Appendix 3: "On it is Nineteen"

"No, don't you see? This would be different. This isn't just starting the universe out with some precise mathematical laws that determine physics and chemistry. This is a message. Whoever makes the universe hides messages in transcendental numbers so they'll be read fifteen billion years later when intelligent life finally evolves. I criticized you and Rankin the time we first met for not understanding this. 'If God wanted us to know that he existed, why didn't he send us an unambiguous message?' I asked. Remember?"

"I remember very well. You think God is a mathematician."

"Something like that. If what we're told is true. If this isn't a wild-goose chase. If there's a message hiding in pi and not one of the infinity of other transcendental numbers. That's a lot of ifs."

"You're looking for Revelation in arithmetic. I know a better way."

"Palmer, this is the only way. This is the only thing that would convince a skeptic. Imagine we find something. It doesn't have to be tremendously complicated. Just something more orderly than could accumulate by chance that many digits into pi. That's all we need. Then mathematicians all over the world can find exactly the same pattern or message or whatever it proves to be. Then there are no sectarian divisions. Everybody begins reading the same Scripture. No one could then argue that the key miracle in the religion was some conjurer's trick, or that later historians had falsified the record, or that it's just hysteria or delusion or a substitute parent for when we grow up. Everyone could be a believer." (Sagan, Carl. Contact. Simon and Schuster. New York: 1985, p 418-419)

The above excerpts are quoted from CONTACT, a book by Dr. Carl Sagan the late astronomer who became popular with the TV series, Cosmos. Sagan's CONTACT is a novel expression of philosopher's prime dream: Mathematical evidence for God's existence.

Mathematics is considered as an a priori, knowledge gained independently of experience. Most of the philosophers highly relied on mathematics. Descartes who employed extreme doubt as a method to reach the knowledge (certainty) could not doubt from mathematics. The language of mathematics is universal.

The Most Controversial Concept

Hindus believe that he is incarnated in many human beings. Christians pontificate that he has multiple personalities, one of them being sacrificed for humanity. Jews assert that he is Jehovah. Muslims claim that he is Allah. Many question his gender. Millions die for him, millions fight for him, millions cry for him. Clergymen use his name as a trademark for their business, and the very same name motivates many devotees to give away their belongings as charity. Many joyfully sing songs for his love, and others outrageously declare dialectic or scientific wars against him. Some even exclaim that he is no longer alive.

Volume upon volume of books are published for and against him. Big lies are attributed to him while scientific hoaxes are arranged to deny him. He is in the courts, he is on the money, he is in the schools, he is in the mind of saints and in the mouth of hypocrites. Yes, he is everywhere. And yet, philosophers continuously question his existence. In fact, world religions, with numerous versions of odd gods, have not helped philosophers prove his existence. On the contrary, they created further intellectual problems and logical obstacles for questioning minds who try to reach him.

The Prime Evidence

The "prime" evidence comes in the form of a highly sophisticated mathematical code embedded in an ancient document. Computer decoding of this document was originally started by Dr. Rashad Khalifa, a biochemist, in 1969. In 1974, this study unveiled an intricate mathematical pattern based on a prime number. (Having interested with the subject the author, like many others, I examined Dr. Khalifa's findings and assisted him in his further research.)*

For more than 14 centuries it was a hidden secret in the most read yet one of the most ignored books, the Quran (The Book of Recitation), until 1974. The discovery of the code not only explained many verses, but it also exposed the diabolic nature of sectarian teachings and the work of clergymen.

With the computer decoding of the Quran, summarized below, the argument for the existence of God gained an examinable physical evidence. Although the Quran had been in existence for fourteen centuries, its mathematical code remained a secret until computer decoding became possible. As it turned out, the code ranges from extreme simplicity to a complex, interlocking intricacy. Thus, it can be appreciated by persons with limited education, as well as scholars.

This ancient document is the Quran, revealed to Muhammad of Arabia early in the seventh century as The Final Testament. The following is a condensed summary of this unique literary code. Please note that one does not need to know Arabic, the original language of the Quran, to examine most of the evidences presented below. For some of them one may only need to recognize the 28 letters of the Arabic alphabet.

