Ali 'Imran

Alif Lām Mīm – the placement of such letters has been discussed at the beginning of Sūrah Al-Baqarah. They indicate the inability of the Arabs to bring a Qur’ān like this one despite the fact that it is composed of letters similar to the ones at the beginning of this Sūrah, which also form the parts of their own speech.

Allah is the One Who alone deserves to be worshipped. He is the One Who lives perfectly without any death or deficiency. He exists by Himself and is not in need of any of His creation. The creation only exists through Him and is always in need of Him.

He has revealed to you, O Prophet, the Qur’ān with true stories and just laws that are in agreement with the previous divine books; and there is no contradiction between all these divine books. Before revealing the Qur’ān to you, He revealed the Torah to Moses and the Gospel to Jesus.

All of these divine books contained guidance and directed people to the best of this world and theAfterlife. He revealed the Criterion to differentiate between truth and falsehood, and between guidance and misguidance. Disbelievers in the verses Allah has revealed to you will receive a severe punishment. Allah is Mighty and nothing can overpower Him. He is also able to take retribution from those who reject His messengers and go against His instruction.

Nothing in the earth or heaven is hidden from Allah. He knows everything, whether it is open or hidden.

He is the One Who creates you in different forms in the wombs of your mothers, as He wills: as male and female, handsome and ugly, black and white. There is no one worthy of being worshipped with love and reverence besides Him. He is Mighty and cannot be overpowered. He is Wise in His planning and legislation.

O Prophet, He is the One Who revealed to you the Qur’ān, which contains verses with clear and unambiguous meaning, and these represent the majority of the Book and are the reference point when there is disagreement. It also contains other verses that may have more than one meaning and are puzzling for most people. Those who seek other than the truth leave the clear verses and focus on the unclear ones, trying to create doubts and mislead people, and interpret them to suit their corrupt views. No one knows the true meaning of such verses besides Allah. Those who are firm in knowledge say, ‘We have faith in the entire Qur’ān because it is all from Allah’. They interpret the unclear verses according to the clear ones. Only those who have sound minds pay attention to this.

The ones firm in knowledge say, ‘O Lord, do not let our hearts move away from the truth after you have shown it to us. Save us from what happened to those who moved away from the truth. Give us, from Your vast mercy, that which will guide our hearts and protect us from misguidance. Our Lord, You are the One who gives much’.

Our Lord, You are going to call all people back to You: to hold them to account on a day in which there is no doubt. Our Lord, You do not break promises.

The wealth and children of the disbelievers in Allah and His Messenger will not protect them from Allah’s punishment in this world nor in the Afterlife. Such disbelievers will be the fuel with which Hell will be lit on the Day of Resurrection.

The case of these disbelievers is like that of the people of Pharaoh, and those before them who disbelieved in Allah and denied His signs. As a result, Allah punished them for their sins – their wealth and children did not benefit them. Allah is severe in punishing those who disbelieve in Him and His signs.

O Messenger, say to those who disbelieve, no matter what their religion, ‘The believers will defeat you and you will die as disbelievers. Allah will then gather you in the fire of Hell. What an evil resting place it will be for you!’

There was a clear sign and lesson in the two groups that met to fight in the Battle of Badr. One group was made up of believers, and this was the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his Companions: they were fighting for Allah’s sake and in order to raise His Word against the word of those who disbelieve. The other group consisted of the disbelievers of Makkah, who had come out in pride and for show. The believers actually saw the disbelievers as being double their real number; but Allah helped His allies. Allah gives His support to whomever He wishes. In that there is a lesson and a warning for those of insight to realize that the help of Allah can come to the believers even though they may be few in number; and that defeat can come to those on falsehood even though they may be great in number.

Allah tells us that He has made the love of desirable things of this world attractive to people in order to test them. These desirable things include women, children, wealth (in the form of gold and silver) that is overflowing and piled up, beautiful trained horses, livestock (such as camels, cows and sheep), as well as farmlands – all of which is the enjoyment of the life of the world which lasts only for a short while. A believer should not become attached to these things as Allah has kept the best place of return for him: the Paradise that is as wide as the heavens and the earth.

