What does Alif Lam Mim mean?

Question

I bought a translation of the Qur'an, and the phrase Alif Lam Mim appears at the beginning of nearly every chapter.

Answer 1

There are too many questions raised around the letters which some chapters start with: why did Allah put these letters in His book, and is it about the time when Allah will bless us with the understanding of these letters, but can these letters be a strong, concrete proof to the truthfulness of Allah in this era of numeric tech.???

That is what we will see through the miraculousness of these letters’ accurate numeric structure which again shows us how complicated yet wonderful Allah’s words are, and that nobody can bring something alike. What we will see is a beautiful harmony of numeric coordinations based on number 7 and its multiples according to a scientific, numeric method.

In this research, we will deal initially with the first mentioned letters which are ‘Alif Lam Mim’. Thus, when will come to discover their miraculousness, we will move to look after other letters’ miracles because each koranic letter contains a miracle.

First, we need to call these letters ‘the special letters’ as Allah has chosen to be as such and to be the opening of some chapters. They are 14 letters ( 14 is a multiple of 7!) and even their repetitions are based on number 7.

What scholars, may Allah have mercy upon them, first noticed was that the number of these letters is 14 and they came in 14 openings ( we exclude the repeated openings). What has interested me the most is this number 14, which I thought should contain the whole matter, as it was mentioned twice :

The special letters are 14.

The openings are 14.

14 is about 7 multiplied by 2: 14= 7 * 2. so what can this mean?

Before we look over the significations of this number, I would like to correct the name that is given to these letters: the chop letters. This is not accurate at all scientifically as they are written down linked and not separately.

Some would also call these letters ‘the lighting letters’, do you think that other letters are dark?! Likewise, and after a long searching I came to know that these letters are right to be called ‘the special letters’ because Allah has chosen them to be the opening of almost the quarter of the Koran.

Therefore, we are going to use this name all along this research, and the openings that some chapters have started with as ‘alif lam mim’, ‘alif lam mim sad’… will be called ‘the special openings’, and even the chapters which contains this kind of letters can be called ‘the special chapters’. After all, we have to ask ‘why is it about 7?’

The special number:
Nobody ignores the wonders and the secrets of the number 7. It is the first number mentioned in the Koran, the most repeated number in the Koran after number 1, the number Allah has chosen for every atom in this universe: the number of the layers of the atom is 7, the number of the heavens is 7, the earths are seven, the days of the week are 7…etc.

Even our prophet (peace be upon him) was often repeating this number. We turn around the Ka’bah 7 times; the walking between Safa and Marwa for is 7 times; the stones we throw on Satan in Pilgrimage are seven; we prostrate on seven bones… and if ever we look after the significance behind this number, we need thousands of big registers to write them down.

Allah, then, has chosen a number of special openings double to 7: 7* 2, but what can number 2 represent? 2 means duplication, as if Lord wants us to discover the miracle behind these letters based on 7 and its repetitions, and He made them 7 by 2. ( two represents the multiplication). i.e. if we analyse these special letters and the way they are ranged and structured all through the verses and the chapters, we should come to a lot of coordinations between these letters and number 7; mathematically speaking, we must have numbers that can be divided by 7, and this is what we will see together.

Thus, I started years ago to analyse these letters and study them in what concerns their repetition and distribution in the verses and the chapters; I only found a marvellous, accurate system. I, then, wrote a whole book entitled The secrets of ‘Ali Lam Mim’s miracle where I tackled the miracles of these three letters with detail. It was certainly a conviction that these letters contain a numeric miracle based on number 7 and its multiples; so let us start with the first ‘special’ letters of the Koran.

The first opening in the Koran:
The very first opening fragment in Koran is ‘alif lam mim’, and which is the first verse of ‘The Cow’ chapter. Right after this verse, or opening, comes a confirmation from Allah that this book ‘Koran’ contains no suspicion, i.e. no doubt does it carries and in fact, it is guidance to the righteous. Allah says: “alif lam mim, that book contains no suspicion in it. It is guidance to the righteous” (1-2 The Cow chapter).