The Message For The Computer Generation

Chapter 74 of the Quran is dedicated to the PRIME number 19. This chapter is called "Al-Muddassir" (The Hidden Secret). The number 19 is specifically mentioned in that Chapter as a "punishment" for those who state that the scripture is human-made (74:25). This number is also called "One of the greatest portents" (74:35). In 74:31, the purpose of the number 19 is described: to remove all doubts regarding the authenticity of the Quran, to increase the faith of the believers, and to be a scientific punishment for hypocrites and disbelievers. However, the implication of this number as a proof for the authenticity of the Quran remained unknown for centuries. For fourteen centuries, the commentators tried in vain to understand the function and fulfillment of the number 19.

Before The Secret Was Decoded

Before the discovery of the 19-based system, we were aware of a symmetrical mathematical wonder in the Quran. For example:

A Great Prophecy is Fulfilled and the Secret is Unveiled

The miraculous function of the number 19 prophesized in Chapter 74 was unveiled in 1974 through a computerized analysis of the Quran. Though, in retrospect, the implication of 19 in Chapter 74 traditionally called Hidden One, were obvious, it remained a secret for 1406 (19x74) lunar years after the revelation of the Quran. Ironically, the first words of the Chapter 74, The Hidden One, was revealing, yet the code was a divinely guarded gift allocated to the computer generation; they were the one who would need and appreciate it the most. As we have demonstrated in various books, hundreds of simple and complex algorithms, we witness the depth and breath of mathematical manipulation of Arabic, an arbitrary human language, to be profound and extraordinary.

This is the fulfillment of a Quranic challenge (17:88). While the meaning of the Quranic text and its literal excellence was kept, all its units, from chapters, verses, words to its letters were also assigned universally recognizable roles in creation of mathematical patterns. Since its discovery, the number 19 of the Quran and the Bible has increased the faith of many believers, has removed doubts in the minds of many People of the Book, and has caused discord, controversy and chaos among those who have traded the Quran with men-made sectarian teachings. This is indeed a fulfillment of a Quranic prophecy (74:30).

Various verses of the Quran mention an important miracle that will appear after its revelation.

10:20 They say, "If only a sign was sent down to him from His Lord." Say, "The future is with God, so wait, and I will wait with you."

21:37 The human being is made of haste. I will show you My signs; do not be in a rush.

38:0 In the name of God, the Gracious, the Compassionate.

38:1 S90, and the Quran that contains the Reminder.

38:2 Indeed, those who have rejected are in false pride and defiance.

38:3 How many a generation have We destroyed before them. They called out when it was far too late.

38:4 They were surprised that a warner has come to them from among themselves. The ingrates said, "This is a magician, a liar."

38:5 "Has he made the gods into One god? This is indeed a strange thing!"

38:6 The leaders among them went out: "Walk away, and remain patient to your gods. This thing can be turned back."

38:7 "We never heard of this from the people before us. This is but an innovation."

38:8 "Has the remembrance been sent down to him, from between all of us!" Indeed, they are doubtful of My reminder. Indeed, they have not yet tasted My retribution.

38:87 "It is but a reminder for the worlds."

38:88 "You will come to know its news after awhile."

41:53 We will show them Our signs in the horizons, and within themselves, until it becomes clear to them that this is the truth. Is it not enough that your Lord is witness over all things?

72:28 … He has counted everything in numbers.

The beginning of Chapter 25 refers to the arguments of the opponents who denied the divine nature of the Quran:

25:4 Those who rejected said, "This is but a falsehood that he invented and other people have helped him with it; for they have come with what is wrong and fabricated."

25:5 They said, "Tales of the people of old, he wrote them down while they were being dictated to him morning and evening."

The awaited miracle, the hidden mathematical structure

The subsequent verse gives an enigmatic answer to the assertion of those who claimed that the Quran is manmade.

25:6 Say, "It was sent down by the One who knows the secrets in the heavens and the earth. He is always Forgiving, Compassionate."

How can "knowing the secret" constitute an answer for those who assert that the Quran is Muhammad's work? Will the proof or evidence of the divine authorship of the Quran remain a secret known by God alone? Or, will the antagonists be rebuffed by that divine mystery? If there should be a relationship between the objection and answer, then we can infer from the above verse that a SECRET will demonstrate the divine nature of the Quran.

The miracle promised throughout the Quran might have been destined to appear after Muhammad's death:

13:38 We have sent messengers before you and We have made for them mates and offspring. It was not for a messenger to come with any sign except by God's leave, but for every time there is a decree.

