Word Count Miracles in the Qur'an: Difference between revisions

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== "Prayer" mentioned 5 times ==
== "Prayer" mentioned 5 times ==
One of the supposed "numerical miracles" is that the word salawat (صلوات), which supposedly means "prayer", is mentioned 5 times - which is exactly the number of prayers Muslims are supposed to do every day.
One of the supposed "numerical miracles" is that the word ''salawat'' (صلوات), which supposedly means "prayer", is mentioned 5 times - which is exactly the number of prayers Muslims are supposed to do every day.  


=== Uthmani or simple script? ===
This word is plural and it means, besides other meanings, "prayers". The singular form for the word "prayer" is ''salat'' (not ''salawat''). In Arabic the singular form is written as ٱلصَّلَوٰةِ in the Uthmani script and الصَّلَاةِ in the Simple Script. In the Uthmani script the و (''waw''), with the ''dagger alif'' above it (وٰ), is pronounced as a regular ''alif'', without the ''wa'' sound. The singular form ends on ة (''ta marbuta'') and the plural form ends on a regular ت (''ta''). Since the singular form ends on ''ta marbuta'', the "t" doesn't have to be pronounced and the singular form might be pronounced as ''salah'' (instead of ''salat'').
There are two versions of the Qur'an and there is a different number of occurences of the word "salawat" in them.
Here is a demonstration of the difference:
* Quran 5:6 (English translation): ''"O you who believe! when you rise up to '''prayer'''..."''
* Quran 5:6 (Uthmani script): "...(salawat) يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ إِذَا قُمْتُمْ إِلَى ٱلصَّلَوٰةِ "
* Quran 5:6 (Simple script): "...(salat) يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِذَا قُمْتُمْ إِلَى الصَّلَاةِ"


===Uthmani script===
The problem in this word count is, that "prayers" is not the only meaning of the word ''salawat'':
Let's look at the occurences of the word salawat in the Uthmani script. You can use a search tool to look up the word salawat (ٱلصَّلَوٰة) <ref>https://quran.com/search?q=%D9%B1%D9%84%D8%B5%D9%91%D9%8E%D9%84%D9%8E%D9%88%D9%B0%D8%A9</ref> but let's look at some verses with this word here:
* 1) Qur'an 2:43 (1 occurrence) "وَأَقِيمُوا۟ '''ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ''' وَءَاتُوا۟ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ وَٱرْكَعُوا۟ مَعَ ٱلرَّٰكِعِينَ "
* 2) Qur'an 2:238 (2 occurrences, "وَٱلصَّلَوٰةِ" means "and prayer") "حَٰفِظُوا۟ عَلَى '''ٱلصَّلَوَٰتِ''' '''وَٱلصَّلَوٰةِ''' ٱلْوُسْطَىٰ وَقُومُوا۟ لِلَّهِ قَٰنِتِينَ"
* 3) Qur'an 4:103 (3 occurrences) "فَإِذَا قَضَيْتُمُ '''ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ''' فَٱذْكُرُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ قِيَٰمًا وَقُعُودًا وَعَلَىٰ جُنُوبِكُمْ فَإِذَا ٱطْمَأْنَنتُمْ فَأَقِيمُوا۟ '''ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ''' إِنَّ '''ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ''' كَانَتْ عَلَى ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ كِتَٰبًا مَّوْقُوتًا "
* 4) Qur'an 6:72 (1 occurrence)"وَأَنْ أَقِيمُوا۟ '''ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ''' وَٱتَّقُوهُ وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِىٓ إِلَيْهِ تُحْشَرُونَ "
* 5) Qur'an 14:40 (1 ocurrence) "رَبِّ ٱجْعَلْنِى مُقِيمَ '''ٱلصَّلَوٰةِ''' وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِى رَبَّنَا وَتَقَبَّلْ دُعَآءِ "
* 6) Qur'an 29:45 (2 occurrences) "ٱتْلُ مَآ أُوحِىَ إِلَيْكَ مِنَ ٱلْكِتَٰبِ وَأَقِمِ '''ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ''' إِنَّ '''ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ''' تَنْهَىٰ عَنِ ٱلْفَحْشَآءِ وَٱلْمُنكَرِ وَلَذِكْرُ ٱللَّهِ أَكْبَرُ وَٱللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ مَا تَصْنَعُونَ "
* ...
We can clearly see that the word salawat (ٱلصَّلَوٰة) is mentioned more than 5 times. This is the script from the oldest manuscripts, so the miracle should have been here.
 
===Simple script===
Now let's look at the simple script version of the Qur'an, which is more in line with the modern Arabic. Here the word for prayer is salat (الصَّلَاةِ) and salawat is used for  the plural. But the problem is that salawat doesn't always mean prayer. That also explains why Muslims don't show the list of the verses with this word.


* 1) Qur'an 2:157 "أُولَـٰئِكَ عَلَيْهِمْ '''صَلَوَاتٌ''' مِّن رَّبِّهِمْ وَرَحْمَةٌ ۖ وَأُولَـٰئِكَ هُمُ الْمُهْتَدُونَ"
* 1) Qur'an 2:157 "أُولَـٰئِكَ عَلَيْهِمْ '''صَلَوَاتٌ''' مِّن رَّبِّهِمْ وَرَحْمَةٌ ۖ وَأُولَـٰئِكَ هُمُ الْمُهْتَدُونَ"
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* 5) Qur'an 23:9 "وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ عَلَىٰ '''صَلَوَاتِهِمْ''' يُحَافِظُونَ"
* 5) Qur'an 23:9 "وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ عَلَىٰ '''صَلَوَاتِهِمْ''' يُحَافِظُونَ"
** Translation ''"And those who keep a guard on '''their prayers''' (salawatihim);"''
** Translation ''"And those who keep a guard on '''their prayers''' (salawatihim);"''
** If we count the word with -ihim suffix, meaning "their", then this is the 3rd valid occurrence.
** 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.


===Conclusions===
===Conclusions===
* The word ''salawat'' in the Uthmani script appears more than 5 times.
* 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 word salawat in the simple script, we can get 5 occurrences. 3 out of them refer to the plural "prayers", but the other 2 mean "blessings" and "synagogues".  
* The claim that the word "prayer" or "prayers" is mentioned 5 times in the Qur'an, is a lie.
* The claim that the word "prayer" or "prayers" is mentioned 5 times in the Qur'an, is a lie.
* The claim that the Arabic word ''salawat'' is mentioned 5 times (and letting people think it means always "prayer"), is misleading.
* The claim that the Arabic word ''salawat'' is mentioned 5 times (and letting people think it means always "prayer"), is misleading.
* The word count is questionable, because it includes grammatical forms, which were excluded in other apologetic word counts.


== "Seven heavens" mentioned 7 times ==
== "Seven heavens" mentioned 7 times ==
Editors, em-bypass-2
4,744

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