O Messenger, say: Shall I tell you about something better than those desirable things? Those who are mindful of Allah by fulfilling His commands and avoiding His prohibitions will have gardens with trees and palaces overlooking flowing streams in which they will live eternally. They will also have wives who will be free from any defects in their form or character. In addition, they will gain the pleasure of Allah, and Allah will never be angry with them. Allah sees the actions of His servants, nothing is hidden from Him and He will recompense them for what they do.

The people of Paradise are the ones who say in their prayers, ‘Our Lord, we have faith in You and in that which You revealed to Your messengers; and we have followed Your sacred law. So, forgive the sins we have committed and protect us from the punishment of the fire of Hell’.

They are the ones who are patient in doing good actions, leaving bad actions and in the face of calamity; truthful in their words and actions; fulfil Allah’s sacred law completely; spend their wealth in Allah’s path; and ask for forgiveness in the last part of the night when prayers are most likely accepted and when hearts are not distracted.

Allah testifies that He alone is worthy of worship based on the legislative and universal signs indicating His divinity. The angels and people of knowledge also testify to this, by declaring and calling to His Oneness. They testified to the greatest thing anyone can testify to; the absolute right of Allah to be worshipped, and the perfect justice in His creation and sacred law. This is the greatest thing that anyone can testify to. There is no god but Him, the Mighty who can never be overpowered and the one who is Wise in His creation, planning and legislation.

The acceptable path in Allah’s sight is Islam, the path of surrendering: devotion of all good actions to Allah alone, submission to Him in servitude and acceptance of all messengers, including the final messenger Muhammad (peace be upon him) with whom revelations came to an end, and after whom no sacred laws will remain valid except his. The Jews and Christians only split up into various groups and sects, after evidence was established against them in the form of knowledge that had come to them, because of envy and greed for the world. Yet for whoever denies the verses of Allah revealed to His Messenger, Allah is quick in taking to account those who disbelieve in Him and His messengers.

If they argue with you, O Messenger, about the truth that has been revealed to you, then say to them in reply, ‘I and the believers who follow me have submitted to Allah’. Also, say, O Messenger, to the People of the Scripture and the idolaters, ‘Do you submit to Allah sincerely, following what I have brought?’ If they submit to Allah and follow your sacred law, then they are on the path of guidance. If they turn away from Islam, then your duty is only to give your message to them; then Allah will decide about them. He watches His servants and will reward them according to their actions.

Those who disbelieve in Allah’s signs, which show that He alone is the Lord and the One worthy of being worshipped, kill His prophets wrongly due to hatred, and kill those who call for justice by commanding good and forbidding evil – give these murderous disbelievers news of a painful punishment.

The actions of those who do such things are wasted and will not be of any benefit to them, neither in this world nor the Afterlife, due to their lack of faith. There will be no one to protect them from the punishment.

O Prophet, did you not see the Jews who were given knowledge of the Torah proving your prophethood? When they are called to refer to the book of Allah, the Torah, so that it can decide about what they differ in, a group of their scholars and leaders turn away, ignoring the judgement of the Torah because it does not agree with their desires. The right thing for them to have done, having claimed that they follow the Torah, is to accept its judgement without hesitation.

They turned away from the truth and ignored it because they used to think that the fire of Hell will only touch them for a few days and they will then enter Paradise. This belief deceived them and made them bold against Allah and His religion.

What will be their state and how much will they regret? It will be incredibly terrible when I gather them to give account on the Day of Resurrection, in which there is no doubt. Every person will be given the reward of his actions according to what he deserves, without there being any oppression by a reduction in good actions or an increase in evil actions.

O Prophet, say in praise of your Lord and in declaration of His greatness: Allah, to You belongs all authority in this world and the Afterlife. You give authority to whomever of Your creation You wish, and remove it from whomever of Your creation You wish. You give honour to whomever You wish, and You disgrace whomever You wish. All of this is done according to Your wisdom and justice. All good lies only in Your hand. You have power over everything.