13:39 God erases what He wishes and affirms, and with Him is the source of the book.

13:40 If We show you some of what We promise them or if We let you pass away, for you is only to deliver, while for Us is the reckoning.

The last phrase of verse 13:40 quoted above is interesting, The meaning of this phrase becomes clearer after the discovery of Code 19, since the Arabic word "HeSaaB" refers to both the "day of judgment" and "numerical computation." * The word "HeSaaB" is used for the "day of judgment" since on that day our good and bad deeds will be computed. The deliberate use of multi-meaning words is very common in the Quran. For instance, the word "AaYah" occurs 84 times in the Quran and in all occurrences it means "miracle," "sign" or "law." However, its plural form "AaYAat" also means "revelation" or "verses of the Quran." This unique usage equates minimum three verses of the Quran (in Arabic, a different form is used for duality) with miracle. It also pulls our attention to the parallelism between God's signs/laws in the universe and God's revelation in human language: they share the same source and the same truth. In the following verse the plural word "AaYAat" is used not to mean "revelation" but "miracle, sign or physical manifestation":

6:158 Do they wait until the angels will come to them, or your Lord comes, or some signs from your Lord? The day some signs come from your Lord, it will do no good for any person to acknowledge if it did not acknowledge before, or it gained good through its acknowledgement. Say, "Wait, for we too are waiting."

The verse 30 of Chapter 74, Al-Muddassir (The Hidden/The Secret) of the Quran reads exactly, "Over it Nineteen." The entire chapter is about the number 19. Let's read the chapter from the beginning.

74:0 In the name of God, the Gracious, the Compassionate.

74:1 O you hidden one.

74:2 Stand and warn.

74:3 Your Lord glorify.

74:4 Your garments purify.

74:5 Abandon all that is vile.

74:6 Do not be greedy.

74:7 To your Lord be patient.

74:8 So when the trumpet is sounded.* Traditional commentaries translate it as "when the trumpet is sounded" or "horn is blown," which is an allegorical expression for making a declaration. The root of the word "NaQuuR" as a verb means "strike" or "groove," and as a noun it means "trumpet" or "the smallest matter." Based on our contemporary knowledge of the prophecy mentioned in this chapter, we may translate this verse as "when the microchips are grooved."

74:9 That will be a very difficult day.

74:10 Upon the ingrates it will not be easy.

74:11 So leave Me alone with the one I have created.

74:12 I gave him abundant wealth.

74:13 Children to bear witness.

74:14 I made everything comfortable for him.

74:15 Then he wishes that I give more.

74:16 No. He was stubborn to Our signs.

74:17 I will exhaust him in climbing.

74:18 He thought and he analyzed.

74:19 So woes to him for how he analyzed.

74:20 Then woe to him for how he analyzed.

74:21 Then he looked.

74:22 Then he frowned and scowled.

74:23 Then he turned away in arrogance.

74:24 He said, "This is nothing but an impressive magic."

74:25 "This is nothing but the words of a human."

74:26 I will cast him in the Saqar.

74:27 Do you know what Saqar is?

74:28 It does not spare nor leave anything.

74:29 Manifest to all the people.* Traditional translations that tend to understand Saqar as hellfire, mistranslates the verse "Lawahatun lil bashar" as "scorches the skin." Though this meaning might be obtained by using different dialects of Arabic, the Quranic Arabic is very clear regarding the meaning of the two words making up this verse. The first word "LaWaHa", if considered as a noun, literally means "manifold tablets" or "manifestations" and if considered as a verb, it means "making it obvious." The second word "lil" means "for." And the third word "BaShaR" means "human being" or "people." "For the other derivatives of the first word, LaWaHa, please look at 7:145, 150, 154; 54:13; and 85:22. In all these verses the word means "tablets." For the other derivatives of the third word, BaShaR, please look at the end of the verse 31 of this chapter and 36 other occurrences, such as, 3:79; 5:18; 14:10; 16:103; 19:17; 36:15, etc. The traditional translation of the verse is entirely different than the usage of the Quran. Previous generations who were not aware of the mathematical structure of the Quran perhaps had an excuse to translate it as a description of hell, but contemporary Muslims have no excuse to mistranslate this verse.

