International Journal of Advanced Science and Technology Vol. 29, No. 03, (2020), pp. 5700 - 5712 Fawătih Al-Suwari: Reveal Esoteric Letters and Sentences in Holy Quran Sri Warjiyati1*, Dian Berkah2 1Faculty of Shariah and Law, UIN Sunan Ampel Surabaya 2Muhammadiyah University of Surabaya [email protected] Abstract Al Quran as a holy book and revelation from Allah has special position in Muslim community. It acts as source of laws and guidance to maintain order in this worldly life and hereafter. Thus, interpretation of Holy Quran is an important knowledge in Muslim community since Prophet’s time until now. One part of Quranic interpretation and commentary knowledge is regarding Fawatih al-SuwariQuranic chapthers’ opening that have various forms, from a command sentences, requisite sentences and even only single Arabic or Hijaiya letter. These sentences and letters are believed to have esoteric meaning and they had invited many scholars, Muslims as well as orientalist with their theological and scientific background to research, discuss and even debate meaning behind these sentences and letters. This paper is aimed to reveal various forms of Quranic chapters’ opening or Fawatih al-Suwari, both sentences and letters as well as give description about opinions from scholars with their respective background regarding Fawatih al- Suwari. This paper concluded that existence of fawatih al-Suwari as part of mutashabihat verses has gained lots of attention from Quranic commentators, either from sufist, shia and even orientalists that interpret those letters and sentences with their respective opinions parallel with their background. Keywords: Quran, fawatih al suwar, reveal esoteric letter 1. INTRODUCTION Al-Quran as a holy book has become something sacred for Muslims (Rubawati. 2018) The phenomenon arises because the Al Quran is believed to be a revelation or words from Allah which revealed to Prophet Muhammad and recitation of Holy Quran is worth worship(Al-Shogir). As the revelation from Allah, the Islamic community believes Al- Quran is a book that guarded by Allah Himself (Muhammadiyah, 1967)and has the essence in form of laws that can be used in maintaining order of life. In other words, the Holy Quran as the last holy book from Allah is capable in inflicting aspects such as good manner and perfection of law(Muhammadiyah, 1967). In fact, the Holy Quran became the first source referenced by the Islamic community in the istimbath al-Hukm or enactment of law. Therefore, al-Quran has characteristics that are urgent to be studied as the key to interpret Holy Quran(Al-Shogir). In studying the Holy Quran, there is a related discipline, namely Ulum al-Quran. Fawatih al-Suwari is one of the subjects in the discipline. Therefore, discussion regarding fawatih al-Suwari has become important as a complement, especially in understanding the letters and sentences at the beginning of Quranic chapters as one of the miracles of the Holy Quran. However, there is a wide range of opinion in the interpretation of these letters. Based on the description above, fawatih al-Suwari has become a focal point of the background in this paper. As for the subject of this paper is the definition of fawatih al- Suwari, forms of fawatih al-Suwari, position of Quranic chapters’ opening and fawatih al- Suwari in debates. ISSN: 2005-4238 IJAST 5700 Copyright ⓒ 2019 SERSC International Journal of Advanced Science and Technology Vol. 29, No. 03, (2020), pp. 5700 - 5712 2. DISCUSSION Hijaiyah letters contained in the beginning as a letter opener or known as al-Suwari fawatih, had 'stolen' the attention of various people, both Muslims and Orientalists to appreciate his thinking in discussing it. More details can be seen in the discussion below. 2.1. Definition is derived from two Arabic (اٌفٛارخ ٚاٌغٛس) Etimologically, the term fawatih al-Suwari (فزخ) Word fawatih comes from fataha .( اٌغٛس) and suwar (اٌفٛارخ) words, namely fawatih (عٛسح ) that means open (Muwanir, 2002),and word suwar is a plural form from word sûrah that means chapter (Muwanir, 2002). From two words above, it is concluded that etimologically, fawatih al-Suwari means the opening of chapters (surah). It also called ahruf muqatta'ah because the letters in chapters’ opening do not integrate to form a sentence although pronouncation aspect is not differentiated (Izzan, 2005). Terminologically, fawatih al-Suwar is a term for sentences that used for a chapter’s opening and it is part of mutashabihat verses because it has mujmal, mu'awwal, and musykil properties(Anwar A. , 2005). 