Perfect Preservation
The Quran promises that God will guard and preserve it.
[15:9] Absolutely, we have revealed the reminder, and, absolutely, we will preserve it.
إِنَّا نَحْنُ نَزَّلْنَا الذِّكْرَ وَإِنَّا لَهُ لَحَافِظُونَ
[41:41] Those who have rejected the Quran's proof when it came to them, have also rejected an Honorable book. [41:42] No falsehood could enter it, in the past or in the future; a revelation from a Most Wise, Praiseworthy.
(٤١) إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ بِٱلذِّكْرِ لَمَّا جَآءَهُمْ وَإِنَّهُۥ لَكِتَـٰبٌ عَزِيزٌ (٤٢) لَّا يَأْتِيهِ ٱلْبَـٰطِلُ مِنۢ بَيْنِ يَدَيْهِ وَلَا مِنْ خَلْفِهِۦ تَنزِيلٌ مِّنْ حَكِيمٍ حَمِيدٍ
A common misunderstanding of these verses is the belief that they imply a physical impossibility: that no one could ever tamper with the ink, paper, or recitation of the Quran. This is not historically accurate. We know, for example, that the companion Ibn Masʿūd did not accept Sura 1 (al-Fātiḥah), Sura 113 (al-Falaq), or Sura 114 (al-Nās) as part of the Quran. Another companion, Ubayy ibn Kaʿb, included two additional suras—al-Ḥafd and al-Khalʿ—in his codex. Even within Sunni jurisprudence, all four madhabs acknowledge uncertainty regarding the 112 occurrences of the basmallah: whether it constitutes a numbered verse, an unnumbered verse, or functions merely as a sura marker. Beyond this, to this day we find variations in recitation, spelling, verse counts, and even wording across different written muṣḥafs and qirāʾāt. Since God does not fail in His promise, this means that our understanding of how God preserves the Quran must be reconsidered.
God’s promise does not rest on the claim that distortion is impossible, but on the existence of a divinely established system by which any falsehood or corruption—whether intentional or the result of human error—can be detected and corrected. Scribes err. Reciters forget. Communities disagree. Yet none of this defeats divine preservation. The Quran is not preserved like a fragile artifact sealed behind glass, but like a garment treated to resist stains: even if marked, the stain cannot remain. Within this promise lie multiple internal mechanisms by which the authenticity of the Qur’an can be verified, tested, and restored across time.
[22:52] We did not send before you any messenger, nor a prophet, without having the devil interfere in his wishes. GOD then nullifies what the devil has done. GOD perfects His revelations. GOD is Omniscient, Most Wise.
وَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَا مِن قَبْلِكَ مِن رَّسُولٍ وَلَا نَبِىٍّ إِلَّآ إِذَا تَمَنَّىٰٓ أَلْقَى ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنُ فِىٓ أُمْنِيَّتِهِۦ فَيَنسَخُ ٱللَّهُ مَا يُلْقِى ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنُ ثُمَّ يُحْكِمُ ٱللَّهُ ءَايَـٰتِهِۦ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ
Memorization of Recitation
The first mechanism of preservation is the memorization of the Quran’s recitation. From the time of its revelation over fourteen centuries ago, billions of people have memorized portions of the Quran, and many have memorized it in its entirety, earning the title ḥuffāẓ—a term that literally means guardians. This method of preservation was especially critical before the widespread availability of mass-produced muṣḥafs with standardized diacritical markings. In such an environment, if an individual attempted to introduce an alternative wording or pronunciation, those who had memorized the Quran could immediately identify and correct the error. The collective memory of the community functioned as a self-correcting system.
Mus’haf (Written Text)
The second mechanism of preservation is the written text itself, known as the muṣḥaf. The earliest Quranic manuscripts were written without dots (nuqaṭ) or vowel markings (tashkīl). While dots existed in Arabic writing before the Quran, they were not employed in the earliest Quranic manuscripts, and systematic vowelization was introduced much later. These features did not become widespread in Quranic texts until many centuries after the revelation.
