Numbers of significance in the Qur'an

This section contains the results of various calculations performed on Surahs in which numerical terms appear. The same numbers obtained as a result of different calculations in the relevant Surah are extremely noteworthy. This article discusses various types of calculation such as the numbers of syllables and letters in the Surahs, the types of letter and their numerological values [abjad], and reveals surprising similarities in the numbers emerging. The calculations in this section are not open to discussion; everyone can arrive at the same figures by performing the same calculations. 

In addition to the sublime wisdom and knowledge of the Holy Qur'an in terms of meaning, it also contains very rich and extraordinary numerical references. In verse 29 of Surat an-Naba' our Lord says "... We have recorded all things in writing." And verse 28 of Surat al-Jinn reads "... (Allah) has counted the exact number of everything." These miraculous numerical references obtained from the Holy Qur'an are also manifestations of our Almighty Lord's title of "Al-Muhsey," or "He Who knows the number of everything, even if it is infinite".

THE ALLOTMENT OF FORTY (40) NIGHTS TO THE PROPHET MOSES (PBUH)

And when We allotted to Moses forty nights. Then you adopted the Calf when he had gone and you were wrongdoers. (Surat al-Baqara, 51)

• 40 is the number of letters to the end of the verse from the term "arbaAAeena laylatan," meaning "40 nights."
• The numerological value [abjad] of the dotted letters up to "arbaAAeena laylatan " is 40. (By minor abjad calculation)
• This subject first appears in the Qur'an in verse 40 of Surat al-Baqara.
• Number of syllables in verse 40 in which the subject begins is 40. ¹

Furthermore:

• In addition to verse 51 of Surat al-Baqara, which explicitly concerns "arbaAAeena laylatan" (40 nights), this also appears in verse 142 of Surat al-A'raf. It also appears figuratively in verses 143 and 155 of Surat al-A'raf.

a) The Surahs between these verses are: "al-Baqara", "Al-Imr'an", "an-Nisa", "al-Ma'ida", "al-An'am" and "al-A'raf."
b) The names "al-Baqara", "Al-Imr'an", "an-Nisa", "al-Ma'ida", "al-An'am" and "al-A'raf" also contain 40 letters.

TWELVE (12) FOUNTAINS SPRINGING FROM STONE

And when Moses was looking for water for his people, We said, 'Strike the rock with your staff.' Then twelve fountains gushed out from it and all the people knew their drinking place. 'Eat and drink of Allah's provision and do not go about the earth corrupting it.' (Surat al-Baqara, 60)
 

• Number of words in the verse until the expression "ithnata AAashrata" meaning "twelve" is 12.
• Number of dotted letters until the expression "infajarat minhu ithnata AAashrata AAaynan" meaning "the twelve fountains gushed out from it [the rock]"; 12.
• Number of types of letter used in the term "infajarat minhu ithnata AAashrata AAaynan" 12.²

HELP FROM THREE THOUSAND (3,000) ANGELS

And when you said to the believers, 'Is it not enough for you that your Lord reinforced you with three thousand angels, sent down?' (Surat al-Imr'an, 124)

• The abjad value of the term "thalathati alafin mina almala-ikati," meaning "three thousand angels," is 3,000. (By major abjad calculation)
   

HEP FROM FIVE THOUSAND (5,000) ANGELS

Yes indeed! But if you are steadfast and guard against evil and they come upon you suddenly, your Lord will reinforce you with five thousand angels, clearly identified. (Surat al-Imr'an, 125)

• The abjad value of the letters up to the first letter of the term "almala-ikati," meaning "angels," is 5,000. (By minor abjad calculation)

THE SENDING OF TWELVE (12) LEADERS

Allah made a covenant with the tribe of Israel and We raised up twelve leadersfrom among them. Allah said, 'I am with you. If you establish salat and pay zakat, and believe in My Messengers and respect and support them, and make a generous loan to Allah, I will erase your wrong actions from you and admit you into Gardens with rivers flowing under them. Any of you who are unbelievers after that have gone astray from the right way.' (Surat al-Ma'ida, 12)

