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.

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.

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.