Because early manuscripts lacked these visual safeguards, written copies of the Quran were not meant to function independently. Instead, every dispatched muṣḥaf was accompanied by a trained and authorized reciter—known as a qāriʾ (plural: qurrāʾ)—who ensured the correct pronunciation and recitation. In this way, the written text could only be properly “decoded” through supervised recitation, preventing mispronunciations that might alter meaning. Once diacritical marks became standardized, readers were able to infer pronunciation and rules of tajwīd directly from the script itself, reducing reliance on constant oral supervision.
Classical Arabic Grammar
The third mechanism safeguarding the Quran is embedded within the structure of Classical Arabic grammar itself. Quranic Arabic functions with a precision comparable to computer code: a single alteration can trigger cascading grammatical inconsistencies. Gender agreement, verb tense, case endings, and number (singular, dual, plural) are tightly interwoven. As a result, changing even one word often disrupts the syntactic integrity of the entire sentence. This grammatical interdependence creates a built-in error-detection system. Any intentional or accidental alteration can be exposed by examining whether the sentence still conforms to the rigid grammatical framework of the language.
Qira’at
Until the twentieth century, these three mechanisms—memorization, the written muṣḥaf, and grammatical structure—were generally assumed to account for Quranic preservation. Yet despite them, disputes persisted regarding the precise form of the Quranic text and its recitation. These disagreements are most clearly reflected in the phenomenon known as the qira’at.
The term qira’at refers to the recognized modes or styles of Quranic recitation. Traditional sources generally assert that there are ten canonical recitations. By far the most widespread is the Hafs recitation, used by approximately 95% of the Muslim world. The Warsh recitation remains common in North and West Africa, as well as parts of Sudan and Egypt. Qalun is primarily found in Libya, while al-Duri continues to be used in Sudan, parts of Egypt, and Chad. These four recitations are still actively transmitted and mass-produced today.
Although most differences between the qira’at involve pronunciation or dialectical variation that does not affect meaning, some variations raise serious concerns. In certain cases, verse numbering differs between recitations, and on rare occasions the differences result in slight changes in meaning. When questioned about these discrepancies, traditionalists typically respond by asserting that all canonical recitations are equally authentic, often appealing to a hadith claiming that the Quran was revealed in seven ahruf as justification.
Abu Juhaym reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “The Quran is recited in seven ahruf. Do not argue over the Quran, for arguing over the Quran is an act of unbelief.”
Source: Musnad Aḥmad 17199 Grade: Sahih (authentic) according to Al-Suyuti
Ibn 'Abbas reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: Gabriel taught me to recite in one ahruf. I replied to him and kept asking him to give more (styles), till he reached seven ahruf (of recitation). Ibn Shibab said: It has reached me that these seven ahruf are essentially one, not differing about what is permitted and what is forbidden.
وَحَدَّثَنِي حَرْمَلَةُ بْنُ يَحْيَى، أَخْبَرَنَا ابْنُ وَهْبٍ، أَخْبَرَنِي يُونُسُ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، حَدَّثَنِي عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُتْبَةَ، أَنَّ ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ، حَدَّثَهُ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " أَقْرَأَنِي جِبْرِيلُ - عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ - عَلَى حَرْفٍ فَرَاجَعْتُهُ فَلَمْ أَزَلْ أَسْتَزِيدُهُ فَيَزِيدُنِي حَتَّى انْتَهَى إِلَى سَبْعَةِ أَحْرُفٍ " . قَالَ ابْنُ شِهَابٍ بَلَغَنِي أَنَّ تِلْكَ السَّبْعَةَ الأَحْرُفَ إِنَّمَا هِيَ فِي الأَمْرِ الَّذِي يَكُونُ وَاحِدًا لاَ يَخْتَلِفُ فِي حَلاَلٍ وَلاَ حَرَامٍ .
