The Postclassical Oral World and the Unity of Sūra 74

This paper uses observations from studies of highly oral cultures to demonstrate the structural unity of Q 74, 30-31. That passage mysteriously says that over hell stands “nineteen”. This number is then followed by a strangely long aside that argues that this “nineteen” refers to angels and that “We have made their number only as a test for the disbelievers”. The reference to the nineteen has in the past been seen as unclear and the verse that follows as structurally bizarre in several ways, prompting many to argue that it is an interpolation. This article will use structural and oral rhetorical methods to suggest that this is not the case. Their content, style, and structure are all deliberate and are a response to various debates about numbers and numerology. More specifically, the passage is a correction of the Christological use of numbers by Near Eastern Christians in the Postclassical age. This article aims to show how the application of orality as a hermeneutical tool can resolve key questions regarding the coherence of the Qurʾānic text.