Surah Aal-Imran

Ta'awwudh · Seeking Refuge

أَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ

A'udhu billahi min ash-shaytani ar-rajim. I seek refuge in Allah from Satan, the accursed.

The Name · Bismillah

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

Bismillahi ar-Rahmani ar-Rahim. In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

✦

The Surah · Verses 1 to 63

﴾١﴿ الٓمٓ

Alif Lam Mim

Alif Lam Mim.

﴾٢﴿ ٱللَّهُ لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ٱلْحَىُّ ٱلْقَيُّومُ

Allahu la ilaha illa Huwal Hayyul Qayyum

Allah, there is no god except Him, the Living, the Sustainer of all.

﴾٣﴿ نَزَّلَ عَلَيْكَ ٱلْكِتَٰبَ بِٱلْحَقِّ مُصَدِّقًۭا لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ وَأَنزَلَ ٱلتَّوْرَىٰةَ وَٱلْإِنجِيلَ

Nazzala 'alaykal Kitaba bilhaqqi musaddiqal lima bayna yadayhi wa anzalat Tawrata wal Injil

He sent down to you the Book with the truth, confirming what came before it, and He sent down the Torah and the Gospel.

﴾٤﴿ مِن قَبْلُ هُدًۭى لِّلنَّاسِ وَأَنزَلَ ٱلْفُرْقَانَ ۗ إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ بِـَٔايَٰتِ ٱللَّهِ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌۭ شَدِيدٌۭ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَزِيزٌۭ ذُو ٱنتِقَامٍ

Min qablu hudal linnasi wa anzalal Furqan, innal ladhina kafaru bi Ayatil lahi lahum 'adhabun shadid, wallahu 'Azizun dhun tiqam

Before, as guidance for people. And He sent down the Criterion. Those who reject the signs of Allah will have a severe punishment. And Allah is Mighty, Owner of retribution.

﴾٥﴿ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يَخْفَىٰ عَلَيْهِ شَىْءٌۭ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَلَا فِى ٱلسَّمَآءِ

Innal laha la yakhfa 'alayhi shay'un fil ardi wa la fis sama'

Nothing on the earth or in the sky is hidden from Allah.

﴾٦﴿ هُوَ ٱلَّذِى يُصَوِّرُكُمْ فِى ٱلْأَرْحَامِ كَيْفَ يَشَآءُ ۚ لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ٱلْعَزِيزُ ٱلْحَكِيمُ

Huwal ladhi yusawwirukum fil arhami kayfa yasha', la ilaha illa Huwal 'Azizul Hakim

He is the One who shapes you in the wombs however He wills. There is no god except Him, the Mighty, the Wise.

﴾٧﴿ هُوَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَنزَلَ عَلَيْكَ ٱلْكِتَٰبَ مِنْهُ ءَايَٰتٌۭ مُّحْكَمَٰتٌ هُنَّ أُمُّ ٱلْكِتَٰبِ وَأُخَرُ مُتَشَٰبِهَٰتٌۭ ۖ فَأَمَّا ٱلَّذِينَ فِى قُلُوبِهِمْ زَيْغٌۭ فَيَتَّبِعُونَ مَا تَشَٰبَهَ مِنْهُ ٱبْتِغَآءَ ٱلْفِتْنَةِ وَٱبْتِغَآءَ تَأْوِيلِهِۦ ۗ وَمَا يَعْلَمُ تَأْوِيلَهُۥٓ إِلَّا ٱللَّهُ ۗ وَٱلرَّٰسِخُونَ فِى ٱلْعِلْمِ يَقُولُونَ ءَامَنَّا بِهِۦ كُلٌّۭ مِّنْ عِندِ رَبِّنَا ۗ وَمَا يَذَّكَّرُ إِلَّآ أُو۟لُوا۟ ٱلْأَلْبَٰبِ

Huwal ladhi anzala 'alaykal Kitaba minhu Ayatum muhkamatun hunna Ummul Kitabi wa ukharu mutashabihat, fa ammal ladhina fi qulubihim zayghun fa yattabi'una ma tashabaha minhub tigha'al fitnati wabtigha'a ta'wilih, wa ma ya'lamu ta'wilahu illal lah, warrasikhuna fil 'ilmi yaquluna amanna bihi kullum min 'indi Rabbina, wa ma yadhdhakkaru illa ulul albab

He is the One who sent down to you the Book. In it are decisive verses, which are the mother of the Book, and others which carry more than one sense. As for those in whose hearts is a swerve, they follow what carries more than one sense, seeking discord and seeking its interpretation. And no one knows its interpretation except Allah. And those firmly rooted in knowledge say, we believe in it, all of it is from our Lord. And no one takes heed except those with understanding.

