Analysis of Surah Aal Imran (Surah 3: Family of Imran)

  • Alif.Laam.Meem is a set of Quranic initials consisting of three Arabic letters Alif, Laam and Meem, which has multiple roles including an oath of God (3:1) while this set of Initials is found prefixed to 6 surahs and their total count in the Arabic text in 6 surahs is a multiple of 19 => 19874 (19x1046), being a factual that the Quran is from God.
  • By taking oath referring to a set of Quranic initials, Alif.Laam.Meem God affirms that there is no god except He, the Living, the Eternal, who has revealed the scripture with the truth through Muhammad confirming what was of its before the Torah and the Gospel. It is also noteworthy that the Torah has been given to a number of Jewish prophets including Moses and Aaron while the Gospel has been given to Jesus (3:2-3).
  • From before there is God’s guidance for the people through the statue book. Those who have disbelieved in God’s revelations will suffer a severe punishment as no one can hide from Him in the heavens or in the earth, while He has created us how He wills and has taught us that there is no god except He, the Almighty, the Wise. Then how could we accept the corrupt form of shahadah adding Muhammad’s name to it to make us losers nullifying our all deeds? (3:4-6).
  • God has revealed the Quran with straightforward and allegorical verses. The straightforward verses are the essence of the scripture while the allegorical verses may be interpretated in an unacceptable way by those who are confused or those who are not well founded in knowledge. However, all of them are from God and those who are guided believe in all knowing that God is the grantor and He will gather all of us on a day wherein there is no doubt as He does not break His promise (3:7-9).
  • Those who have disbelieved and have denied in God’s revelations and have their desires for the enjoyment of the world, their wealth will not help them prevent from being the fuel of the Hell, a miserable is the resting place instead of the excellent place of return (3:10-14).
  • Those who have believed and have feared God and have asked forgiveness for their sins and have done the righteous deeds, for them there are gardens abiding therein forever with pure spouses (3:11-14).
  • God Himself has borne witness that there is no god except He, and He has also taught it to the angels and the possessors of knowledge established with justice: “There is no god except He, the Almighty, the Wise.” But what we see that our declaration of statement: “There is no god except God” has been corrupted by adding Muhammad’s name as a messenger of God to it, which has made Islam a religion of personality cult nullifying our all deeds as well as making most of us losers in the Hereafter while they believe that they are going great. However, whoever wants to extend the given statement of declaration, it is only permissible by adding the attributes of God such as: “There is no god except God, the Almighty, the Wise”, “There is no god except God, the Living, the Eternal” but there is no way it is permissible to add “Muhammad a messenger of God” (3:18).
  • God has given us religion and we are individually responsible for submitting to Him and to follow the complete scripture reflecting to the Quran being the final edition of God’s scripture while both religion and scripture have been completed with the revelation of Quran to judge disputes between the people, and people should not deceive themselves inventing about the religion. When a party of people turns away from God’s religion and His revelations, then the only responsibility of the prophet is the clear conveyance while He will pay every soul what it has earned on a day, there is no doubt in it (3:19-25).
  • In God’s hand is all good and He wants us to reflect that He has power over all: He gives kingship to whomever He wills and takes away it from whomever He wills, He honors whomever He wills and humiliates whomever He wills, He causes the night into the day and causes the day into the night, He brings forth the living from the dead and brings forth the dead from the living while He provides for whomever He wills without reckoning, and to God is the final return and the believers does not accept the disbelievers as allies and whoever does that fearing them he has nothing from God (3:26-28).
  • Nothing is hidden from God whether it is concealed or declared in our breasts, and whether it is in the heavens or in the earth. On a day every soul will present of what good it has done and of what evil it has done, and there will be a great distance between good and bad souls (3:29-30).
  • Here is a commandment for us that those who love God will follow the messenger (message) are the believers while those who turn away are the disbelievers, and God only loves the believers (3:31-32).
