Surah Al 'Imran (The Family of 'Imran)

Verse 1

Verse 2

Scholarly Note:

This Surah contains 200 verses and was revealed in Medina.

Al Imran: (1-2) Alif Lam Mim

The interpretation of {Alif Lam Mim} has already been covered in Surah Al-Baqarah. In this verse, there are several issues:

Issue 1: The Recitation of {Alif Lam Mim}

Abu Bakr, reciting from 'Asim, read: {Alif Lam Mim * Allah} with a quiescent Mim, and the Hamza of Allah was pronounced with a Fathah (as if starting a new word). The rest read it connectedly with a Fathah on the Mim.

Regarding 'Asim's recitation (with a quiescent Mim):

1. First possibility: Intending a pause after Mim, then pronouncing the Hamza to initiate the following word (Allah).
2. Second possibility: Following the linguistic rule of those who separate the Hamzat al-Wasl (connecting Hamza). If separated and the Hamza is pronounced, it is for emphasis and glorification.

Regarding the pronunciation of the Mim with a Fathah (as in the majority reading): There are two opinions:

Opinion 1 (Al-Farra' and many Basrans): The names of the letters are indeclinable at the end (like Alif, Lam, Mim), similar to counting words like Wāḥid, Ithnān, Thalāthah. Based on this, one must begin the next word, Allah. When starting with Allah, the Hamza must be vocalized. They argue that the Hamza was dropped for ease (takhfīf), and its vowel was transferred to the Mim to indicate that the Mim is in the ruling position of being the start of a word, even though the Hamza itself is absent.

• Objection: If the intention was to separate the two words, dropping the Hamza is impermissible. If the intention was connection, the Hamza cannot remain vocalized. If it cannot remain, its vowel cannot be transferred to the Mim.
• Response: It is possible that the Hamza is absent in form but present in meaning, and its vowel was kept to signify its meaning-based presence. This concludes Al-Farra's argument.

Opinion 2 (Sibawayh): The reason for the Fathah on the Mim is the meeting of two quiescent letters (iltiqā' al-sākinayn). Many reject this view, though it has subtlety, and its detailed explanation is lengthy.

My Analysis (Al-Razi): There are two points of discussion here:

1. The original reason for the vowel.
2. Why that vowel is a Fathah.

This relies on three premises:

Premise 1: When two quiescent letters meet:

• If the preceding one is a letter of Madd or Līn (vowel/soft sound), vocalization is not mandatory because pronunciation is easy (e.g., hādhā Ibrāhīm).
• If not, vocalization is mandatory because pronunciation is difficult without a vowel.

Premise 2: Sibawayh holds that the definite article (al-) is the Lām, which is quiescent. Since one cannot start with a quiescent letter, a Hamzat al-Wasl (connecting Hamza) was prefixed and vocalized to enable pronunciation of the Lām. If another letter precedes the Lām of definition:

• If that preceding letter is vocalized, it facilitates pronouncing the quiescent Lām.
• If that preceding letter is quiescent, it must be vocalized to facilitate pronouncing the Lām. In this case, the Hamzat al-Wasl becomes unnecessary because its function (to provide a vowel to reach the Lām) is now fulfilled by the preceding letter's vowel. Thus, the Hamzat al-Wasl is dropped entirely in form, meaning, ruling, and essence. This invalidates Al-Farra's claim that the Hamza's vowel was transferred to the Mim to indicate its conceptual presence, as we have shown the Hamza is completely absent.

Premise 3: The names of these letters (Alif, Lām, Mim) are indeclinable at the end, which is agreed upon.

Conclusion based on Premises: The Mim in {Alif Lam Mim} is quiescent, and the Lām in {Allah} is quiescent. Since they meet, the Mim must be vocalized. This necessitates the complete dropping of the Hamzat al-Wasl (form and meaning), confirming Sibawayh's view and refuting Al-Farra's.

If a quiescent letter is vocalized, it should typically receive a Kasrah (short i). Why was Fathah chosen here?

Al-Zajjaj's Answer: A Kasrah is unsuitable because the Mim is preceded by a Yā' (in the pronunciation of Alif Lām). If the Mim were Makṣūrah (with Kasrah), the two Kasrahs would accumulate with the preceding Yā' (from Alif Lām), which is heavy. Therefore, Fathah was chosen.

Abu 'Ali al-Fārisī's Critique: He objected, citing the word Jīr (where the Rā' is Makṣūrah despite being preceded by a Yā').

My View on the Critique: This objection is weak. The Kasrah itself carries some heaviness, and the Yā' is its counterpart. Combining them increases the heaviness significantly. Furthermore, following this heavy sound, the tongue must transition to the Alif in Allah, which is extremely light. Moving from the heaviest vowel to the lightest in one go is difficult for the tongue. However, if the Mim is given a Fathah, the transition from the Mim's Fathah to the Alif in Allah is smooth, making pronunciation easy. This supports Sibawayh's position.

