Ibn Abbas (ra) is authentically reported to have discussed mathematical patterns in the Qur'an with Umar bin al-Khattab (ra). Major Ahlus Sunnah scholars have also discussed them. Here are some of the scholars:
1) Ibn Kathir authenticated Ibn Abbas’ narration where he used numerical patterns of 7 in the Qur’an to argue for Laylat ul-Qadr being on the 27th. Tafsir al-Mawardi also reports Ibn Abbas as noting 30 words in Surah al-Qadr and the 27th word referring to Laylat ul-Qadr. Ibn Abbas was the expert mufassir amongst the Sahaba and the Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) did du’a for him to be given a deep understanding of the religion and ta’wil. Umar also praised his deep understanding of the Qur’an.
The following are the major scholars (they need no introduction) that mentioned numerical/mathematical patterns in the Qur’an based on the above Ibn Abbas narrations or quoted it:
a) Ibn Abi Zayd al-Qayrawani, the famous Maliki muhaddith: https://al-maktaba.org/book/33977/763
b) Ibn Yunus, the famous Maliki scholar: https://al-maktaba.org/book/33207/1229
c) Al-Sarakhsi, the famous Hanafi scholar: https://al-maktaba.org/book/33240/594
d) Al-Sakhawi, the famous Qur’an specialist: https://al-maktaba.org/book/32372/152
e) al-Mawardi, the famous mufassir and Shafi’i scholar: https://www.altafsir.com/Tafasir.asp?tMadhNo=0&tTafsirNo=12&tSoraNo=97&tAyahNo=1&tDisplay=yes&UserProfile=0&LanguageId=1
f) Yahya Ibn Abi Khayr Umrani, a major Shafi’I scholar: https://al-maktaba.org/book/21721/1682
g) Ibn Qudama, the famous Hanbali scholar: https://al-maktaba.org/book/33211/3715
h) Ibn Rajab, the famous Hanbali scholar: https://al-maktaba.org/book/11363/203
i) Ibn Kathir, the famous mufassir (he declared its isnad qawi, jayyid): https://www.altafsir.com/Tafasir.asp?tMadhNo=1&tTafsirNo=7&tSoraNo=97&tAyahNo=1&tDisplay=yes&Page=8&Size=1&LanguageId=1
j) Ibn Rushd al-Jadd, the famous Maliki scholar: https://al-maktaba.org/book/33228/259
k) Ibn Atiyya, the famous mufassir: https://al-maktaba.org/book/23632/2754
l) al-Biqa’I, the famous mufassir: https://al-maktaba.org/book/9098/11478
m) Ibn Jawzi, the famous muhaddith: https://al-maktaba.org/book/23619/2235
n) Al-Buhuti, the famous Hanbali scholar: https://al-maktaba.org/book/33245/338
o) Al-Safarrini, the famous Hanbali scholar: https://al-maktaba.org/book/32944/1930
p) al-Qarafi, the famous Maliki scholar: https://al-maktaba.org/book/1717/933
q) al-Baji, the famous Maliki scholar: https://al-maktaba.org/book/6684/451
r) Ibn Mulaqqin, the famous Shafi’i scholar and Muhaddith: https://al-maktaba.org/book/32862/8078
s) Isma’il Haqqi, the famous Ottoman mufassir: https://al-maktaba.org/book/23612/5040
t) Ibn Ajiba, the famous mufassir: https://al-maktaba.org/book/10273/3374
u) Wahbah al-Zuhayli, the famous modern scholar: https://al-maktaba.org/book/33954/1612
2) The famous early Mufassir from the Salaf, Muqatil bin Sulayman, who wrote one of the earliest tafsirs in the early 2nd century, held the Huruf Muqatta’at (الحروف المقطعات) to refer to a numerical system. See Tafsir Muqatil in https://al-maktaba.org/book/23614/2363#p1
3) The founder of the Maturidi school, Imam al-Maturidi, also considered it possible that the Huruf Muqatta’at (الحروف المقطعات) refer to a numerical system and are part of the Qur’an’s miracle (in terms of its brevity). See Tafsir of al-Maturidi in https://al-maktaba.org/book/32658/371
4) The famous Sufi Abu Bakr al-Warraq counted words to represent the number of nights as mentioned by al-Tha’labi in https://al-maktaba.org/book/23578/3288
5) The famous Mufassir Ibn Barrajan (450-536 AH) who used the Qur'an to famously predict the conquest of Jerusalem (583 CE). This was reported by Abu Shama al-Maqdisi, Majd al-Din al-Halabi, Qadi Muhyi al-Din al-Zaki, Ibn Khallikan, Ibn Arabi and al-Zarkashi. See Ibn Barrajan’s tafsir for the details as translated in “Bellver, José, “Ibn Barraǧān and Ibn ʿArabī on the prediction of the capture of Jerusalem in 583/1187 by Saladin,” Arabica, 61/3–4 (2014), pp. 252–286”.