Sahih Muslim 819a https://sunnah.com/muslim:819a See also: https://sunnah.com/bukhari:3219
Narrated `Umar bin Al-Khattab: I heard Hisham bin Hakim bin Hizam reciting Surat-al-Furqan in a way different to that of mine. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) had taught it to me (in a different way). So, I was about to quarrel with him (during the prayer) but I waited till he finished, then I tied his garment round his neck and seized him by it and brought him to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and said, "I have heard him reciting Surat-al-Furqan in a way different to the way you taught it to me." The Prophet (ﷺ) ordered me to release him and asked Hisham to recite it. When he recited it, Allah s Apostle said, "It was revealed in this way." He then asked me to recite it. When I recited it, he said, "It was revealed in this way. The Qur'an has been revealed in seven different ahruf, so recite it in the way that is easier for you."
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ يُوسُفَ، أَخْبَرَنَا مَالِكٌ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، عَنْ عُرْوَةَ بْنِ الزُّبَيْرِ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ عَبْدٍ الْقَارِيِّ، أَنَّهُ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ عُمَرَ بْنَ الْخَطَّابِ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ يَقُولُ سَمِعْتُ هِشَامَ بْنَ حَكِيمِ بْنِ حِزَامٍ، يَقْرَأُ سُورَةَ الْفُرْقَانِ عَلَى غَيْرِ مَا أَقْرَؤُهَا، وَكَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَقْرَأَنِيهَا، وَكِدْتُ أَنْ أَعْجَلَ عَلَيْهِ، ثُمَّ أَمْهَلْتُهُ حَتَّى انْصَرَفَ، ثُمَّ لَبَّبْتُهُ بِرِدَائِهِ فَجِئْتُ بِهِ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقُلْتُ إِنِّي سَمِعْتُ هَذَا يَقْرَأُ عَلَى غَيْرِ مَا أَقْرَأْتَنِيهَا، فَقَالَ لِي " أَرْسِلْهُ ". ثُمَّ قَالَ لَهُ " اقْرَأْ ". فَقَرَأَ. قَالَ " هَكَذَا أُنْزِلَتْ ". ثُمَّ قَالَ لِي " اقْرَأْ ". فَقَرَأْتُ فَقَالَ " هَكَذَا أُنْزِلَتْ. إِنَّ الْقُرْآنَ أُنْزِلَ عَلَى سَبْعَةِ أَحْرُفٍ فَاقْرَءُوا مِنْهُ مَا تَيَسَّرَ ".
Sahih al-Bukhari 2419 https://sunnah.com/bukhari:2419
Ubayy b. Ka'b said: The Prophet (ﷺ) was present at the pool of Banu Ghifar, Gabriel came to him and said: "Allah has commanded you to make your community read (the Qur'an) in one harf. He (the Prophet) said: 'I beg Allah His pardon and forgiveness; my community has not strength to do so'. He then came for the second time and told him the same thing till he reached up to seven harfs. Finally, he said: 'Allah has commanded you to make your community read (the Qur'an) in seven harfs; in whichever mode they read, that will be correct.
حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ الْمُثَنَّى، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنِ الْحَكَمِ، عَنْ مُجَاهِدٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي لَيْلَى، عَنْ أُبَىِّ بْنِ كَعْبٍ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم كَانَ عِنْدَ أَضَاةِ بَنِي غِفَارٍ فَأَتَاهُ جِبْرِيلُ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ يَأْمُرُكَ أَنْ تُقْرِئَ أُمَّتَكَ عَلَى حَرْفٍ . قَالَ " أَسْأَلُ اللَّهَ مُعَافَاتَهُ وَمَغْفِرَتَهُ إِنَّ أُمَّتِي لاَ تُطِيقُ ذَلِكَ " . ثُمَّ أَتَاهُ ثَانِيَةً فَذَكَرَ نَحْوَ هَذَا حَتَّى بَلَغَ سَبْعَةَ أَحْرُفٍ قَالَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُكَ أَنْ تُقْرِئَ أُمَّتَكَ عَلَى سَبْعَةِ أَحْرُفٍ فَأَيُّمَا حَرْفٍ قَرَءُوا عَلَيْهِ فَقَدْ أَصَابُوا .
