Muqatta`at (Arabic: مقطعات , literally "abbreviated", translated as "abbreviated letters", also called Fawatih (فواتح), "initial letters" or Hawamim (حواميم), isolated, disconnected or broken letters, after the common letter combination Ha Mim) are letters appearing in the beginning of 29 suras (chapters) of the Qur'an. These letters are a subset of the Arabic alphabet. Sura (sometimes spelt Surah , plural Suwar ) is an Arabic term literally meaning something enclosed or surrounded by a fence or wall. ... The Qur’ān [1] (Arabic: , literally the recitation; also sometimes transliterated as Quran, Koran, or Al-Quran) is the central religious text of Islam. ... The Arabic alphabet is the script used for writing languages such as Arabic, Persian, Urdu, and others. ...

Introduction

In Arabic language, these letters are written together like a word, but none of these letter combinations actually forms a meaningful word in the language, and thus the name. They have been a topic of intense research and academic discussions in the Islamic literature. Examples include "Alif Lam Ra" that appears in the first verse of surat Yunus: "Alif Lam Ra. These are the verses of the wise Book." and "Alif Lam Mim Ra" in surat Ar-Ra'd: "Alif Lam Mim Ra. These are the verses of the Book; and that which is revealed to you from your Lord is the truth, but most people do not believe." (Shakir translation) For people named Islam, see Islam (name). ... Sura Yunus (Arabic: سورة يونس ) (Jonah) is the 10th sura of the Quran. ... Surat ar-Rad (The Thunder) is the 13th sura of the Quran. ...

The initial letter combinations themselves are restricted to combinations of 14 letters taken from the first 20 letters of the Arabic alphabet in its old numerical order (that is, alif ba jim dal...). These are: أ ح ر س ص ط ع ق ك ل م ن ه ي (alif, ha, ra, sin, sad, ta, ain, qaf, kaf, lam, mim, nun, ha, ya.) The Arabic alphabet is the script used for writing languages such as Arabic, Persian, Urdu, and others. ...

Context

A tree diagram of the Qur'anic initial letters, labelled with the respective numbers of occurrences. To be read right to left.

Certain co-occurrence restrictions are observable in these letters; for instance, alif is invariably followed by lam. The substantial majority of the combinations begin either alif lam or ha mim. See the diagram for fuller information. Image File history File links Quranic_initial_letters_en. ... The term tree diagram is used in different ways in different disciplines. ...

In all but 3 of the 29 cases, these letters are almost immediately followed by mention of the Qur'anic revelation itself (the exceptions are suras 29, 30, and 68); and some argue that even these three cases should be included, since mention of the revelation is made later on in the sura. More specifically, one may note that in 8 cases the following verse begins "These are the signs...", and in another 5 it begins "The Revelation..."; another 3 begin "By the Qur'an...", and another 2 "By the Book..." Additionally, all but 3 of these suras are Makkan suras (the exceptions are suras 2, 3, 13.) Surat Al-Ankabut (Arabic: سورة العنكبوت ) (The Spider) is the 29th sura of the Quran with 69 ayat. ... Surat Ar-Rum (Arabic: سورة الروم ) (The Romans, The Byzantines) is the 30th sura of the Quran with 60 ayat. ... Surat Al-Qalam (Arabic: سورة القلم ) (The Pen) is the 68th sura of the Quran with 52 ayat. ... The Makkan suras are the chronologically earlier suras of the Quran that were revealed at Makka. ... Surat al-Baqarah (the Cow) is the second, and the longest, sura of the Quran, with 286 ayat. ... Surat āl-Imrān (The Family of Amram) is the 3rd sura of the Quran with 200 ayat. ... Surat ar-Rad (Arabic: سورة الرعد ) (The Thunder) is the 13th sura of the Quran. ...

