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Ta Sin: 27.<br />

Ta Sin Mim: 26, 28.<br />

Ta Ha:20.<br />

Qaf: 50.<br />

Kaf Ha Ya 'Ain Sad: 19.<br />

Nun: 68.<br />

Ya Sin: 36.<br />

Variety of Explanations<br />

The meaning and purpose of these letters is uncertain. There have been a variety of explanations offered by Muslim<br />

scholars throughout the ages. Among them are: [See itqan, 11, pp.9-11.]<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

<br />

These letters might be abbreviations for certain sentences and words, such as e.g. Alif Lam Mim meaning<br />

Ana llahu A'lam; or Nun meaning Nur (light), etc.<br />

These letters are not abbreviations but symbols and names of Allah, or something else. [e .g. the letter<br />

nun standing for 'fish' . which occurs in every sura that has nun as 'abbreviated letter' in front, or ta<br />

standing for snake, as every sura with [a as abbreviated letter w in front contains the story of Musa and<br />

the snake.]<br />

These letters have some numeric<strong>al</strong> significance, as the semitic letters <strong>al</strong>so have numeric<strong>al</strong> v<strong>al</strong>ue.<br />

These letters were used to attract the attention of the Prophet (and later his audience) for the revelation<br />

to follow.<br />

There are <strong>al</strong>so many other explanations which cannot be referred to here. The 'abbreviated letters' are part of the<br />

Qur'anic message, reve<strong>al</strong>ed to the Prophet Muhammad and therefore included in the text of the Qur'an. They are to be<br />

recited and read as part of the suras where they occur. They are a good example for one kind of mutashabihdt which is<br />

referred to in the Qur'an itself, (3: 7), the meaning of which is known to Allah. The Qur'an says of them: '... these are the<br />

symbols of the perspicuous book' (12: 1).

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