Sunan Abi Dawud 1478 https://sunnah.com/abudawud:1478
The problem with such understanding is that these narrations contradict the verses of the Quran, which inform us that there is only one single Master Tablet of the Quran.
[85:21] Indeed, it is a glorious Quran. [85:22] In a preserved master tablet.
(٢١) بَلْ هُوَ قُرْآنٌ مَجِيدٌ
(٢٢) فِي لَوْحٍ مَحْفُوظٍ
Additionally, the Quran explicitly states that it was revealed in clear Arabic without any ambiguity. But if we are to believe that it was revealed in seven different versions because Muhammad was concerned that his people could not understand it, then this means that it wasn’t clear enough for the people to understand this would be a clear contradiction.
[39:27] We have cited for the people every kind of example in this Quran, that they may take heed. [39:28] An Arabic Quran, without any ambiguity, that they may be righteous.
(٢٧) وَلَقَدْ ضَرَبْنَا لِلنَّاسِ فِي هَٰذَا الْقُرْآنِ مِنْ كُلِّ مَثَلٍ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَذَكَّرُونَ
(٢٨) قُرْآنًا عَرَبِيًّا غَيْرَ ذِي عِوَجٍ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَّقُونَ
Harf = Distortions
These verses inform us that only one form is the correct Quran, while other forms are distortions. Interestingly, in the Classical Arabic of the Quran, the word harf/ahruf in the context of scripture is used specifically negatively to mean “distortions,” while in Modern Arabic, this word can simply mean speech.
[2:75] Do you expect them to believe as you do, when some of them used to hear the word of GOD, then distort it, with full understanding thereof, and deliberately?
أَفَتَطْمَعُونَ أَنْ يُؤْمِنُوا لَكُمْ وَقَدْ كَانَ فَرِيقٌ مِنْهُمْ يَسْمَعُونَ كَلَامَ اللَّهِ ثُمَّ يُحَرِّفُونَهُ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا عَقَلُوهُ وَهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ
[4:46] Among those who are Jewish, some distort the words beyond the truth, and they say, “We hear, but we disobey,” and “Your words are falling on deaf ears,” and “Raa’ena* (be our shepherd),” as they twist their tongues to mock the religion. Had they said, “We hear, and we obey,” and “We hear you,” and “Unzurna (watch over us),” it would have been better for them, and more righteous. Instead, they have incurred condemnation from GOD due to their disbelief. Consequently, the majority of them cannot believe.
مِنَ الَّذِينَ هَادُوا يُحَرِّفُونَ الْكَلِمَ عَنْ مَوَاضِعِهِ وَيَقُولُونَ سَمِعْنَا وَعَصَيْنَا وَاسْمَعْ غَيْرَ مُسْمَعٍ وَرَاعِنَا لَيًّا بِأَلْسِنَتِهِمْ وَطَعْنًا فِي الدِّينِ وَلَوْ أَنَّهُمْ قَالُوا سَمِعْنَا وَأَطَعْنَا وَاسْمَعْ وَانْظُرْنَا لَكَانَ خَيْرًا لَهُمْ وَأَقْوَمَ وَلَٰكِنْ لَعَنَهُمُ اللَّهُ بِكُفْرِهِمْ فَلَا يُؤْمِنُونَ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا
[5:13] It was a consequence of their violating the covenant that we condemned them, and we caused their hearts to become hardened. Consequently, they distorted the words out of context, and disregarded some of the commandments given to them. You will continue to witness betrayal from them, excepting a few of them. You shall pardon them, and disregard them. GOD loves those who are benevolent.
