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<metadesc>Analysis of the alleged word count "miracles" in the Qu'ran. Occurrences of words are listed in both Arabic and English.</metadesc>
Modern Islamic apologists and [[Dawah|du'aah]] often seek to bolster the claim that the Qur'an is a divine book by reference to "[[Islam and Miracles|miracles]]" in the [[Qur'an]]. Recently, a novel strategy in this regard is to claim that the number of times certain words show up in the book constitute a "miracle." In point of fact though, there are exactly 0 word count miracles in the Qur'an. This is the conclusion not only of the critics of Islam, but also of many Islamic scholars. Islamic du'aah use various questionable counting methods to arrive at seemingly interesting number. In order to do this, though, multiple different counting methods are used, and this method if applied to any long text could reasonably be expected to result in similarly interesting numbers. It is probable - neither improbable nor miraculous. Some du'aah also rely on deceptive methods such as using translations  to make the word count claims look better. Of all of the claims that are made in this regard, probably the most valid claim in this regard is that the Qur'an mentions "angel" (+ the plural "angels") and "shaytan" (+the plural "shaytans") both 88 times. Meanwhile, probably the most amazing claim of the word "day" appearing 365 days is false. It is based on arbitrary exclusions and uses the solar, Gregorian calendar, while the 12 months miracle claim uses a verse that defines the Islamic year as based on the lunar calendar, which lasts 354 days. But even this word count "miracle" is inconsistent with regards to its counting method, for it counts plural and singular forms together and includes words with prefixes and suffixes. The way this is marketed is also deceptive, with apologists/du'aah (in the description of the word count) trying to make it seem that only the singular (or only the plural) forms were counted,<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3QHYELlo1s "This book uses the word "angels" 88 times, ملائكاة ."ملائكاة (mala'ika) is the plural form. </ref> when in fact both are counted together. These word count "miracle" claims rather exemplify the struggles of apologists for Islam in the modern world; the Qur'an in Islamic Sunni theology holds a lofty position, being co-existant with [[Allah]] from the beginning of time, and its production through the lips of Muhammad, the illiterate prophet, is held as the greatest miracle of Muhammad and the proof of his prophethood. Despite this, read in translation and without the benefit of growing up for years hearing the Qur'an sung and recited at the most somber and important occasions, the book itself fails to make a great impression on the non-Muslim reader, or even the Muslim unfamiliar with the tradition; the poetry of the verses is nigh impossible to translate into another language, the book itself makes frequent references to stories which were forgotten by the Islamic tradition itself, frequently switches person in narration, makes references to events which are not explained, and generally lacks the properties of theme and consistency that most readers expect. These word count "miracles" can thus be seen as an embarrassed attempt by the Muslim du'aah community to bolster the traditional claims of their religion in the face of a modern world which relentlessly evaluates and criticizes its claim, criticisms which Islam was traditionally shielded from in its own lands, but which are increasingly finding their way into even the most devout communities of the Muslim world.  
This article takes a look at alleged word count "[[Islam and Miracles|miracles]]" in the [[Qur'an]].
 
==Apologetic Claim==
==Apologetic Claim==


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====Mistranslations====
====Mistranslations====
When apologists find two words which occur the same number of time but they are not very related, then they translate them a little differently.
When du'aah often find two words which occur the same number of time but they are not very related, and they translate them differently to prove their "miracle:


*In the "tongue"-"sermon" word count they actually counted the word "admonition", not "sermon". But "sermon" sounded better with the word "tongue"
*In the "tongue"-"sermon" word count they actually counted the word "admonition", not "sermon". But "sermon" sounded better with the word "tongue"
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===Selective Choice of the Form of the Miracle===
===Selective Choice of the Form of the Miracle===
There are many forms of "miracles" in word counts. When the word count itself for some word is not interesting, then apologists try comparing this word count with others. When there is not some equal word count found, they try finding a double word count. They are changing the form of the miracle, until they find some form in which the word count fits.
There are many forms of "miracles" in word counts. When the word count itself for some word is not interesting, the du'aah often try comparing this word count with others. When there is not some equal word count found, they try finding a double word count. They continue such changes to the form of the "miracle", until they find some form in which the word count fits.


Some of the forms of miracles are these:
Some of the forms of "miracles" such as these are:


*The meaning of the word occurs in the real world the same number of times as the word count
*The meaning of the word occurs in the real world the same number of times as the word count
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**"Righteous mentioned 6 times and wicked 3 times"
**"Righteous mentioned 6 times and wicked 3 times"


Also for every form of a miracle there might be a lot of ways for the word count to be "interesting". For example, when counting the word "day":
Also for every form of a miracle there might be many ways for the word count to be "interesting". For example, when counting the word "day":


*6 occurrences would be interesting, because god created the world in 6 days
*6 occurrences would be interesting, because god created the world in 6 days
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*354 occurrences would be interesting, because that is the number of days in the lunar year
*354 occurrences would be interesting, because that is the number of days in the lunar year
*365 occurrences would be interesting, because that is the number of days in a year
*365 occurrences would be interesting, because that is the number of days in a year
===Reliance on the Gullibility of the Audience===
These counts are manipulated, generally in unstated ways, to produce the desired totals, but most individuals will not take the time needed to count and verify the claim themselves, so they may assume on good faith that it is true.


