The eminent Muslim scholar and renowned Da`iyah, Sheikh `Abdel Khaliq Hasan Ash-Shareef, states: “Those who say for example, that there is a miraculous significance in the number 19 in the Qur’an, whether connected to basmalah or any other verses of the Qur’an, have no Shari`ah basis to support their saying and this is considered a trial to take the Qur’an away from its main goal which is guidance. So, a Muslim should beware of such baseless hypothesis and there is nothing called (hypothetical) mathematical structure of the Qur’an.”
Elaborating more on this issue, Dr. Ahmad Sa’eed Hawwa, Professor of Islamic Jurisprudence and its Principles at Jordanian Universities, states: “We do not know of any miracle or significance of the number 19 or even any other number in the Qur’an. All about this number is that it is mentioned in surat Al-Muddathir: “Over it are nineteen.” (Al-Muddathir: 19)
Some researchers have concluded that this number has some significance and miracles. But in fact this can only be considered as a confirmation of the truth and cannot be taken at all as a basis for giving Islamic rulings. Anyway, most of the works in this field are no more than ostentatious amplification.
The Muslims are supposed to seek knowledge in order to practice and not for the purpose of finding out miracles and things like that. I wonder how can some people consider such number as a kind of inimitability of the Qur’an while early Arabs didn’t know the number of the letters or verses in the Qur’an. The worst thing is that some people reach conclusions to prove certain prophecies on the basis of these concordant verses. This for sure will lead Muslims to be lazy and negligent.”
Sheikh Hamed Al-Ali, instructor of Islamic Heritage at the Faculty of Education, Kuwait and Imam of Dahiat As-Sabahiyya Mosque, adds:
“The claim that Allah wants to refer to a particular miracle through this number, without any daleel (proof) from the Book of Allah, the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) or the interpretation of the Companions, is no more than a lie against Allah and an unsubstantiated interpretation of the Qur’an. Almighty Allah says in the Qur’an: “And follow not that of which you have not the knowledge.” (Al-Isra’: 36) And He also says: ” Say: Those who forge a lie against Allah shall not be successful.” (Yunus: 69)
If there is any significance behind this number, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would have clarified it to us as he is the most knowledgeable one of the Book of Allah and the best guide of the Ummah; the Companions would have also explained it to us as they are most knowledgeable of the Book of Allah, after the Prophet (peace and ble
ssings be upon him).
Since they did not interpret it this way or even mention any significance of that number while they were the most knowledgeable and the keenest to know the secrets of the Qur’an, we come to the conclusion that whoever claims that there is any miracle or significance of this number is no more than a liar and is innovating in the Deen (religion) that which does not belong to it. The Prophet (peace and blessings upon him) has warned us: “Beware of innovating things in this religion.”