The Numerical Miraculousness of the Qur'an: Evaluating Rashad Khalifa's 52 Claims (مقاله علمی وزارت علوم)

چکیده

The study of the dimensions of the Qur’an's miraculous nature has been a central focus of Qur’anic scholars since the time of its revelation. Numerous aspects have been identified as facets of the Qur’an's miraculousness. One such aspect, arguably first significantly claimed by Rashad Khalifa, is the mathematical structure or numerical miraculousness of the Qur’an. Khalifa published his findings in a book titled "Qur’an: Visual Presentation of the Miracle," wherein he outlined 52 examples of the Qur’an's mathematical miracles. These examples include 21 cases of word and letter repetitions, 2 cases of abjad letter calculations, and 29 cases involving the Qur’an's disjointed letters (al-ḥurūf al-muqaṭṭaʿāt), all connected to the number 19, which Khalifa considered a divine code. This study first reflects on the concept of the Qur’an's numerical miracle and outlines criteria for its verification. Subsequently, it examines Khalifa's computational criteria and evaluates all 52 of his claims. Upon thorough review, it was determined that Khalifa's calculations and conclusions are either incorrect or lack at least one necessary condition for establishing a numerical miraculousness.