Rashad Khalifa

Rashad Khalifa was an Egyptian-American biochemist known for his discovery of the Quran code (Code 19).

Discovery of the Number 19 in the Quran

Khalifa’s deep interest in the Quran led him to conduct a computer analysis of the text. In 1969, Khalifa began inputting the Quran into a computer to investigate, among other things, the mystery of the Quran’s disjointed letters (*ḥurūf muqaṭṭaʿa*) at the beginning of certain chapters (suras). After extensive research, he discovered that the frequency of the disjointed letters in their respective suras was significantly higher than in the rest of the Quran.

That year also saw a remarkable event occur on the Moon—humanity’s first successful landing. Khalifa published his findings in 1973, just one year before he would make a mesmerizing discovery.

In 1974, he concluded that the Quran is based on a mathematical structure involving the number 19, a phenomenon later referred to as the Quran code or Code 19. He linked this discovery to the Quranic verse: “Over it are nineteen” (74:30). Khalifa asserted that his findings proved that the Quran was the unaltered word of God.

Initially, this discovery was celebrated in the Muslim community. However, controversy arose in later years when Khalifa claimed that verses 128 and 129 of Surah 9 were not part of the original Quranic text. This assertion provoked widespread outrage and was rejected by most Islamic scholars. Despite this backlash, Khalifa remained steadfast in his convictions and published several books on the topic.

Rejection of the Hadith

Through his research, Khalifa concluded that the Hadith should not be used as a religious source, and that the Quran alone should serve as the foundation of Islamic faith. This rejection extended to the Sunna of the Prophet Muhammad. Khalifa outlined these conclusions in his book *”Quran, Hadith and Islam.”*

Khalifa’s rejection of the Hadith and Sunna as religious sources, along with his claim that two verses from the widely accepted Quranic manuscripts did not belong, sparked widespread opposition in the Muslim world. Those who had once praised his discoveries turned against him. Regardless, Khalifa laid the foundation for the dissemination of these ideas among both Muslims and non-Muslims.

Assassination of Rashad Khalifa

In 1989, a group of Sunni scholars from 38 countries convened to discuss the case of Salman Rushdie. They issued a fatwa declaring both Salman Rushdie and Rashad Khalifa as apostates. According to Sunni belief, such declarations constitute an indirect call for execution. While Rushdie managed to escape assassination attempts, Rashad Khalifa was brutally murdered on January 31, 1990, in the mosque he established in Tucson, Arizona. He was repeatedly stabbed to death.

On April 28, 2009, Glen Cusford Francis was arrested in Calgary—19 years after Khalifa’s murder. Francis had been posing as Benjamin Phillips and was a former student of Khalifa. Francis was eventually identified through fingerprint evidence and forensic DNA analysis collected from his apartment.

In October 2009, a Canadian judge ordered his extradition to the United States, and he was subsequently sent back to stand trial. The murder trial began on December 11, 2012, concluding with a life imprisonment sentence. The court identified the underlying motive for the murder as a dispute regarding Khalifa’s theological claims.

Before the trial, James Williams, a suspected member of the *Jamaat ul-Fuqra* group, was convicted in connection to the murder and sentenced to 69 years in prison in 2000.

Was Khalifa a Messenger of God?

Khalifa also proclaimed himself as the “Messenger of the Covenant” mentioned in Quranic verse 3:81. He pointed to several pieces of evidence to support his claim, which include the following:

The root word of Rashad (رشد, *RShD*) appears 19 times in the Quran (e.g., 2:186, 2:256, 4:6, 7:146, 11:78, 11:87, 11:97, 18:10, 18:17, 18:24, 18:66, 21:51, 40:29, 40:38, 49:7, 72:2, 72:10, 72:14, 72:21). The exact mention of the name Rashad occurs twice in 40:29 and 40:38. Remarkably, verse 40:34—spanning the midpoint between these mentions—records disbelievers’ claims that after Yusuf’s (Joseph’s) death, no other messenger would be sent.

In the Quran, a distinction is made between messengers and prophets. Critics who follow traditional Islamic schools of thought often use verse 33:40, which states that Muhammad is the final prophet, as a rebuttal against Khalifa’s claim. However, proponents of Khalifa argue that the distinction between messengers and prophets is overlooked in such interpretations. A more in-depth explanation of this point is promised in a separate discussion, God willing.

Early Life and Academic Career

Rashad Khalifa was born on November 19, 1935, into a Muslim family in Kafr az-Zayyat, Egypt. After completing his undergraduate studies with honors at Ain Shams University, he moved to the United States in 1959, where he earned a master’s degree in biochemistry from the University of Arizona and a Ph.D. from the University of California, Riverside. During his time in the U.S., he married an American woman, with whom he had two children.

Khalifa briefly worked as a scientific advisor to the Libyan government before taking a position as a chemist for the United Nations Industrial Development Organization. He later served as a senior chemist for the Arizona Department of Chemistry in 1980.

Alongside his professional career, Khalifa devoted himself to Quranic research and founded the organization United Submitters International. This group focused on promoting pure monotheism and cleansing Islam of cultural and traditional influences.

Publications

Dr. Khalifa authored the following books during his lifetime:

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