Sura 27 Word Count

342

Appendix 1 of the Quran, translated by Dr. Rashad Khalifa, states that the number of words between the Bismillah at the opening of the Sura to the Bismillah in verse 30 is 342 words = 19 x 18.

Some claim that the total count is 349 rather than 342. The discrepancy occurs based on how one counts "lā" ( لا ). La occurs eight times in this passage. Seven occurrences precede a verb, and one time it precedes a noun.

If a person counts every occurrence of "lā" as a separate word, then the total one will obtain will be 349. If, on the other hand, the "lā" preceding a verb in conjunction is counted as a single word, then the total comes out to 342 = 19 x 18.

This is not an isolated position but is also supported by Arabic grammarians, including.

• Al-Khalil ibn Ahmad (d. 786 CE)

• Sibawayh (d. 796 CE)

• Al-Fasawi (d. 1004 CE)

• Ibn Malik (d. 1274 CE)

The understanding is that when the negation particle "lā" ( لا ) precedes a verb, it should be counted as a single word. This is because the negation particle, "lā" ( لا ), has a grammatical effect on the verb, changing its meaning. This makes it a grammatically inseparable part of the word, and therefore treated like a single unit.

According to Al-Khalil's grammatical analysis, the particle "lā" ( لا ) and the verb that follows it are considered a single linguistic unit and treated as such in terms of morphology and syntax. For example, "لاتذهب" (lā-tadhhab) means "do not go" or "don't go." Here, "لاتذهب" is considered one word, with "لا" negating the verb "تذهب" (tadhhab).

The claim that the negation particle "lā" ( لا ) should be counted as a single word when it precedes a verb is based on the following arguments:

• The negation particle "لا" has a grammatical effect on the verb, changing its form and meaning.

• The negation particle "لا" is always written together with the verb, never separately.

However, not all Arabic grammarians agree with this claim. Some argue that the negation particle "لا" should be counted as a separate word, even when it precedes a verb. They argue that the negation particle has its own independent meaning and function and that it should not be considered to be part of the verb.