If we go to the last chapter which contains this special opening fragment, that is ‘The Prostration’ chapter, we will find that right after the opening comes a verse where Allah confirms the certainty of this book again, and that it is a revelation from Him. Allah says: “ The revelation of the book is from the Lord of mankind” (The Prostration chapter). There is always this affirmation that Koran contains no doubt.

I thought for a long time about the secret of this repetition, and why did Allah chose these three letters out of tens of others? Then, after a long searching I had an idea on my mind which told me that Allah did not choose these letters by random, and they might represent one of His names or names of chapters. All of these has not been proved yet because if one would change these letters the interpretation of the verses and the chapters would not change, i.e. these letters can be names of Allah or of chapters.

The logic would just lead us to think that Allah did not put these letters in His book haphazardly, but deliberately to make us sure about the special construction these letters are based on: if ever we change one of these letters, the whole structure will change; which means that these letters contain a miracle that allows no change in the structure of these openings. Then we ask ourselves: ‘how can we express this very précised structure? And will we find any coordinations with n° 7 within this structure?

To get a good result, I have followed a scientific method in studying these letters, thus I started with answering this question : ‘as long as Allah these special letters to open some chapters with so that a next verse would talk about the certitude of His Book, then is it possible to find that in these letters’ structure a proof to the sureness of the divinity of Koran?

A wonderful distribution of the special letters:
I have written the second verse of ‘The Cow’ chapter as it is written down in Koran, and under each word I put the number of the letters (alif lam mim); see what I have written:

"That book contains no suspicion in it. It is guidance to the righteous"

ذَلِكَ الْكِتَبُ لا رَيْبَ فِيهِ هُدًى لِلْمُتَّقِينَ

3 0 0 0 2 2 1

We read then the number 3000221; this number has a relationship with 7 as it is a multiple of 7. If we divide 3000221 by 7, we will get an exact number:

3000221 = 7 * 428603

So the number which represents the distribution of the letters (alif lam mim) is a multiple of 7; but what about the last (alif lam mim), the one we find in ‘The Prostration’ chapter? Can we have the same relationship?

We write again the verse that follows these letters, and we cont the number of them (ali lam mim) in each word, we also notice that ‘the book’ ,in Arabic, was written without ‘alif’ in the middle as ‘mankind’, this is a secret behind a wisdom we will discover part of it later.

The revelation of the book is not uncertain, from the Lord of mankind

تَنْزِيلُ الْكِتَبِ لا رَيْبَ فِيهِ مِنْ رَبِّ الْعَلَمِينَ

4 0 1 0 0 2 2 1

We read the number 4100221, which represents the distribution of the special letters within this verse. It is a multiple of 7:

40100221 = 7 * 5728603

We see now; this exact sevened distribution has not come by chance, as chance could not be repeated as such. This makes sure that the distributions are not only for letters, but also the words do have a special structure. Let us read the next paragraph:

A wonderful distribution for the words:
In the previous two letters, we had words containing ‘alif lam mim’ and words not. I ask ‘ if the distribution of these letters within the verse and in all the words is related to number seven, what about the words that contain the letters? Do we have the same relationship?’

We say: “ as the letters ‘alif lam mim’ have been distributed according to a structure based on number seven, the words which contain them too are distributed in the same way.” We write again the two verses; we put number 1 for the words that contain these letters and 0 for the words, which do not contain them, and this is a well-known mathematic method based only on 1 and 0:

ذَلِكَ الْكِتَبُ لا رَيْبَ فِيهِ هُدًى لِلْمُتَّقِينَ

1 0 0 0 1 1 1

We read number 1000111; it is a multiple of 7:

1000111 = 7 * 142873

The same we find for the second verse of ‘The Prostration’ chapter:

تَنْزِيلُ الْكِتَبِ لَا رَيْبَ فِيهِ مِنْ رَبِّ الْعَلَمِينَ

1 0 1 0 0 1 1 1

11100101 again is a multiple of 7!