74:30 On it is nineteen.

The punishment issued for the opponent is very interesting: nineteen. Almost all numbers mentioned in the Quran is an adjective for a noun. Forty nights, seven heavens, four months, twelve leaders. But here the numerical function of nineteen is emphasized. Nineteen does not define or describe anything. The disbeliever will be subjected to the number nineteen itself. Then, what is the mission or function of this nineteen? Those who tended to understand the meaning of Saqar as "hell" naturally understood it as the number of guardians of hell. However, the punishment that is described with phrases such as, difficult task, precise, and universal manifestations, was an intellectual punishment; a mathematical challenge. Indeed, the following verse isolates the number nineteen from the number of angels and lists five goals for it.

74:31 We have made the guardians of the fire to be angels; and We did not make their number except as a test for those who have rejected, to convince those who were given the book, to strengthen the acknowledgment of those who have acknowledged, so that those who have been given the book and those who acknowledge do not have doubt, and so that those who have a sickness in their hearts and the ingrates would say, "What did God mean by this example?" Thus God misguides whoever/whomever He wishes, and He guides whoever/whomever He wishes. None knows your Lord's soldiers except Him. It is but a reminder for people.

Traditional commentators of the Quran had justifiably grappled with understanding this verse. They thought that disbelievers would be punished by 19 guardians of hell. That was fine. But they could not explain how the number of guardians of hell would increase the faith of believers and convince the skeptical Christians and Jews regarding the divine nature of the Quran. Finding no answer to this question, they tried some explanations: the Christians and Jews would believe in the Quran since they would see that the number of guardians of hell is also nineteen in their scripture. Witnessing the conversion of Christians and Jews, the faith of Muslims would increase.

This orthodox commentary has three major problems. First, neither the Old, nor the New Testament mentions number nineteen as the guardians of hell. * The word "nineteen" occurs in the Bible twice: Joshua 19:38 (nineteen cities) and 2 Samuel 2:30 (nineteen men). The word "nineteenth" occurs thrice: 2 King 25:8; 1 Chronicles 24:16 , 25:26; and Jeremiah 52:12 . Second, even if there was such a similar statement, this would not remove their doubts but to the contrary, it would increase their doubts since they would consider it one of the many evidences supporting their claim that the Quran plagiarized many stories from the Bible. Indeed, there are many Biblical events are told by the Quran, though occasionally with some differences. Third, none so far converted to Islam because of guardians of hell.

Some scholars noticed this flaw in traditional commentaries. For instance, Fahraddin el-Razi, in his classic commentary offered many speculations, including that the number nineteen indicates the nineteen intellectual faculty of human being. Tough it is a clever interpretation, but it fails to explain the emphasis on the number nineteen itself and it also fails to substantiate the speculation.

The following verses emphasized the crucial function of number nineteen:

74:32 No, by the moon.

74:33 By the night when it passes.

74:34 By the morning when it shines.

74:35 It is one of the great ones.* Majority of traditional commentators incline to understand the references of this verse and the ending phrase of verse 31 as "hell fire" instead of "number nineteen." You will find translations of the Quran using parenthesis to reflect this traditional exegesis. According to them, "it (the hellfire) is a reminder for the people," and "this (the hellfire) is one of the greatest (troubles)." Their only reason for jumping over two textually closest candidates, that is, "their number" or "nineteen," was their lack of knowledge about Code 19. They did not understand how a number could be a "reminder" or "one of the greatest miracles." Indeed their understanding was in conflict with the obvious context; the topic of the previous verse 31 is the number nineteen, not the hellfire. Finally, the traditional understanding contradicts verse 49. Those who know Arabic may reflect on the word "ZKR" in the ending phrase of verse 31 with verse 49 and reflect on the fact that hellfire is not something the Quran wants us to accept and enjoy!

74:36 A warning to people.

74:37 For any among you who wishes to progress or regress.

The purpose of "oath" statements in the Quran is not similar to their common usage. The Quran uses oath to pull our attention to a divine sign or a lesson in the subject matter. The Quran does not use the statements of oath to make us believe, but to make us think (see: 89:5). The passing of the night and the shining of the morning are obviously allegories used to indicate an intellectual enlightenment or salvation. But the expression "by the Moon" is literal and it pulls our attention to the relationship of the Moon and the number nineteen. The year Apollo 11 astronauts dug Moon's surface and brought a piece of the Moon to the Earth, the same year, a biochemist named Dr. Rashad Khalifa started feeding the Quran into a computer in St. Louis, which would end up in the discovery of Code 19. This might be considered a mere coincidence, but a Quranic verse implies the correlation between the two events.

