The Ruling on Interpreting the Magnificent Qur’an through Scientific Miracles
Numerical Miracles
Scientific miracles are of two kinds. One kind is indicated and alluded to by the Qur’an. There is nothing wrong with this, and it belongs to Qur’anic exegesis. Another kind is not indicated by the Qur’an but is extracted from it through strained interpretation, and perhaps it does not indicate it at all. It is impermissible to interpret the Qur’an through this.
An example of the second kind is God’s saying, exalted is He: “O company of jinn and humankind, if you can pass beyond the regions of the heavens and the earth, then pass. You will not pass except with authority” [al-Rahman: 33]. Some interpret “authority” as science and apply this to reaching the moon. This is impermissible, because the verse does not indicate that. It explains the situation on the Day of Resurrection, which is why it says “the regions of the heavens and the earth”. It is well known that those people have not passed beyond the regions of the heavens. Thus scientific miracles that involve no strained interpretation are unobjectionable, because the Qur’an is expansive.
Another objectionable example of what is called scientific miracle is what they call the numerical miracle based on the number nineteen. This too is false, and it is impermissible to say that the Qur’an is miraculous in this respect.
First, because the readings differ. They say, for example: the letter ta’ occurs so many times, and dividing that by nineteen gives a whole number; the letter lam occurs so many times, and dividing it by nineteen gives no remainder. So they claim, and this is unquestionably false.
One of them even told me: God Most High said, “The first House established for humankind is the one at Bakkah, blessed and a guidance for all peoples” [Al Imran: 96], and said in Surat al-Fath, “It is He who restrained their hands from you and your hands from them in the valley of Makkah” [al-Fath: 24]. He said that God mentioned “Bakkah” so that the letter ba’ would complete a number divisible by nineteen. This is unquestionably a lie.
The evidence is that, for example, there are Qur’anic words with different readings: “O you who believe, when you go forth in God’s cause, investigate carefully” [al-Nisa’: 94]. The word fatabayyanu is also read fatathabbatu, “verify”. The count is therefore disrupted: a tha’ replaces a nun, and a ba’ replaces a ya’.
Likewise, “Master of the Day of Judgment” [al-Fatihah: 4], malik with a long vowel, has a reading “King of the Day of Judgment”, malik without the alif. An alif is therefore lost. The point is that this is unquestionably a lie. The Qur’an may not be interpreted through numerical miracles because, first, there is no miracle in it as they claim.
Second, the Qur’an was not revealed as an arithmetic exercise. It was revealed as an admonition and a healing for what is in the hearts.
It is said that the man who introduced this innovation denied the second part of the testimony of faith and said that the testimony consists only of “There is no god but God”. His name was Rashad. He propagated it some years ago, but he was killed. Some people killed him because he introduced into God’s religion what did not belong to it.
Recently, however, I found someone carrying a sheet of this kind that he wanted to print at his own expense and distribute among people. I told him, “This is impermissible”, tore up the sheet he gave me, and said: “You must know that the Qur’an was revealed to reform people, not to test their minds with numbers and such things.” Moreover, as stated above, there are variant readings in verses that prevent the arrangement he described.
God, exalted is He, says: “A blessed Book We have sent down to you, so that they may reflect on its verses” [Sad: 29]. That is, think about them and turn them over in their minds until their meaning becomes clear. The Noble Qur’an was not revealed only for recitation of its words, but also for reflection on its meaning. It cannot be acted upon without knowing its meaning, and its meaning cannot be known without reflecting on it.
Thinking about its meaning is therefore obligatory. You must learn the Qur’an’s meaning just as you learn the meaning of al-Ajurrumiyyah, a small book on grammar from which a person cannot benefit until he understands its meaning. The Noble Qur’an is likewise: a person cannot benefit from it until he knows its meaning. If there were a medical book written in the most eloquent language but you did not understand its meaning, you could not benefit from it.
Thus you cannot benefit from the Qur’an until you understand its meaning.
The Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, said: “The best of you are those who learn the Qur’an and teach it.” [1] This includes learning both its wording and its meaning. Hence He said: “so that they may reflect on its verses” [Sad: 29].
If you wish to recognize this, recite a Qur’anic verse with reflection, then recite it heedlessly. You will find an enormous difference between the two.
