WikiIslam

Sun and light word count in the Qur'an

Error creating thumbnail: Unable to save thumbnail to destination

This article or section is being renovated.

Lead = 2 / 4
Structure = 2 / 4
Content = 2 / 4
Language = 3 / 4
References = 2 / 4
Lead
2 / 4
 Structure
2 / 4
 Content
2 / 4
 Language
3 / 4
 References
2 / 4


This article lists all occurrences of the words sun (ٱلشَّمْس, ash-shams) and light (ٱلنُّور, al-noor) in the Qur'an to consider the claim that they both appear 33 times.

Sun

The "translation" column also includes the context of the word, so that we know what the Qur'an says about the sun.

Count Verse Word in Arabic Translation
1 2:258 بِٱلشَّمْسِ [Allah moves] with the sun
2 6:78 ٱلشَّمْسَ [Abraham saw] the sun
3 6:96 وَٱلشَّمْسَ and the sun [made for reckoning]
4 7:54 وَٱلشَّمْسَ and the sun [and stars made Allah]
5 10:5 ٱلشَّمْسَ the sun [is light and moon is also light]
6 12:4 وَٱلشَّمْسَ [stars] and the sun
7 13:2 ٱلشَّمْسَ [Allah made heaven without visible pillars and subjected] the sun
8 14:33 ٱلشَّمْسَ [Allah made orbiting around earth] the sun
9 16:12 وَٱلشَّمْسَ and the sun [made subservient]
10 17:78 ٱلشَّمْسِ [pray during declining of] the sun
11 18:17 ٱلشَّمْسَ the sun [moves around a cave]
12 18:86 ٱلشَّمْسِ [setting place of] the sun [on earth]
13 18:90 ٱلشَّمْسِ [rising place of] the sun [on earth]
14 20:130 ٱلشَّمْسِ [glorify Allah when] the sun [rises and sets]
15 21:33 وَٱلشَّمْسَ [moon] and the sun [move in the sky]
16 22:18 وَٱلشَّمْسُ and the sun [bows down to Allah]
17 25:45 ٱلشَّمْسَ [Allah made] the sun [move with shadows]
18 27:24 لِلشَّمْسِ [people were bowing down] to the sun [instead of Allah, because of Satan]
19 29:61 ٱلشَّمْسَ [Allah created and made subservient] the sun
20 31:29 ٱلشَّمْسَ [Allah changes night and day and makes] the sun [move during day]
21 35:13 ٱلشَّمْسَ [Allah changes night and day and makes] the sun [move during day]
22 36:38 وَٱلشَّمْسُ and the sun [moves towards its setting place]
23 36:40 ٱلشَّمْسُ the sun [and the moon are running in the sky and Allah forbid the sun to catch the moon]
24 39:5 ٱلشَّمْسَ the sun [was subservient and moving for an appointed time]
25 41:37 وَٱلشَّمْسُ and the sun [is a sign of Allah]
26 41:37 لِلشَّمْسِ [do not bow down] to the sun
27 50:39 ٱلشَّمْسِ [praise Allah when] the sun [sets and rises]
28 55:5 ٱلشَّمْسُ the sun [and moon follow a reckoning]
29 71:16 ٱلشَّمْسَ the sun [is light and the moon is light]
30 75:9 ٱلشَّمْسُ the sun [will be joined with the moon in the sky]
31 76:13 شَمْسًا [disbelievers won't see] the heat of sun [as a punishment]
32 81:1 ٱلشَّمْسُ [when] the sun [will be wrapped]
33 91:1 وَٱلشَّمْسِ by the sun [and the moon which follows it]

There are 33 occurrences, including 10 occurrences with a prefix and including the word shamsan (the heat of sun).

In calculating a total number, one must decide whether to count singular/plural versions and ones with/without prefixes/suffixes.

Light

In the translation column, the context of the word is included.

