A Closer Look at the Oaths in Surat Al-Tīn 95

Surat At-tīn is analyzed here on this blog, where I discussed how “all four oaths are possibly places where significant messages were sent to their respective messengers.” Here I want to examine the oaths a bit further to reveal an even bigger picture. 

These oaths are the first three ayat/verses of this sura which has a total of eight (8) ayat. Notice the first aya contains two different oaths, both of which are fruits, the fig with many seeds and noted for its sweet flesh, and the olive with one seed/ pit, not sweet but known for its oil. In the 3rd and 4th oaths located in the 2nd and 3rd ayat (a {2,3,4} set) Allah swears by two places: Mt. Sinai, a “wild/natural” place away from people, and Makkah, a city, which is in essence a civilized place, a human construct. It’s not referring to the Kaaba but rather to the city itself as a secure place. Of course all 3 ayat containing 4 oaths (a {3,4} set) relate to the sending of Divine revelations through prophets; all these meanings tie together. 

More Profound Meaning in the Quranic Initials’ Placement in “Nautilus” Chart

Previously I discussed the “disconnected letters,” Muqatta’at or Quranic Initials (QIs) in terms of the ayat that follow them showing, in 26 out of the 29 suras where they occur, that they point to the Quran in several ways, and what that means. For this post, I will examine what we can learn from the context of their placement in the Quranic Architecture Chart as discussed on this blog and shown below. As before, I’m not searching for a “miracle,” but merely presenting meanings and possible interpretations. Because they do not form words, even scholars seem to be stymied by these Initials, often saying “only Allah knows what they mean.” I believe this issue occurs because they are viewed as a “code” or hidden meaning of some kind but after much study they didn’t find it. So it’s like who are we to presume the interpretation of letters that are not even words? But I believe one is less likely to find meaning when viewed this way, as if Allah the Exalted is asking us to read His inscrutable mind. On the contrary, He is supremely communicative! Why not take from them what is knowable, however simple it may be? These letters are given to us, and who knows us better than the All-Knowing?

New PDFs re Quran Structure Based on Allah’s Name

You can download it here: first is an updated explanation in text, and the one below it is a brief one-page summary + a Quranic Architecture chart for illustration:

Explanation of the three four set plus 2.pdfDownload

Quran Structure Based on Allah’s Name.pdfDownload

This is a shortened version of the original that may help assimilate the idea (which can get very complex the more details you include). Photo of Al-Fatiha’s structure is below.

Quranic Rhetoric Matches Its Structure

How the Quranic text conveys its message could be referred to as its “rhetoric.” The basis of a language involves principles of how language is used to convey ideas to an audience. But different languages use fundamentally different techniques and this affects how one interprets any text, including the Quran. The scholar Michel Cuypers argues that some of the confusion among Western and even modern Arabic-speaking scholars results from their misunderstanding of the linguistic basis of the Quran and how it differs from European logic. The rhetorical basis of the Quran is semitic (also the basis for Hebrew and Aramaic) rather than Greek or Latin (basis for European languages), whose approach is linear. The basis of a language is its logical core; the word for “language” in Arabic is the same word used for logic: mantaq. Thus it requires a different mindset – non-Western, which means non-linear – to appreciate the Quran’s magnificence. As Cuypers said:

“Semitic rhetoric is…entirely founded on the principle of symmetry, which confers on the text’s composition a form that is, in a way, more geometrical or spatial than linear.”

Michel Cuypers, The composition of the Quran, Bloomsbury Academic 2015

The “geometrical” aspect takes on another layer of meaning considering the Quran’s architecture as spiral, expressed on a larger scale in the Chambered Nautilus shell, itself a prime example of sacred geometry. This indicates how closely aligned the Quran’s rhetoric (its basic style and expression in words) is with its structure.

Celestial Realm (19) vs Earthly (7) Realm Graphics

This graphic compares the upper (celestial) and lower (earthly/ dunya) hemispheres of the Quranic Architectural Chart. If we add the house (pie section/ month/ first 12 suras’) numbers as “opposite side” adjacent pairs, as shown by connecting lines in the illustration below, we find an interesting pattern that highlights the significant numbers 7 and 19 in the Quran. The dark line separates the two hemispheres, the upper half representing the “celestial timeless realm” and the lower half representing the “earthly/dunya realm of time,” a central theme in the Quran.

The large numbers of the first 12 suras are also the house or pie section numbers. A darker line divides the upper and lower hemispheres. Note the sums of the connected house numbers are highlighted in yellow to show the 7’s in the lower and the 19’s in the upper hemispheres.

The sums in the lower half all added to 7 (highlighted in yellow), and sums in the upper half all added to 19 (also highlighted in yellow), indicating the significance of these two numbers may relate to the two realms these hemispheres represent. The two realms are discussed at length in a previous post as the Unseen Al-Ghaib, which points out: “The ‘seven heavens’ likely involve ‘dimensions’ or worlds/realms’ between which are partitions (the word hijab), an example being the jinn, creatures normally invisible to humans.” But these seven heavens are likely not all in the Unseen realm; the stars we see at night are in the “lower heaven” which we can see (37:6). And although we cannot see the jinn, they are nonetheless part of the dunya, the lower realm (34:14, 72:8). Below we examine the numbers 7 and 19, and what they could mean in light of the graphic above. The number 7 is repeated more often (27x) than 19 (1x), and there may be a reason for this.