﴾٨﴿ رَبَّنَا لَا تُزِغْ قُلُوبَنَا بَعْدَ إِذْ هَدَيْتَنَا وَهَبْ لَنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ رَحْمَةً ۚ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ ٱلْوَهَّابُ

Rabbana la tuzigh qulubana ba'da idh hadaytana wa hab lana mil ladunka rahmah, innaka antal Wahhab

Our Lord, do not let our hearts swerve after You have guided us, and grant us mercy from Yourself. You are the Giver.

﴾٩﴿ رَبَّنَآ إِنَّكَ جَامِعُ ٱلنَّاسِ لِيَوْمٍۢ لَّا رَيْبَ فِيهِ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُخْلِفُ ٱلْمِيعَادَ

Rabbana innaka jami'un nasi li Yawmil la rayba fih, innal laha la yukhliful mi'ad

Our Lord, You are the gatherer of people for a Day in which there is no doubt. Allah does not break the appointment.

﴾١٠﴿ إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ لَن تُغْنِىَ عَنْهُمْ أَمْوَٰلُهُمْ وَلَآ أَوْلَٰدُهُم مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ شَيْـًۭٔا ۖ وَأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ هُمْ وَقُودُ ٱلنَّارِ

Innal ladhina kafaru lan tughniya 'anhum amwaluhum wa la awladuhum minal lahi shay'a, wa ula'ika hum waqudun Nar

Those who disbelieved, neither their wealth nor their children will help them against Allah in anything. And those are the fuel of the Fire.

﴾١١﴿ كَدَأْبِ ءَالِ فِرْعَوْنَ وَٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ ۚ كَذَّبُوا۟ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَا فَأَخَذَهُمُ ٱللَّهُ بِذُنُوبِهِمْ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ شَدِيدُ ٱلْعِقَابِ

Kada'bi Ali Fir'awna walladhina min qablihim, kadhdhabu bi Ayatina fa akhadhahumul lahu bidhunubihim, wallahu shadidul 'iqab

Like the way of the people of Pharaoh and those before them. They called Our signs a lie, so Allah seized them for their sins. And Allah is severe in punishment.

﴾١٢﴿ قُل لِّلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ سَتُغْلَبُونَ وَتُحْشَرُونَ إِلَىٰ جَهَنَّمَ ۚ وَبِئْسَ ٱلْمِهَادُ

Qul lilladhina kafaru satughlabuna wa tuhsharuna ila jahannam, wa bi'sal mihad

Say to those who disbelieved, you will be overcome and gathered to Hell. And it is a wretched bed.

﴾١٣﴿ قَدْ كَانَ لَكُمْ ءَايَةٌۭ فِى فِئَتَيْنِ ٱلْتَقَتَا ۖ فِئَةٌۭ تُقَٰتِلُ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ وَأُخْرَىٰ كَافِرَةٌۭ يَرَوْنَهُم مِّثْلَيْهِمْ رَأْىَ ٱلْعَيْنِ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ يُؤَيِّدُ بِنَصْرِهِۦ مَن يَشَآءُ ۗ إِنَّ فِى ذَٰلِكَ لَعِبْرَةًۭ لِّأُو۟لِى ٱلْأَبْصَٰرِ

Qad kana lakum ayatun fi fi'atayni ltaqata, fi'atun tuqatilu fi sabilil lahi wa ukhra kafiratuy yarawnahum mithlayhim ra'yal 'ayn, wallahu yu'ayyidu bi nasrihi may yasha', inna fi dhalika la 'ibratal li ulil absar

There was a sign for you in the two forces that met. One force fighting in the way of Allah and another disbelieving, seeing them as twice their number with the eye. And Allah supports with His help whom He wills. In that is a lesson for those with sight.

﴾١٤﴿ زُيِّنَ لِلنَّاسِ حُبُّ ٱلشَّهَوَٰتِ مِنَ ٱلنِّسَآءِ وَٱلْبَنِينَ وَٱلْقَنَٰطِيرِ ٱلْمُقَنطَرَةِ مِنَ ٱلذَّهَبِ وَٱلْفِضَّةِ وَٱلْخَيْلِ ٱلْمُسَوَّمَةِ وَٱلْأَنْعَٰمِ وَٱلْحَرْثِ ۗ ذَٰلِكَ مَتَٰعُ ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا ۖ وَٱللَّهُ عِندَهُۥ حُسْنُ ٱلْمَـَٔابِ

Zuyyina linnasi hubbush shahawati minan nisa'i wal banina wal qanatiril muqantarati minadh dhahabi wal fiddati wal khaylil musawwamati wal an'ami wal harth, dhalika mata'ul hayatid dunya, wallahu 'indahu husnul ma'ab

Made attractive to people is the love of desires, of women and sons and heaped-up sums of gold and silver and branded horses and cattle and cultivated land. That is the provision of the life of this world. And with Allah is the best return.