فَبِمَا نَقْضِهِمْ مِيثَاقَهُمْ لَعَنَّاهُمْ وَجَعَلْنَا قُلُوبَهُمْ قَاسِيَةً يُحَرِّفُونَ الْكَلِمَ عَنْ مَوَاضِعِهِ وَنَسُوا حَظًّا مِمَّا ذُكِّرُوا بِهِ وَلَا تَزَالُ تَطَّلِعُ عَلَىٰ خَائِنَةٍ مِنْهُمْ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا مِنْهُمْ فَاعْفُ عَنْهُمْ وَاصْفَحْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُحْسِنِينَ
[5:41] O you messenger, do not be saddened by those who hasten to disbelieve among those who say, “We believe,” with their mouths, while their hearts do not believe. Among the Jews, some listened to lies. They listened to people who never met you, and who distorted the words out of context, then said, “If you are given this, accept it, but if you are given anything different, beware.” Whomever GOD wills to divert, you can do nothing to help him against GOD. GOD does not wish to cleanse their hearts. They have incurred humiliation in this world, and in the Hereafter, they will suffer a terrible retribution.
يَاأَيُّهَا الرَّسُولُ لَا يَحْزُنْكَ الَّذِينَ يُسَارِعُونَ فِي الْكُفْرِ مِنَ الَّذِينَ قَالُوا آمَنَّا بِأَفْوَاهِهِمْ وَلَمْ تُؤْمِنْ قُلُوبُهُمْ وَمِنَ الَّذِينَ هَادُوا سَمَّاعُونَ لِلْكَذِبِ سَمَّاعُونَ لِقَوْمٍ آخَرِينَ لَمْ يَأْتُوكَ يُحَرِّفُونَ الْكَلِمَ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَوَاضِعِهِ يَقُولُونَ إِنْ أُوتِيتُمْ هَٰذَا فَخُذُوهُ وَإِنْ لَمْ تُؤْتَوْهُ فَاحْذَرُوا وَمَنْ يُرِدِ اللَّهُ فِتْنَتَهُ فَلَنْ تَمْلِكَ لَهُ مِنَ اللَّهِ شَيْئًا أُولَٰئِكَ الَّذِينَ لَمْ يُرِدِ اللَّهُ أَنْ يُطَهِّرَ قُلُوبَهُمْ لَهُمْ فِي الدُّنْيَا خِزْيٌ وَلَهُمْ فِي الْآخِرَةِ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ
Code 19
So how do we determine which style of recitation is correct in cases where variant readings result in differences of meaning? This question leads to the fourth mechanism by which the Quran is preserved: a self-contained error-correcting mechanism, commonly referred to as Code 19.
According to Sura 74, the Quran states that it is guarded by "invisible forces," a mathematical structure that lies beyond human capacity to fabricate. This structure was embedded into the Quran from its inception and has remained intact through the organizing role of the number 19, functioning as a built-in means of detecting corruption rather than obscuring content.
Sura 74 is titled al-Muddaththir, commonly translated as The Cloaked One. The root of muddaththir (مُدَّثِّر) conveys the idea of something covered or concealed—present yet not immediately apparent. In this sense, the chapter introduces the concept of a structure that exists within the text itself, operating independently of human transmission or editorial control.
Within this same sura, the Quran addresses those whom God has blessed yet who dismiss the revelation of the Quran as clever magic and claim that it is man-made.
[74:18] For he reflected, then decided. [74:19] Miserable is what he decided. [74:20] Miserable indeed is what he decided. [74:21] He looked. [74:22] He frowned and whined. [74:23] Then he turned away arrogantly. [74:24] He said, “This is but clever magic! [74:25] “This is human made.”