54:1 The moment drew near, and the moon was split.* The Arabic word "inShaQQa" has been traditionally translated is "being divided in the middle." Hadith books report a "miracle" as the fulfillment of this verse. According to those narration Muhammad pointed at the Moon and the Moon was split for a while. Some of the reports even provide further details about this fabricated "miracle": half of the Moon fell on Muhammad's cousin, Ali's backyard. The word "ShaQQa" has a range of dimensions, from splitting into half to simply breaking or cracking as in 80:25: "We pour the water generously. Then we split the soil open." If you wonder the usage of past tense for a prophetic statement, it is a well-known Quranic style to indicate the certainty of the upcoming event and the meta-time nature of God's knowledge. (See 39:68; 75:8; 25:30; 7:44; 6:128; 20:125; 23:112). For those who know Arabic and wonder about the meaning of "infi'al" form, see 2:60.

54:2 If they see a sign, they turn away and say, "Continuous magic!"

54:3 They rejected, and followed their desires, and every old tradition.

54:4 While the news had come to them in which there was sufficient warning.

54:5 A perfect wisdom; but the warnings are of no benefit.

Let's continue the reading of Chapter 74 (The Hidden):

74:38 Every person is held by what it earned;

74:39 Except for the people of the right.

74:40 In paradises, they will be asking

74:41 About the criminals.

74:42 "What has caused you to be in Saqar?"

74:43 They said, "We were not of those who offered support (or observed contact prayer)."

74:44 "We did not feed the poor."

74:45 "We used to participate with those who spoke falsehood."

74:46 "We used to deny the day of Judgment."

74:47 "Until the certainty came to us."

74:48 Thus, no intercession of intercessors could help them.

74:49 Why did they turn away from this reminder?

How can someone who does not believe in the day of judgment believe in intercession? Those who believe in the intercession of saints and prophets on their behalf surely believe or at least claim to believe in the Day of Judgment. Nevertheless, according to the Quranic definition of the "Day of Judgment" a person cannot simultaneously believe in both intercession and the Day of Judgment. The Quran defines the "Day of Judgment" as "the day that no person can help another person, and all decisions, on that day, will belong to God." (82:19). That day neither Muhammad nor Ahmad, neither Jesus nor Mary, neither Ali nor Wali can help those who reject the number nineteen, its role and implication in the Quran.* For the Quran's position regarding intercession please see 2:48; 6:70; 7:5; 9:80; 10:3; 39:44; 43:86; 16:20; 78:38.

Simple To Understand, Impossible To Imitate

The mathematical structure of the Quran, or The Final Testament, is simple to understand, yet impossible to imitate. You do not need to know Arabic, the original language of the Quran to examine it for yourself. Basically, what you need is to be able to count until 19. It is a challenge for atheists, an invitation for agnostics and guidance for believers. It is a perpetual miracle for the computer generation. Dr. Rashad Khalifa introduces this supernatural message as follows:

"The Quran is characterized by a unique phenomenon never found in any human authored book. Every element of the Quran is mathematically composed-the chapters, the verses, the words, the number of certain letters, the number of words from the same root, the number and variety of divine names, the unique spelling of certain words, and many other elements of the Quran besides its content. There are two major facets of the Quran's mathematical system: (1) The mathematical literary composition, and (2) The mathematical structure involving the numbers of chapters and verses. Because of this comprehensive mathematical coding, the slightest distortion of the Quran's text or physical arrangement is immediately exposed" (Rashad Khalifa, Quran The Final Testament, 1989, p. 609).

Physical, Verifiable and Falsifiable Evidence

Here is the summary of this historical message:

Code 19: The Real Bible Code

It is significant that the same 19-based mathematical composition was discovered by Rabbi Judah in the 12th century AD in a preserved part of the Old Testament. Below is a quote from Studies in Jewish Mysticism.

