No. 19 and Hell and Fitna

By Muhammad Aslam al Hindi

 

According to the verse Muddesir/31, the fact related to 19 will bring the following results: Ensure certainty in (the faith of) people of the book, Enhance the faith of believers, Eliminate the doubt of people of the book and believers. Let us examine all of these 3 arguments from the point of results given. Conventional interpretation makes a childish impression from the point of producing the results given. It is nothing more than optimism to think that the fact that the number of angels of the hell given in the Quran is exactly the same with the number in the Torah would bring all these conclusions. I cannot imagine any Jewish or Christian who would believe that the Quran is from God based upon this match of numbers. On the contrary, this causes them believe that the Quran is only a blueprint. However, the main problem of the conventional interpretation is that it goes out of the single and unique function of 19 expressed in the verse by associating the results to be derived with exactly the same use of 19 in the Quran and the Torah. In other words, conventional interpretation adds to the figure 19 another function of compliance with the Torah in addition to being “a mischief for unbelievers”. The argument of Code 19 seems to meet all the results. A mathematically structured book may attract attention of some people and create the results given in the verse. However, the problem is that such type of mathematical “miracles” (or statistical coincidences) may exist in many books. Thus, when I searched, I found people who claim that such type of numerical codes exist in the Christian Bible and even in the American Declaration of Independence. Therefore, it is again nothing but a kind of optimism to claim that such type of statistical coincidences are well beyond chance and to think that books including these alleged codes are of divine origin. However, the basic problem of the Code 19, as in the case for conventional interpretation, is that it associates the results described in the verse to a new meaning which includes a function apart from the unique function of 19 given in the verse. 19th century argument has also potential to produce all the results. Our argument that the issue that 19th century will be a mischief for unbelievers is stated in the Quran is a miracle from the perspective that the Quran foretells and so important that it will enhance the faith of believers and ensure certainty of faith of people of the book. The greatest mischief of the 19th century is surely “The Theory of Evolution”. In this respect, words of the famous atheist Richard Dawkins are important: “Darwin made it possible to be an intelectually fullfilled atheist”. Charles Darwin published his theory which forms basis for atheism in 1859 (in the 19th century). When we look back to the history of human being, it can be seen that the only fact which coincides with the words “19” and “mischief” is 19th century and “Theory of Evolution”. Additionally, the use of the word “doubt” for both people of the book and believers strengthen our 19th century argument. Ask yourself: “What is the greatest and common source of “doubt” of people of the book and believers today?” This situation shows parallelism with an important characteristic borne by the 19th century argument and not exists in the other two claims. In this argument, the source of “doubt” of people of the book and believers is the same with the thing which is a mischief for unbelievers: “19th century”. I think this characteristic is of vital importance, since believers and people of the book are required not to fall in doubt through expression in the verse that “19 is nothing but a mischief for unbelievers”. This expression implies that such doubt of people of the book and believers is somewhat related with “19”. When considered from this point of view, only the argument of 19th century passes the test. Another important issue is that “people of the book” and “believers” are separately mentioned in the verse... In other words, this miracle (whatever it is) must be –necessarily- approved by “people of the book”. However, it is certain that the community defined as “people of the book” is not the same with “believers of the Quran”. Namely, this miracle must be meaningful even for the “people of the book” although they do not “believe in the Quran”. It is obvious that those putting forward the claim of “code 19” do not meet this requirement. However, the claim of “19th century” will be –necessarily- meaningful for the “people of the book”. The point that the name of the sura Muddesir is “the hidden thing” perfectly matches with the 19th century argument. Because, denial (atheism) has been a hidden phenomenon until 19th century, has never established an intellectual basis, however, this situation changed in the 19th century. Another aspect against the claimants of the Code 19 argument is as follows: “Surely, something included in the Quran may be difficult to find, however, it should be easy to understand when it is expressed”. In the end, the Koran addresses to all human being. From this perspective, claimants of the Code 19 argument are in trouble, since their claim can even not be “tested” by many people. Even the method used by them in counting words and letters is controversial. For example, very robust critics are raised even against the claims that the number of figures in the recite “Bismillah” is 19. However, the argument of 19th century is a claim easy to understand when explained and bears similar characteristics with the former Quran miracles from this perspective. PS: In this article, the term "evolution" refers to "random evolution", not to "directed evolution" or "front-loaded evolution".