A further detail in 74:18–20 strengthens this framing. In these verses, the Quran uses the term qadr three times in succession. Throughout the Quran, qadr signifies a measured determination—a decision arrived at through calculation, proportion, and evaluation rather than impulse or guesswork. The repetition here is deliberate. It portrays the critic of the Quran as engaging in analysis and assessment before rendering judgment, reinforcing the broader theme of measurement, structure, and constraint that culminates moments later in the introduction of the number 19. Read in this light, the passage situates numerical measure not as an external imposition, but as an internal principle already governing the discourse.
In response to this accusation, the Quran presents the number 19 as a divine sign—one that functions as a rebuttal to such claims, and then proceeds to explain the purpose of the number.
[74:30] Over it is nineteen. [74:31] We appointed angels to be guardians of Hell, and we assigned their number (19) (1) to disturb the disbelievers, (2) to convince the Christians and Jews (that this is a divine scripture), (3) to strengthen the faith of the faithful, (4) to remove all traces of doubt from the hearts of Christians, Jews, as well as the believers, and (5) to expose those who harbor doubt in their hearts, and the disbelievers; they will say, “What did GOD mean by this allegory?” GOD thus sends astray whomever He wills, and guides whomever He wills. None knows the soldiers of your Lord except He. This is a reminder for the people. [74:32] Absolutely, (I swear) by the moon. [74:33] And the night as it passes. [74:34] And the morning as it shines. [74:35] This is one of the great miracles. [74:36] A warning to the human race.
Code 19 and Preservation of the Quran
So, what does this have to do with the preservation of the Quran? Every facet of this Quran is secured by the number 19, which serves as an encryption key to validate the words, verses, and suras of the Quran. This code provides us confidence that this Quran has not been distorted since its original revelation and that God, Lord of the Universe, was the author of this message.
For instance, in Sura 74 alone we find the following facts:
Verse 74:31 which describes the function of the number 19 has 57 words = 19 x 3
The first 19 verses of Sura 74 contain 57 words = 19×3 words
The number of words from the beginning of Sura 74:1 to 74:30 where it mentions “nineteen” = 19 x5 = 95 words
The number of letters from the beginning of Sura 74 to the word “nineteen” in 74:30 = 361 = 19 x 19 letters
From 74:1-8 there are exactly 19 [19×1] words
From 74:1-19 there are exactly 57 [19×3] words
From 74:1-30 there are exactly 95 [19×5] words
From 74:1-31 there are exactly 152 [19×8] words
But these signs go beyond Sura 74 and encompass the entire Quran. For instance, the Quran contains 114 suras which equals 19x6, and the opening statement of the Quran, Basmlah, has 19 letters.
We see that the word Allah in all its forms occurs 2698 times in the Quran which is 19 x 142. We see that if we add all the verses where the word Allah occurs in the Quran we get 118,123 which is 6,217 x 19. We see that the other two names of God in the opening statement also occur in the Quran in multiples of 19. Ar-Rahman occurs 57 times, which is 19×3, while Ar-Rahim occurs 114 times, which is 19×6.
Quranic Initials
But the real core of Code 19 is regarding the initialed Suras. In the Quran, there are 29 suras that begin with Quranic initials.
No.
Sura No.
Sura Title
Quranic Initials
1.
2
The Heifer
A.L.M.
2.
3
The Amramites
A.L.M.
3.
7
The Purgatory
A.L.M.S.
4.
10
Jonah
A.L.R.
5.
11
Hûd
A.L.R.
6.
12
Joseph
A.L.R.
7.
13
Thunder
A.L.M.R.
8.
14
Abraham
A.L.R.
9.
15
Al-Hijr Valley
A.L.R.
10.
19
Mary
K.H.Y.‘A.S.
11.
20
T.H.
T.H.
12.
26
The Poets
T.S.M.
13.
27
The Ant
T.S.
14.
28
History
T.S.M.
15.
29
The Spider
A.L.M.
16.
