Why 114 Chambers?

The Quran exhibits its divine origin in not only the content or message, but also in its structure. First, it presents an idea for the overall “architecture” of the whole Quran arranged as a chambered nautilus shell where each chamber contains one sura. These chambers are arranged in a series of 12 suras, which also represent months, making each completed turn of the spiral a year. With each turn inward, the suras necessarily become smaller in order to “fit.” In fact, that was the original inspiration: the idea that a spiral would itself, as a shape, require the suras to become gradually and, as we approach the center, dramatically smaller. This shape is not perfect geometry; the Quran is a text, not a mathematical construct. But the whole is highly symbolic in amazing ways.

Ramadan 1: The Meaning of Ramadan

One could say Ramadan commemorates the tanzeel or sending down of the Qur’an, which occurred on the “Night of Power” or Laylat-ul-Qadr, a night the Quran describes as “better than a thousand months.” One fasts from the first thread of light of dawn until what the Qur’an mentions as “layl” or night, but which is usually interpreted as the first darkness, or sunset, although some wait longer to be sure it is really night. The fast includes not only food and drink (including water), but also abstention from profanity, smoking, sexual relations, and any other “impiety” such as lying, stealing, or fighting. War is prohibited except in actual self-defense. It is a sacred month, one of four, and the most sacred of all.