===Not presenting the actual list===
===Not presenting the actual list===
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===Manipulated Data===
===Manipulated Data===


When you check with word count software, the total "yawm" concordance finds 475 mentions, not 365. However, this includes the dual and plural forms. Of all the different forms of "yawm," 3 are in the dual and 27 are in the plural.<ref>Abdulrahman Lomax - [http://www.answering-islam.org/Religions/Numerics/365hoax.html ON THE CLAIM THAT THE WORD "DAY" OCCURS IN THE QUR'AN 365 TIMES] - Answering Islam, February 22,1996</ref> If you have a database program with easy formats you can easily counter this lie too and find out that all forms with suffixes are discarded on Islamic websites.
The total "yawm" concordance finds 475 mentions, not 365. However, this includes the dual and plural forms. Of all the different forms of "yawm," 3 are in the dual and 27 are in the plural.<ref>Abdulrahman Lomax - [http://www.answering-islam.org/Religions/Numerics/365hoax.html ON THE CLAIM THAT THE WORD "DAY" OCCURS IN THE QUR'AN 365 TIMES] - Answering Islam, February 22,1996</ref> If you have a database program with easy formats you can easily counter this lie too and find out that all forms with suffixes are discarded on Islamic websites.


Furthermore, the word ''yawm'' in most of its occurrences in the Qur'an does not mean a 24 hour day. For example, the Day of Judgment is mentioned a very large number of times in different ways.
Furthermore, the word ''yawm'' in most of its occurrences in the Qur'an does not mean a 24 hour day. For example, the Day of Judgment is mentioned a very large number of times in different ways.
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But let's say for a moment the 365 occurrences of the word "yawm" is a mathematically sound citation. If this was discovered at a time when people did not know how many days there were in a year then it may be considered a miracle, but calendars have existed since 3000 BC, and the Julian calendar (which consisted of 365 or 366 days) began in 45 BC.<ref>[http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Julian_calendar&oldid=406578579 Julian calendar] - Wikipedia, accessed January 16, 2011</ref>
But let's say for a moment the 365 occurrences of the word "yawm" is a mathematically sound citation. If this was discovered at a time when people did not know how many days there were in a year then it may be considered a miracle, but calendars have existed since 3000 BC, and the Julian calendar (which consisted of 365 or 366 days) began in 45 BC.<ref>[http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Julian_calendar&oldid=406578579 Julian calendar] - Wikipedia, accessed January 16, 2011</ref>
===Conclusion===
There is no miracle to be found here. Apologists have manipulated data and used an un-Islamic method of counting days within a year to make the numbers "fit".


===The 92 nights non-miracle===
===The 92 nights non-miracle===
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**If we count the word with ''-ihim'' (هِمْ) suffix, meaning "their", then this is the 3rd valid occurrence. However these forms were often excluded in other apologetic word counts.
**If we count the word with ''-ihim'' (هِمْ) suffix, meaning "their", then this is the 3rd valid occurrence. However these forms were often excluded in other apologetic word counts.


In conclusion:
To Sum up:


*If we count all forms of the Arabic word ''salawat'', we get 5 occurrences, but only 3 of them refer to the plural "prayers". The other 2 mean "blessings" and "synagogues".
*If we count all forms of the Arabic word ''salawat'', we get 5 occurrences, but only 3 of them refer to the plural "prayers". The other 2 mean "blessings" and "synagogues".
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=="Seven heavens" mentioned 7 times==
=="Seven heavens" mentioned 7 times==
The Qur'an talks much more than 7 times about the seven heavens if we don't require both the words "seven" and "heavens" to be together in the verse. There are dozens of verses with the plural word "heavens", which just don't have the word "seven" in them, like this one:
The Qur'an talks much more than 7 times about the seven heavens if both the words "seven" and "heavens" aren't counted together together in the verse. There are dozens of verses with the plural word "heavens", which just don't have the word "seven" in them, like this one:


*Verse 2:107 "''Do you not know that Allah´s is the kingdom of '''the heavens''' and the earth, and that besides Allah you have no guardian or helper?''"
*Verse 2:107 "''Do you not know that Allah´s is the kingdom of '''the heavens''' and the earth, and that besides Allah you have no guardian or helper?''"
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Notice that in the verses 17:44 and 23:86 the order of the Arabic words is different. They literally say "heavens seven".
Notice that in the verses 17:44 and 23:86 the order of the Arabic words is different. They literally say "heavens seven".