Issue 2: The Reason for the Revelation of the Beginning of this Surah

There are two opinions:

Opinion 1 (Muqātil ibn Sulaymān): Part of the beginning of this Surah concerns the Jews, as mentioned previously in the exegesis of {Alif Lam Mim * Dhalika al-Kitab} (Al-Baqarah: 1-2).

Opinion 2 (Muhammad ibn Isḥāq): From the beginning of the Surah up to the Verse of Mubāhalah (mutual cursing) concerns the Christians.

Ibn Isḥāq narrated that sixty riders, including fourteen of their nobles, came to the Prophet (PBUH) as a delegation from Najrān. Three were the greatest among them: their leader, 'Abd al-Masīḥ; their advisor, known as al-Sayyid, named Al-Aiham; and their scholar/bishop/head of their schools, named Abū Ḥārithah ibn 'Alqamah. The Roman kings honored and supported him due to his knowledge.

When they arrived from Baḥrān, Abū Ḥārithah rode his mule, with his brother Karaz ibn 'Alqamah beside him. When the mule stumbled, Karaz said, "Woe to the distant one!" meaning the Messenger of Allah (PBUH). Abū Ḥārithah replied, "No, your mother is the one who stumbled!" Karaz asked why. Abū Ḥārithah said, "By God, he is the Prophet we have been waiting for!" Karaz asked what prevented him from following the Prophet, knowing this. Abū Ḥārithah replied, "Because these kings have given us much wealth and honor; if we believed in Muhammad (PBUH), they would take all of it." This affected Karaz, who secretly held this belief until he later embraced Islam and recounted this story.

These three leaders—the Prince, the Sayyid, and the Bishop—debated the Prophet (PBUH) regarding their differing beliefs: sometimes claiming Jesus was God, sometimes the Son of God, and sometimes the third of three. They argued for Jesus being God by citing his miracles (healing the dead, the blind, the lepers, curing diseases, foretelling the unseen, and creating bird-like figures from clay and breathing life into them). They argued for him being the Son of God because he had no known father. They argued for the Trinity based on the plural verbs used in scripture, such as "We did" and "We made."

The Prophet (PBUH) told them to submit to Islam. They claimed they had submitted, but the Prophet (PBUH) refuted them, saying their submission was false while they affirmed a son for God, worshipped the cross, and ate pork. They asked, "Who is his father?" The Prophet (PBUH) remained silent, and then Allah revealed the beginning of Surah Al 'Imran up to about eighty verses concerning this.

The Prophet (PBUH) then debated them. He asked: "Do you not know that God is the Living, the Everlasting, and that Jesus is subject to annihilation?" They agreed. "Do you not know that every child resembles its parent?" They agreed. "Do you not know that our Lord is the Sustainer of all things, watching over, preserving, and providing for them? Does Jesus possess any of this?" They said, "No." "Do you not know that nothing is hidden from our Lord on earth or in heaven? Does Jesus know anything beyond what he is taught?" They said, "No." "Our Lord formed Jesus in the womb as He willed. Do you know that our Lord does not eat, drink, or perform bodily functions, while you know that a woman carried Jesus as a woman carries, gave birth as a woman gives birth, and that he ate, drank, and performed bodily functions?" They agreed. The Prophet (PBUH) asked, "How then can he be as you claim?" They recognized the truth but refused except through obstinacy. They then asked, "O Muhammad, do you not claim he is the Word of God and a Spirit from Him?" He replied, "Yes." They said, "That is enough for us." Then Allah revealed: {As for those in whose hearts is deviation, they follow what is ambiguous therein...} (Al 'Imran: 7).

Allah then commanded the Prophet (PBUH) to engage them in Mubāhalah (mutual cursing) after they rejected his arguments. The Prophet invited them, but they asked him to wait while they considered the matter. They left, and some of the three leaders advised the others: "By God, O Christians, you know Muhammad is a true Messenger who has brought you the decisive word concerning your companion (Jesus). You know that when a prophet is sent to a people, their elders and youth are never spared if they reject him. If you proceed with this, it will mean utter destruction for you. Since you insist on your religion, take leave of the man and return to your lands."

They returned to the Prophet (PBUH) and said, "O Abū al-Qāsim, we have decided not to engage in Mubāhalah and will leave you to your religion, while we return to ours. Send one of your companions with us to arbitrate between us regarding some financial disputes, as we find you acceptable." The Prophet (PBUH) replied, "Come to me this afternoon, and I will send with you a strong and trustworthy judge." 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) used to say he never desired leadership as much as on that day, hoping to be chosen. After praying Dhuhr with the Prophet (PBUH), he looked right and left. 'Umar stretched himself out hoping to be seen, but the Prophet (PBUH) kept looking until he saw Abū 'Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrāḥ, whom he called and instructed: "Go with them and judge between them justly concerning their disputes." 'Umar said, and Abū 'Ubaydah departed with them.

This narration proves that debating to establish religious truths and remove doubts is the profession of the Prophets (peace be upon them), and the view of the Ḥashawiyyah (literalists) who deny rational inquiry is definitively false.