• Number of letters up to the term "ithnay AAashara naqeeban," meaning "twelve leaders:" 12.
• Number of repetitions of the letters in the name "Ma'ida" (the name of the Surah) from the beginning of the verse to the term "ithnay AAashara " (twelve): 12.³
• Verse number: 12.
• The abjad value of the first and last letters of the verse is 12.⁴ (By minor abjad calculation)
   

THIRTY (30) NIGHTS AND TEN (10) NIGHTS BEING SET ASIDE FOR THE PROPHET MOSES (PBUH)

We set aside thirty nights for Moses and then completed them with ten, so the appointed time of his Lord was forty nights in all. Musa said to his brother Harun, 'Be my khalif among my people. Keep order and do not follow the way of the corrupters.' (Surat al-A'raf, 142)

• Number of syllables from "thalatheena laylatan," meaning 30 nights," to the end of the clause: 30.⁵

• Number of syllables used after "thalatheena laylatan " (30 nights) to the end of the verse: 30.⁶
   
• Number of syllables from the word "thalatheena" (30) to the end of the clause: 30.⁷
   
• Number of time the muqatt'at letters [unique combinations of letters that begin a number of Surah in the Qur'an] in the Surah (alif, lam, mim, sad) are used in the verse from the word "thalatheena " (30) to the end of the verse: 30.⁸
   
• Number of dotted letters up to the word "Aashr" (10): 10.
   
• Number of undotted letters from the word "Aashr" (10) to the end of the clause: 10.
   
• The word "Aashr" (10) appears 10 pages from the end in Surat al-A'raf.
   
• The letters "alif, lam, mim and sad," the muqatt'at letters in the Surah, are used 10 times before the word "Aashr" (10).⁹
   
• 10 types of letter are used in the term "waatmamnaha biAAashrin" meaning "and then completed them with ten."¹⁰
   

TWELVE (12) TRIBES AND TWELVE (12) FOUNTAINS FLOWING FROM THE ROCK

We divided them up into twelve tribes–communities. We revealed to Moses, when his people asked him for water: 'Strike the rock with your staff.' Twelve fountains flowed out from it and all the people knew their drinking place. And We shaded them with clouds and sent down manna and quails to them: 'Eat of the good things We have provided you with.' They did not wrong Us; rather it was themselves they wronged. (Surat al-A'raf, 160)

• The letters in the term "ithnatay AAashrata" (twelve) appear 12 times up to "isnetey ashrate."¹¹
   
• 12 types of letter are used from the term "ithnatay AAashrata " (twelve) to the end of the clause.¹²
   
• The letters in " ithnatay AAashrata " (twelve) appear 12 times between it and the end of the clause.¹³
   
• 12 letters comprise the words "ithnatay AAashrata " (twelve) and "isneta aşrate" (twelve).¹⁴
   
• 12 types of letter are used in the clause in which it appears before the term "ithnata AAashrata AAaynan " (twelve fountains).¹⁵

THAT THE NUMBER OF MONTHS IN THE SIGHT OF ALLAH IS TWELVE (12)

There have been twelve months with Allah in the Book of Allah, from the day He first created the heavens and earth. Four of them are forbidden. That is the True Religion. So do not wrong one another during them. However, fight the idolaters totally just as they fight you totally, and know that Allah is with those who guard against evil. (Surat at-Tawba, 36)

• There are 12 syllables up to the term " ithna AAashara" (twelve). 
   
• There are 12 dotted letters from the term "ithna AAashara" (twelve) to the end of the clause.

 
ASKING FOR FORGIVENESS SEVENTY (70) TIMES

You can ask forgiveness for them, or not ask forgiveness for them. Even if you asked forgiveness for them seventy times, Allah still would not forgive them. That is because they have rejected Allah and His Messenger. Allah does not guide deviant people. (Surat at-Tawba, 80)

• Total number of letters from the term "sabAAeena marratan " (seventy times) to the end of the verse: 70.¹⁶
   
• The abjad value of the letter types used from the term "sabAAeena marratan" (seventy times) to the end of the clause is 70.¹⁷ (By minor abjad calculation).
   