We can get 7 occurrences of the phrase "seven heavens" if we count only the occurrences where the seven heavens are explicitly called seven "heavens" (samawat, سَمَٰوَٰتٍ) and not "paths" or "strong ones". Also we have to include 2 cases, where the phrase is in backwards order, literally "heavens seven".
7 occurrences of the phrase "seven heavens" can be arrived at if only counting only the occurrences where the seven heavens are explicitly called "the seven heavens" (samawat, سَمَٰوَٰتٍ) and not "paths" or "strong ones". In order to arrive at this number it is necessary to include 2 cases, where the phrase is in backwards order, literally "heavens seven".


But probably a more important question than "What is the word count?" is "Are there 7 heavens in reality?". And also we should wonder if the meanings of the verses together make sense: When we consider that the heavens are one above the other (verse 67:3) and stars are in the lowest heaven (41:12), that means our universe (in which are stars) would be the lowest heaven. We can see only this universe (= the lowest heaven), so do we really see all the 7 heavens as the verse 71:15 claims we should?
This miracle also takes the existence of "7 heavens" as granted, an recurring trop in ancient literature that finds no support in modern astronomy According to the Qur'an,  the heavens are one above the other (verse 67:3) and stars are in the lowest heaven (41:12), which (if any useful interpretation is to be maintained consistently with modern cosmology) it must mean that our universe (in which are stars) would be the lowest heaven. Humans can see only this universe (= the lowest heaven), yet the Qur'an at 71:15 claims we should be able to see all of the seven heavens, indicating that the "seven heavens" are the planets visible to us in the sky (the 5 easily visible planets of Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn plus  the sun and the moon-- a widespread idea in antiquity). We know today these are not levels of heaven but rather planets like our own, and this thus constitutes a [[Scientific Errors in the Quran|Scientific Errors in the Quran.]]


Let's see what other miracles with the number 7 the Qur'an offers, so that we can be sure that the one with "seven heavens" mentioned 7 times wasn't just a coincidence:
Let's see what other miracles with the number 7 the Qur'an offers, so that we can be sure that the one with "seven heavens" mentioned 7 times wasn't just a coincidence:
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Only one time.  
Only one time.  
===Conclusion===
===To Sum Up:===


*There are many cases where the Qur'an speaks about seven things. When one of those cases the number of verses happens to be seven, it is not very amazing.  
*There are many cases where the Qur'an speaks about seven things. When one of those cases the number of verses happens to be seven, it is not very amazing.  
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=="Creation of heavens" mentioned 7 times==
=="Creation of heavens" mentioned 7 times==
This word count doesn't make sense from the beginning. If this phrase would occur 7 times, then the most direct meaning would be "the heaven'''s''' were created seven times", while they were created only one time. The plural form doesn't fit in this miracle. If the singular form "creation of a heaven" was mentioned 7 times, it would make more sense. It would mean that they were created one after another.
There is no internal consistency to this claim. If this phrase would occur 7 times, then the most direct meaning would be "the heaven'''s''' were created seven times", while they were created only one time. The plural and singular forms have to be either together or separately, but in order to arrive at this count one can do neither.  


There are many verses which say that Allah created everything, that means including the heavens. For example:
There are many verses which say that Allah created everything, that means including the heavens. For example:


*6:102 "..there is no god but He; the '''Creator of all things''', therefore serve Him, and He has charge of all things."
*6:102 "..there is no god but He; the '''Creator of all things''', therefore serve Him, and He has charge of all things."
So counting only the cases where heavens are explicitly mentioned is questionable.


There are also verses where the words "creation" and "heavens" are both mentioned, but not exactly next to each other (as a phrase). For example:
There are also verses where the words "creation" and "heavens" are both mentioned, but not exactly next to each other (as a phrase). For example:
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*...and many others.
*...and many others.


So just in the first 15 chapters, the Qur'an speaks much more than 7 times about the creation of heavens. There are many ways to count this and if some of those ways produces the number 7 it is not miraculous, nor improbable, because the more ways of counting exist, the higher is the probability of the existence of a counting method which produces the desired number.
So just in the first 15 chapters, the Qur'an speaks much more than 7 times about the creation of heavens. There are many ways to count this but any way which arrives at a count of seven is clearly being reverse engineered from the text, not discovered from it.  


==="Seven earths" not mentioned 7 times non-miracle===
==="Seven earths" not mentioned 7 times non-miracle===
According to the Quranic verse 65:12, there are also 7 earths. So the counting method which produces the outcome of "seven heavens" should be used for counting "creation of earths" and produce the same number. But apologist websites never mention any "7 earths mentioned 7 times miracle".
According to the Quranic verse 65:12, there are also 7 earths. So the counting method which produces the outcome of "seven heavens" should be used for counting "creation of earths" and produce the same number. But Islamic websites never mention any "7 earths mentioned 7 times miracle".