The suras that contain these letters are: sura 2, sura 3, sura 7, sura 10, sura 11, sura 12, sura 13, sura 14, sura 15, sura 19, sura 20, sura 26, sura 27, sura 28, sura 29, sura 30, sura 31, sura 32, sura 36, sura 38, sura 40, sura 41, sura 42, sura 43, sura 44, sura 45, sura 46, sura 50, sura 68. Surat al-Baqarah (the Cow) is the second, and the longest, sura of the Quran, with 286 ayat. ... Surat āl-Imrān (The Family of Amram) is the 3rd sura of the Quran with 200 ayat. ... Surat al-Araf (Arabic: سورة الأعراف ) (The Heights) is the 7th sura of the Quran, with 206 ayat. ... Sura Yunus (Arabic: سورة يونس ) (Jonah) is the 10th sura of the Quran. ... Sura Hud (Arabic سورة هود) is the 11th sura of the Quran. ... Sura Yusuf (Arabic: سورة يوسف ) (Joseph) is the 12th sura of the Quran. ... Surat ar-Rad (Arabic: سورة الرعد ) (The Thunder) is the 13th sura of the Quran. ... Sura Ibrahim (Arabic: سورة إبراهيم ) (Abraham) is the 14th sura of the Quran. ... Surat al-Hijr (Arabic: سورة الحجر ) (Al-Hijr, The Stoneland, The Rock City) is the 15th sura of the Quran. ... Sura Maryam (Arabic: سورة مريم ) (Mary) is the 19th sura of the Quran. ... Sura Ta-Ha (Arabic: سورة طه ) is the 20th sura of the Quran. ... Surat Ash-Shuara (Arabic: سورة الشعراء ) (The Poets) is the 26th sura of the Quran with 227 ayat. ... Surat An-Naml (Arabic: سورة النمل ) (The Ant, The Ants) is the 27th sura of the Quran with 93 ayat. ... Surat Al-Qisas (Arabic: سورة القصص ) (The Stories) is the 28th sura of the Quran with 88 ayat. ... Surat Al-Ankabut (Arabic: سورة العنكبوت ) (The Spider) is the 29th sura of the Quran with 69 ayat. ... Surat Ar-Rum (Arabic: سورة الروم ) (The Romans, The Byzantines) is the 30th sura of the Quran with 60 ayat. ... Surat Luqman (Arabic: سورة لقمان ) (Luqman) is the 31st sura of the Quran with 34 ayat. ... Surat As-Sajda (Arabic: سورة السجدة ) (The Prostration, Worship, Adoration) is the 32nd sura of the Quran with 30 ayat. ... Surat Ya-Seen (Arabic: سورة يس ) (Ya-Seen) is the 36th sura of the Quran with 83 ayat. ... Surat Sad (Arabic: سورة ص ) (The Letter Sad) is the 38th sura of the Quran with 88 ayat. ... Surat Al-Ghafir (Arabic: سورة غافر ) (The Forgiver (Allah)) is the 40th sura of the Quran with 85 ayat. ... Surat Fussilat (Arabic: سورة فصلت ) (Explained In Detail) is the 41st sura of the Quran with 54 ayat. ... Surat Ash-Shura (Arabic: سورة الشورى ) (Council, Consultation) is the 42nd sura of the Quran with 53 ayat. ... Surat Az-Zukhruf (Arabic: سورة الزخرف ) (Ornaments Of Gold, Luxury) is the 43rd sura of the Quran with 89 ayat. ... Surat Ad-Dukhan (Arabic: سورة الدخان ) (Smoke) is the 44th sura of the Quran with 59 ayat. ... Surat Al-Jathiya (Arabic: سورة الجاثية ) (Crouching) is the 45th sura of the Quran with 37 ayat. ... Surat Al-Ahqaf (Arabic: سورة الأحقاف ) (The Wind-curved Sandhills, The Dunes) is the 40th sura of the Quran with 35 ayat. ... Surat Qaf (The Letter Qaf) is the 50th sura of the Quran with 45 ayat. ... Surat Al-Qalam (Arabic: سورة القلم ) (The Pen) is the 68th sura of the Quran with 52 ayat. ...