10100111 = 7 * 1442873

Dear reader didn’t you see this miraculous distributions based on number 7! Do you think it is possible that these distributions came by random? And if ever, is it possible that this random would be repeated in all the verse of the Koran?

A miraculous coordination:
The numeric miracle of Koran does not stop at the level of the verses but even the relationships between the verses have a meaning because of the perfection of this book. If we count the letters of the first verse, we find 26, and the second is about 29 letters. What is wonderful here is that these two numbers do coordinate with 7, if we range them one next to the other:

The last verse The first verse

29 26

2926 is multiple of 7:

2926 = 7 * 418

This result would prove the relationship between the letters of the verse and 7. Moreover, we have another wonderful relationship between the letters of the verses and the words, which contain ‘alif lam mim’.

A marvellous balance between the letters and the words:

The number of the words, which contain ‘alif lam mim’ in the first verse, is 4 and the number of ‘alif lam mim’ in this verse is 8, i.e. the double. Then, it is surprising to know that both have a relationship between them:

The number of the words containing "ALM" = 4

The number of ‘alif lam mim’ letters in the verse = 8

84 is a number multiple of 7:

84 = 7 * 12 (notice that number 12 = 8 + 4)

For the last verse, we find that the number of the words containing ‘alif lam mim’ is about 5 and the number of these letters is 10! It is about the double! And it is about the same thing as in the first verse!

The number of the words containing "ALM" = 5

The number of ‘alif lam mim’ letters in the verse = 10

84 is a number multiple of 7:

105= 7 * 15 (notice that number 15 = 10 + 5)

Even the numbers resulted in the two operations are related; 15 next to 12 gives 1512, which is a multiple of 7:

1510 = 7 * 216

The last number, 216, is wonderfully coordinated with the number of the chapters that contain as an opening ‘alif lam mim’, 6:

216 = 6 * 6 * 6

Therefore, we have to be convinced that each number Allah has put in His holy book is miraculous!

A miraculous drawing:
Koran is miraculous even in the way its words and letters are written. Thus, dear reader notice the wisdom of Allah who has inspired Muslims to write the word ‘book’/ ‘kitab’ without ‘alif’(A in Arabic) in the two previous verses if we just know that in other verses it was not dropped! And notice then, if someone tried to add it there would be no more the same coordinations.

Isn’t it a proof that Allah has protected His book? (9)We have without doubt sent down the Message; and We will assuredly guard it (from corruption) [Al Hidjr]

A marvellous repetition of the letters:
If one would analyse the letters and the words of Koran, he should encounter the same truth: a wonderful system, then we must confess how Almighty and Powerful Allah is. It is enough to know that ‘alif lam mim’ was repeated in the first verse in a miraculous way. If we count the number of these letters in this verse (in the name of Allah Most Gracious Most Merciful) we find 3 for ‘alif’ 4 for ‘lam’ and 3 for ‘mim’, we read:

M L A

3 4 3

We read number 343 which is a multiple of 7 for 3 times:

343 = 7 * 7 * 7

The last number is 1, and the number of this verse is also 1 and the chapter is number 1!!! Isn’t it a marvellous result which can be a proof to the loneliness of Allah?

I still wonder: ‘why was this fragment ‘alif lam mim’ repeated six times in Koran? And why did Allah choose some chapters to start with these letters?

Let us write all the chapters that start with special letters:

An amazing ordering of the chapters beginning with ‘alif lam mim’:
As we have mentioned, in Koran there are 6 chapters starting with ‘alif lam mim’, so is there any structure built on number 7? Allah has , with His Power and Wisdom, chosen a perfect system for the Koranic chapters mainly those starting with ‘alif lam mim’. Therefore, we must ask ourselves ‘what is the wisdom behind this repetition of letters? And why did the choice include some long chapters and other short ones? Then why there are four revealed Mecca chapters (The Spider, The Rum, Luqman, The Prostration) and two other revealed in Medina (The Cow and ‘The Family of Imrane’)

Now, we are going to answer these questions with some mathematic, scientific certain proofs.