=="Wine" and "intoxication" both mentioned 6 times==
=="Wine" and "intoxication" both mentioned 6 times==
What is the significance of the number 6? And what is this supposed to mean? Wine equals intoxication? They are not the same thing.. but let's count them.
For some reason, du'aah associate the number six with wine and intoxication.


Wine (''khamr'', خمر):
Wine (''khamr'', خمر):
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Some translations sometimes translate the word as "dazzled" or "drunk" or "stupor", but the basic meaning is the same and the arabic root سكر is the same.  
Some translations sometimes translate the word as "dazzled" or "drunk" or "stupor", but the basic meaning is the same and the arabic root سكر is the same.  


So the words are not both mentioned 6 times.
So neither word is mentioned 6 times.


=="Muhammad" and "sharia" both mentioned 4 times==
=="Muhammad" and "sharia" both mentioned 4 times==
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*4) 48:29 "'''Muhammad''' is the Messenger of Allah, and those who are with him are severe against disbelievers, and merciful among themselves.."
*4) 48:29 "'''Muhammad''' is the Messenger of Allah, and those who are with him are severe against disbelievers, and merciful among themselves.."


In the next section, a specifically Arabic letter ع (ayn), that has no equivalent in the English alphabet will be transliterated as "AA".
The word "shari'a" (شَرِيعَة) appears in one verse:


The word "sharia" (شَرِيعَة) appears in one verse:
*45:18 "Then We put you, [O Muhammad], on an '''ordained way''' (شَرِيعَةٍ, ''sharee'a'') concerning the matter [of religion]; so follow it and do not follow the inclinations of those who do not know.<br /> There are other 3 verses containing words derived from the same trilateral root شرع (sh-r-'), but they are not "sharia":


*45:18 "Then We put you, [O Muhammad], on an '''ordained way''' (شَرِيعَةٍ, ''shareeAAa'') concerning the matter [of religion]; so follow it and do not follow the inclinations of those who do not know."
*1) 5:48 ".. So judge between them by what Allah has revealed and do not follow their inclinations away from what has come to you of the truth. To each of you We prescribed '''a law''' (شِرْعَةً, ''shir'a'') and a method. Had Allah willed, He would have made you one nation [united in religion], but [He intended] to test you in what He has given you; so race to [all that is] good.."
 
**This word is ''shir'a'' not ''sharee'a''. Although the meaning is similar, they are not the same words.
 
*2) 42:13 "'''He has ordained''' (شَرَعَ, ''Shara'a'') for you of religion what He enjoined upon Noah and that which We have revealed to you..."
There are other 3 verses containing words derived from the same trilateral root شرع (sh-r-AA), but they are not "sharia":
 
*1) 5:48 ".. So judge between them by what Allah has revealed and do not follow their inclinations away from what has come to you of the truth. To each of you We prescribed '''a law''' (شِرْعَةً, ''shirAAa'') and a method. Had Allah willed, He would have made you one nation [united in religion], but [He intended] to test you in what He has given you; so race to [all that is] good.."
**This word is ''shirAAa'' not ''shareeAAa''. Although the meaning is similar, they are not the same words.
*2) 42:13 "'''He has ordained''' (شَرَعَ, ''SharaAAa'') for you of religion what He enjoined upon Noah and that which We have revealed to you..."
**In this case it is a verb! It is from the same root, but it is not the word (noun) ''sharia''.
**In this case it is a verb! It is from the same root, but it is not the word (noun) ''sharia''.
*3) 42:21 "Or have they associates who '''have prescribed''' (شَرَعُوا۟, ''sharaAAoo'') for them any religion that Allah does not sanction? .."
*3) 42:21 "Or have they associates who '''have prescribed''' (شَرَعُوا۟, ''shara'uu'') for them any religion that Allah does not sanction? .."
**Again this is a verb and it is not the word ''sharia''.
**Again this is a verb and it is not the word ''sharia''.


There is also one occurrence of a word derived from the same root شرع, which however has a totally different meaning:
There is also one occurrence of a word derived from the same root شرع, which however has a totally different meaning:


*7:163 "And ask them about the town that was by the sea - when they transgressed in [the matter of] the sabbath - when their fish came to them '''openly''' (شُرَّعًا, ''shurraAAan'') on their sabbath day, and the day they had no sabbath they did not come to them. Thus did We give them trial because they were defiantly disobedient."
*7:163 "And ask them about the town that was by the sea - when they transgressed in [the matter of] the sabbath - when their fish came to them '''openly''' (شُرَّعًا, ''shurra'an'') on their sabbath day, and the day they had no sabbath they did not come to them. Thus did We give them trial because they were defiantly disobedient."


