unusual keris

[A. G. Maisey]

This symbol is the isolated form of the Arabic laam-alif, it is the form used when the letter is written as a single letter and it combines the letters laam and alif.

The second chapter of Al Quran begins with "alif laam mim". The "secret meaning" of alif is Allah, the "secret meaning" of laam is the angel Gabriel, who delivered Al Quran from God to Mohammad, the "secret meaning" of mim is Muhammad.

This is Sufi belief and its use in Jawa probably dates from the time and teachings of Sayyid Hasan ’Ali Al-Husaini, better known in Jawa as Syekh Siti Jenar.

The Arabic alphabet was developed from the old Semitic alphabets, and the letters of the Arabic alphabet have numeric values, so a letter can represent a number or a number can be understood as a letter, which can then represent a word, thus several numbers placed together can represent several words, for instance, 'bismillah al-raham al-rahim' (in the Name of God, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful) is represented by the number "786", which is the reason that here in Australia we often see vehicle number plates with the number "786" driving around in areas with a heavy Muslim population. In Solo, Central Jawa I have seen several businesses with the number "786" incorporated into the business name.

In one of the Javanese alphabets the letter "dha" represents the number "8", and that in turn can be linked to the Candra Sangkala.

In the keris, where do we find the letter "dha"?

What Hindu symbol is almost identical to "dha"?

So belief depends upon what your religious belief system is:- nothing has only one meaning, and the more meanings, the better.

Why?

Because then only those who are intended to understand a meaning will be permitted to know a meaning.

Do not think for one instant that it is possible to understand everything that we think we can see or hear.

In respect of the laam alif symbol as represented here, I have also seen this symbol used on Indian armour piercing arrow-heads.