2.2. Forms of Fawatih al-Suwari Holy Quran which contained 114 chapters has various forms of chapter’s opening. If examined, there will be found more than 29 letters after the Basmallah and sometimes found in form a single letter (Anwar R. , 2006).Those letters cannot form a word so it is not traceable meaning of those letters. Perhaps, that is why huge attention from many scholars and researchers is focused to uncover the secrets in these letters in the form of discussion or reflection in the history of Muslim’s thought (Winarti, 2017). In a note from Solahuddin, there are 14 şighot or forms offawatih al-Suwari that spread in various chapters of Holy Quran (Ruslǎni, 1981). For more details can be seen in the table below: Table 1. Forms of fawatih al-Suwar and Their Chapter No Letter Chapter(s) Al-Baqarah, Al-Imran, Al-Ankabut, Al-Rŭm, Luqman, Al-S اٌُ 1 ajadah. .Al-A'raf اٌّض .2 .Yunus, Hud, Yusuf, Ibrahim, Al-Hijr اٌش .3 Al-Ra'du اٌّش .4 Maryam و١ٙعض .5 Toha طٗ .6 Al-Naml طظ .7 Al-Shu'aro, Al-Qaşaş طغُ .8 Yasin ٠ظ .9 Şad ص 10 Ghafir, Fuşilat, Al-Zukhruf, Al-Dukhan, Al-Jǎthiyah, Al-A دُ .11 hqof. Al-Shǔra دُ عغك .12 Qǒf ق .13 (Nǔn (Al-Qolam ْ .14 According to Ibnu Abi al-Asba' as quoted by Ahamd Izzan(Izzan, 2005), there are some categories of the chapter’s opening in the Holy Quran. First, praises to Allah which attributed to His perfect divine properties. Second, the use of Arabic letters that contained in 29 chapters. that found in 10 chapters with ( أدشاف إٌذاء) Third, the use for interjection or greeting details: 5 directed to the Apostles and five other addressed to the people (ummah) in .found in 15 chapters (اٌمغُ) general. Fourth, in form of swear From quantity perspective, forms of fawatih al-Suwari in Holy Quran can be classified ISSN: 2005-4238 IJAST 5701 Copyright ⓒ 2019 SERSC International Journal of Advanced Science and Technology Vol. 29, No. 03, (2020), pp. 5700 - 5712 into 5 types as follows(Syadali, 2006): a. Made up of single letter. This type is found in three places, they are chapter Şad [38] and ;( ق) chapter Qaf [50] that started with letter qof ;( ص) that started with letter şad chapter al-Qolam [68] that started with letter nun (ْ ). More details can be seen in table below: Table 2.Fawatih al-Suwar Made Up of Single Letter Chapter Verse Translation Şǎd, By the Qur'an, Full of ص ٚاٌمشآْ رٞ اٌزوش [Şǎd [38 Admonition: (This is the Truth).(RI, 2005) Qǎf, By the Glorious Qur'an (Thou ق ٚاٌمشآْ اٌّج١ذ [Qaf [50 art Allah's Messenger). (ٚ ْ Nǔn, By the Pen and the (Recordاٌمٍُ ِٚب ٠غطشAl-Qolam [68] ْٚ which (men) write. ,طظ ,طٗ ,دُ b. Made up of two letters. This type is found in ten places and contains letters :Details can be seen in table below .٠ظ Table 3.Fawatih al-Suwar Made Up of Two Letters Letter Chapter(s) Ghafir [40], Fuşşilat [41], al-Shǔra [42], Al-Zukhruf [43], al-Dukhan دُ [43], al-Jǎthiyah [45], dan al-Ahqaf [46] [Toha [20 طٗ [al-Naml [27 طظ [Yasin [36 ٠ظ اٌُ, c. Made up of three letters. This type is found in 13 places and contain letters such as :More details can be seen in table below .اٌش, طغُ Table 4.Fawatih al-Suwar Made Up of Three Letters Letter Chapter(s) al-Baqarah [2], al-Imran [3], al-Ankabut [29], al-Rum [30], Lukm اٌُ an [31], al-Sajadah [32]. [Yunus [10], Hud [11], Yusuf [12], Ibrahim [14], al-Hijr [15 اٌش [Al-Shu'arā [26] dan al-Qaşaş [28 طغُ in chapter al-A'raf اٌّض .d. Made up of four letters. This type is found in two places, i.e .[in chapter al-Ra'du [13 اٌّش and [7] in chapter , و١ٙعضe. Made up of five letters. This type is only found in one place, i.e Maryam [19]. Other perspective from al-Zakasyiy(Al-Zakashiy, 1988)and al-Suyuthi(Al-Suyuthi, Al- Dar Al-Mansur, 1993) who noted that there are ten varieties words that analogue with faw atih al-Suwari in Holy Quran as follows: a. Chapter’s opening with praise that addressed to the perfection of divine properties More details can be .اٌزٕض٠ٗ and اﻹصجبد from Allah and found in various places such as seen in table below: Table. 5Chapter’s Opening with Praise Form Chapter(s) Verse Translation Praise be to Allah, the اٌذّذ هلل سة اٌعب١ٌّٓ [al-Fatihah [1 اﻹصجبد Cherisher and Sustainer of ISSN: 2005-4238 IJAST 5702 Copyright ⓒ 2019 SERSC International Journal of Advanced Science and Technology Vol. 29, No. 03, (2020), pp. 5700 - 5712 the worlds Blessed is He who sent رجبسن اٌزٞ ٔضي اٌفشلبْ عal-Furqon [25] ٍٝ down the criterion to His عجذٖ ١ٌىْٛ ٌٍعب١ٌّٓ ٔز٠شا servant, that it may be an admonition to all creatures. Blessed be He in Whose رجبسن اٌزٞ ث١ذٖ اٌٍّه al-Mulk [67] ٛ٘ٚ hands is Dominion; and He عٍٝ وً شٟء لذ٠ش over all things hath Power. Glory to (Allah) Who did عجذبْ اٌزٞ أعشٜ ثعجذٖ ١ٌﻻ [al-Isra [17 اٌزٕض٠ٗ take His servant for a ِٓ اٌّغجذ اٌذشاَ إٌٝ اٌّغجذ Journey by night from the اﻷلظٝ اٌزٞ ثبسوٕب دٌٛٗ ٌٕش٠ٗ Sacred Mosque to the ِٓ آ٠برٕب إٔٗ ٛ٘ اٌغ١ّع اٌجظ١ش farthest Mosque, whose precincts We did bless,- in order that We might show him some of Our Signs: for He is the One Who heareth and seeth (all things).