So the word "Muhammad" is mentioned 4 times, but the word "sharia" is mentioned only once.
So the word "Muhammad" is mentioned 4 times, but the word "shari'a" is mentioned only once.
==="Muhammad" and "swine" both mentioned 4 times miracle===
==="Muhammad" and "swine" both mentioned 4 times miracle===
This can be termed as an anti-miracle. By using the same tactics of the apologists, we arrive at a word count that looks embarrassing with respect to Islam. When we count only the singular form of the word "swine" (ٱلْخِنزِير, ''al-khinzeer''), we get 4 occurrences:
Using similar logic as the "word count miracles, an "anti-miracle" can be arrived at. By using the same word-counting strategies of the du'aah, the count of the word "swine/pig" equivalent to that of "Muhammad" can be arrived at. Counting only the singular form of the word "swine" (ٱلْخِنزِير, ''al-khinzeer''), we get 4 occurrences:


#2:173 "He has only forbidden you what dies of itself, and blood, and flesh of '''swine''' (ٱلْخِنزِيرِ)"
#2:173 "He has only forbidden you what dies of itself, and blood, and flesh of '''swine''' (ٱلْخِنزِيرِ)"
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#16:115 "He has only forbidden you what dies of itself and blood and flesh of '''swine''' (ٱلْخِنزِيرِ)"
#16:115 "He has only forbidden you what dies of itself and blood and flesh of '''swine''' (ٱلْخِنزِيرِ)"


There is also one occurrence of وَٱلْخَنَازِيرَ (''wal-khanaazeer'', "and the pigs") in 5:60, but words with prefixes and plural forms were often dismissed in other miracles, so why would we count it now?
There is also one occurrence of وَٱلْخَنَازِيرَ (''wal-khanaazeer'', "and the pigs") in 5:60, but words with prefixes and plural forms were often dismissed in other miracles, so this fits in with the general strategy seen in other "word count miracles."


If Allah cared so much about equal word counts, why did he make equal word counts for "Muhammad" and "swine"? One of the interpretations might be that he wanted to criticize [[Qur'an,_Hadith_and_Scholars:Muhammad#Obesity|Muhammad's obesity]].
If Allah cared so much about equal word counts, it seems perplexing that he would "Muhammad" and "swine" to share the same word count.  
 
=="Allah" mentioned more than 1 time miracle fail==
Muslims believe that Allah is 1. But the Quran failed to mention the word "Allah" exactly 1 time.


=="The righteous" mentioned 6 times and "the wicked" 3 times==
=="The righteous" mentioned 6 times and "the wicked" 3 times==
If we count only the literal words ''al-abrar'' (the righteous) and ''al-fujjar'' (the wicked), we get 5 occurrences of ''al-abrar'':
Counting only the literal words ''al-abrar'' (the righteous) and ''al-fujjar'' (the wicked), yields 5 occurrences of ''al-abrar'' and two of ''al-fujjar'':


*1) 3:193 "Our Lord! surely we have heard a preacher calling to the faith, saying: Believe in your Lord, so we did believe; Our Lord! forgive us therefore our faults, and cover our evil deeds and make us die with '''the righteous''' (ٱلْأَبْرَارِ, ''al-abrar'')."
*1) 3:193 "Our Lord! surely we have heard a preacher calling to the faith, saying: Believe in your Lord, so we did believe; Our Lord! forgive us therefore our faults, and cover our evil deeds and make us die with '''the righteous''' (ٱلْأَبْرَارِ, ''al-abrar'')."
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*2) 83:7 "Nay! most surely the record of '''the wicked''' (ٱلْفُجَّارِ, ''al-fujjar'') is in the Sijjin."
*2) 83:7 "Nay! most surely the record of '''the wicked''' (ٱلْفُجَّارِ, ''al-fujjar'') is in the Sijjin."


So there is no miracle. However when we count the words with slightly different forms, we get one more occurrence for "the righteous":
So there is no miracle. However counting words with slightly different forms related to ''al-abrar'', yields one more occurrence for "the righteous":


*3:198 "But as to those who are careful of (their duty to) their Lord, they shall have gardens beneath which rivers flow, abiding in them; an entertainment from their Lord, and that which is with Allah is best '''for the righteous''' (لِّلْأَبْرَارِ, ''lil-abrar'')."
*3:198 "But as to those who are careful of (their duty to) their Lord, they shall have gardens beneath which rivers flow, abiding in them; an entertainment from their Lord, and that which is with Allah is best '''for the righteous''' (لِّلْأَبْرَارِ, ''lil-abrar'')."
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*80:42 "These are they who are unbelievers, '''the wicked''' (ٱلْفَجَرَةُ, ''al-fajarah'')."
*80:42 "These are they who are unbelievers, '''the wicked''' (ٱلْفَجَرَةُ, ''al-fajarah'')."