  • A woman from the Imran’s family, who had vowed to God what was in her womb as dedication. When she had delivered a female, She named her Mary and sought refuge for her in God from the Satan, the rejected while He accepted her prayer. Mary was brought up in care of Zachariah and she had been so righteous that she used to have provision from God (3:33-37).
  • Mary’s provision from God inspired Zachariah to invoke God to have a pure offspring and God gave him good news of John through the angels. When he asked for a sign, God gave him a sign of not speaking to people for three days except with gesture and to remember Him as much as he could (3:38-41).
  • The angels visited Mary and informed her that God has chosen her and has purified her and has preferred her over women of the world. They also gave her good news with a word from God about the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, who will speak to people in the crib as well as in the maturity while he will be taught the scripture and the wisdom as well as the Torah and the Gospel (3:42-48).
  • Jesus, son of Mary has been a messenger of God to children of Israel having great signs from his Lord and advocated to worship God being a straight path to Him (3:49-51).
  • The disciples of Jesus who believed in God and what was revealed and followed the messenger were submitters, and God promised to make them superior over the disbelievers on a day of the Resurrection, while He was Jesus’s terminator and raiser to eliminate any doubt about his death (3:52-55).
  • God will punish the disbelievers a severe punishment in the world and the Hereafter as He does not love the wrongdoers while the believers who have done the righteous deeds He will pay their reward (3:56-57).
  • The creation of Jesus is as same as that of Adam, is the true narration, which has been confirmed in the wise reminder and those who have turned away are the corruptors as it has come from God and there is no god except Him eliminating any about the birth of Jesus, son of Mary (3:58-63).
  • There is controversy around Abraham between the people of the scripture (Jews and Christians) and the people of the Quran (Muslims) while the Quran confirms that those who practice the religious rites given to Abraham and follow the Quran given to Muhammad are the believers and God is a Protector of them while Abraham has been monotheist submitter (3:64-68).
  • A group from a people of the scripture (Jews and Christians) who have made efforts to mislead the believers but God knows they have misled themselves denying God’s revelations they have witnessed and confounding the truth with the falsehood that they know (3:69-71).
  • God has warned the believers from Jews and Christians by their efforts not to be misguided as guidance does not come from any people or groups except God what He has confirmed through His revelations including the truth should not have any doubt about it while the bounty is with His hand (3:72-74).
  • Those who have said that the gentiles cannot be trusted with a single dinar is a lie, and the gentiles are those who do not read or know or follow the scripture, even when they distort the scripture with their tongues, which is not in the scripture is also a lie. Those who have fulfilled their pledges and have feared God are the righteous while those who purchase with God’s promise and their oaths for a small price there is no share for them in the Hereafter and there is a painful punishment, even God will not speak with them nor will He look at them nor will He purify them on a day of the Resurrection (3:75-78).
  • Prophets are those who have been given scripture cannot order people to worship them (prophets) or angels to make them disbelievers except to be Lord’s worshippers according to the teachings of the scripture what they are studying. Despite the clear order, it is unfortunate that God’s religion has been corrupted by introducing personality cult, is not hidden from those who have vision (3:79-80).
  • A confirmation of a major covenant of God with the prophets to send a messenger upon delivery of scripture given to them, which makes explicit that this covenant has been placed in every scripture immediately followed by the definition of prophet given by God that we do not confuse between prophet and messenger (3:81). It is also noteworthy that the covenant has been placed in Quran given to Muhammad mentioning him 2nd person singular masculine pronoun (33:7), a (complete) scripture of God (3:23), which is the final edition of God’s scripture given to Muhammad mentioning by name (33:40). The covenant has been fulfilled in 1974 through unveiling of the concept of Quran’s mathematical coding (74:30) while the message detail is in (74:30-37) and the messenger detail is in (74:11-29).
  • When this great covenant has been fulfilled, and the messenger has come with the clear proof, those who have turned away from it are seeking for other than God’s religion have made them losers in the Hereafter except those who have repented and reformed before their disbelief has increased turning them to strayers. For them there is no guidance from God, while those who have disbelieved and have died as disbelievers, He will not accept even an earth full of gold as ransom from them, they will have painful punishment and there are no helpers for them, is also an indication that there is no intercession for the disbelievers (3:82-91).
