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The mysterious letters (''muqaṭṭaʿāt'', ''ḥurūf muqaṭṭaʿāt'', "disjoined letters" or "disconnected letters") are combinations of between one and five Arabic letters that appear at the beginning of 29 out of the 114 chapters (
surah A ''surah'' (; ; ) is an Arabic word meaning 'chapter' in the Quran. There are 114 ''suwar'' in the Quran, each divided into ayah, verses (). The ''suwar'' are of unequal length; the shortest ''surah'' (al-Kawthar) has only three verses, while ...
s) of the
Quran The Quran, also Romanization, romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a Waḥy, revelation directly from God in Islam, God (''Allah, Allāh''). It is organized in 114 chapters (, ) which ...
just after the Bismillāh Islamic phrase. The letters are also known as ''fawātiḥ'' () or "openers" as they form the opening verse of their respective surahs. Four (or five) chapters are named for their ''muqaṭṭaʿāt'': ''Ṭā-Hā'', ''Yā-Sīn'', ''Ṣād'', ''Qāf'', and sometimes
Nūn Nun is the fourteenth letter of the Semitic abjads, including Phoenician ''nūn'' 𐤍, Hebrew ''nūn'' , Aramaic ''nūn'' 𐡍‎, Syriac ''nūn'' ܢ, and Arabic ''nūn'' (in abjadi order). Its numerical value is 50. It is the third letter ...
. The original significance of the letters is unknown.
Tafsir Tafsir ( ; ) refers to an exegesis, or commentary, of the Quran. An author of a ''tafsir'' is a ' (; plural: ). A Quranic ''tafsir'' attempts to provide elucidation, explanation, interpretation, context or commentary for clear understanding ...
(
exegesis Exegesis ( ; from the Ancient Greek, Greek , from , "to lead out") is a critical explanation or interpretation (philosophy), interpretation of a text. The term is traditionally applied to the interpretation of Bible, Biblical works. In modern us ...
) has interpreted them as abbreviations for either names or qualities of God or for the names or content of the respective surahs. The general belief of most Muslims is that their meaning is known only to God. The Arabic word for "Gayab" is غَائِب (ghāʔib), meaning "absent" or "missing". In the context of Al-Ghayb (الغيب), it refers to the unseen, hidden, or concealed. It can also be used to describe something that is lost or vanished, divine, which is known as "Gayb". Some people refer to it as angelic numerology or to the very significant, divine hidden meaning of the letters. However, this is one of the profound secrets of the Quranic divine openings.


Inventory

''Muqatta'at'' occur in Quranic chapters 2–3, 7, 10–15, 19–20, 26–32, 36, 38, 40–46, 50 and 68. Furthermore, the codex of Ubayy ibn Ka'b additionally had Surah 39 begin with ''Ḥā Mīm'', in line with the pattern seen in the next seven surahs. Multiple letters are written together like a word, but each letter is pronounced separately. They are 78 in total, at the beginning of 29 surahs, occurring in 14 distinct combinations. Fourteen out of 28 (or 29, counting ''
hamza The hamza ( ') () is an Arabic script character that, in the Arabic alphabet, denotes a glottal stop and, in non-Arabic languages, indicates a diphthong, vowel, or other features, depending on the language. Derived from the letter '' ʿayn'' ( ...
'') letters of the
Arabic alphabet The Arabic alphabet, or the Arabic abjad, is the Arabic script as specifically codified for writing the Arabic language. It is a unicase, unicameral script written from right-to-left in a cursive style, and includes 28 letters, of which most ...
are represented.


Interpretations


Acrophony Acrophony (; + 'sound') is the naming of letters of an alphabetic writing system so that a letter's name begins with the letter itself. For example, Greek letter names are acrophonic: the names of the letters α, β, γ, δ, are spelled with t ...
/ abbreviations

Abd Allah ibn Abbas and Abdullah ibn Masud, are said to have favored the view that these letters stand for words or phrases related to God and His Attributes. Devin J. Stewart argues the letters are integral to the text and establish a rhyme and a rhythm, similarly to rhyming chants such as, intended to introduce spells, charms or something connected to the supernatural. Christoph Luxenberg in '' The Syro-Aramaic Reading of the Koran'' (2000) proposed that substantial portions of the text of the Qur'an were directly taken from Syriac liturgy. His explanation of the disjoined letters is that they are remnants of indications for the liturgical recitation for the Syriac hymns that ended up being copied into the Arabic text. In a series of interviews with Sami Aldeeb, Luxenberg clarifies which sequence of letters are abbreviations of which phrase, among other things changing the commonly cited explanations of some verses. (see also:Location of early Islam / Revisionist school of Islamic studies) Fakhr al-Din al-Razi, a classical commentator of the Qur'an, 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, 'eye' as 'ع', clouds as 'غ', and whale as 'ن'). Amin Ahsan Islahi supported al-Razi's opinion, arguing that since these letters are names for Surahs, they are proper nouns. Hamiduddin Farahi similarly attaches symbolic meanings to the letters, e.g. Nun (ن) symbolizing "fish" identifying the sura that mentions
Jonah Jonah the son of Amittai or Jonas ( , ) is a Jewish prophet from Gath-hepher in the Northern Kingdom of Israel around the 8th century BCE according to the Hebrew Bible. He is the central figure of the Book of Jonah, one of the minor proph ...
, or Ta (ط) representing "serpent" introducing suras that mention the story of Prophet
Moses In Abrahamic religions, Moses was the Hebrews, Hebrew prophet who led the Israelites out of slavery in the The Exodus, Exodus from ancient Egypt, Egypt. He is considered the most important Prophets in Judaism, prophet in Judaism and Samaritani ...
and serpents. Ahsan ur Rehman (2013) claims that there are phonological, syntactic and semantic links between the prefixed letters and the text of the chapters.