Issue 3: The Coherence of the Opening Verses

The opening of this Surah possesses a subtle and wonderful structure. It is as if those Christians who disputed with the Prophet (PBUH) were told: Either your dispute concerns the knowledge of God, or it concerns Prophethood.

1. If the dispute is about the knowledge of God (i.e., you affirm a son for Him, while Muhammad denies it), then the truth is with the Prophet, supported by definitive rational proofs. It is proven by evidence that God is the Living, the Self-Subsisting (Ḥayy Qayyūm), and it is rationally impossible for such a being to have offspring.
2. If the dispute is about Prophethood, this is also false. The very path by which you recognized that God revealed the Torah to Moses and the Injīl to Jesus—namely, the miracle—is equally established for Muhammad (PBUH). How then can you dispute the validity of his Prophethood?

This is the basis of the structure, which is highly precise. We examine two points here:

We state that God is the Living, the Self-Subsisting (Ḥayy Qayyūm). Any being who is Ḥayy Qayyūm cannot have offspring. We assert this because He is necessarily existent by Himself (wājib al-wujūd), while everything else is merely possible by itself and created/brought into existence, as explained in the exegesis of {Allah! There is no god but He, the Ever-Living, the Self-Subsisting} (Al-Baqarah: 255). Since everything else is created, none of it can be His offspring or a god, as stated: {And there is none in the heavens and the earth but comes to the Most Merciful as a servant} (Maryam: 93).

Furthermore, since the Deity must be Ḥayy Qayyūm, and it is established that Jesus was not Ḥayy Qayyūm (because he was born, ate, drank, performed bodily functions, and, as the Christians claim, was killed and could not ward off death from himself), it is definitively proven that he was not the Self-Subsisting, which necessitates the absolute rejection that he was God or the Son of God. Thus, the phrase {The Ever-Living, the Self-Subsisting} encompasses all arguments proving the falsehood of the Christian doctrine of the Trinity.

Allah addresses this with great elegance here. He states: {He has sent down to you the Book in truth, confirming what came before it, and He sent down the Torah and the Gospel} (Al 'Imran: 3). This serves as the initial claim.

Allah then provides the evidence for this claim: "You (Jews and Christians) agree that God previously sent down the Torah and the Gospel as guidance for mankind. You knew the Torah and the Gospel were divine books because God accompanied their revelation with miracles that distinguish true speech from false speech. Since the miracle distinguishes the truthful claim from the false one, it is the definitive criterion. The Furqān (criterion/miracle) that established the divine origin of the Torah and the Gospel is the same criterion that establishes the divine origin of the Qur'an. If the path is shared, then either one must disbelieve in all of them (as the Brahmins claim) or believe in all of them (as Muslims claim). Accepting some and rejecting others is ignorance and blind imitation."

After establishing the fundamental proof for recognizing God (as brought by Muhammad PBUH) and the proof for establishing Muhammad's Prophethood, no excuse remains for those who dispute his religion. Consequently, Allah follows this with a warning: {Indeed, those who disbelieve in the verses of Allah will have a severe punishment, and Allah is Exalted in Might, the Avenger} (Al 'Imran: 4). It is clear that no speech could be closer to precision, excellent arrangement, and superior composition than this. Praise be to Allah for guiding this humble servant to this understanding, and thanks to Him for His boundless blessings.

Having summarized the overall purpose of the discourse, we now return to the exegesis of each word.

Exegesis of the Verses

{Allah! There is no god but He} This is a refutation of the Christians, as they used to worship Jesus (peace be upon him). Allah clarifies that no one deserves worship except Him.

He follows this with what serves as proof: {The Ever-Living, the Self-Subsisting}.

• Al-Ḥayy (The Ever-Living): He is the one who acts and perceives.
• Al-Qayyūm (The Self-Subsisting): He is the one who subsists by Himself, and who subsists by managing the creation and the needs of the creatures in their sustenance, day and night, heat and cold, winds and rains—blessings that none other can manage or count, as Allah says: {And if you should count the favors of Allah, you could not enumerate them} (Ibrahim: 34).

'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) recited: {Al-Ḥayy Al-Qayyūm}. Qatādah said: The Living is He who does not die, and the Self-Subsisting is He who stands over His creation regarding their deeds, lifespans, and provisions. According to Sa'īd ibn Jubayr: The Living is before every living thing, and the Self-Subsisting is He who has no equal.

As we mentioned in Surah Al-Baqarah, the phrase {The Ever-Living, the Self-Subsisting} encompasses all attributes required for Divinity. Since it is established that the worshipped being must be Ḥayy Qayyūm, and intuition and reason show that Jesus (PBUH) was not Ḥayy Qayyūm—especially since they claim he was killed and showed fear of death—we are certain that Jesus was neither God nor the Son of God. May Allah be exalted above what the wrongdoers say, with great loftiness.

{He has sent down to you the Book in truth, confirming what came before it, and He sent down the Torah and the Gospel}