Surah 57 · Verse 25

[57:25] This chapter, which mentions the qualities of iron provides some interesting information regarding the physical structure of the element. Since it is the only chapter elaborating on the benefits and harms of iron, the chapter is called Sura al- Hadid, that is, Chapter Iron. Decades ago, when I was a young Sunni scholar, my research on the numerical structure of the chapter led me to interesting discoveries which was published as a booklet. (Kuran'da Demirin Kimyasal Esrarı, Edip Yuksel, Timaş, Istanbul, 1984). We know that during the era of Quranic revelation, Arabs were not using the socalled Arabic numerals. They adopted those numerals about two centuries after Muhammed. During the time of Muhammed, Arabs were using their Alphabet letters as numbers. The 28 letters of the Arabic alphabet then was arranged in a different order that started with the letters ABJD, thus known as Abjad, or Gematria. Since Arabic and Hebrew are closely related languages, their numerical system too resembled each other. Each letter corresponded to a number, such as A for 1, B for 2, J for 3, D for 4. When it reached 10, the corresponding numerical values would continue as multiples of tens and when reaching 100, they would continue as multiples of hundred ending with 1000. Archeological evidence shows that then they were distinguishing letters from numbers by using different color ink or simply by putting a line over the letter, resembling the Roman numerals. However, a literary text might use letters/numbers for multiple purposes; that is for both their semantic or lexicon function and at the same time for their numerical value. Such a multi-use requires an extreme command and knowledge of language and the author is limited by the language. When Arabs abandoned the Abjad system, it was still used by poets and charlatan healers who wished to take advantage of an antiquated numerical system that became a curiosity for the gullible. Poets wrote verses about events or epithets for important figures, with the date of the event or the death embedded in the numerical values of the letters of a word or a phrase in their verses. The usage of the Abjad in the Quran is extensive, impressive and prophetic (For another example see 74:1-2). When we add up the numerical values of letters comprising the word HaDYD (iron), it gives the atomic number of any iron element: 8+4+10+4=26. If we add up the numerical values of the letters comprising the word AL-HaDYD (the iron, or a particular version of iron), it gives the atomic weight of a particular isotope of the iron element: 1+30+8+4+10+4=57. Of course, this interesting coincidence has nothing to do with the Quran, since the word HaDYD already existed in the language of common people, including the opponents of the Quran. However, when we study the details of this chapter we will learn that the author of the book was aware of the unique relationship between this word, its numerical values, and the related physical or chemical properties. This chapter is listed as the 57th chapter of the Quran, corresponding to the numerical value of its popular name, and at the same time corresponding to the atomic weight of a particular isotope of iron. Iron has five isotopes, with the atomic number of 54, 55, 56, 57, and 58, containing 29, 30, 31, and 32 neutrons, respectively. We also observe that the only verse mentioning the physical properties of iron is listed as the 26th verse, including the unnumbered verse, Bismillah, in the beginning of chapter. (Bismillah, as the first and the most repeated verse of the Quran has a unique role in the mathematical structure of the Quran). The chapter contains 29 numbered verses and 30 verses, when you include Bismillah; each number giving us the number of neutrons of different isotopes of iron. Iron with 30 neutrons has the most stable nucleus possible, and thus cannot be subjected to fission or fusion. Formation of iron marks the formation of planets and death of stars. Iron with 31 neutrons has a nuclear spin and is used in industry. The word God occurs 32 times in the chapter, two of them in the verse mentioning iron. Thus, the verse about the iron contains the 26th occurrence of the word God, with or without including the unnumbered Bismillah. The verb "we sent down" is interesting, since it describes the formation of planets.