  • The believers can attain righteousness by spending from their wealth, and not committing crimes of making unlawful what God has made lawful as well as of fabricating a lie about Him (3:92-94).
  • Pilgrimage is one of the religious rites given to Abraham, a monotheist submitter, is performed to the House at Bakka (Makkah), which is a clear sign of a blessed and a guidance for the people (3:95-97).
  • The people of the scripture prevent the believers of His revelations (Quran) from God’s path desiring His revelations crooked while those who hold fast to God, He guides them to a straight path is a commandment from God for both the people of the scripture and those who have believed in His revelations (Quran) to stay with Him eliminating any doubt about what the people of scripture should follow upon the revelation of the Quran (3:98-101), even reflecting that what has been given to them is a part of the scripture while Quran is a complete scripture (3:23).
  • Those who have believed fear God and invite to the good, to enjoin with the just and do not divide them are the successful ones (3:102-105).
  • Certain faces will be black and those who have turned their face black will taste the punishment, and certain faces will be while and those wo have turned their faces will have God’s mercy abiding therein forever (3:106-109).
  • God has raised a best community with the revelation of Quran and if a people of the scripture would believe in it, it would be better for them, even there are believers among them but most of them were the disobedient. Thus, among the people of the scripture who recite God’s revelations (Quran) a part of a night and believe in God and Last day, and enjoin the good, and forbid from the evil, and hasten to do the good deeds are the righteous being included with a best community (3:110-115)
  • God does not wrong the disbelievers but they do wrong themselves citing an example like the frost in the wind struck the people’s harvest (3:116-117).
  • God has made it clear in His revelations that the believers should not befriend other than themselves as the believers may love the disbelievers but the disbelievers will not love the believers while they grieve if the good touches the believers and they rejoice when the misfortune strike the believers concealing their hatred out of their mouths in the breasts (3:118-120).
  • God helped the believers in fighting to win the battle as there is no victory except from God, the Almighty while He strengthened the believers with three-thousand angels at the battle of Badr, even cutting off a portion of those who disbelieved or suppressed them that they turn back disappointed (3:121-127).
  • The Judgment is with God. He may have mercy on the disbelievers to find the right path for them but He will certainly, punish the wrongdoers. Thus, He forgives whomever He wills and punishes whomever He wills means His judgment in accordance with His established standard and law, and there is no intervening or interceding in His judgment system (3:128-129).
  • God has promised a spacious Garden to those who have believed and have avoided the usury to increase their money in fearing God and the Fire, and have obeyed God and the messenger, and have spent from their wealth both in the ease and difficult times, and suppressors of the anger, and pardoners of the people as God loves the good-doers (3:130-134).
  • God has promised to those who have committed immorality and have wronged their souls, if they have asked for forgiveness for their sins and have remembered Him, there are gardens for them flowing the rivers of their underneath, are abiding therein forever. We may reflect how merciful is God who has left the door open for the wrongdoers to make Heaven through forgiveness and good works (3:135-136).
  • God has cited examples from the past referring to the consequences of the deniers of His revelations, which may be a lesson for the believers to have the upper hand and courage in their hearts to fight in the cause of God until the victory comes, which is to expose the true believers to reward them the Paradise not being like the disbelievers who die many times before their actual deaths (3:137-143).
  • There is no exception for Muhammad, a messenger of God that he will not die, even he may be killed in the battle but the message given to him does exist and the believers will uphold the message in his absence to be grateful to God for their reward as death is a determined decree to everyone but no one dies except God’s permission while He wants everyone of us to desire a reward of the Hereafter instead of desiring a reward of the world as the reward of the Hereafter is better than that of the world (3:144-145).