"The people (Jews) in France made it a custom to add (in the morning prayer) the words: " 'Ashrei temimei derekh (blessed are those who walk the righteous way)," and our Rabbi, the Pious, of blessed memory, wrote that they were completely and utterly wrong. It is all gross falsehood, because there are only nineteen times that the Holy Name is mentioned (in that portion of the morning prayer), . . . and similarly you find the word Elohim nineteen times in the pericope of Ve-'elleh shemot . . . .

"Similarly, you find that Israel were called "sons" nineteen times, and there are many other examples. All these sets of nineteen are intricately intertwined, and they contain many secrets and esoteric meanings, which are contained in more than eight volumes. Therefore, anyone who has the fear of God in him will not listen to the words of the Frenchmen who add the verse " 'Ashrei temimei derekh (blessed are those who walk in the paths of God's Torah, for according to their additions the Holy Name is mentioned twenty times . . . and this is a great mistake. Furthermore, in this section there are 152 words, but if you add " 'Ashrei temimei derekh" there are 158 words. This is nonsense, for it is a great and hidden secret why there should be 152 words . . ." (Studies In Jewish Mysticism, Joseph Dan, Association for Jewish Studies. Cambridge, Massachusetts: 1978, p 88.)

Running like Zebras

The last section of Chapter 74 (The Hidden) likens those who turns away from the message of nineteen to zebras running away from a lion.

74:49 Why did they turn away from this reminder?

74:50 Like fleeing zebras,

74:51 Running from the lion?

74:52 Alas, every one of them wants to be given separate manuscripts.

74:53 No, they do not fear the Hereafter.

74:54 No, it is a reminder.

74:55 Whosoever wishes will take heed.

74:56 None will take heed except if God wills. He is the source of righteousness and the source of forgiveness.

Numerous books and articles rejecting the importance of the number nineteen in the Quran have been published in many languages worldwide. Some of the publications were freely distributed by the support of petrol-rich countries, such as Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.

The Quran is the only miracle given to Muhammad (29:51). Muhammad's mushrik companions could not comprehend that a book could be a miracle, and they wanted miracles "similar" to the ones given to the previous prophets (11:12; 17:90; 25:7; 37:7). Modern mushriks also demonstrated a similar reaction when God unveiled the prophesied miracle in 1974. When the miracle demanded from them the dedication of the system to God alone, and the rejection of all other "holy" teachings they have associated with the Quran, they objected, "How can there be mathematics in the Quran; the Quran is not a book of mathematics" or, "How can there be such a miracle; no previous messenger came up with such a miracle!" When a monotheist who was selected to fulfill the prophecy and discover the code started inviting his people to give up polytheism and the worship of Muhammad and clerics, he was oficially declared an apostate by Muslim scholars gathered in Saudi Arabia from 38 different countries in March 19, 1989. Within less than a year he was assassinated by a group linked to al-Qaida in early 1990 in Tucson, Arizona. See 3:81; 40:28; 72:24; 74:1. For the prophetic use of the word reminder (ZKR), see 15:9; 21:2; 21:24; 26:5; 29:51; 38:1; 41:41; 44:13; 72:17; 74:31.

Was the Discovery of the Code 19 a Coincidence?

Dr. Rashad Khalifa did not have any knowledge that his curiosity regarding the meaning of the alphabet letters that initialize 29 chapters of the Quran would end up with the discovery of its mathematical system. His computerized study that started in 1969 gave its fruits in 1974 by the discovery of the 14 century old SECRET.

If the Code 19 was going to provide strong evidence for the existence of God and for the authenticity of the Quran, then it is reasonable to expect that the identity of the discoverer and the time of the discovery would not be coincidental. Indeed, the events have demonstrated a prophetic design in the timing of this miraculous mathematical design.

The number 19 is mentioned only in a chapter known "The Hidden," the 74th chapter of the Quran. Juxtaposing these two numbers yields 1974, exactly the year in which the code was deciphered. (Calendar based on the birth of Jesus and the solar year is accepted by the Quran as units of calculating time. See, 19:33; 43:61; 18:24. Besides, this is the most commonly used calendar in the world.) If we multiply these two numbers, 19x74, we end up with 1406, the exact number of lunar years between the revelation of the Quran and the discovery of the code.