• There are 70 undotted letters in this verse.¹⁸

 
THE NUMBER OF THE YEARS AND THE RECKONING THEREOF

It is He Who appointed the sun to give radiance, and the moon to give light, assigning it phases so you would know the number of years and the reckoning of time. Allah did not create these things except with truth. We make the Signs clear for people who know. (Surah Yunus, 5)

A month in the Islamic calendar can only have 29 or 30 days. (There is no other possibility.)

• A lunar month is 29 or 30 days. There are 29 letters in the verse up until the term "qaddarahu manazila litaAAlamoo AAadada alssineena waalhisaba," meaning "the number of years and the reckoning of time."
   
• The abjad value of "al-Qamar," meaning "moon," is 29. (By minor abjad calculation)

We made the night and day two Signs. We blotted out the Sign of the night and made the Sign of the day a time for seeing so that you can seek favour from your Lord and will know the number of years and the reckoning of time. We have made all things very clear. (Surat al-Isra', 12)

One year according to the Hijri calendar lasts 354 or 355 days. (There is no other possible figure.)

• The abjad value of the letters up to the term "litaAAlamoo AAadada alssineena waalhisaba," meaning "so you will know the number of years and the reckoning of time," is 354.  (By minor abjad calculation)

THEIR INABILITY TO PRODUCE TEN (10) SUCH SURAHS

Or do they say, 'He has invented it?' Say, 'Then produce ten invented suras like this, and call on anyone you can besides Allah if you are telling the truth.' (Surah Hud, 13)

• Variety of letters used in the clause up to the word "AAashri" (ten): 10.¹⁹
• Number of dotted letters in the verse up to the word "AAashri" (ten): 10.²⁰
• Number of syllables in the verse up to the expression "biAAashri suwarin mithlihi muftarayatin," meaning "then produce ten invented suras like this:" 10.²¹
• Number of dotted letters up to the term "qul fa/too biAAashri suwarin mithlihi muftarayatin," meaning "Say, 'then produce ten invented suras like this':" 10.
• "Number of letters in the term "AAashri suwarin mithlihi ," meaning "ten suras like this:" 10.
• Number of letters from the term "AAashri suwarin mithlihi " (ten suras like this) to the end of the verse: 10.
• Variety of letters used in the term "biAAashri suwarin mithlihi," meaning "ten suras like this:" 10.²²
• The letters in the term "AAashri suwarin " (ten suras) appear 10 times up to "AAashri suwarin ".²³

THE PROPHET JOSEPH'S (PBUH) DREAM AND ELEVEN (11) STARS

Yusuf told his father, 'Father! I saw eleven bright stars, and the sun and moon as well. I saw them all prostrate in front of me.' (Surah Yusuf, 4)

• There are 11 letters in the term "ahada AAashara kawkaban," meaning "eleven stars." 
   
• There are 11 words up to the term "ahada AAashara kawkaban " (eleven stars).
   
• The letters in the term "ahada AAashara kawkaban " (eleven stars) appear 11 times up to "ahada AAashara kawkaban ". ²⁴
   

THE NUMBER OF THE HUMAN CHROMOSOME

He created man from a drop of sperm and yet he is an open challenger! (Surat an-Nahl, 4)

There are some 100 trillion cells in an adult human body. The cells all possess the same genetic structure. That genetic structure is also present in the chromosomes in the cell nucleus. There are 23 pairs, or 46 chromosomes, in a human cell; 23 from the mother and 23 from the father. These chromosomes also contain DNA molecules in which the characteristics of the person are recorded. The scientific world only learned that there are 46 chromosomes in the human cell in the second half of the 20th century.