  • Those who fought with prophet were frequent worshippers of Lord, who have not lost their hearts in the battle nor have they surrendered to their enemies praying to have forgiveness for their transgression and victory while God cast terror into hearts of the disbelievers to make them losers. He wants the believers to make friends among themselves disobeying the disbelievers that they cannot turn them back to losers keeping in mind that God is their Protector and the best Helper in all situations (3:146-151).
  • God has permitted the believers to kill the disbelievers in the battle until to achieve the victory but they turned back when they had lost courage and had fallen in dispute desiring for the materials of the world even disobeying the order of the messenger, who has been the commander, when there has been distress after distress upon the believers. Thus, the believers did not have the victory for all wars they fought against God’s and their enemies while the defeat in the war has been a test for them (3:152-153).
  • God has given security and peace to the believers upon remitting what they have earned turning back in the battle field being slipped by the Satan. He has also let them know that those who have been in homes would come out towards their places where their death has been decreed upon them in response of their thoughts that if they had not participated in the fighting, they would not have been killed in the battle or they have stayed homes while they had failed to reflect that God gives life and causes death and through their death or killing would be returned to Him (3:154-158).
  • Prophet has dealt with the believers in accordance with mercy God had placed in his heart otherwise they would have dispersed from around him. He has taught him to ignore their mistakes, to ask forgiveness for them and to consult all matters with them, and to put trust upon Him as all the believers should put trust upon Him (3:159-160). Thus, as prophet he had no desire of his own except driven by God’s desires and what he had done or attempted to do from his own desire was a mistake for him as we see in case of marrying the divorced wife of his adopted son (33:37).
  • Every soul will be repaid for whatever it has earned without any exception for the prophet and whoever has pursued God’s pleasure like whoever has drawn into wrath from God will be in the Hell according to their ranks at God while we know that there are 7 gates of the Hell (3:161-163).
  • God has blessed the believers raising a messenger from them to recite His revelations, to purify and to teach them the scripture and the wisdom, which is a duty for the messenger and he did not teach any other teachings. When a disaster has struck them, it had struck their enemies twice of it that He may know the true believers as well as the hypocrites. And the hypocrites said they would fight if they knew. Thus, they say with their mouth what has not been in their hearts, and they also said to their kin not to join in the fighting to be killed there while God has warned them that can they prevent death even if they do not join in the fighting for fear of death? (3:164-168).
  • Those who have been killed in the cause of God are not dead but are alive with God as they are having provision from Him, which is also good news for those who are behind them. There is also a great reward for those who have responded to God and the messenger for what had befallen them or the injury (3:169-172).
  • When a group of people among them has warned about a large gathering against the believers, which increased faith of the believers as they had followed God’s pleasure being God is the Disposer of affairs and Possessor of a great bounty while the Satan frightened those who were his allies (3:173-175).
  • Those who have disbelieved and have purchased disbelief with the truth cannot harm God but He may respite them to increase their sin for a humiliating punishment. He does not leave the believers on what they have been until distinguishing the evil from the good and does not inform them of the unseen except choosing messengers from them while they have to believe in Him and His messengers, and those who believe and fear Him, for them there is a great reward (3:176-179)
  • God will punish the disbelievers on a day of the Resurrection based on what they have sent forth for their saying and doing while we may see that who are committing sins are respited in this life (3:180-182).
  • It is a God’s system that He has sent His messengers with clear signs and His messages to guide the people in a right direction being a way of pulling them away from the Fire but most people have denied them with excuses while they should reflect that every soul will be tasting death that they will be paid at the time of death while on a day of the Resurrection will be paid in full what it has earned (3:183-185).
  • Those who have thrown away the scripture behind their back for trading with God’s revelations and those who have associated partners with God will have a painful punishment (3:186-188).
  • God wants His believers to remember Him when they are standing, sitting and lying down, and has given His words that we can use to implore Him reflecting Him to be powerful over everything to admit us into gardens saving us from the Fire removing our sins from us as well as letting us die being righteous. His words give us a guarantee for us to admit into the Paradise being saved from the Hell that we do not have to look for other sources for words to implore Him (3:189-194).
