

All praise is for Allah. Darood (Blessings) and Salaam (Peace) on Muhammad, his Family, and his Companions.





The position of the letter Kaaf ( ) in the normal Arabic character set is 22. In the Abjad format it is the 11th letter with numerical value equal to 20. This article is about the spiritual meaning of the letter Kaaf (). It is one of the Muqattaat Letter (Letters used in the opening verses in the Quran). The Letter Kaaf () is equivalent to the letter 'K' in English.


The Arabic Letter Kaaf () is used as a Muqattaat Letter in the Quran. However, it is only used once as a Muqattaat Letter. This occurs as the first verse of Chapter 19 - Maryam:

In The Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
1 Kaaf Ha Ya Ayn Saad.
2 A recital of the mercy of your Rabb (Lord) on His servant Zakariya.

[Quran: Maryam Chapter 19]


The Letter Kaaf () is placed as the first of the five Muqattaat Letters. The value of the Letter Kaaf () is 20, it is used only once in Chapter 19 as a Muqattaat Letter. The interesting point is that all other Muqattaat Letters are used 2 times or more except for the Letter Noon (). Just like the Letter Kaaf () the Letter Noon () is also used as a Muqattaat Letter only once:

In The Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
1 Noon. By the pen and that which they write

[Quran: Al Qalam Chapter 68]

These two lonely Letters, Kaaf () and Noon (), when combined make that all Powerful Command KUN - "BE":

82 When He intends a thing His command is KUN ("Be") and it is!

[Quran: Ya Seen Chapter 36]

Because Allah is Kaafi Sufficient. He does not need anyone or anything for the thing to happen. Allah Commands. Whatever He Commands, happens!


Just to emphasise the special quality of the Letter Kaaf () Allah has given us a hint in the Quran. The chapter preceding Chapter Maryam (19) where the Letter Kaaf () is used as a Muqattaat Letter is called Kahf. It is as if it is a play on words. The Letter Kaaf () when written as a word is Kaaf Alif Fa - . The Name of Chapter 18 - Kahf is written Kaaf Ha Fa . It is as if to emphasise, the approaching Letter Kaaf () in the next Chapter. To keep our eyes open!

Just as the Letter Kaaf () is alone, (used only once as Muqattaat Letter) so were the Companions of the Cave all alone cut off from the rest of civilisation for 309 years. Not only that, Allah put them to sleep for the duration of that time, so that each one was alone by himself in a state of sleep. They were amongst companions and yet all alone.


Let us look at just the 5 Letters of Chapter 19.

Kaaf () = 20
Ha () = 5
Ya () = 10
Ayn () = 70
Saad () = 90

If we add numerical values of these 5 Letters we get:

20 + 5 + 10 + 70 + 90 = 195.

That is 5 short of 200 which is 10 X 20 (). That is not a problem. Because there are 5 Letters in this verse. Add them to 195 + 5 = 200.

The normal combinations of Muqattaat Letters is 1, 2, 3 or 4 for example:

1 Noon = 1 Letter
2 Qaf = 1 Letter
3 Saad = 1 Letter
4 Ha Meem = 2 Letters
5 Ta Ha = 2 Letters
6 Ya Seen = 2 Letters
7 Ta Seen = 2 Letters
8 Alif Laam Meem = 3 Letters
9 Alif Laam Ra = 3 Letters
10 Ta Seen Meem = 3 Letters
11 Ayn Seen Qaf = 3 Letters
ODD ONE OUT because it is Verse 2
12 Alif Laam Meem Saad = 4 Letters
13 Alif Laam Meem Ra = 4 Letters
14 Kaaf Ha Ya Ayn Saad = 5 Letters

The combination of 5 Muqattaat Letters is used only ONCE. It stands out from the rest as shown above.

Another Clue:

The five letters start with Kaaf () = 20. They end with Ayn () and Saad (). The difference between Saad () and Ayn () is 90 - 70 = 20 = Kaaf (). It is as if to balance the start and end of the five Letters.

The Letter Kaaf () is where the Fountain of Knowledge begins. The Letter Kaaf () is for Abundance, Plenty and Excess.

1 We have given you the Kawsar (Fount Of Abundance)

[Quran: Kawsar Chapter 108]

And who is the owner of the Fountain of Knowledge?

If we now add the numerical values of the last two Letters Ayn () and Saad () 70 + 90 = 160.

This is Meem ( = 40) less than 200. Therefore the Fountain of Knowledge has been bestowed on Muhammad . Muhammad decides who should drink from it and who should not. Sending Darood (Blessings) on Muhammad is one way to be allowed to drink from that Kawsar (Fountain). Reading the Kalima Tayyab is the other way.