Furthermore, the first statement expressed in the first two verses of Chapter 74 is about the unveiling of the secret. It is interesting that if we consider one version of spelling the first word, which contains three Alifs instead of two, there are 19 letters in the first statement of chapter 74. More interestingly, when we add the numerical values of each letter in these two verses the sum is a very familiar number. Here is the value of each letter in "Ya ayyuhal Muddassir; qum fa anzir" (O you Hidden one, stand and warn):

Y =	10
A =	1
A =	1
Y =	10
H =	5
A =	1
A =	1
L =	30
M =	40
D =	4
TH =	500
R =	200
Q =	100
M =	40
F =	80
A =	1
N =	50
Z =	700
R =	200
Total:	1974 * The absolute values of these 19 numbers (the numerical values of letters) add up to 57 (19x3).

And 1974 is the year when the hidden secret came out and warned us!

Adding to this prophetic mathematical design is the fact that the derivatives of the name of the discoverer, RShD (guidance), occurs in the Quran exactly 19 times. (See 2:186; 2:256; 4:6; 7:146; 11:78; 11:87; 11:97; 18:10; 18:17; 18:24; 18:66; 21:51; 40:29; 40:38; 49:7; 72:2; 72:10; 72:14; 72:21.). The exact form, Rashad, occurs twice and they sandwich the claim of unappreciative people who wish to limit the messengership (4:29).

In sum, the relationship between the following seven elements, in our opinion, is more than interesting.

In January 31, 1990, Rashad Khalifa was assassinated in Tucson, Arizona, by a terrorist group affiliated with al-Qaida. Ironically, soon after his departure, ignorant people started idolizing him and created a cult distorting his message of strict monotheism. * For those who claim the infallibility of Dr. Khalifa, I would like to give a sample of verses that I think carry some minor or important translational errors: 2:114; 2:275*; 2:282*; 4:34*; 4:79*; 4:127; 8:64; 9:29; 10:34!; 14:4; 16:75*; 18:16*; 19:26!; 20:96*; 20:114; 21:90* x 21:73; 21:96*; 29:12 x 29:13; 32:5!; 34:41; 35:24 x 25:51; 43:11 x 41:12*; 43:36*; 47:11 x 42:15; 49:1 x 38:26 and 7:3; 65:12* x 42:29; 66:5; 73:15! (Asterisks are for footnotes and/or subtitles, exclamation marks for missing phrases, and "x" for contradictions.) Also See 27:82; 40:28; 72:19.

27:82 When the punishment has been deserved by them, We will bring out for them a creature made of earthly material, it will speak to them that the people have been unaware regarding Our signs. * Unlike the creatures made of water (24:45) this one is made from earthly elements. After the discovery of the code and from the context of this verse, this creature (DaBBah) can be understood as reference to computer. In traditional books there are many bizarre description of this prophesized creature. Contrary to the Quran's positive depiction of the earth-based creature, hadith books contain negative descriptions.
Some may object to my interpretation by saying that the word "DaBBah" implies something live that moves. I think this objection is reasonable. But, I prefer the computer to an animal since I can understand the phrase "dabbatan min al -ardi" not a creature geographically from earth, but a creature made of earth. Thus, I can accept some differences in mobility between the "dabbeh from water and "dabbeh from earth." Since a computer has many moving parts, from its hard disk to the information carried by trillions of electrons, I do not see it a far-fetched understanding of the implication of "DaBBah".

27:83 The day We gather from every nation a party that denied Our signs, then they will be driven.

27:84 Until they have come, He will say, "Have you denied My signs while you had no explicit knowledge of them? What were you doing?"

27:85 The punishment was deserved by them for what they transgressed, for they did not speak.

How Can We Explain This Phenomenon?

There are basically four possible explanations:

1. Manipulation: One may be skeptical about our data regarding the mathematical structure of the Quran. However, one can eliminate this option by spending several hours of checking the data at random. (We recommend Quran: The Visual Presentation of Miracle by Rashad Khalifa and the upcoming book, Nineteen: God's Signature in Nature and Scripture by Edip Yuksel). Muslim scholars and clerics who have traded the Quran with primitive mediaeval fabrications, that is, Hadith and Sunna, strongly reject this mathematical system, since the mathematical system exposes the corruption of religions by clergymen.

2. Coincidence: This possibility is eliminated by the statistical probability laws. The consistency and frequency of the 19-based pattern is much too overwhelming to occur coincidentally.