So this word count is more questionable than miraculous.  
So this word count is holds questionable consistency.  


Also there are other word count "miracles" where the "bad" word has the same number as the "good" word. Like ''iman''/''kufr'', ''paradise''/''hell''. So why suddenly count double word counts?
There are many other word count "miracles" where the "bad" word has the same number as the "good" word, for instance ''iman''/''kufr'', ''paradise''/''hell''. The inconsistency begs the question of the soundness of finding word count "miracles" in the first place.


=="The Sabbath" mentioned 7 times==
=="The Sabbath" mentioned 7 times==
===Mental gymnastics===
===The Sabbath===
The Sabbath (ٱلسَّبْت, ''as-sabt'') is a day of the week, when Jews are supposed to not work. So what is miraculous about this word being mentioned 7 times according to apologists? Well, it is the 7th day of the week. So the word count of "seven Sabbaths" somehow implies the meaning "the 7th day".
The Sabbath (ٱلسَّبْت, ''as-sabt'') is a day of the week, when Jews are supposed to not work. It is thus the 7th day of the week, and its appearance 7 times in the Qur'an is a supposed "miracle."  


===The list===
===The list===
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http://corpus.quran.com/wordmorphology.jsp?location=(7:163:20)</ref> This verb has no simple equivalent in English. It refers to "having Sabbath", so the verse literally says that they "Sabbathed". It is translated as "they had Sabbath", but the noun "Sabbath" is not present in the original Arabic, so this cannot be counted as an occurrence of "Sabbath".
http://corpus.quran.com/wordmorphology.jsp?location=(7:163:20)</ref> This verb has no simple equivalent in English. It refers to "having Sabbath", so the verse literally says that they "Sabbathed". It is translated as "they had Sabbath", but the noun "Sabbath" is not present in the original Arabic, so this cannot be counted as an occurrence of "Sabbath".


===Conclusion===
===Summary:===


*The word Sabbath (ٱلسَّبْت) appears '''5 times''' in the Qur'an if we count only the basic form ٱلسَّبْت (without any prefixes and suffixes).
*The word Sabbath (ٱلسَّبْت) appears '''5 times''' in the Qur'an if we count only the basic form ٱلسَّبْت (without any prefixes and suffixes).
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==="Ramadan" mentioned 1 time non-miracle===
==="Ramadan" mentioned 1 time non-miracle===
If the word "Sabbath" was mentioned 7 times, because Sabbath is the 7th day of the week, then by the same logic, the word "Ramadan", the 9th month of the Islamic calendar, should also occur 9 times.  
If the word "Sabbath" was mentioned 7 times, because Sabbath is the 7th day of the week, one might expect by the same logic, the word "Ramadan", the 9th month of the Islamic calendar, to occur 9 times.  


This is the list of all the occurrences of the word "Ramadan" (رَمَضَانَ) in the Qur'an:
This is the list of all the occurrences of the word "Ramadan" (رَمَضَانَ) in the Qur'an:
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*1) 2:185 "The month of '''Ramadan''' is that in which the Quran was revealed, a guidance to men and clear proofs of the guidance and the distinction..."
*1) 2:185 "The month of '''Ramadan''' is that in which the Quran was revealed, a guidance to men and clear proofs of the guidance and the distinction..."


And that's it. There are no more occurrences of this word in the Qur'an although it is the 9th month of the Islamic calendar. So the Qur'an is not very consistent in these word count "miracles".
That's all. There are no more occurrences of this word in the Qur'an although it is the 9th month of the Islamic calendar. The word "Friday" (ٱلْجُمُعَةِ) also appears only once (62:9) although it is the Muslim day of prayer. The inconsistent logic begs the question of which holy times are actually important to Allah here, since Muslims don't follow the Jewish Sabbath of Saturday (beginning according to the Jewish reckoning at sundown on Friday) but congregate to pray instead on their Friday in the middle of the day, and Allah did not see fit to bless the holy month of Ramadan with a word count miracle.  
 
The word "Friday" (ٱلْجُمُعَةِ) also appears only once (62:9) although it is not the first day of the week.


=="Gold" and "luxury" both mentioned 8 times==
=="Gold" and "luxury" both mentioned 8 times==
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So this word does occur 8 times, if we count all forms.
So this word does occur 8 times, if all forms are counted.


The word for "luxury" is تَرَف (''taraf''), derived from the root ترف (t-r-f).
The word for "luxury" is تَرَف (''taraf''), derived from the root ترف (t-r-f).
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*(*) The word "city" (قَرْيَةٍ, ''qaryatin'') in the verse is feminine in Arabic. So "her" wealthy people refers to a city.
*(*) The word "village" (قَرْيَةٍ, ''qaryatin'') in the verse is feminine in Arabic. So "her" wealthy people refers to a village.