6) The famous Sufi and Hanbali master, sheikh Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani, who mentioned patterns of 7 and the number of words in https://al-maktaba.org/book/33369/357
7) The famous Sufi Ibn Arabi utilised mathematical patterns on the Qur'an through Abjad on the Huruf Muqatta'at. See al-Futūḥāt al-Makkiyya, Cairo, Dār al-kitāb al-ʿarabiyya l-kubrā, volume 1, pages 59-60, as translated in “Bellver, José, “Ibn Barraǧān and Ibn ʿArabī on the prediction of the capture of Jerusalem in 583/1187 by Saladin,” Arabica, 61/3–4 (2014), pp. 252–286”.
8) The famous Muhaddith, Hafiz Abdullah Sirajuddin mentioned the mathematical pattern of months in the Qur'an in his book "Sayyiduna Muhammad Rasulullah (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam)”.
9) The famous Muhaddith Muhammad al-Ya'qoubi mentioned that the date of death of the Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) was extracted from the Qur'an in 5:3. Al-Suyuti, in his Itqan , gives an example of a verse from surah 63 predicting the age of death of the Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) whilst Al-Zarkashi in his Burhan also mentioned that the age of Prophet Isa/Jesus (as) was extracted from 33 words in the Qur’an. Both al-Suyuti and al-Zarkashi are famous authorities and reference points in Ulum ul-Qur’an. See Al-Suyuti’s Itqan https://al-maktaba.org/book/11728/1188 and Al-Zarkashi’s Burhan https://al-maktaba.org/book/11436/692#p1
10) Emir Muhammad Kwassau wrote work on the Qur'an called "Ma'unat al-Tullab fi marifat...", which had statistics of the Qur'an, such as the count of individual letters.
A triangular method can be used to test such patterns for
deliberate intent (i.e. remove the chances of randomness) and reduce bias. This
means that a mathematical/numerical procedure should be established in various
parts of the Surah (or the Qur’an) or through various mathematical procedures leading
to patterns within the same verse or group of verses. The mathematical patterns
are expected to be applicable within a Surah because each Surah is separated
from the others and the order of the Surahs does not impact the meanings of each
Surah (so are “independent” and “stand-alone” in that sense). However, it can
also be that a mathematical pattern is replicated in multiple Surahs,
especially if they are connected.
To put it in another way, when one numerical pattern is
identified, it is tested to see whether it occurs elsewhere in the Surah (or
the Qur’an). If it does, then it increases the assurance that it was not
random. I don't expect the same numerical pattern to be found in every verse or
Surah, just like I don't expect each verse or Surah to have the same rhetorical
devices or wujuh of i'jaz. For example, Ta-Sin's (طس from the the Huruf Muqatta’at) numerical
pattern was supported through a triangular approach:
1) Surah an-Naml (27) starts with the Huruf Muqatta’at (sometimes translated as the “Disjointed letters”) as طس
2) If you count the number of ط appearing in the Surah, it is 27
3) If you count the number of س appearing in the Surah, it is 93
4) The above gives 27:93, in the same order and number as the Surah number and total number of Ayats (verses) in the Surah i.e. Surah an-Naml is position 27th in the whole Qur’an and has 93 Ayats.
5) If the above wasn’t enough, then if you total 27+93, you get 120, which is the Abjad number of Naml (the key story in Surah al-Naml and not mentioned in any other Surah).
6) Sticking to the letter ط from the Huruf Muqatta’at, it first occurs in them at 20:1 and is exactly mid-way between the total number of times ط occurs in the Qur’an (i.e. total is 1273 and there are 636 ط before it and 636 after it).
Various other mathematical/numerical patterns have been
confirmed for other Huruf Muqatta’at. In sha Allah the above is sufficient to
dispel the myth that searching for mathematical/numerical patterns in the Qur’an
is a modern invention. Instead, it is clearly established from the Sahaba and
the generations since them, amongst major Imams.
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