Is this true?

Question

I have recently been looking on internet about islamic stories and found interesting stuff like this one:

One Day a Jewish person came to Imam Ali (AS), thinking that since Imam Ali thinks he is too smart, I'll ask him such a tough question that he won't be able to answer it and I'll have the chance to embarrass him in front of all the Arabs.

He asked "Imam Ali, tell me a number, that if we divide it by any number from 1-10 the answer will always come in the form of a whole number and not as a fraction."

Imam Ali (AS) looked back at him and said, "Take the number of days in a year and multiply it with the number of days in a week and you will have your answer."

http://www.ezsoftech.com/stories/imamali2.asp

Now, imam Ali is one of the islamic leaders, i guess.

Now, imam Ali is one of the islamic leaders, i guess who came after the islam Prophet.

answer:

The number of Days in a Year = 360 (in Arab)

The Number of Days in a Week = 7

The product of the two numbers = 2520

Now...

2520 ÷ 1 = 2520
2520 ÷ 2 = 1260
2520 ÷ 3 = 840
2520 ÷ 4 = 630
2520 ÷ 5 = 504
2520 ÷ 6 = 420
2520 ÷ 7 = 360
2520 ÷ 8 = 315
2520 ÷ 9 = 280
2520 ÷ 10= 252

icarus62
Please read b4 u answer the question!
Arab's calender differs from international one.

Answer 1

It appears that Iman Ali is a mathematician.

Answer 2

He can't be that smart if he thinks that there are 360 days in a year.

How about 1*2*3*4*5*6*7*8*9 = 362880

If you want to be a bit smarter, anything divisible by 8 is divisible by 2 or 4. Anything divisible by 9 is divisible by 3, so
5*6*7*8*9 = 15120

Smarter still. 2*4 = 8, so we can drop 8. 2*3 = 6 so we can drop 6. 3*3=9 so we can replace 9 by 3. 2*3*4*5*7*3 = 2520.

So, the difference is that he knows a 'magic' formula that gives the right result.

I know how to drive that formula from first principals.

I guess this atheist is smarter than your Imam. The Jew really has problems if he thinks that this is a tough question.


Edit.
This is either untrue, or a really stupid Imam that does not know his own calendar. The Islamic calender is based on 12 lunar months, or about 354.36 days. Not 360.

I guess you are a few days short of a year too for not knowing this.

Answer 3

There's no way of knowing what is true and what is false in these stories. Normally they have political meaning, moral meaning and then some spiritual meaning. As for the math:

365x7=2555

2555/1=2555
2555/2=1277.5
the answer is not a whole number when divided by two, thus the reasoning given by Imam Ali is apparently wrong.

Answer 4

This is not true and the calculation does not work.

First of all, no Jew would try to ask an Arab a question just to make the Arabs look bad.

Second of all, the calculation does not work either.

These Arab stories are usually propaganda. The real reason for the story was to imply that the Jews want to insult the Arabs.

Take care,
Troy

Answer 5

Numerology dates back long before the Abrahamic religions.

Look at ancient India.

Happy Holidays!

Answer 6

right...first off thats not a question

second, it's a story which portrays Jews as canniving (why else mention it was a Jew) and muslims as superior.

now i thought muslims were better than that. generally my experience is that they dont look to start fights with Jews.

i'm thinking maybe youre neither Jewish nor Muslim but just a troublemaker.

Answer 7

Too bad the Muslim calendar has 354 days, not 360.

Answer 8

7 x 365 = 2555 which is not divisible by 2.

EDIT: In fact there are 365.25 (roughly) days in a year, certainly not 360 (where did that come from??) :-)

Answer 9

Wow, it's a folktale....and a math problem....and a riddle...posing as a religious question in R&S! Both boring and in the wrong category.

Answer 10

That is a good story and a good maths problem... whether o rnot it's true... I doubt it! not unless it was staged... he could always have said "zero"