There are 3 Chapters in the Quran which are named with the initial Letter Kaaf (). These are:

1 Kahf (Cave) Chapter 18
2 Kawsar (Abundance) Chapter 108
3 Kafiroon (Disbelievers) Chapter 109

We have already seen that Kaaf Ha Ya Ayn Saad starts with Kaaf () = 20. It ends with a step of 20 from Ayn (70) to Saad (90), Saad - Ayn = Kaaf ().

If we add the above chapter numbers 18 + 108 +109 = 235.

If we divide the sum 235 by the numerical value of Kaaf (= 20) we get:

235 divided by 20 = 11 remainder 15.

Notice that in the Abjad format the letter Kaaf () is the 11th letter.

The remainder (15) is precisely the sum of the values of the second letter Ha ( = 5) and the third letter Ya ( = 10).

Is it not odd that the word Kafir (disbeliever) should start with the Letter Kaaf () ? Especially when the Letter Kaaf () is the basis of KUN ("BE") and KAWSAR!

That is precisely why the word Kafir starts with the Letter Kaaf (). A Kafir is one who has turned away from the Kitab , Book, Quran, especially when it is full of wonders, knowledge, facts and above all Hudda () Guidance. The Kitab tells about events which have happened and those that are being proven in this day and age and those that will happen. A Kafir is one who has turned away from Ya (), Kawsar (Knowledge). Even after reading the history of how one Man spread the Kalaam (Word) of Allah and raised the Arabs from ignorance to enlightenment. And they in turn spread the enlightenment to other nations. (Sadly, not the present Arabs). A Kafir is one who has turned away from the Trust placed by Allah upon mankind. That Trust is the Secret within mankind. The Kitab has been sent to remind us.

Speaking of the Kitab... There is another interesting point about the Letter Kaaf (). Again it is connected with the Letter Noon ().



The Quran starts with That is the Kitab (Book) in which there is no doubt... To write any book we need a pen Qalam and where do we find the pen?

We find the pen in: Noon wal Qalam - Noon and the Pen [Chapter 68].

Just as Allah wrote in the Quran with the Pen, That is the Kitab (Book) in which there is no doubt..., so does the book of our life story start, in which there is also no doubt. The two angels, one on each side of the human being start writing the story of the human being. The angels are not the authors of our Kitab (book). We are the authors of our own Kitab (book). The angels are just scribes who write each of our action and deed. They write what we tell them to write by our actions and words.

As soon as we are born we start writing our own book. Believe it or not, we are all authors. We are all writing our own Kitab (book) which is our own biography and there is no doubt in that either. Every action performed by us gets recorded in our own autobiography. As the name implies: Auto - it is automatic, bio - it is biological, graphy - it is graphical. All actions good or bad get recorded. All words, conversations, thoughts get recorded. That is the Kitab (book) against which each one of us will be judged on the Day of Reckoning. Since each one of us is the author of his/her own Kitab (book), the question of unfairness or erroneous information does not come into it. As the saying goes We reap what we sow. Should it be We read what we wrote ?

To have a good Kitab (book) is to follow the guidance laid down in THE KITAB (BOOK) which is the Quran. Allah encourages us to COPY from His Kitab (Book - Quran) into our own insignificant Kitab (book). So that when on the Day of Reckoning Allah Sees His Names inscribed in our own Kitab (book) He will be Gracious and Merciful. So that He may forgive us.

To have a bad book is to reject the guidance laid down in the Quran. To have a bad book is not to have any of Allah's Beautiful Names inscribed in our book.

No one can claim to have a good book. Forgiveness is only with Allah's Mercy. Just like the Quran has had verses abrogated and replaced with something better or similar:

106 None of Our revelations do We abrogate or cause to be forgotten but We substitute something better or similar; don't you know that Allah has power over all things?

[Quran: Al Baqara Chapter 2]

So can Allah replace our evil actions with better actions in our own personal books if He feels Compassionate.



As the Kitab Quran Kareem concludes with the word Nas Person, so does our Kitab (book), our life story, finish when we stop being a person and realise that we are just a spirit. A spirit that cannot command the body anymore. The only additions to the book are the good deeds we have left behind. If we leave righteous children, their prayers for the forgiveness of their parents are accepted by Allah. Contrary to the belief that there is nothing that can be done about those who have passed away.

41 Our Rabb (Lord)! Forgive me and my parents and believers on the day when the account is cast.

[Quran: Ibraheem Chapter 14]

If that was the case, the above verse would not be part of the Salah (prayer). However there is a condition that the parents are or were Muslims at the time of their death.

The conclusion of our Kitab (book), while we have the chance, is to have written in it that we died as Muslim believers. And that conclusion is the KALIMA Tayyab


Only Allah Knows Best.

Khalid M. Malik Ghouri

Darood and Salaam on Muhammad, His Family, and His Companions



Al Kabeer, Al Kareem, Al Kafeel, Al Kaafi