The words "manayyin" and "nutfatan" in the Qur'an refer to different things (Surat al-Qiyama, 37). "Manayyin" is used to refer to the whole and "nutfatan" to a component thereof.

* The word "nutfatan" appears in different forms below, such as nutfatin, nutfata or nutfatan, depending on its use in the sentence or grammatical rules. But the meaning does not change.

• The abjad value of the word "nutfatin" (nutfa) is 23. (By minor abjad calculation)
   
• Variety of letters used in the Surah up to the word "nutfatin:" 23.²⁵
   
• Abjad value of the letters used in the verse up to the word "nutfatin:" 23.²⁶(By minor abjad calculation)
   
• Number of dotted letters in the Surah up to the word "nutfatin:" 46.

Then formed the drop into a clot and formed the clot into a lump and formed the lump into bones and clothed the bones in flesh; and then brought him into being as another creature. Blessed be Allah, the Best of Creators! (Surat al-Muminun, 14)

• Abjad value of the word "nutfata:" 23. (By minor abjad calculation)
   
• Number of letters in Surat al-Muminun from "nutfatan" in verse 13 to "nutfata" in verse 14 is 23.
   
• Abjad value of the variety of letters used in the verse up to the term "nutfata:" 46.²⁷ (By minor abjad calculation)
   
• Abjad value of the letters belonging to the term "nutfata" up to "nutfata:" 46.²⁸ (By minor abjad calculation)
   
• Number of letters belonging to the term "nutfata" up to "nutfata:" 46.

Allah created you from dust and then from a drop of sperm and then made you into pairs. No female becomes pregnant or gives birth except with His knowledge. And no living thing lives long or has its life cut short without that being in a Book. That is easy for Allah. (Surat al-Fatir, 11)

• Abjad value of the term "nutfatin:" 23. (By minor abjad calculation)
• Variety of letters used from "nutfatin" to the end of the verse: 23.²⁹

It is He Who created you from earth, then from a drop of sperm, then from a clot of blood, then He brings you out as infants, then so you may achieve full strength, then so you may become old men –though some of you may die before that time– so that you may reach a predetermined age and so that hopefully you will use your intellect. (Surah Ghafir, 67)

• The abjad value of "nutfatin" is 23. (By minor abjad calculation).
   
• Number of dotted letters from the word "nutfatin" to the end of the clause: 23.
   
• The word "nutfatin" is the 23rd in the verse.
   
• There are 23 types of letter in this verse.³⁰
   
• The abjad value of the dotted letters up to the word "nutfatin" in the verse is 46. (By minor abjad calculation)
   
• There are 46 dotted letters in this verse.

… out of a sperm-drop when it spurted forth; (Surat an-Najm, 46)

• The abjad value of the word "nutfatin" is 23. (By minor abjad calculation)
   
• The letters in the term "nutfatin" appear 46 times up to "nutfatin".³¹
   
• The verse containing the term "nutfatin" is the 46th.

We created man from a mingled drop to test him, and We made him hearing and seeing. (Surat al-Insan, 2)

• The abjad value of the word "nutfatin" is 23. (By minor abjad calculation)
   
• The abjad value of the letters from the word "nutfatin" to the end of the clause is 23. (By minor abjad calculation)

Was he not a drop of ejaculated sperm? (Surat al-Qiyama, 37)

• There are 23 types of letter between verse 35 of Surat al-Qiyama and verse 2 of Surat al-Insan.³²
   
• There are 23 words having letters from the clause "nutfa" in verse 37 of Surat al-Qiyama up to "nutfa" in verse 2 of Surat al-Insan.³³

THE ANGLES IN HONEYCOMBS

Your Lord revealed to the bees: 'Build dwellings in the mountains and the trees, and also in the structures which men erect. Then eat from every kind of fruit and travel the paths of your Lord, which have been made easy for you to follow.' From inside them comes a drink of varying colours, containing healing for mankind. There is certainly a Sign in that for people who reflect. (Surat an-Nahl, 68-69)

The honey bee fills the hexagonal cells it builds with honey. The hexagon is the ideal shape for comb construction. For example, if the cells in the combs were pentagonal or octagonal etc., then all their edges would not weld together perfectly, and parts of the comb would therefore remain used. But through the inspiration of Allah, bees store the greatest possible amount of honey by building their combs in the form of hexagons.