30
The Romans
A.L.M.
17.
31
Luqmaan
A.L.M.
18.
32
Prostration
A.L.M.
19.
36
Y.S.
Y.S.
20.
38
S.
S.
21.
40
Forgiver
H.M.
22.
41
Elucidated
H.M.
23.
42
Consultation
H.M. ‘A.S.Q
24.
43
Ornaments
H.M.
25.
44
Smoke
H.M.
26.
45
Kneeling
H.M.
27.
46
The Dunes
H.M.
28.
50
Q.
Q.
29.
68
The Pen
NuN
These initials can be grouped into fourteen distinct sets of initials, and for 1400 years, individuals did not know what the meaning of these initials represented. Upon the discovery of code 19 in 1974, exactly 1406 (19x74) lunar years after the revelation of the Quran, it became known that there is a numerical connection between these letters, their respective suras, and the number 19. Such that the frequency of these initials in their respective Suras occurs in multiples of 19.
Take Sura 50, for example, which contains the initial ق (qaf), which can be represented as Q in English. If we count all the occurrences of ق in Arabic, you will see that this initial occurs 57 times in the Quran, which is 19 x3.
Sura 42 has two sets of initials, حم (Ha Mim) H.M. as well as عسق (Ayn, Seen, Qaf) ‘A.S.Q. If we count just the occurrence of qaf in the Arabic Quran we see that this letter also occurs in this sura 57 times, which is also 19 x3. This is despite that Sura 42 is more than twice as long as Sura 50. Additionally, if we count all the Ayns ( ع ), Seens ( س ), and Qafs ( ق ) in this sura, we get 209, which is 19x11.
The letters حم (ha mim) H.M. prefix Suras 40 through 46. If we count all the has and mims in these suras we get a total of 2147 = 19 x 113.
Sura
Frequency of Occurrence
No.
“H”
“M”
“H+M”
40
64
380
444
41
48
276
324
42
53
300
353
43
44
324
368
44
16
150
166
45
31
200
231
46
36
225
261
292
1855
2147
(19×113)
The Arabic initial saad prefixes three suras, 7, 19, and 38, and the total occurrence of the letter “S” (Saad) in these three suras is 152, 19×8.
Sura No.
Frequency of The letter “Saad”
7
97
19
26
38
29
152 (19×8)
Spellings and Code 19
It is noteworthy that in 7:69, the word “Bastatan” is written in some printings with a “Saad,” instead of “Seen.” Code 19 proves that the proper spelling is with a seen and not a saad.
We see a similar occurrence with the words al-layl (the night) and allātī (those whom). Today, if you pick up any Arabic Quran, you will see that in half the copies, the word al-layl (the night) will be written one of two ways. Either الَّيْلِ, written with two lams, or اللَّيْلِ, with three lams. So which version is correct?
By entering either spelling in the Quran and seeing the impact it has on the 13 lam initialed suras we can determine once and for all which spelling is correct. What we find out when we do this is that the correct spelling of layl in the Quran is unequivocally written with only two lams and not three. This is because if we were to utilize the spelling with three Lams we see that the following suras are no longer multiples of 19.
For instance, the count of lams in sura 2 would be off by three extra, sura 3 would be off by four extra, sura 7 would have one extra, and sura 10 would be off by 3 extra. These issues compound for each of the respective Lam initialed suras that contain the word al-layl in it. But if we go with the spelling of layl with only two lams, we see that all these errors are fixed.
We see a similar difference in spelling with the word allātī (those whom). In half the manuscripts of the Quran, we will see this word written with two lams like so: اللَّاتِي, and in the other half of the manuscripts, we will see it written with a single lam like so: الّٰتِیۡۤ. So which one is correct?
This word occurs once in Sura 12, which is an A.L.R. initialed sura. If we use the form written with two lams, we see that the counts of lam in this sura and the total A.L.R. in this sura are no longer a multiple of 19, but if we use the form written with a single lam, then the counts conform to the mathematical structure of the Quran.