A display of Your power is that You cause the night to become longer by making it enter into the day, and You cause the day to become longer by entering it into the night. You bring out the living from the dead – as in a believer from a disbeliever and crops from seed – and You bring out the dead from the living – as in a disbeliever from a believer and a chick from an egg. You give provision to whomever You wish, in abundance without any limit or count.

O believers, do not take disbelievers as friends that you love and support instead of other believers: whoever does this will never be helped by Allah in any way. However, if you are under their authority and you fear for your lives, then there is no harm if you avoid their harm by being nice to them in your speech and actions on the outside, whilst hating them inside. Allah warns you of Himself, so fear Him and do not become the subject of His anger by committing sins. All men will return to Allah alone on the Day of Resurrection for Him to reward them for their actions.

Say, O Prophet: Whether you hide within your hearts that which Allah has forbidden, such as befriending the disbelievers, or you reveal the same, Allah knows about it. Nothing is hidden from Him. He knows whatever is in the heavens and the earth. He has power over everything and nothing is outside His ability.

On the Day of Resurrection every person will find the good that he did in front of him, without any deficiency. Those who did bad will wish that there was a great distance between them and their bad actions – but shall a desire will be worthless! Allah warns you of Himself, so do not become the subject of His anger by committing sins. Allah is kind to His servants and therefore gives them this warning.

O Prophet, say: If you really love Allah, then follow what I have brought, on the inside and the outside. By doing this, you will gain Allah’s love and He will forgive your sins. Allah is Forgiving and Merciful to those who repent to Him.

O Prophet, say: Follow Allah and His Messenger by fulfilling His instructions and avoiding His prohibitions. If they turn away from the command, then know that Allah does not love the disbelievers who go against His sacred law and the instructions of His Messenger.

Allah honoured Adam (peace be upon him), by making the angels prostrate before him; Noah, by making him the first messenger to the people of the earth; the family of Abraham, by placing prophethood in his children; and the family of ‘Imrān, the father of Mary – which is a reference to Jesus (peace be upon him). He selected all of them and preferred them over all the people of their time.

These prophets and their followers were all part of the same family: declaring Allah’s Oneness and doing good. They passed on noble character and virtues to one another. Allah hears the statements of His servants and knows their actions; and therefore chooses whomever He wills.

Remember, O Messenger, when the wife of ‘Imrān, the mother of Mary, said: O Lord, I have made it a duty on myself to fully dedicate my unborn child to You, to worship You and Your House, so accept this act from me. You are the One who hears my prayer and knows my intention.

When she reached the end of her pregnancy and gave birth she was astonished – as she had hoped for a boy – and she said, ‘O Lord, I have given birth to a girl’. Allah knows what she gave birth to. Of course, a girl does not have the same strength and form as a boy that she had hoped for. She said, ‘I have named her Mary and I ask for Your mercy in protecting her and her children from the rejected Satan’.

Allah graciously accepted the dedication and brought her up well. He made the hearts of His pious servants incline caringly to her and put her in the care of the Prophet Zachariah. Whenever Zachariah would enter her place of worship he would find wholesome food there. So, he asked her, ‘O Mary, where did you get this food from?’ She replied, ‘This food is from Allah. Allah gives to whomever He wishes in abundance without account’.

When Zachariah saw the food that Allah was miraculously giving to Mary, he became hopeful that Allah would give him a child despite being very old and his wife being unable to bear children. He said: O Lord, give me a good child. You hear the prayer of the person who prays to You and You know his condition.

The angels called out to him while he was standing in prayer in his place of worship, saying: Allah gives you good news of a child to be born to you whose name will be John. He will confirm a word from Allah – which refers to Jesus, son of Mary, because he was specially created by a word from Allah. This child will be a leader of his people with his knowledge and worship. He will be innocent, keeping himself away from desires, including approaching women. He will dedicate himself to worshipping His Lord and will also be a prophet from those who are righteous.

When the angels gave him the good news about John, Zachariah said, ‘O Lord, how can I have a child after I have become old and my wife is unable to bear children?’ Allah replied to him that the example of the creation of John, in spite of his old age and his wife being barren, is like that of the creation of anything that Allah wishes to create, even though it is out of the ordinary. This is because Allah has power over everything and does whatever He wills in His wisdom and knowledge.