Scribal intrusion or corruption

Theodor Nöldeke (1860) advanced the theory that the letters were marks of possession, belonging to the owners of Qur'anic copies used in the first collection by Zayd ibn Thābit during the reign of the Caliph 'Uthmān. According to Nöldeke, the letters ultimately entered the final version of the Qur'an due to carelessness. It was also possible that the letters were monograms of the owners. Nöldeke later revised this theory, responding to Otto Loth's (1881) suggestion that the letters had a distinct connection with the mystic figures and symbols of the Jewish
Kabbalah Kabbalah or Qabalah ( ; , ; ) is an esoteric method, discipline and school of thought in Jewish mysticism. It forms the foundation of Mysticism, mystical religious interpretations within Judaism. A traditional Kabbalist is called a Mekubbal ...
. Nöldeke in turn concluded that the letters were a mystical reference to the archetypal text in heaven that was the basis for the revelation of the Qur'an. However, persuaded by Nöldeke's original theory, Hartwig Hirschfeld (1902) offered a list of likely names corresponding to the letters. Keith Massey (1996), noting the apparent set ranking of the letters and mathematical improbability that they were either random or referred to words or phrases, argued for some form of the Nöldeke-Hirschfeld theory that the "Mystery Letters" were the initials or monograms of the scribes who originally transcribed the sūras. Though, Massey explains that "the letters, which appear alone (qaf, nun), may not have the same purpose as the collection themselves", he furthermore admits that the "Mystery Letters" in Surah 42 violate his proposed ranking-theory, thus offering 2 possible scenarios for his theory. The Hebrew Theory assumes that the letters represent an import from
Biblical Hebrew Biblical Hebrew ( or ), also called Classical Hebrew, is an archaic form of the Hebrew language, a language in the Canaanite languages, Canaanitic branch of the Semitic languages spoken by the Israelites in the area known as the Land of Isra ...
. Specifically, the combination ''Alif-Lam'' would correspond to Hebrew El "god". Abbreviations from Aramaic or Greek have also been suggested. Bellamy (1973) proposed that the letters are the remnants of abbreviations for the
Bismillah The (; also known by its opening words ; , "In the name of God") is the titular name of the Islamic phrase “In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful” (, ). It is one of the most important phrases in Islam and frequent ...
. Bellamy's suggestion was criticized as improbable by Alford T. Welch (1978).


Mathematical

There have been attempts to give numerological interpretations. Loth (1888) suggested a connection to
Gematria In numerology, gematria (; or , plural or ) is the practice of assigning a numerical value to a name, word, or phrase by reading it as a number, or sometimes by using an alphanumeric cipher. The letters of the alphabets involved have standar ...
. Rashad Khalifa (1974) claimed to have discovered a mathematical code in the Qur'an based on these initials and the number 19, namely the Quran code or known as Code 19. According to his claims, these initials occur throughout their respective chapters in multiples of nineteen. The number 19 is directly mentioned in the 30th verse of Surah Al-Muddaththir to refer to the 19 keeper angels of
Hell In religion and folklore, hell is a location or state in the afterlife in which souls are subjected to punishment after death. Religions with a linear divine history sometimes depict hells as eternal destinations, such as Christianity and I ...
. The
Báb The Báb (born ʻAlí-Muḥammad; ; ; 20 October 1819 – 9 July 1850) was an Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbai ...
used the muqaṭṭaʿāt in his Qayyúmu'l-Asmáʼ.See the following source for more about Bábí letter symbolism: He writes in an early commentary and in his '' Dalá'il-i-Sab'ih'' (Seven Proofs) about a
hadith Hadith is the Arabic word for a 'report' or an 'account f an event and refers to the Islamic oral tradition of anecdotes containing the purported words, actions, and the silent approvals of the Islamic prophet Muhammad or his immediate circle ...
from
Muhammad al-Baqir Muhammad ibn Ali al-Baqir (; ) was a descendant of the prophets and messengers in Islam, Islamic prophet Muhammad and the fifth of the Twelve Imams, twelve Shia imams, succeeding his father, Ali al-Sajjad, and succeeded by his son, Ja'far al-Sad ...
, the fifth Shiʻi Imam, where it is stated that the first seven surat's muqaṭṭaʿāt have a numerical value of 1267, from which the year 1844 (the year of the Báb's declaration) can be derived.