9:128-129
One of the most fundamental aspects of Code 19 and the preservation of the Quran was the determination that verses 128 and 129 of Sura 9, the last revelation of the Quran and the only Sura without a Bismallah, were added after the prophet’s death. These verses were always suspect via the historical account and the linguistic account, but Code 19 provided the mathematical proof that these two verses were not part of the originally transmitted Quran and were only added later.
Code 19 and Verse Count
So how does Code 19 help resolve the differences in recitation?
One of the major differences in the various recitations occurs in the determination of the number of verses in the Quran.
If we look at the above table, we see that only the Hafs recitation of the pure Quran contains verses that are a multiple of 19. This shows that the number of verses in the Quran is 6,346 = 19 x 334. This includes the 6234 numbered verses and 112 unnumbered verses (Basmalahs). It is also worth noting that if we add the digits, we get 6+3+4+6=19. This corresponds with the verse counts per the Hafs recitation of the Quran. It is also worth pointing out that the digits 6,3,4,6 also correspond with the number of letters in the Bismillah.
Bism ( بسم ) 3 letters
Allah ( ٱلله ) 4 letters
Ar-Rahman ( ٱلرحمن ) 6 letters
Ar-Raheem ( ٱلرحيم ) 6 letters
Code 19 and Hafs
If we look at Code 19 against the other recitations, we find that only the Hafs recitation corresponds with the foundations of the mathematical structure of the Quran. For instance, sura 36 of the Quran has the initials: يس (ya siin). The letter “Y” occurs in this sura 237 times, while the letter “S” (Seen) occurs 48 times in the Hafs recitation. The total of both letters is 285, 19×15. But if we look at the Warsh and Qalun recitations, we see that Y only occurs 236 times, which generates a total of 284 occurrences of Y and S in this sura and, therefore, not a multiple of 19. This is because of the following difference in the recitation of the word يَعْقِلُونَ.
[Hafs 36:68] Whomever we permit to live for a long time, we revert him to weakness. Do they not understand?
وَمَنْ نُعَمِّرْهُ نُنَكِّسْهُ فِي الْخَلْقِ أَفَلَا يَعْقِلُونَ
[Warsh & Qalun 36:67] Whomever we permit to live for a long time, we revert him to weakness. Do you not understand?
وَمَنْ نُعَمِّرْهُ نُنَكِّسْهُ فِي الْخَلْقِ أَفَلَا تَعْقِلُونَ
Future Potential Ways of Preservation
At the beginning of this article, I stated that these are the mechanisms that God utilized to preserve the Quran that we have “to date.” Up until 1974, the fourth mechanism of Code 19 was not known by people, so there is no reason to doubt that future generations will not discover other mechanisms that God has utilized for the further protection and preservation of the Quran.
Looking retrospectively, it seems that the mechanisms that guard the Quran become progressively stronger as people's sophistication increases, causing more skepticism towards the Quran. Extrapolating that further, the following verse potentially provides some ideas about how these mechanisms for further preservation could come to fruition and provide even more assurances for the believers.
[41:53] We will show them our proofs in the horizons, and within themselves, until they realize that this is the truth. Is your Lord not sufficient, as a witness of all things?
سَنُرِيهِمْ آيَاتِنَا فِي الْآفَاقِ وَفِي أَنْفُسِهِمْ حَتَّىٰ يَتَبَيَّنَ لَهُمْ أَنَّهُ الْحَقُّ أَوَلَمْ يَكْفِ بِرَبِّكَ أَنَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ شَهِيدٌ
From this verse, we could extrapolate that in the future, someone could potentially discover, by God’s leave, that the verses of the Quran have been embedded inside the DNA of the human being or in the Cosmic background radiation that floods the universe.
For a more comprehensive view of Code 19 and the initials, please check out the following material:
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