So, the word "wealth" itself appears exactly '''0 times'''.
So, the word "wealth" itself appears exactly '''0 times'''.


In conclusion:
To sum up:


*The word "gold" appears 8 times, the word "wealth" appears 0 times.
*The word "gold" appears 8 times, the word "wealth" appears 0 times.
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==="Silver" mentioned 6 times non-miracle===
==="Silver" mentioned 6 times non-miracle===
If the Qur'an is full of word count miracles, then we would expect the word "silver" (فضة, ''fidda'') to be also mentioned 8 times:
If the Qur'an is full of word count miracles, and if gold occuring 8 times were such a miracle, then it would be expected that the word "silver" (فضة, ''fidda'') appear 8 times:


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But it is not, although gold and silver are mentioned together in verses 3:14 and 9:34 as a property of wealthy people. So the Qur'an is not very consistent with its word count "miracles".
But it is not, although gold and silver are mentioned together in verses 3:14 and 9:34 as a property of wealthy people. So if this is a "miracle", it is a strangely inconsistent one.  


=="Fear" and "wish" both mentioned 8 times==
=="Fear" and "wish" both mentioned 8 times==
This is one of those "miracles" that are so embarrassing enough by themselves, that there is no need for a refutation. What is miraculous about two words, that are not related to each other, being mentioned the same number of times?
Very little miraculous substance can be show from this claim--it is simply that both words appear 8 times, and for some reason this is called a "miracle."


But this word count is interesting since it contains the word "fear" or "terror", so this word count might also tell us where the Qur'an speaks about terrorism.
But this word count is interesting since it contains the word "fear" or "terror", so this word count might also give an idea of where the Qur'an speaks about terrorism, which in Arabic is the same as the word for "terror" (although this concept did not exist at the time, the modern Arabic reader will recall the meaning when reading that word).  


The Arabic word for "fear" is ٱلْخَوْفِ (''al-khawf'') and it is mentioned more than a 100 times in the Qur'an.<ref>http://corpus.quran.com/qurandictionary.jsp?q=xwf</ref>
The Arabic word for "fear" is ٱلْخَوْفِ (''al-khawf'') and it is mentioned more than a 100 times in the Qur'an.<ref>http://corpus.quran.com/qurandictionary.jsp?q=xwf</ref>
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*The word "heat" appears 4 times and the word "cool" 3 times
*The word "heat" appears 4 times and the word "cool" 3 times
*Apologists add the word, which means "hail" to the "cool" word count
*Apologists add the word, which means "hail" to the "cool" word count
=="Freedom" mentioned zero times==
The word "freedom" (حرية, ''huriya'') doesn't appear anywhere in the Qur'an.
The word عبد ('abd) meaning "slave" appears more than one hundred times throughout the Qur'an <ref>http://corpus.quran.com/qurandictionary.jsp?q=Ebd</ref>, while the word "free man" (الحر, ''al-hurr'') appears only in one verse <ref>http://corpus.quran.com/qurandictionary.jsp?q=Hrr</ref> in the context of killing him although he may be innocent:
*''"O you who have believed, prescribed for you is legal '''retribution for those murdered - the free for the free''', the slave for the slave, and the female for the female. But whoever overlooks from his brother anything, then there should be a suitable follow-up and payment to him with good conduct. This is an alleviation from your Lord and a mercy. But whoever transgresses after that will have a painful punishment."'' (verse 2:178)
**The Tafsir Al-Jalalayn further explains: ''"O you who believe prescribed made obligatory for you is retaliation on equal terms regarding the slain both in the attributes of the one slain and in the action involved; a free man is killed for a free man and not for a slave; and a slave for a slave and a female for a female. The Sunna makes it clear that a male may be killed in retaliation for a female and that religious affiliation should be taken into account also so that a Muslim cannot be killed in return for an disbeliever even if the former be a slave and the latter a free man."'' <ref>http://www.altafsir.com/Tafasir.asp?tMadhNo=0&tTafsirNo=74&tSoraNo=2&tAyahNo=178&tDisplay=yes&UserProfile=0&LanguageId=2</ref>
That means for example, if a slave from group A kills a free man from group B, then according to the Qur'an, the murderer from group A should be living happily, but someone from group B should kill an innocent free man from group A.