Zachariah said: O Lord, give me a sign that my wife is pregnant. Allah said: The sign that you want is that you will not be able to speak for three days, except by indications, and this will not be because of any disability. So, remember Allah much and glorify Him at the end and beginning of the day.

Remember, O Messenger, when the angels said to Mary (peace be upon her): Allah has chosen you because of the praiseworthy qualities you have. He has purified you from all defects, and chosen you over all the other women of your time.

O Mary, stand for long periods in prayer, prostrate to your Lord and bow down with His righteous servants who bow down to Him.

The story of Zachariah and Mary is one of the reports of [the Ghaib] which I reveal to you, O Messenger. You were not there with those scholars and worshippers when they argued about who was most entitled to raise Mary. They eventually decided to draw lots by throwing their pens, and the pen of Zachariah (peace be upon him) won.

Remember, O Messenger, when the angels said: O Mary, Allah gives you good news of a child who will be created without a father: merely by a word from Allah, such as ‘Be’, and he will become a child by Allah’s will. The name of this child will be the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary. He will have a high rank in this world and the Afterlife and he will be one of those who are made close to Allah.

This child will miraculously speak to people when he is a small baby, as well as when he grows up and becomes a man. He will tell them what is best for them in their religious and worldly affairs. He will also be one of those who are righteous in their words and actions.

Mary was surprised that she was to have a child without a husband and said in astonishment: How can I have a child when no man has come near me in a lawful or unlawful way? The angel said to her: Just as Allah will create a child for you without a father, He creates whatever He wishes even though it may be out of the ordinary. When Allah wishes for something, He says ‘Be’ and it is. Nothing can stop Him doing as He wills.

Allah will teach him to say and do things correctly; and He will teach him the Torah that He had revealed to Moses (peace be upon him) and the Gospel which He will reveal to him.

Allah will make him a messenger to the Israelites, instructing him to say to them: I am Allah’s messenger to you. I have brought to you a sign indicating my prophethood: I will make the shape of a bird using clay, then I will breathe into it and it will become a living bird by Allah’s permission. I will cure the one who was born blind, so that he will be able to see, and the leper who will recover from his illness; and I will bring the dead to life. I will do all of this with Allah’s permission. I will tell you about what you consume and what you hide in your homes. In all of these extraordinary things that I mentioned to you, which human beings cannot do, is a clear sign that I am Allah’s messenger to you, if you wish to have faith and to accept the proof.

I have come to you to confirm the revelation of the Torah that was before me, and to make lawful some of that which was unlawful in the past: making things easy for you. I have brought to you a clear proof of the truthfulness of what I say, so be mindful of Allah by fulfilling His instructions and avoiding His prohibitions; and follow that which I call you to.

Allah is my Lord and your Lord, and He is the only One that deserves to be followed and feared. So, worship Him alone. This worship of Allah and being mindful of Him that I instruct you to do is the straight path which has no crookedness.

When Jesus realized that they were going to continue in their disbelief, he addressed the Israelites, saying, ‘Who will help me in calling towards Allah?’ His chosen followers said: We are the ones who will help Allah’s religion. We have faith in Allah and we follow you. Be a witness, O Jesus, that we submit to Allah by accepting His Oneness and following Him.

The disciples also said: Our Lord, we have believed in the Gospel that you revealed and we have followed the messenger, Jesus (peace be upon him), so make us of those who are witnesses to the truth and who have faith in You and Your messengers.

The disbelievers from the Israelites plotted to kill Jesus (peace be upon him), so Allah planned to leave them in their misguidance; and He made another person resemble Jesus (peace be upon him) on the occasion when they actually tried to murder him. Allah is the best plotter, because there can be nothing more severe than His plot against His enemies.

Allah also planned against them by saying to Jesus: O Jesus, I will take you away alive, raise your body and soul to Me, rid you of the filth of those who disbelieved you and distance you from them. I will make those who follow you part of the true religion, which includes acceptance of Muhammad (peace be upon him); and they will have greater proof and might over those who disbelieve you until the Day of Resurrection. Then to Me alone will be your return on the Day of Resurrection and I will pass true judgement between you regarding your differences.