Mystical

Sufis across Islamic sects have a tradition of mystical interpretation of the Quran, in keeping with broader Batini (esoteric) study and practice. The mysterious letters are a point of much speculation among Sufi scholars, particularly among those sects called the Batiniyya. The details differ between schools of Sufism, but one interpretation regards the letters as an extension to the ninety-nine names of God, with some authors offering specific "hidden" meanings for the individual letters. An Ismaili
ghulat The () were a branch of history of Shia Islam, early Shi'a Islam. The term mainly refers to a wide variety of List of extinct Shia sects, extinct Shi'i sects active in 8th- and 9th-century Kufa in Lower Mesopotamia, and who, despite their somet ...
sect known as
Hurufism Hurufism ( ''ḥurūfiyyah'', Persian: حُروفیان ''horūfiyān'') was a Sufi movement based on the mysticism of letters (''ḥurūf''), which originated in Astrabad and spread to areas of western Iran ( Persia) and Anatolia in the late ...
, based on a kabbalistic system of letter-based and numerological mysticism, attributed especial importance to the mysterious letters. Although the Hurufis were widely regarded as a heretical
ghulat The () were a branch of history of Shia Islam, early Shi'a Islam. The term mainly refers to a wide variety of List of extinct Shia sects, extinct Shi'i sects active in 8th- and 9th-century Kufa in Lower Mesopotamia, and who, despite their somet ...
sect, and had little direct influence on Islamic theology, their ideas did have a wider impact on aesthetics and literature, as seen in the works of poets like Nasimi, Fuzuli, and Shah Ismail I of Safavid Persia. In 1857–58,
Baháʼu'lláh Baháʼu'lláh (, born Ḥusayn-ʻAlí; 12 November 1817 – 29 May 1892) was an Iranian religious leader who founded the Baháʼí Faith. He was born to an aristocratic family in Iran and was exiled due to his adherence to the messianic Báb ...
, founder of the
Baháʼí Faith The Baháʼí Faith is a religion founded in the 19th century that teaches the Baháʼí Faith and the unity of religion, essential worth of all religions and Baháʼí Faith and the unity of humanity, the unity of all people. Established by ...
, wrote his ''Commentary on the Isolated Letters'' (''Tafsír-i-Hurúfát-i-Muqattaih'', also known as ''Lawh-i-Áyiy-i-Núr'', ''Tablet of the Light Verse''). 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. Baháʼu'lláh gives various interpretations of the letters "''alif, lam, mim''", mostly relating to Allah, trusteeship (''wilayah'') and the prophethood (''nubuwwah'') of Muhammad. He emphasizes the central role of the ''alif'' in all the worlds of God. By removing the duplicate letters (leaving only one of each of the 14 initials) and rearranging them, one can create the sentence "نص حكيم قاطع له سر " which could translate to: "A wise and conclusive text has a secret". Whoever wants to start magic or witchcraft should lose their "iman" often referring to the tree inside of the believer's faith that stops you from doing crime and doing suicide. One Western mystical interpretation of the muqattaʿat is given by Rudolf von Sebottendorf in his work ''Die Praxis der alten türkischen Freimauerei''; von Sebottendorf interprets them as
mantra A mantra ( ; Pali: ''mantra'') or mantram (Devanagari: मन्त्रम्) is a sacred utterance, a numinous sound, a syllable, word or phonemes, or group of words (most often in an Indo-Iranian language like Sanskrit or Avestan) belie ...
-like formulas (''Formel'') to be meditated upon (in association with certain gestures) during a set of elaborate meditation exercises. He claims that these exercises are the basis of
Freemasonry Freemasonry (sometimes spelled Free-Masonry) consists of fraternal groups that trace their origins to the medieval guilds of stonemasons. Freemasonry is the oldest secular fraternity in the world and among the oldest still-existing organizati ...
and
alchemy Alchemy (from the Arabic word , ) is an ancient branch of natural philosophy, a philosophical and protoscientific tradition that was historically practised in China, India, the Muslim world, and Europe. In its Western form, alchemy is first ...
, and that they are practiced by a secret society of Sufis; Muhammad is said to have learned these exercises from a hermit named "Ben Khasi", taught them to the innermost circle of his successors, and incorporated them into the text of the Qur'an in order to preserve them unchanged in perpetuity. Commentators, however, note that the practices recommended by von Sebottendorf "bear little resemblance to either Sufism or Masonry".