• These are the only verses of the Qur'an that mention bees, honey and honeycombs. The abjad value of these verses is 720.  (By minor abjad calculation) 
   
• The total internal angles of the comb add up to 720 degrees.
   
• Every cell in the comb is a hexagon. Each internal angle in the cell is 120 degrees.
   
• The number of clause (clauses) in Surat an-Nahl until this matter is discussed is 120.
   

THE COMPANIONS OF THE CAVE AND HOW THEY SPENT THREE HUNDRED AND NINE (309) YEARS IN THE CAVE

Do you consider that the Companions of the Cave and Ar-Raqim were one of the most remarkable of Our Signs? (Surat al-Kahf, 9)

• The abjad values of "as-haba alkahfi," meaning "The Companions of the Cave," is 238.  (By minor abjad calculation)
   
• The number of syllables in the Surah up to the term "as-haba alkahfi" (Companions of the Cave) is also 238.³⁴
   
• The variety of letters used in the verse up to the term "as-haba alkahfi" (Companions of the Cave) is 7.³⁵
   
• The number of words from "as-haba alkahfi" (Companions of the Cave) to the end of the verse is 7. 
   
• Our Lord's name "Allah" is repeated 7 times in the story of the Companions of the Cave in the Surah.
   
• "As-haba alkahfi" (Companions of the Cave) is in the 7th clause on the page.
   
• This verse is the 7th from the top of the page.

They stayed in their Cave for three hundred years and added nine. (Surat al-Kahf, 25)

In revealing how long the Companions spent in the cave, the Qur'an says "They stayed in their Cave for three hundred years and added nine." (Surat al-Kahf, 25) In interpreting this verse, commentators say that the Companions of the Cave slept for 300 solar years or 309 years by the lunar calendar.

• The number of syllables up to "sineena waizdadoo," meaning "number of years" is exactly 309.³⁶
   
• There are 309 undotted letters in the Surah up to the term "sineena waizdadoo".

Then We woke them up again so that we might see which of the two groups would better calculate the time they had stayed there. (Surat al-Kahf, 12)

• This verse reveals that the reason the Companions of the Cave were woken was to establish which of the two groups would most accurately calculate how long they had been asleep. The number of syllables before this verse is exactly 309.³⁷

They stayed in their Cave for three hundred years and added nine. (Surat al-Kahf, 25)

The way that the Qur'an does not directly state that the Companions of the Cave spent 309 years in the cave but also adds an additional 9 years is exceedingly wise. This mode of expression thus draws attention to the difference between the solar and lunar years. (Allah knows the truth.)

The solar year refers to the Earth's revolution around the Sun, and 365.242217 complete revolutions of the Earth constitute a solar year. A lunar year consists of 354.36768 days, the time in which the Moon orbits the Earth 12 times. There is thus a difference of 10.874537 days between the solar and lunar years; 100 solar years is thus equivalent to 103 lunar years.

In order to determine the equivalent of 300 solar years in terms of lunar years, we need to add on 9 more years – just as in the verse.

• The total of all the numbers in this Surah up to this verse is 300. (300 by the Gregorian calendar equates to 309 years by the Islamic calendar.)
   
• There are 309 pages from this page, the last to refer to the Companions of the Cave and their sleep, and the end of the Qur'an.

That was the situation when we woke them up so they could question one another. One of them asked, 'How long have you been here?' They replied, 'We have been here for a day or part of a day.' They said, 'Your Lord knows best how long you have been here. Send one of your number into the city with this silver you have, so he can see which food is purest and bring you some of it to eat. But he should go about with caution so that no one is aware of you. (Surat al-Kahf, 19)

THE NINE (9) MIRACLES OF THE PROPHET MOSES (PBUH)

Put your hand inside your shirt front. It will emerge pure white, yet quite unharmed – one of nine Signs to Pharaoh and his people. They are a people of deviators.' (Surat an-Naml, 12)

• Number of syllables from the term "tisAAi ayatin," meaning "nine Signs," to the end of the clause: 9.
   