As for those who disbelieved you and the truth you brought to them, I will punish them severely in the world by making them suffer being killed, imprisoned and disgraced; and in the Afterlife, I will punish them in the fire of Hell. They will have no one to help them against the punishment.

As for those who had faith in you and the truth that you brought to them, and did good actions (such as prayer, charity, fasting, keeping family relations, etc.), then Allah will give them the reward of their actions in full without any reduction. This refers to the followers of the Messiah before the coming of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), whose coming was confirmed by the Messiah himself. Allah does not love those who do wrong and the greatest wrong is to ascribe partners to Allah and to disbelieve His messengers.

This account of Jesus which is recited to you is a clear sign indicating the truth of what was revealed to you. It is a perfect message for those who are mindful of Allah, as it contains nothing false.

With Allah, the example of the creation of Jesus (peace be upon him) is like the creation of Adam, who was born from dust without a father or mother. Allah simply said to him: Become a man. And he became as Allah willed. How do you then assume that Jesus is a god on the basis that he has no father when you accept that Adam is human despite his having no father or mother?

The undoubtable truth about Jesus is that which was revealed to you by your Lord, so do not be one of those who doubt and are unsure. Instead, be firm on the truth that you have.

If anyone of the Christians disputes with you, O Messenger, regarding the matter of Jesus, and claims that he was not Allah’s servant after the correct knowledge has come to you, then say to them, ‘Come, let us call our sons and your sons, our women and your women, ourselves and yourselves; and let us gather together and then pray to Allah to send down His curse on those of us who are lying’.

That which has been mentioned to you about Jesus (peace be upon him) is the true tale that contains no lie or doubt. There is no one worthy of worship besides Allah alone. Allah is Mighty in His authority and Wise in His planning and instruction.

If they turn away from what you have brought and do not follow you, then it is because they are corrupt. Allah knows those who cause corruption in the earth and He will recompense them for that.

Say, O Messenger: O Jews and Christians, People of the Scripture, come let us unite on a fair word in which we are all equal: that we worship Allah alone and we do not worship anyone besides Him, no matter what his rank and no matter how high is his status; and that we do not take one another as lords to be worshipped and followed besides Allah. If they turn away from the truth and fairness that you call them towards, then, O believers, say to them: Bear witness that we have surrendered to Allah and are obedient to Him.

O People of the Scripture, why do you dispute about the belief of Abraham? The Jews claimed that he was a Jew and the Christians claimed he was a Christian. You know very well that Judaism and Christianity appeared a long time after him. Can you not see the falseness of your statement and the error of your claim?

You, People of the Scripture, argued without knowledge with the Prophet (peace be upon him) about your religion and about what was revealed to you. Why, then, do you dispute about Abraham and his religion, which you do not know, as it is not in your book and your prophets did not discuss it? Allah knows the reality of things and you do not know.

Abraham was not a Jew or Christian in belief, but he was opposed to all false religions and obedient to Allah alone. He was also not one of those who ascribe partners to Allah – contrary to the idolaters of the Arabs, who claim to follow his belief.

The people who are most entitled to claim a link to Abraham are those who followed him in his time, as well as this Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and those who have faith in him from this nation. Allah helps and protects the believers.

The scholars of the Jews and the Christians desire to mislead you, O believers, away from the truth that Allah has guided you to. Yet they only mislead themselves because their attempt to mislead the believers only increases their misguidance, and they do not know the consequence of their actions.

O People of the Scripture, Jews and Christians, why do you disbelieve Allah’s words which were sent down to you and the clear indication they contain of the prophethood of Muhammad (peace be upon him), whilst you are witness to the fact that it is the truth contained in your books?

O People of the Scripture, why do you mix the truth contained in your books with falsehood from yourselves? Why do you hide the truth and guidance contained in your book, such as the truthfulness of the prophethood of Muhammad (peace be upon him), when you know what is true and what is false?