Classical Research

While there has been some speculation on the meaning of these letters, a majority of Muslim scholars believe that these letters' full meaning is beyond our understanding (Ibn Kathir, for instance, describes them as "among those things whose knowledge God has kept only for Himself".) However, in light of their observed distribution, one traditional hypothesis suggests that these letters represent a challenge to the doubting reader: this book is made of ordinary letters, but can you produce anything like it? The rare combinations Ya Sin and Ta Ha are commonly interpreted in Muslim tradition as names of Muhammad, an interpretation which their context makes natural, though not certain. There is also a collection of Hadith called Sahih Muslim A Muslim (Arabic: مسلم, Persian: Mosalman or Mosalmon Urdu: مسلمان, Turkish: Müslüman, Albanian: Mysliman, Bosnian: Musliman) is an adherent of the religion of Islam. ... Ibn Kathir (Arabic : بن كثير ) was an Islamic scholar born in Busra, Syria in 1301 CE. He was taught by the Islamic scholar Ibn Taymiyya in Damascus, Syria. ... This article discusses the term God in the context of monotheism and henotheism. ... Muhammad in a new genre of Islamic calligraphy started in the 17th century by Hafiz Osman. ...

Fakhr al-Din al-Razi, a classical commentator of Quran, has noted some twenty opinions regarding these letters, and mentions multiple opinions that these letters present the names of the Surahs as appointed by God. In addition, he mentions that Arabs would name things after such letters (for example, 'money' as 'ع', clouds as 'غ', and fish as 'ن'). ^[1] Fakhr al-Din al-Razi (1149–1209) was a well-known Persian theologian and philosopher from Ray. ...

Modern Research

In 1974, an Egyptian biochemist named Rashad Khalifa claimed to have discovered a mathematical code in the Qur'an based on these initials and the number 19^[2], which is mentioned in Sura 74:30^[3] of the Quran. According to his research, these initials which prefix 29 chapters of the Qur'an occur throughout their respective chapters in multiples of this very number, nineteen. He has noted other mathematical phenomenon throughout the Quran, all related to what he describes as the "mathematical miracle of the Qur'an." Although subsequently dismissed as a heretic by Muslim scholars, his work did receive some acclaim by notable sources: Rashad Khalifa, 1989 Rashad Khalifa (November 19, 1935–January 31, 1990) was an Egyptian-born American biochemist who founded the United Submitters International. ...

Scientific American of September 1980, p. 22. Martin Gardner wrote of Khalifa's initial publication in the West: "It's an ingenious study of the Quran,...Nineteen is an unusual prime. For example, it's the sum of the first powers of 9 and 10 and the difference between the second powers of 9 and 10."

Three years later the Canadian Council on the Study of Religion reported in its Quarterly Review of April 1983 that the code Khalifa discovered is "an authenticating proof of the divine origin of the Quran." Since 1983, little notice has been taken of this work. In spite of that, Khalifa's work has been published in the United States in six books.

Amin Ahsan Islahi, a renowned exegete of the Quran, has mentioned that Arabs used to use such letters in their poetry and since Quran addressed them in their own linguistic style, it was only appropriate for Quran to use the same style. He agrees with Razi and mentions that since these letters are names for Surahs, being proper nouns they are not bound to have a meaning. At the same time, he cites research from Hamiduddin Farahi, a Quranic scholar from the Indian subcontinent, on how these letters must be appropriately chosen according to the content and theme of the surahs. Farahi links these letters back to Hebrew alphabet and suggests that those letters not only represented phonetic sounds but also contained a symbolic meaning to them, and Quran perhaps uses the same meanings when choosing the letters for surahs. For instance, in support of his opinion, he presents the letter Nun (ن), which symbolizes fish and Surah Nun mentions Prophet Jonah as 'companion of the fish'. Similarly, the letter Ta or Tuay (ط) represents a serpent and all the Surahs that begin with this letter mention the story of Prophet Moses and serpents.^[4] It seems however only Allah and the Jinn have a chance with 'Kaf ha ya ain sad'. Amin Ahsan Islahi (1904–1997) was an Indian/Pakistani exegete of the Quran , who became famous for his Urdu exegeses of Quran, Tadabbur-i-Qur’an—an exegesis that he based on Hamiduddin Farahis (1863-1930) idea of thematic and structural coherence in the Quran. ... Hamiduddin Farahi (1863-1930) was a celebrated Islamic scholar of Indian subcontinent. ... Note: This article contains special characters. ... For other uses, see Jonah (disambiguation). ... Moses with the Tablets, 1659, by Rembrandt This article is about the Biblical figure. ...