• The letters in "tisAAi ayatin " (nine Signs) appear 9 times up to the term "tis'i ayatin."
   
• Number of words from "tisAAi ayatin " (nine Signs) to the end of the verse: 9.
• "TisAAi ayatin " (nine Signs) appears on the 9th page from the end of the Surah.
   
• The variety of undotted letters in the verse up to the word "tisAAi," meaning 9, is 9.
   
• The number of undotted letters from the word "tisAAi" (9) to the end of the clause: 9.³⁸
   
• "TisAAi" (9) is the ninth word from the end of the verse.
   
• The abjad value of the muqatt'at letters (ta, sin) in the Surah is 9. (By minor abjad calculation)

A GROUP OF NINE (9) IN THE CITY

There was a group of nine men in the city causing corruption in the land and not putting things right. (Surat an-Naml, 48)

• The letters in the term "tisAAatu rahtin," meaning "nine men," appear 9 times between the expression and the end of the verse.³⁹
   
• There are 9 dotted letters between the term "tisAAatu rahtin " (9 men) and the end of the verse.
   
• Nine undotted letters are used from the term "tisAAatu rahtin " (9 men) and the end of the verse.⁴⁰
   
• The abjad value of the muqatt'at letters (ta, sin) in the term "tisAAatu rahtin " (9 men) is 9.⁴¹  (By minor abjad calculation)
   
• There are 9 verses in the story of the people of Shelah and Thamud.⁴²
   

THE MATTER OF THE NINETY NINE (99) EWES

This brother of mine has ninety-nine ewes and I have only one. He said, "Let me have charge of it," and got the better of me with his words.' (Sura Sad, 23)

• The subject of the 99 ewes begins at verse 21. There are 99 syllables from the beginning of the reference to the Prophet David (pbuh) – from verse 17, to verse 21.⁴³
   
• The matter of the 99 ewes begins being described in verse 22. The matter of the 99 ewes begins with the 2nd clause of verse 22, and this clause is the 99th from the end of the Surah.
   
• There are 99 syllables from the 2nd clause of verse 22 to the term "niAAajihi," meaning "his ewes," in verse 24.
   
• The abjad value of the letters at the end of the verse up to the end of verse 23 containing the term "tisAAun watisAAoona naAAjatan," meaning 99 ewes, is 99.⁴⁴ (By the minor abjad calculation.)
   
• The abjad value of the term "hatha akhee lahu tisAAun watisAAoona naAAjatan," meaning "this brother of mine has 99 ewes," is 99'dur.  (By minor abjad calculation)

THE SEVEN (7) HEAVENS

He Who created the seven heavens in layers. You will not find any flaw in the Creation of the All-Merciful. Look again – do you see any gaps? (Surat al-Mulk, 3)

• The variety of letters used in the term "sabAAa samawatin," meaning "seven heavens," is 7.⁴⁵
   
• Number of letters in the verse up to the term "sabAAa samawatin " (seven heavens): 7.
   
• The letters in the word "seb'a" (7) appear seven times from the word "sabAAa " to the end of the verse.⁴⁶
   
• The letters in the word "seb'a" (7) appeat 7 times in the verse up to the word " sabAAa ".⁴⁷
   
• There are 7 syllables from the word "sabAAa " (7) to the end of the clause.

SWEARING BY THE TEN (10) NIGHTS

By the dawn and ten nights, (Surat al-Fajr, 1-2)

• The letters in the term "layalin AAashrin," meaning "ten nights" appear 10 times in the Surah up to this term.⁴⁸

• There are 10 dotted letters in the Surah up to the term "layalin AAashrin " (10 nights).