Structural analysis

There are 14 distinct combinations; the most frequent are ''ʾAlif Lām Mīm'' and ''Ḥāʾ Mīm'', occurring six times each. Of the 28 letters of the Arabic alphabet, exactly one half appear as muqatta'at, either singly or in combinations of two, three, four or five letters. The fourteen letters are: ''ʾalif'' أ, ''hā'' هـ, ''ḥā'' ح, ''ṭā'' ط, ''yā'' ي, ''kāf'' ك, ''lām'' ل, ''mīm'' م, ''nūn'' ن, ''sīn'' س, ''ʿain'' ع, ''ṣād'' ص, ''qāf'' ق, ''rā'' ر. The six final letters of the
Abjadi order The Abjad numerals, also called Hisab al-Jummal (, ), are a decimal alphabetic numeral system/ alphanumeric code, in which the 28 letters of the Arabic alphabet are assigned numerical values. They have been used in the Arabic-speaking world si ...
(''thakhadh ḍaẓagh'') are unused. The letters represented correspond to those letters written without
Arabic diacritics The Arabic script has numerous diacritics, which include consonant pointing known as (, ), and supplementary diacritics known as (, ). The latter include the vowel marks termed (, ; , ', ). The Arabic script is a modified abjad, where all ...
plus ''yāʿ'' ي. It is possible that the restricted set of letters was supposed to invoke an archaic variant of the Arabic alphabet modeled on the
Aramaic alphabet The ancient Aramaic alphabet was used to write the Aramaic languages spoken by ancient Aramean pre-Christian peoples throughout the Fertile Crescent. It was also adopted by other peoples as their own alphabet when empires and their subjects und ...
. Certain co-occurrence restrictions are observable in these letters; for instance, ''ʾAlif'' is invariably followed by Lām. The substantial majority of the combinations begin either ''ʾAlif Lām'' or ''Ḥāʾ Mīm''. 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 surat al-ʻAnkabūt, ar-Rūm and al-Qalam); and some argue that even these three cases should be included, since mention of the revelation is made later on in the surah. 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 Meccan surat (the exceptions are surat al-Baqarah, Āl ʾImrān and ar-Raʻd.) ''Lām'' and ''Mīm'' are conjoined and both are written with prolongation mark. One letter is written in two styles. Letter 20:01 is used only in the beginning and middle of a word and that in 19:01 is not used as such. Alif Lām Mīm (الم) is also the first verse of
Surah A ''surah'' (; ; ) is an Arabic word meaning 'chapter' in the Quran. There are 114 ''suwar'' in the Quran, each divided into ayah, verses (). The ''suwar'' are of unequal length; the shortest ''surah'' (al-Kawthar) has only three verses, while ...
Al-Baqara,
Surah A ''surah'' (; ; ) is an Arabic word meaning 'chapter' in the Quran. There are 114 ''suwar'' in the Quran, each divided into ayah, verses (). The ''suwar'' are of unequal length; the shortest ''surah'' (al-Kawthar) has only three verses, while ...
Al-Imran,
Surah A ''surah'' (; ; ) is an Arabic word meaning 'chapter' in the Quran. There are 114 ''suwar'' in the Quran, each divided into ayah, verses (). The ''suwar'' are of unequal length; the shortest ''surah'' (al-Kawthar) has only three verses, while ...
Al-Ankabut,
Surah A ''surah'' (; ; ) is an Arabic word meaning 'chapter' in the Quran. There are 114 ''suwar'' in the Quran, each divided into ayah, verses (). The ''suwar'' are of unequal length; the shortest ''surah'' (al-Kawthar) has only three verses, while ...
Ar-Rum,
Surah A ''surah'' (; ; ) is an Arabic word meaning 'chapter' in the Quran. There are 114 ''suwar'' in the Quran, each divided into ayah, verses (). The ''suwar'' are of unequal length; the shortest ''surah'' (al-Kawthar) has only three verses, while ...
Luqman, and
Surah A ''surah'' (; ; ) is an Arabic word meaning 'chapter' in the Quran. There are 114 ''suwar'' in the Quran, each divided into ayah, verses (). The ''suwar'' are of unequal length; the shortest ''surah'' (al-Kawthar) has only three verses, while ...
As-Sajda.


See also

* Al-Fatiha (the first surah in the Quran) * Al-Mu'awwidhatayn (the last two surahs in the Quran) * Al-Musabbihat (surahs beginning with God's glorification)


References


Sources

*


External links


A comprehensive exposition of the theories surrounding the Muqatta'at

The consonant şād in three Qur'anic chapters: Sād, Mary and al-A'rāf
{{DEFAULTSORT:Muqatta'at Quran Arabic words and phrases Bahá'í terminology Language and mysticism Quranic verses *