Mysteries of the Ancient Scripture

the cold egyptian winters were becoming more bearable. i was on my way to ramses on a Tremco. Tremco is a van, normally worn down and driven by the gangsters of the street. Its a mode of public transport here in Cairo. Egyptians who drive their own cars complaint about the uncivilized driving, but to people like me, its fast, easy and cheap to help me get around. convenient to help me get around in the super crowded streets of Cairo. The drivers are sometimes gangsters and mostly illiterate, using their 'killer' driving skills and no regard for the law, helping people get around the city with a small sum of money. at least they are doing some good.

The driver turned on Surah Al Baqarah. Here in Egypt, the Quran is heard in the most unexpected places. Like in the mobile phone shop, the funky salesmen were listening to the Quran! Or at a fast food restaurant. Even at stores selling funky, up-to-date women fashion.

Alif Lam Mim. (2:1) Meaningless to us, only Allah knows the meaning. The 3 words that was so perfectly placed together, astoundingly beautiful when recited, causing commotion when it was first recited by the prophet (s.a.w). Never in the history of Arab literature something like it. and never, after the Quran, that anybody can ever put meaningless alphabets together to create such beauty.

the recitation reached to ayaah 43 of the Surah.

(وَأَقِيمُواْ الصَّلاَةَ وَآتُواْ الزَّكَاةَ وَارْكَعُواْ مَعَ الرَّاكِعِينَ (2:43

this similar command will be repeated unto Maryam (a.s), Jesus's (a.s) mother in the next surah, with exactly the same ayaah number: 43

(3:43) يَا مَرْيَمُ اقْنُتِي لِرَبِّكِ وَاسْجُدِي وَارْكَعِي مَعَ الرَّاكِعِينَ

The message in both ayaah is clear. but surely, scholars will continue to wonder the "coincidence", try to unravel another mystery of the beautiful Quran. Tremco stopped. We have reached Ramses.