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'''Rashad Khalifa''' (رشاد خليفة; November 19, 1935–January 31, 1990) was an Egyptian-American biochemist, closely associated with the United Submitters International, which promoted a heterodox [[Quranism|Quranist]] interpretation of Islam. Khalifa was responsible for popularizing the theory that the [[Qur'an|Quran]] is replete with [[Word Count Miracles in the Qur'an|numerological]] [[Islam and Miracles|miracles]] related to the number 19. He was [[List of Killings Ordered or Supported by Muhammad|assassinated]] by one of his former students, a traditionalist radical, on January 31, 1990. | '''Rashad Khalifa''' (رشاد خليفة; November 19, 1935–January 31, 1990) was an Egyptian-American biochemist, closely associated with the United Submitters International, which promoted a heterodox [[Quranism|Quranist]] interpretation of Islam. Khalifa was responsible for popularizing the theory that the [[Qur'an|Quran]] is replete with [[Word Count Miracles in the Qur'an|numerological]] [[Islam and Miracles|miracles]] related to the number 19. He was [[List of Killings Ordered or Supported by Muhammad|assassinated]] by one of his former students, a traditionalist radical, on January 31, 1990. | ||
== | ==Personal life, education, and career== | ||
Rashad Khalifa, born in Egypt in 1935, obtained an honors degree from Ain Shams University in Egypt before emigrating to the United States in 1959. In the States, he completed a Master's Degree in biochemistry | Rashad Khalifa, born in Egypt in 1935, obtained an honors degree from Ain Shams University in Egypt before emigrating to the United States in 1959. In the States, he completed a Master's Degree in biochemistry at Arizona State University and a Ph.D. at the University of California, Riverside. Khalifa acquired U.S. citizenship, married an American woman, and had two children with her, a daughter, Beth, and a son, Sam. | ||
Khalifa worked as a science adviser for the Libyan government for about a year. After this, he worked as a chemist for the United Nations Industrial Development Organization. Next, in 1980, he worked as a senior chemist for the Arizona State Office of Chemistry. | |||
== Religious activism == | |||
As a Quranist, Khalifa promoted the doctrine that the Quran was sufficient for understanding Islam and that the hadith, which he considered later inauthentic additions to Islam, were a corrupting influence which had to be purged for the rejuvenation of the religion. | |||
==The Rashad Khalifa verses== | ==The Rashad Khalifa verses== | ||
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==Criticism of Rashad Khalifa== | ==Criticism of Rashad Khalifa== | ||
=== | === Pseudoscience === | ||
In 1997, Martin Gardner, an American mathematics and science writer, published an article in the ''Skeptical Inquirer'' which extensively reviewed and debunked Khalifa's mathematical pretenses about the Quran.<ref>{{Citation|url=https://skepticalinquirer.org/1997/09/the-numerology-of-dr-rashad-khalifa/|title=Notes of a Fringe Watcher: The Numerology of Dr. Rashad Khalifa|author=Martin Gardner|publisher=Skeptical Inquirer|volume=21 (5)|number=5|publication-date=September/October 1997}}</ref> | |||
===Deception=== | |||
Individuals online claiming to know him have accused Khalifa of multiple fraud. | Individuals online claiming to know him have accused Khalifa of multiple fraud. | ||
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Suddenly, Khalifa the false chemist turned into a Muslim scholar/theologian deciphering a mysterious divine code of Qur'an based on absurd numerical calculations. He fooled some Muslim countries, particularly Libya and Saudi Arabia from which he received huge amount of money. Khalifa was a typical Jim Jones type misleading and abusing naive followers.}} | Suddenly, Khalifa the false chemist turned into a Muslim scholar/theologian deciphering a mysterious divine code of Qur'an based on absurd numerical calculations. He fooled some Muslim countries, particularly Libya and Saudi Arabia from which he received huge amount of money. Khalifa was a typical Jim Jones type misleading and abusing naive followers.}} | ||
=== | ===Raping a minor=== | ||
In October of 1979, Khalifa (who was then aged 43, married with two children | In October of 1979, Khalifa (who was then aged 43, married with two children) was accused of sexual assault, sexual abuse, and sexual contact with a minor. | ||
{{Quote|{{cite web quotebox|url= http://wikiislam.net/wiki/File:Rk_Tucson_Citizen.gif|title= Tucson man faces trial in alleged rape of teen|publisher= Tucson Citizen|author= |page= 28|date= October 6, 1979|archiveurl= |deadurl=no}}|A Tucson man was ordered yesterday to stand trial on charges of sexual assault, sexual abuse and sexual contact with a minor, after a 16-year-old-girl testified that he raped her while supposedly recruiting her for a United Nations research project. | {{Quote|{{cite web quotebox|url= http://wikiislam.net/wiki/File:Rk_Tucson_Citizen.gif|title= Tucson man faces trial in alleged rape of teen|publisher= Tucson Citizen|author= |page= 28|date= October 6, 1979|archiveurl= |deadurl=no}}|A Tucson man was ordered yesterday to stand trial on charges of sexual assault, sexual abuse and sexual contact with a minor, after a 16-year-old-girl testified that he raped her while supposedly recruiting her for a United Nations research project. | ||