3. Human fabrication: While fabricating a literary work that meets the criteria of the document summarized here is a stunning challenge for our computer generation, it is certainly even more improbable during the time of initiation of the document, namely, 610 AD. One more fact augments the improbability of human fabrication. If a certain person or persons had fabricated this literary work, they would want to reap the fruits of their efforts; they would have shown it to people to prove their cause. In view of the originality, complexity, and mathematical sophistication of this work, one has to admit that it is ingenious. However, no one has ever claimed credit for this unique literary code; the code was never known prior to the computer decoding accomplished by Dr. Khalifa. Therefore, it is reasonable to exclude the possibility of human fabrication.

The timing of the discovery may be considered another evidence for the existence and full control of the Supreme Being: The mystery of the number 19 which is mentioned as "one of the greatest events" in the chapter 74 (The Hidden Secret) was discovered by Dr. Khalifa in1974, exactly 1406 (19x74) lunar years after the revelation of the Quran. The connection between 19 (the code) and 74 (the number of the chapter which this code is mentioned) is significant in the timing of the discovery.

4. Super Intelligent Source: The only remaining reasonable possibility is that a super intelligent source is responsible for this document; one who designed the work in this extraordinary manner, then managed to keep it a well guarded secret for 14 centuries, for a predetermined time. The mathematical code ensures that the source is super intelligent and also that the document is perfectly intact.

---

The discoverer of the Code 19, Dr. Rashad Khalifa, was assassinated in Tucson, Arizona, by an international terrorist group al-Fuqra or al-Fuqara, which was affiliated to Usama Ben Laden, in 1990. * My mentor and friend, Dr. Rashad Khalifa, was assassinated in 1990 by a terrorist organization organized in Salt Lake city. The members of al-Fuqra, which was later claimed to be affiliated with Ben Laden's newly founded Al-Qaida, stabbed him to death in our Tucson Mosque. The assassination of my mentor and its aftermath was widely covered by Arizona Daily Star and Tucson Weekly and local radio and TV stations. After September 11, the national media picked up the story. For instance, Newsweek and Dan Rather at CBS Evening News declared this incident to be Al-Qaida's first terrorist act in the USA. See: CBS Evening News with Dan Rather, on October 26, 2001; cover story of Newsweek, January 14, 2002, p.44. On March 19, 2002, KPHO-TV at Phoenix, a CBS affiliate, in its evening news, broadcast an interview with me under the headline: Traces of Al Qaeda Cell in Tucson. However, despite its importance in revealing the theological vulnerability of Al-Qaida, this first terrorist event did not receive the attention it deserved. The 9/11 Commission Report (2002) left out this important first act of terrorism in the US from ther report. However, the power of this message is promising a new era of reformation in religions, particularly Islam and Christianity. Ironically, some of Khalifa's "followers" reverted back to the days of ignorance by trying to turn the community of Submitters into a cult after the departure of that brave iconoclastic scientist. Though there are still some monotheists in the group, as it seems, a gang is actively busy in repeating the history of ignorant people by carving a new idol for the group. The gang claims infallibility of Rashad Khalifa and considers all his writings, appendices, footnotes, fingernotes, and articles in the newsletter and his speeches in video recordings to be divine revelation. The gang members consider Rashad's re-re-revised translation to be error-free, and even justify the obvious errors such as the spelling ones. They have replaced their former idol with a new one. The Submitters community has been fatally infected by the idol-carvers and with the rate of infection; the group may excommunicate all the monotheists within a decade. I have exposed the distortion of this gang in a booklet titled, United but Disoriented. Ten years ago many considered some of my predictions to be "unreal" or "paranoid", but my recent debate with the gang members proved my predictions. They are now making claims that none expected to hear, including themselves. Like most polytheists, they have mastered their arguments for their version of polytheism while pretending to be monotheists. The book's first edition is out of print, but it is available on the net. God willing, an updated edition of the book tracking the group's devolution since departure of Rashad will be published by Brainbow Press, most likely under the title: Idolizing Iconoclasts: A Cult after Dr. Rashad Khalifa

Edip Yuksel's comprehensive demonstration of the mathematical structure of the Quran, together with answers to major criticisms, God wiling, will be published under the title NINETEEN: God's Signature in Nature and Scripture.