The first reality:

Why does the verse ‘alif lam mim’ take number one in all the chapters it was mentioned in? the reason to this is the existence of a structure based on number 7:

If we range number 1 for six times (referring to the number of chapters containing these letters):

1 (The Cow) 1 (Imrane Family) 1 (The Spider) 1(The Rum) 1(Luqman) 1( The Prostration)

111111 is a number multiple of 7:

111111 = 7 * 15873

The second reality:

The chapters containing this fragment ‘alif lam mim’ were chosen by The All-Knower to have a miraculous position among the 29 chapters starting with special letters so that if we range their numbers, we will have a number multiple of 7, like this way:

The Cow = 1

Imrane Family = 2

The Spider = 15

The Rum = 16

Luqman = 17

The Prostration =18

The number 1817161521 is a number multiple of 7 for three times, look!

18 17 16 15 2 1 = 7 * 7 * 7 * 5297847

Even the last number 5297847 is constituted with 7 classes, and when we gather them we have a number multiple of 7!

5 + 2 + 9 + 7 + 8 + 4 + 7 = 42 = 7 * 6

Dear reader don’t you notice that we had at last number 6. Why? We do not have to forget that chapters starting with ‘alif lam mim’ are 6.

The third reality:

The two chapters revealed on dear prophet Mohamed (p.b.u.h.) in Medina, The Cow and Imrane Family takes the positions 1 and 2 respectively. 2 next to 1 gives 21, which is a multiple of 7:

21 = 7 * 3

What about the other chapters starting with ‘alif lam mim’? the other chapters, revealed in Mecca, are positioned as following: 15,16,17 and 18; again the resulting number is a multiple of 7!

18 17 16 15 = 7 * 2595945

Both kinds of the above chapters do coordinate with number 7! More than this, if we look in The Holy Book of Koran we read two groups of chapters beginning with ‘alif lam mim’: two successive ones (The Cow and Imrane Family), and four successive ones (The Spider, The Rum, Luqman, The Prostration).

If we range them, we will have such a big surprise:

The second group The first group

4 2

42 is a multiple of 7:

42 = 7 * 6

And 6 is the number of these chapters!!

The fourth reality:

Now we try with the number of the verses of each chapter; we write:

The Cow = 286

Imrane Family = 200

The Spider = 69

The Rum = 60

Luqman = 34

The Prostration = 30

These numbers, ranged one next to the other, give a number multiple of 7:

30 34 60 69 200 286 = 7 * 4335152742898

If we gather the numbers of the verses, we will have a number multiple of 7 too!

30 + 34 + 60 + 69 + 200 + 286 = 679 = 7 * 97

Then if we only gather the numbers, we will get again and again a number multiple of 7!!

3 + 0 + 3 + 4 + 6 + 0 + 6 + 9 +2 + 0 + 0 + 2 + 8 + 6 =

= 49 = 7 * 7

Notice, dear reader, that the mathematic operation we wrote stopped at a double number of 7!! Don’t these results give us a clear, logic explanation about the existence of these numbers and that we, mankind, are unable to produce such coordinations?!

What is more?
After more than 20 operations, we say there still more to discover and to find out about more coordinations with number 7.

I have to ask anyone who denies the divinity of the Koran: was Mohamed (p.b.u.h.) a specialist in mathematics and in the numeric series? Had he such big modern machines to calculate great numbers as we had? Or it He, The Almighty, who has put this perfect numeric structure in His Book?

The results we had make sure that if ever there’ll be a letter missing, a chapter moved, a verse changed, we will no more have the same miraculous structure! Aren’t these letters and numbers a strong proof in this age of materialism that Allah has protected His book from any deviation?

These explanations are built on strong mathematic rules and accurate, numeric series which are in fact tools to prove that it is Allah who has put these letters in such perfect way.