Wives, Angels’ Wings, and the {2,3,4} Set in the Quran

Scholars have over time pondered two ayat – 4:3 and 35:1 which concern the elements named in the title above – connected somehow by the curious fact that each mentions the phrase “two and three and four.” Why are these specific numbers mentioned this unusual way? In light of what was previously discussed as a {3,4} set, which indicated the Quran’s architecture may be based on Allah’s name in Arabic, I’ve found that this Quranic {3,4} set is also part of a {2,3,4} set, matching the numbers given in these two ayat. By “set” I mean a group of objects (or “elements,” in this case from the Quran) as per set theory. Now, I’m no mathematician, but for me it’s a way of seeing these numbers as part of a fascinating structure in the Quran, found in Allah’s name in Arabic, the Basmalah, and how the last three surahs in the Quran connect to the first as we shall explain – and more. So first, we examine the two ayat, the meaning of “2 and 3 and 4” in each context, and how it relates to the Quran’s structure.

The Four Great Suras of Salat (Prayer)

(Note: New Improved Post, removed the excess for a different post.) The four suras (like chapters/sections) of the Quran most frequently recited in the canonical Islamic prayer called salat are the first sura, Al-Fatiha “The Opening” (1), the quintessential prayer of salat, and the final 3 suras, Al-Ikhlas “Sincerity” (112), Al-Falaq “Daybreak/ Breaking-open” (113), and An-Nass “The People” (114). They are all short suras, making them easy to recite. Allah the All-Merciful wants this prayer to be easy for us, and at the same time a powerful and effective “connection” to Him, to His all-encompassing power and mercy. These four suras form a {2,3,4} set, with three (3) together at the end, and the fourth (4) in the very beginning, and two of these suras form a pair (2) in the “middle.” Thus the end of the Quran re-connects us to the beginning, analogous to how Resurrection and Judgment Day reconnect us to Allah in paradise where Adam was created at the beginning of humanity – if we had faith in Allah, and made a genuine effort in Allah’s path of justice and compassion.

Al-Raheem and Raheem in the Quran – Structural Interpretation

The name Al-Raheem – The All-Merciful – is commonly counted and “combined” with the adjective raheem – merciful, without the al- prefix. But considering the two separately has yielded interesting results. The name Al-Raheem “The All-Merciful” is mentioned 34 times, whereas the adjective raheem “merciful” is mentioned 81 times, or 3⁴, and thus these two different ways of mentioning raheem are themselves “paired” as a {3,4} set. A unique characteristic of both expressions of Allah’s mercy is that they are almost always paired: the name Al-Raheem is always paired with another name, and the adjective raheem is usually paired with another adjective – plus in the case of raheem, this pair (or simply raheem in a few cases) is almost always preceded by either the name Allah, Lord, “I,” or Him (referring to Allah or Lord), the one exception being in 9:128 referring to prophet Mohammad as “kind, merciful” to the believers. This shows that kindness/caring is the form of mercy we are encouraged and indeed enabled to exemplify. And these unique stylistic traits teach us about what mercy itself means, in our relationship to Allah, each other, and to all life.

Placements of the Name Al-Rahman and Their Meaning

Here we shall examine the placements of this exalted name in the Quran using the architectural “nautilus” chart, the possible meanings inherent in these placements, as well as some fascinating patterns. This also gives a sense of how the “nautilus chart” can indicate possible interpretations to increase our understanding of the Quran. Previously we examined the significance of the name Al-Rahman, as well as the name’s stunning relationship to perfect numbers. Here we show a surprising connection between this name and the sacred months, elucidating their sacred nature.

What Are the Sacred Months in Islam, and Their Significance?

There are four sacred months in Islam. Sacredness is usually upheld by specific kinds of prohibition. In this case, fighting is prohibited in these four months. But also, it can be said “injustice in The 4 Sacred Months in Islam is the greatest sin.” Notably there is often much injustice and irreparable damage in war. Also, good deeds such as charity and kindness, piety expressed in mindfulness, prayer, and dhikr (remembering by invoking Allah) are especially encouraged during these months, with the promise of a greater reward. Three of these months – Thul-Qa’da, Thul-Hijja, and Muharram – are related to the Hajj pilgrimage, as they are adjacent months, with Thul-Hijja, the month of the Hajj, in the middle, surrounded by the other two months. This creates a protective barrier of time during which people can travel safely to and from the Hajj in peace. Before the modern era, the trip could take a month or more each way. Since the Hajj itself takes place between the 8th and 12th days of Thul-Hijja, safe travel time would be even longer. The fourth sacred month, Rajab, occurs six months after Muharram, thus preventing prolonged wars. Even a half-year’s fighting is therefore prohibited. No “forever wars” in Islam! Note also that these months form a {3,4} set: 3 adjacent months relating to Hajj, and one, the 4th, on the other side of the calendar, cutting the year in half. One can think of these months as a kind of sanctuary in time, a way to secure peace.

Is the Quran’s Structure Based on Allah’s Name?

This is a very real possibility, which I began to examine while thinking that possibly all numbers somehow relate to or are reflective of Allah’s name. That seems way beyond my limited mathematical abilities – yet after studying the Quran in details, I ran into a simple pattern expressed in two ayat, 4:3 (itself a {3,4} set) and 35:1, as “two and three and four,” essentially a {2,3,4} set, which in turn reflects the {3,4} set, as expressed in Allah’s name. I’ve discussed this {3,4} set previously as well as how Allah “wrote mercy upon Himself” (6:12 and 6:54). Here finally is a post that covers this topic.