Count Verse Word in Arabic Translation
1 2:17 بِنُورِهِمْ [Allah took] (with) their light 1
2 2:257 1 ٱلنُّورِ [Allah leads to] the light
3 2:257 2 ٱلنُّورِ [Taghut leads from] the light
4 4:174 3 نُورًا [Allah sent] a light
5 5:15 نُورٌ 4 a light [from Allah]
6 5:16 5 ٱلنُّورِ [Allah leads to] the light
7 5:44 وَنُورٌ [in the Torah is a law] and a light
8 5:46 وَنُورٌ [the Gospels are a law] and a light
9 6:1 وَٱلنُّورَ [Allah created both darkness] and light
10 6:91 6 نُورًا a light [in the book of Moses]
11 6:122 نُورًا 7 [muslims were given] a light [from Allah, so they are superior to other people]
12 7:157 8 ٱلنُّورَ [believers follow] the light
13 9:32 نُورَ 9 [evil disbelivers want to put out] a light [of Allah]
14 9:32 نُورَهُۥ [Allah makes] his light [perfect] 2
15 10:5 نُورًا 10 [Moon's] light *
16 13:16 وَٱلنُّورُ [disbelievers and believers are like darkness] and (the) light
17 14:1 11 ٱلنُّورِ [this book leads to] the light
18 14:5 12 ٱلنُّورِ [Moses was commanded to bring people to] the light
19 24:35 نُورُ 13 [Allah is] a light [of the heavens and the earth]
20 24:35 نُورِهِ his light [is like a niche in which is a lamp] 3
21 24:35 14 نُّورٌ a light [of Allah..]
22 24:35 15 نُورٍ [..is a light upon] light
23 24:35 لِنُورِهِ [Allah leads] to his light [whom he wants] 4
24 24:40 16 نُورًا [if god doesn't make] light [to someone..]
25 24:40 17 نُّورٍ [..then he doesn't have] a light
26 33:43 18 ٱلنُّورِ [Allah leads to] the light
27 35:20 19 ٱلنُّورُ [the darkness and] light [are not equal just like disbelievers and believers]
28 39:22 20 نُورٍ [Muslims follow] a light [from Allah]
29 39:69 بِنُورِ [the earth shall beam] with the light [of its lord]
30 42:52 نُورًا 21 [faith is] a light
31 57:9 22 ٱلنُّورِ [Allah leads from darkness to] the light [via Muhammad]
32 57:12 نُورُهُم their light [of believers, wil be running before them and on their right hand] 5
33 57:13 نُّورِكُمْ [the hypocrites will ask: give us some of] your light [oh you true believers..] 6
34 57:13 23 نُورًا [..response to hypocrites: go back and ask there for] a light
35 57:19 وَنُورُهُمْ [those who believe will get a their reward] and their light 7
36 57:28 24 نُورًا [Allah gives] a light
37 61:8 نُورَ 25 [evil disbelievers want to put out] a light [of Allah]
38 61:8 نُورِهِ [Allah perfects] his light 8
39 64:8 وَٱلنُّورِ [believe in Allah, his messenger] and light
40 65:11 26 ٱلنُّورِ [Allah via Muhammad leads to] the light
41 66:8 نُورُهُمْ their light [will run before them and on their right] 9
42 66:8 نُورَنَا [oh Allah make perfect] our light 10
43 71:16 27 نُورًا [Allah made the Moon to be] a light [in heaven]
  • (*) In the verse 10:5, the word noor is sometimes translated as "a reflected light" to suggest scientific insight, however the word "reflected" is not present in the original Arabic.

There are 43 occurrences of this word.

If only the following forms are counted:

  • النور (al-noor) - the light
  • نور (noor) - a light
  • نورا (nooran) - a light (accusative)

there are 27 occurrences. When counting the accusative form with the suffixed ا (alif) the count of 33 is likewise not attained.

To achieve a count of 33, one must exclude only the forms with possessive pronoun suffixes like "his", "our" and "their", but not exclude the forms with prefixes like "and", "with", "for". This counting method appears to be arbitrary.

Muneer

There is also the word muneer (enlightening) from the same root نور (n-w-r) which is sometimes translated as "light":

Count Verse Word in Arabic Translation
1 3:184 ٱلْمُنِيرِ the enlightening [Scripture]
2 22:8 مُّنِيرٍ enlightening [Scripture]
3 25:61 مُّنِيرًا [Moon is] enlightening
4 31:20 مُّنِيرٍ enlightening [book]
5 33:46 مُّنِيرًا [Muhammad is] enlightening [torch]
6 35:25 ٱلْمُنِيرِ enlightening [Book]

Observations

  • The word "sun" appears 33 times in all its forms
  • The word "light" appears 43 times in all its forms
  • The word "sun" appears 23 times without any suffixes or prefixes. Or only 22 times when the accusative alif suffix is excluded.
  • The word "light" appears 27 times without any suffixes or prefixes. Or only 18 times when the accusative alif suffix is excluded.
  • To get 33 occurrences in both words, one must exclude the forms with possessive pronoun suffixes like "their", "his", "our" and not excluding the accusative alif suffix and not excluding any prefixes.
    • This exclusion appears arbitrary, and is not employed consistently or even at all order to achieve other word count "miracles"

See also

Retrieved from "http://wikiislamica.net/index.php?title=Sun_and_light_word_count_in_the_Qur%27an&oldid=129452"