  • God has promised that He answers to those who implore Him whether they are male or female letting us know that He would not let go waste their good deeds but removing our sins from us to admit into gardens. Why should we not implore God using His words if we can have the best reward from Him? (3:195).
  • We should not be impressed by temporary enjoyment of the disbelievers as there is a miserable resting place for them while those who have feared their Lord will be in gardens abiding therein forever (3:196-198).
  • God has mentioned three important qualities of the believers to attain a great reward with Him: (1) believing in what has been revealed to them and what has been revealed before them, (2) to be humbles to Him being steadfast, consistent and fearing Him, and (3) not to trade His revelations for a small price (3:199-200).

Summary

  • By taking oath of Alif.Laam.Meem God has taught us that there is no god except He, the Living, the Eternal.
  • He has confirmed that He has revealed the scripture (Quran) with the truth confirming the Torah and the Gospel is a clear indication what should follow the people of previous scripture as righteous.
  • From before there has been a guidance for the people revealing the statue book, and those who have disbelieved in His revelations there is a severe punishment for them.
  • He shapes us in mothers’ wombs and teaches: there is no god except God, the Almighty, the Wise, and He also teaches it to the angels and the possessors of knowledge established with the justice.
  • Quran has straightforward and allegorical verses, the believers are to reflect that all are from God.
  • Those who have disbelieved will not help them their wealth and children; they are fuel of the Fire.
  • Religion with God is Islam and prophet’s responsibility has been to convey the clear message.
  • Both religion and scripture completed with the revelation of Quran to judge disputes among people.
  • Those who love God should follow the scripture revealed to them, then certainly, He will love them.
  • Mary’s lineage is mentioned to Imran’s family and her righteousness inspired Zachariah to call God for a child in his old age and his wife being barren while he has been given good news of John.
  • The angels gave good news of a son to Mary speaking in cradle and in the maturity, and God has confirmed his birth being as same as the birth of Adam to eliminate any confusion from our hearts.
  • Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary has been a messenger of God to the people of Israel, who has been taught both the Torah and the Gospel, and there is no doubt about his birth and who he had been.
  • Jews and Christians made efforts to mislead the believers, and it has been made clear that the righteous Jews and Christians have believed in the Quran as well as have studied and followed it.
  • God has placed a covenant in every scripture that He will send a messenger after delivery of all scripture, and those who will deny the messenger are disbelievers, will have a painful punishment.
  • He wants both Jews and Christian to follow the Quran as He has raised a best community with it.
  • Death is a determined decree and no one die or get killed except God’s permission.
  • Right religion for all the people including Jews, Christians and Muslims is Islam given to Abraham.
  • Defeat in the battle for the believers has been a test for them to know true believers and hypocrites.
  • God has given the security and peace to the believers after the test remitting their sins from them.
  • Prophet has dealt with the believers in accordance with mercy as God has placed in his heart.
  • A great reward for those who have been killed in God’s path as they have feared God not the Satan.
  • Prophet has not been above law and a messenger is a blessing to teach scripture and wisdom.
  • God chooses His messengers to reveal the unseen and those who have believed in God and His messengers, there is a great reward for them while the disbelievers say we do not need messenger.
  • Is it not unfortunate that the leaders who claim that they follow the scripture have thrown away the scripture behind their back for a small price and have associated partners with God?
  • No wander for us what we will be using to implore God as He has given us His words that we can implore Him to admit us into gardens saving us from the Fire removing our sins dying as righteous.
  • He responds to the callers whether male or female to admit them into gardens removing their sins.
  • The humbles to God and who are steadfast, consistent and God fearing will receive a great reward.

If we can reflect that Al-Baqarah is an abstract of Quran while Aal Imran placed after it has addressed many disputes we may raise, and God has raised a best community with the revelation of Quran, a complete scripture, should not have issues to guide us to the right path for our success in the Hereafter.
Peaceful Friday, salaam and God bless.
Tafazzal (12/25/2020).