The Quran’s Challenge with Abcdexedcba Symmetry: A Study on the Symmetry of Three Different Qur’ans

Abstract

Background: The Qur’an presents a tahaddī by challenging humanity to produce a text comparable to it. Classical scholarship has primarily interpreted this challenge through the Qur’an’s linguistic excellence, literary inimitability, and depth of meaning. However, the visual and structural dimensions of the Qur’anic text have received limited systematic investigation. Objective; This study aims to examine whether the symmetrical and ordered structures of three Mushaf traditions, namely the Alifī, Husrev, and Hunsarī Mushafs, provide an additional perspective for understanding tahaddī. Method: A qualitative visual structural approach was employed using the K1, K2, and K3 method. The analysis focused on a purposive sample of Surah al Baqarah verses 164 to 247 to identify line symmetry, vertical alignment, and mirror page structures across the three Mushaf models. Result: The findings show that the Alifī Mushaf achieves 99.97%-line symmetry, the Husrev Mushaf demonstrates 99.8%-page internal alignment, and the Hunsarī Mushaf maintains 100% mirror symmetry while preserving the identical Qur’anic text. These results indicate that multiple independent visual structures can coexist without altering the textual sequence. Conclusion: The study concludes that the Qur’an may be understood not only as a text to be read but also as a visually organized text. Contribution: This study contributes a visual symmetry perspective to the discourse of tahaddī and expands contemporary discussions on the relationship between textual preservation, page design, and structural coherence in different Mushaf traditions.