The Opening Letters

A phenomenon of the Quran e Majeed are the Fawateh- the clusters of letters opening 29 of the Surahs. They are also known as the Muqata’aat (abbreviations) and are made up of half of the letters of the Arabic alphabet. 

What do they mean?

Generation after generation of Muslim scholars have tried to come up with explanations regarding these seemingly disjointed letters, but they have all failed to agree on any one conclusion. Some speculate that الـم and the others- are names of Allah. Others claim that the objective of these letters was to challenge the Arabs of that time to come up with anything similar. Some think they are ‘sounds’ uttered to grab the attention of the peoples of Rasulullah’s ^(SAW) time, when he recited those Surahs.

Most come to the conclusion that these letters were surely revealed to Rasulullah ^(SAW) for a purpose, but are beyond the understanding of mere mortals.

The Quran mourns Imam Husain ^(AS)

When read as one word the letters read as الم– (alam)-- pain and grief. The first Surah after Suratul Fateha- Surat ul Baqara starts with ‘alam’. The pain and grief on the Shahadat (martyrdom) of Husain Imam ^(AS) is manifested in the Quran.

The numerical value (Adad) of أ ل م is 72

The Quran e Majeed laments the 72 Shuhada (martyrs) of Karbala.