Western scholars have only occasionally attempted to explain them. In 1996, Keith Massey proposed new evidence for an older theory that the "Mystery Letters" were the initials or monograms of the scribes that had originally written the sura down.^[5] As evidence for this, he demonstrated that the letters themselves occur in a specific order, suggesting a hierarchy of importance. This idea has not yet gained wide acceptance. Other explanations similarly failed to satisfactorily explain the letters.

Muqatta'at in the Bábí and Bahá'í Faiths

The Báb, who Bahá'ís see as the immediate forerunner of their religion, uses Muqatta'at in his Qayyúmu'l-Asmá'.^[6] Shrine of the Báb in Haifa, Israel. ... Selections from the Writings of the Báb is a book of excerpts from notable works of the Báb, the forerunner-Prophet of the Baháí Faith. ...

In 1857-58, Bahá'u'lláh, founder of the Bahá'í Faith, wrote his Commentary on the Isolated Letters (Tafsír-i-Hurúfát-i-Muqatta'ih, also known as Lawh-i-Áyiy-i-Núr, Tablet of the Light Verse).^[7][8] In it, he describes how God created the letters. A black teardrop fell down from the Primordial Pen on the "Perspicuous, Snow-white Tablet", by which the Point was created. The Point then turned into an Alif (vertical stroke), which was again transformed, after which the Muqatta'at appeared. These letters were then differentiated, separated and then again gathered and linked together, appearing as the “names and attributes” of creation. Bahá'u'lláh gives various interpretations of the letters "alif, lam, mim", mostly relating to Allah, trusteeship (wilaya) and the prophethood (numuwwa) of Muhammad. He emphasizes the central role of the alif in all the worlds of God. Shrine of Baháulláh Baháulláh (ba-haa-ol-laa Arabic: Glory of God) (November 12, 1817 - May 29, 1892), born Mírzá usayn-`Alí (Persian: ), was the founder of the Baháí Faith. ... This article is about the generally recognized global religious community. ... Fatha redirects here. ...

References

1. ^ (July 2003) "Al-Baqarah (1-7)". Renaissance.
2. ^ Rashad Khalifa, Quran: Visual Presentation of the Miracle, Islamic Productions International, 1982. ISBN 0-934894-30-2
3. ^ Qur'an, Chapter 74, Verse 30
4. ^ Islahi, Amin Ahsan (2004). Taddabur-i-Quran. Faraan Foundation, pp. 82-85. 
5. ^ Massey, Keith (1996). "A New Investigation into the “Mystery Letters” of the Quran" in 'Arabica', Vol. 43 No. 3, pp. 497-501. 
6. ^ Lawson, Todd. Reading Reading Itself: The Bab's `Sura of the Bees,' A Commentary on Qur'an 12:93 from the Sura of Joseph. Retrieved on 2007-03-19.
7. ^ Marshall, Alison. What on earth is a disconnected letter? - Baha'u'llah's commentary on the disconnected letters. Retrieved on 2007-03-19.
8. ^ Lambden, Stephen N.. Tafsír-al-Hurúfát al-Muqatta'át (Commentary on the Isolated Letters) or Lawh-i Áyah-yi Núr (Tablet of the Light Verse) of Mírzá Husayn 'Alí Núrí Bahá'-Alláh (1817-1892). Retrieved on 2007-03-19.

Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 78th day of the year (79th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 78th day of the year (79th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 78th day of the year (79th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• An alternative opinion on the origin of muqataat
• Complete Abjad table
• Islamic Voice: Abbreviated letters