Coincidences, in today’s case dealing with numbers, do happen. We have all at least once experienced a coincidence. You meet a friend in another country who has the exact same birthday as you, but no only that, you both were on the same time. And you both share the same personality.

Now many say that it is related to numerology, which is any belief in the divine or mystical relationship between a number and one or more coinciding events. It is also the study of the numerical value of the letters in words, names and ideas. It is often associated with the paranormal, alongside astrology and similar divinatory arts.

But tonight’s number are different, they’re neither a coincidence nor related to numerology.

There are numbers with meanings that are mentioned in holy books.

We want to focus on one very special number.

Forty.

If you’re acquainted with your holy book, you must’ve heard that number or read it somewhere.


The number 40 (Forty) is a master number that has a great significance in many spiritual traditions and many cultures. The number 40, according to experts, represents a time of 40 days or a period of a state of purification.

In traditional alchemy, there is a mention of the 40 philosophical days as a recommended period of purification, purging and refinement.

The number also stands out in the history of humanity as it has been mentioned many times in different religions and in different eras.

Let’s begin with Judaism.

The number 40 has great importance throughout the Torah and the Talmud. The number represents transition or change; the concept of renewal; or a new beginning. It has the power to lift a spiritual state.

Let’s contemplate about the following examples in the Jewish scripture:

• When a person becomes ritually impure, he must be submerged in a ritual bath, called a mikveh in Hebrew. The Talmud tells us that a mikveh must be filled with 40 se'ahs (a certain measurement of water). This is a Jewish symbol of spiritual renewal.

• Next, the story of Noah. The rain poured for 40 days, and submerged the world in water. And according to Jewish narrations, just as a person leaves a mikveh pure, when the waters of the flood decreased, the world was purified from the wastefulness which had corrupted it in the days of Noah.

• Moses was on Mt. Sinai for 40 days and came down with the stone tablets. The Jews arrived at Mt. Sinai as a nation of Egyptian slaves, but after 40 days they were transformed into God's nation.

• According to the Talmud, it takes 40 days for an embryo to be formed in its mother's womb.

• In Kabbalah, 40 represents the four sides of the world, each side containing the ten Sefirot (mysterious powers).

• When a rabbinical court finds someone guilty of a crime, the punishment is sometimes lashes, prescribed in the Torah as "forty less one." The purpose is to bring the offender to a point of change, transition and atonement.

• There are 40 days between the first day of Elul until Yom Kippur. These 40 days are the most auspicious time for personal growth and renewal in Jewish faith.

• Talmud (Avot 5:26), at age 40 a person transitions from one level of wisdom to the next. He reaches the level of binah  the deeper insight of understanding one matter from another. After Moses led the Jewish people for 40 years in the wilderness, he told them: "God has not given you a heart to know, and eyes to see, and ears to hear, until this day" (Deut. 29:3-4). From here we see that it took the Jewish people 40 years before reaching a full level of understanding.

Now onto Christianity.

The number is used 146 or 159 times in the Bible, according to different narrations. Those who assign meaning to this number are generally agreed that it is a number symbolizing trial, testing, or judgment.

Let’s check out examples from the Christian scripture:

• When God destroyed every living thing on the Earth by flood, it rained 40 days and 40 nights (Genesis 7:4,12,17).

• Three men in the Bible fasted 40 days and 40 nights: Moses, Elijah and Jesus.

• Because Israel refused to enter the Promised Land, God condemned them to wander in the "wilderness" for 40 years (Josh 5:6).

• When scourging someone, they could not receive more than 40 lashes (2 Corinthians 11:24).

• Goliath taunted Israel for 40 days and nights (1 Sam 17:16), until David defeated him.

• Ezekiel laid on his right side for 40 days to "bear the iniquity" of Judah's sins (Ezekiel 4:6).

• God proclaimed judgment against Egypt, saying it would be desolate for 40 years (Ezekiel 29:1012).

• God gave Nineveh 40 days to repent or be overthrown (Jonah 3:4).

Now in the Hindu tradition, the word Chalisa means "forty verse" prayer.  It is derived from the Hindi word "chalis" which means 40.  In a Chalisa, the acts and deeds of deities are recalled in these verses to aid the devotee to meditate on righteous and noble qualities.

So from these examples, we can assure that the number forty has a spiritual meaning and significance behind it.
 

Just as in other religions, forty does have a significance in the Islamic school of thought as well.

This is seen in the Qur’an and the traditions.

“And when We appointed a time of forty nights with Musa, then you took the calf (for a god) after him and you were unjust.” (2: 51)

“He said: So it shall surely be forbidden to them for forty years, they shall wander about in the land, therefore do not grieve for the nation of transgressors.” (5:26)

“And We appointed with Musa a time of thirty nights and completed them with ten (more), so the appointed time of his Lord was complete forty nights, and Musa said to his brother Haroun: Take my place among my people, and act well and do not follow the way of the mischief-makers.” (7:142)

“And We have enjoined on man doing of good to his parents; with trouble did his mother bear him and with trouble did she bring him forth; and the bearing of him and the weaning of him was thirty months; until when he attains his maturity and reaches forty years, he says: My Lord! grant me that I may give thanks for Thy favor which Thou hast bestowed on me and on my parents, and that I may do good which pleases Thee and do good to me in respect of my offspring; surely I turn to Thee, and surely I am of those who submit.” (46:15)

In addition, there are numerous traditions which mention the number “40” such as the following:

The Messenger of Allah has said: “Indeed the Earth laments over the death of a true believer for the period of 40 days.”

Imam Muhammad al-Baqir has said: “Indeed the sky lamented over the death of al-Hussein for a period of 40 days.”

Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq said: “The heavens cried for forty days with blood (weeping) over Imam Husayn; the earth cried for forty days by being covered with darkness; the sun cried for forty days by being in eclipse and turning red; the mountains were torn apart and dispersed; the seas gushed out and the angles cried for forty days over him.