Therefore, brothers, I urge you to learn the meaning of the Noble Qur’an. Read reliable works of exegesis and beware of books whose authors are unknown or whose authors are known to be deviant, or the like. Some commentators have distorted the Qur’an and redirected it toward their own beliefs rather than what the Qur’an indicates. Beware of such works. If you cannot do this, ask people of knowledge so that you may benefit from the Noble Qur’an.
Third, He, exalted is He, says: “and so that people of understanding may take heed” [Sad: 29]. “Take heed” means that those possessing reason should be admonished. Notice the difference between “so that they may reflect on its verses”, which is general, and “so that people of understanding may take heed”, which is specific. Only people of understanding take heed and receive admonition through the Qur’an. God, exalted is He, says: “In this there is a reminder for whoever has a heart or listens attentively while present in mind” [Qaf: 37].
If someone asks, “To whom do we turn in interpreting the Qur’an?”, the answer is: we turn to the Qur’an, interpreting the Qur’an through the Qur’an. If we find no explanation there, we turn to the Sunnah. If we find none there, we turn to the companions’ statements, particularly those of their commentators. If we find none there, we turn to the statements of the Successors, those among them who were commentators, such as Mujahid ibn Jabr and others, may God have mercy on them.
An example of interpreting the Qur’an through the Qur’an is His saying, exalted is He: “What will make you know what the Day of Judgment is? Again, what will make you know what the Day of Judgment is? A day when no soul will have any power to help another soul, and command that day belongs to God” [al-Infitar: 17–19]. Another is: “The Striking Calamity! What is the Striking Calamity? What will make you know what the Striking Calamity is? A day when people will be like scattered moths” [al-Qari‘ah: 1–4]. Examples are numerous.
An example from the Sunnah is His saying, exalted is He: “For those who do good there is the finest reward and an increase” [Yunus: 26]. “The finest reward” means Paradise, and “an increase” is looking upon the face of God, exalted is He. The Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, explained this, [2] and he is the most knowledgeable of creation about God Most High’s Book.
Another example is God Most High’s saying: “Prepare against them whatever strength and tethered horses you can” [al-Anfal: 60]. The Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, said: “Indeed, strength is shooting; indeed, strength is shooting”, twice or three times. [3] He explained strength as shooting because shooting is the most deadly form of weaponry. To this day, shooting is strength. Formerly people shot arrows with bows; now they launch missiles and bombs.
Do not imagine that his saying, may God bless him and grant him peace, “Indeed, strength is shooting”, applies only to what existed in his time. It is general, encompassing what will be developed until the Day of Resurrection.
In any case, for Qur’anic exegesis we turn to interpreting the Qur’an through the Qur’an, then the Sunnah, then the statements of the companions, may God be pleased with them. We never turn away from the companions’ statements to the interpretations of later scholars, particularly in matters of worship. As for matters that arise and to which the Qur’an contains an allusion, there may be no interpretation transmitted from the predecessors. These are interpreted according to the time. There are cosmic matters in space and on earth that the predecessors, may God have mercy on them, did not discuss but later scholars did. We therefore say: in such matters one refers to later scholars, because the predecessors did not know them.
As for questions of worship, transactions, and the like, in every case one refers to the companions’ interpretation, may God be pleased with them. Then comes the fourth rank: the leading commentators among the Successors, may God have mercy on them, whose rank is far below that of the companions, may God be pleased with them.
I ask God Most High to make us and you among those who recite God’s Book as it deserves to be recited, and to grant us learning of its wording and meaning and acting upon it. He has power over all things.
Muhammad ibn Salih al-Uthaymin (d. 1421 AH), may God have mercy on him, introduction to Exegesis of Surat al-Zukhruf, pp. 17–22. Published by the Shaykh Ibn Uthaymin Foundation.
[1] Reported by al-Bukhari, Book of the Virtues of the Qur’an, chapter “The Best of You Are Those Who Learn the Qur’an and Teach It”, no. 5027, from the hadith of Uthman ibn Affan, may God be pleased with him.
[2] Reported by Muslim, Book of Faith, chapter affirming that believers will see their Lord, exalted is He, in the Hereafter, no. 181.
[3] Reported by Muslim, Book of Government, chapter on the virtue of shooting, no. 1917, from the hadith of Uqbah ibn Amir, may God be pleased with him.