First
and Last Revealed Words in the Qur’an
The first
word that was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad by the angel Gabriel was
(اﻗﺮأ) (Read), in the first Verse of Surat Al-‘Alaq: (ﺧﻠﻖ اﻟﺬي رﺑﻚ ﺑﺎﺳﻢ
اﻗﺮأ) (Proclaim! (or read!) in the name of thy Lord and Cherisher, Who
created-) [Al-‘Alaq, 96:1]. The last word (or phrase, rather) is (ﯾﻈﻠﻤﻮن ﻻ)
(None shall be dealt with unjustly)4, where God Almighty says:
And fear the) (وَاﱠﺗُﻘﻮا ﯾَ ْﻮ ًﻣﺎ ﺗُ ْﺮ َﺟ ُﻌﻮ َن ﻓِ ِ ﯿﮫ إَِﻟﻰ ﱠ
اﻟﻠ ِﮫ ﺛُ ﱠﻢ ﺗُ َﻮﱠﻓﻰ ﻛُ ﱡﻞ ﻧَْﻔ ٍﺲ ﻣَﺎ ﻛَ َﺴَﺒ ْﺖ وَھُ ْﻢ ﻟَﺎ ﯾُ ْﻈَﻠ ُﻤﻮ
َن)Day when ye shall be brought back to God. Then shall every soul be paid
what it earned, and none shall be dealt with unjustly) [AlBaqarah, 281:2]. So
the message of Islam began with the word (Read), which pertains to
knowledge, and ended with (None shall be dealt with unjustly), which
pertains to justice and equality; and that, if anything, is evidence that
Islam advocates knowledge and justice.
3(اﺳﻢ)
‘Name’ is used instead of (ﺑﺴﻢ) ‘In the Name of’. Yet even if (ﺑﺴﻢ) ‘In
the Name of’ is used, this is found 115 times in the Qur’an, and again
produces a multiple of 7:
241115 = 34445 x 7.
4 In
Arabic, this term is actually made up of two words. And now, we come to the
miraculous numerical arrangement in terms of how many times these two
terms are repeated in the Holy Qur’an. We find it very interesting
that all the repetitions of the term (None shall be dealt with unjustly)
come before any mention of the word (Read). This is a significant point,
the secret of which is perhaps not only to retain a numerical miracle
which illustrates God’s wisdom, but to confirm God’s concern with absolute
justice, and the fact that He does not deal unjustly with His creations.
The term (ﯾﻈﻠﻤﻮن ﻻ) (None shall be dealt with unjustly) has been repeated
15 times in the Qur’an, while noting that the several roots of the word
(justice) have been mentioned in various place in the Qur’an.
However, we are concerned with this particular phrase, which is made
up of two words, namely (ﻻ) (None) and (ﯾﻈﻠﻤﻮن) (shall be dealt with
unjustly). Please note that every time this form of the word
justice, i.e. (ﯾﻈﻠﻤﻮن) is used in the Qur’an, the word (ﻻ) (None) has come
directly before it. The word (اﻗﺮأ) (Read) is found exactly 3times.
And now, we write the repetition of each term, in order
of arrangement in the Qur’an.
Repetition of First Revealed Word= 3 Repetition of
Last Revealed Word=15
The
outcome is 315, a perfect multiple of 7:
315 = 45 x 7
The
Beautiful Link between Both Sets of Words A beautiful connection exists
between both outcomes. Let’s show the two results below: 24122
= 3446 x 7315 = 45 x 7As we can see above, the result of dividing the first
outcome by 7 is 3446, and the result of dividing the second outcome by 7
is 45. Amazingly, in whichever order we arrange the two results,
the answer is always a multiple of 7!
453446 = 1322 x 7 x 7 x 7
344645 = 49235 x 7
So this
consistency is seen for the repetition of the Qur’an’s first and last
words in terms of both arrangement and revelation. This, indeed, is
wonderful evidence that the words of the Qur’an are both connected and
concise, and that if the slightest of alterations had taken place
throughout the past 14 centuries, this entire arrangement would be exhausted. Have
the hearts sung yet? In the next part, we embark on a new adventure with
the very first Verse from the Book of Allah the Almighty. We will
reflect upon its secrets and the sheer precision in its arrangement.
To conclude for now, we simply say: Say: "The (Qur'an) was sent
down by Him who knows the mystery (that is) in the heavens and the earth:
verily He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful." [Al-Furqan,
25:6]
Summary
In this
research, we gained some insight into the mysteries of the number 7 in the
Holy Qur’an and the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad. The
most profound example in this research, perhaps, is the link found between
the number of Chapters, Verses and years of revelation of the Qur’an.
The resulting numbers were simply always multiples of 7, whichever
way they were read. We also witnessed the beautiful consistencies that
linked both ends of the Qur’an: the first and last Chapter, the first and
last Verse and the first and last word. Again, the outcomes were
always multiples 7.
--------------------
References: 1-
The Holy Quran. 2- The Encyclopaedia of the Numeric Miracles in the Holy
Quran. By: Abduldaem AlKaheel.
1Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 4,
Book 5, Number 28 2 Bukhari, Volume 1, Book 11, Number 629 3Bukhari,
Volume 3, Book 43, Number 632 4 Bukhari, Volume 6, Book 60, Number
225 5 Bukhari, Volume 1, Book 12, Number 774 6 Bukhari, Volume 9,
Book 93, Number 640 7 Bukhari, Volume 4, Book 52, Number 93 8
Bukhari, Volume 8, Book 76, Number 481 9 Sunan Abu-Dawud, Book 8, Number
1509 10 Bukhari, Volume 4, Book 1, Number 73 11 Bukhari, Volume 2,
Book 1, Number 40 12 Abu-Dawud, Book 20, Number 3100 13 Bukhari,
Volume 2, Book 23, Number 331 14 Bukhari, Volume 7, Book 65, Number
356
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