==Other miracles==
==Other miracles==
Some miracles have a word count or their full analysis too big to fit in this article, so here is just a quick analysis. You can click on any of them to get more details:
There are many more wordcount miracles whose analysis would be beyong the scope of this article, see below for their respective articles on WikiIslam:  


*[[12 months miracle in the Quran|The word "month" (shahr) appears 12 times in the Qur'an]]
**In this word count, phrases like "twelve months" are counted as singular.
**In this word count, phrases like "twelve months" are counted as singular.
**The miracle uses the verse that defines the Islamic lunar calendar, while the 365 miracle uses the Gregorian calendar, which is based on the solar year.
**The miracle uses the verse that defines the Islamic lunar calendar, while the 365 miracle uses the Gregorian calendar, which is based on the solar year.
*[[Man and woman word count|The words "man" and "woman" both appear 23 times and 23 is the number of chromosomes]]
*[[Man and woman word count in the Qur'an|The words "man" and "woman" both appear 23 times and 23 is the number of chromosomes]]
**The word "woman" appears 24 times.
**The word "woman" appears 24 times.
*[[Dunya and akhira word count in the Qur'an|The words ''dunya'' (world) and ''akhira'' (paradise) both appear 115 times]]
*[[Dunya and akhira word count in the Qur'an|The words ''dunya'' (world) and ''akhira'' (paradise) both appear 115 times]]
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**The word "light" appears 43 times.
**The word "light" appears 43 times.


Other claims which don't have their own article (yet) are provided here with a quick analysis:
Other claims without their own WikiIslam article (yet):


*The word "mind" (العقل) and "''noor''" (light, النور) both appear 49 times.
*The word "mind" (العقل) and "''noor''" (light, النور) both appear 49 times.
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==Views of the Islamic scholars==
==Views of the Islamic scholars==
Some Islamic scholars actually took the time and analyzed these miracle claims.
Some Islamic scholars actually have actually taken the time and analyzed these miracle claims.


A conclusion of Dr. Zahid Aziz after he refuted several "miracles":
A conclusion of Dr. Zahid Aziz after he refuted several "miracles":
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{{Quote|Dr. Fahd al-Roomi<ref>https://islamqa.info/en/69741</ref>|
{{Quote|Dr. Fahd al-Roomi<ref>https://islamqa.info/en/69741</ref>|
The word yawm (day) is mentioned 365 times in the Qur’aan, the number of days in a year. In order to prove this '''he counted the words “al-yawm” and “yawman” but he ignored words such as “yawmukum” (your day) and “yawmuhum” (their day) and yawma’idhin (on that day), because if he had done that, he would have got a different number'''. The same applies to the word al-isti’aadhah which refers to seeking refuge from the shaytaan. He says that it is repeated 11 times, but he includes in that the words “a’oodhu” (I seek refuge) and “fasta’idh” (seek refuge) but not “ ‘udhtu” (I sought refuge) or “ya’oodhoona” (they seek refuge) or “u’eedhuha” (I seek refuge for her) or “ma’aadh Allaah” (Allaah forbid).}}
The word yawm (day) is mentioned 365 times in the Qur’aan, the number of days in a year. In order to prove this '''he counted the words “al-yawm” and “yawman” but he ignored words such as “yawmukum” (your day) and “yawmuhum” (their day) and yawma’idhin (on that day), because if he had done that, he would have got a different number'''. The same applies to the word al-isti’aadhah which refers to seeking refuge from the shaytaan. He says that it is repeated 11 times, but he includes in that the words “a’oodhu” (I seek refuge) and “fasta’idh” (seek refuge) but not “ ‘udhtu” (I sought refuge) or “ya’oodhoona” (they seek refuge) or “u’eedhuha” (I seek refuge for her) or “ma’aadh Allaah” (Allaah forbid).}}
===Classical scholars view===
*Ibn Hajar cited that Ibn Abbas (the cousin of Muhammad) warned against seeking the divination through the numerical numbers of the letters, because this is equal in the deed to the witchcraft.<ref>{{external link| url = https://archive.org/details/PerfectGuideToTheSciencesOfTheQuranByImamAlSuyuti/page/n235/mode/2up| title= Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti - Perfect Guide to the Sciences of the Quran - Translated by Muneer Fareed, page 236 (chapter "l-Muhtam and 'l-Mutashabih", page 32)| publisher = | author = Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti | date = | archiveurl = | deadurl = no}} - page sourced from archive.org</ref>


==See Also==
==See Also==
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*[{{Reference archive|1=http://ahmadiyya.org/islam/number.pdf|2=2011-03-20}} An alleged ‘miracle’ in the Holy Quran]
*[{{Reference archive|1=http://ahmadiyya.org/islam/number.pdf|2=2011-03-20}} An alleged ‘miracle’ in the Holy Quran]
*[http://www.answering-islam.org/Religions/Numerics/ Mathematical Miracles in the Qur'an or the Bible?]
*[http://www.answering-islam.org/Religions/Numerics/ Mathematical Miracles in the Qur'an or the Bible?]
*[https://islamqa.info/en/answers/69741/discussion-of-numerical-miracles-in-the-quraan-and-use-of-the-solar-calendar Discussion of numerical miracles in the Qur’aan and use of the solar calendar] - IslamQA (the largest Islamic online Fatwa website) answer on this topic


==References==
==References==
CPO675
578

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