What is the aim behind these letters chosen as openings?
We may say that the wisdom behind this is in fact the existence of the miracle itself. The miracle of these letters is a proof to the divinity of Koran, as no human being can ever bring such perfect structures. Moreover, these letters proves the impossibility of the production of such miraculous book. No Man is able to produce a book where he would control its letters, numbers and chapters so that all is based on the same number. The third aim behind these letters is the proof that Koran has not been changed because of the perfection of its structure.

Why have some letters been repeated and some haven’t been?
Some letters have been repeated and others not to have more coordination and miracles, as we have seen for the repetition of ‘alif lam mim’.

Allah wanted that these miraculous letters would be a reason behind the conversion of many non-Muslims into Islam, who are wise and intellectual. They (the letters) also can be a reason behind the withstanding of the believers in such era, for they can be proud of their Book and Religion.

Is it all?
This is only one example from other thousands of miracles Koran contains. I claim that Allah has distributed all the letters of His book in the same incredible way. It is too much to talk about more miracles of the ‘special letters’ in one research.

To know more about the ‘special letters’, we invite you dear reader to have a look at the book ‘The Secrets of Alif Lam Mim’s Miracle’ that is available on this web site. Then to know more about the miracles of number 7 in the Koran, try dear reader to go back to ‘The Encyclopaedia of Numeric Miracle’, which contains hundreds of realities found in Koran.

Answer 2

It's never a sin to wonder about the reasons why. The prophet himself (pbuh) said in a hadith that 5 minutes of proper thinking are worth more than 20 years of following a religious leader blindly. I don't think that anyone knows what "Alif Lam Mim" means. There are several theories, but I suppose only the Almighty knows for sure.

Answer 3

There are various interpretations of these "Coded" letters. One I find the most apealing is A & L stand for Aal which means family, heirs or children of; and M stands for Muhammad. Thus Alif Laam Meem stands for Aali Muhammad perhaps, and Alif Laam Raa means Aali Rasool or Alif Laam Meem Raa means Aali Muhammad Rasool-allah. The Aale rasool are called the Quran e Naatiq or Speaking Qurans, as they were knowledgeable and equipped with the essence of the Quran. Thus, you would also find some mention of the Quran itself in the immediate verses that follow.

Also note that Aali Ibraheem continued to be guides for mankind, so were the Aali Imran, why would the Aali Rasool NOT be guides and why would the final Prophet be lesser in this area than those that came before him? People who think Aali Rasool are not as worthy as Aali Ibraheem or Aali Imran without realizing it put down our own Prophet. Every law that is brought have some enforcers of that law in the correct manner. If not the law itself becomes meaningless if it is discarded or disobeyed or misunderstood.

When the Mahdi shall come, which shall happen sooner I hope that we expect, all this confusion shall be corrected once for all, as he shall speak with the authority Allah will endow him with!

After that Allahu A'lam.

Answer 4

well alif stands for A, lam stands for L, mim stands for M but I forgot how to interprete word using Jawi.

Answer 5

alif lam mim stands for "anallaho a'lamo"
I am Allah, the Most Knowing

it means the UNSEEN THAT NO ONE KNOWS EXCEPT ALLAH.

http://www.alislam.org/books/religiousknowledge/sec2.html

Answer 6

alif (A) lam (L) meem (M)

try to read the translation for it but as far as i know only God knows what it stands for!!!

PS: knowing the translation and the analysis is very important!!

good luck to you!!

Answer 7

It is one of the many miracles of Quran, its like a code which no one will be able to decode it, and ALLAH knows what it means, and since we havent been told what it means, we shouldnt think abt it too much, and study the rest that there is in Quran.

Answer 8

For the complete answer
check this webpage:

http://www.answering-islam.de/Main/Responses/Naik/quranclaims2.htm

Answer 9

its an arabic spelling for "alim" meaning holly.

Answer 10

there are millions of explanations, but only God knows the truth.