﴾١٥﴿ قُلْ أَؤُنَبِّئُكُم بِخَيْرٍۢ مِّن ذَٰلِكُمْ ۚ لِلَّذِينَ ٱتَّقَوْا۟ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ جَنَّٰتٌۭ تَجْرِى مِن تَحْتِهَا ٱلْأَنْهَٰرُ خَٰلِدِينَ فِيهَا وَأَزْوَٰجٌۭ مُّطَهَّرَةٌۭ وَرِضْوَٰنٌۭ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ بَصِيرٌۢ بِٱلْعِبَادِ

Qul a'unabbi'ukum bikhayrim min dhalikum, lilladhinat taqaw 'inda Rabbihim jannatun tajri min tahtihal anharu khalidina fiha wa azwajum mutahharatun wa ridwanum minal lah, wallahu Basirum bil 'ibad

Say, shall I tell you of something better than that. For those conscious of Allah, with their Lord, are gardens with rivers flowing beneath them, remaining in them, and purified spouses, and approval from Allah. And Allah is Seeing of His servants.

﴾١٦﴿ ٱلَّذِينَ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَآ إِنَّنَآ ءَامَنَّا فَٱغْفِرْ لَنَا ذُنُوبَنَا وَقِنَا عَذَابَ ٱلنَّارِ

Alladhina yaquluna Rabbana innana amanna faghfir lana dhunubana wa qina 'adhaban Nar

Those who say, our Lord, we have believed, so forgive us our sins and protect us from the punishment of the Fire.

﴾١٧﴿ ٱلصَّٰبِرِينَ وَٱلصَّٰدِقِينَ وَٱلْقَٰنِتِينَ وَٱلْمُنفِقِينَ وَٱلْمُسْتَغْفِرِينَ بِٱلْأَسْحَارِ

Assabirina wassadiqina wal qanitina wal munfiqina wal mustaghfirina bil ashar

The patient, and the truthful, and the devoutly obedient, and those who spend, and those who ask forgiveness in the last hours of the night.

﴾١٨﴿ شَهِدَ ٱللَّهُ أَنَّهُۥ لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ وَٱلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةُ وَأُو۟لُوا۟ ٱلْعِلْمِ قَآئِمًۢا بِٱلْقِسْطِ ۚ لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ٱلْعَزِيزُ ٱلْحَكِيمُ

Shahidal lahu annahu la ilaha illa Huwa wal mala'ikatu wa ulul 'ilmi qa'imam bilqist, la ilaha illa Huwal 'Azizul Hakim

Allah bears witness that there is no god except Him, and so do the angels and those of knowledge, standing in justice. There is no god except Him, the Mighty, the Wise.

﴾١٩﴿ إِنَّ ٱلدِّينَ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ ٱلْإِسْلَٰمُ ۗ وَمَا ٱخْتَلَفَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُوا۟ ٱلْكِتَٰبَ إِلَّا مِنۢ بَعْدِ مَا جَآءَهُمُ ٱلْعِلْمُ بَغْيًۢا بَيْنَهُمْ ۗ وَمَن يَكْفُرْ بِـَٔايَٰتِ ٱللَّهِ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ سَرِيعُ ٱلْحِسَابِ

Innad dina 'indal lahil Islam, wa makhtalafal ladhina utul Kitaba illa mim ba'di ma ja'ahumul 'ilmu baghyam baynahum, wa may yakfur bi Ayatil lahi fa innal laha sari'ul hisab

The religion with Allah is submission. And those given the Book did not differ except after knowledge came to them, out of rivalry between them. And whoever rejects the signs of Allah, Allah is swift in reckoning.

﴾٢٠﴿ فَإِنْ حَآجُّوكَ فَقُلْ أَسْلَمْتُ وَجْهِىَ لِلَّهِ وَمَنِ ٱتَّبَعَنِ ۗ وَقُل لِّلَّذِينَ أُوتُوا۟ ٱلْكِتَٰبَ وَٱلْأُمِّيِّۦنَ ءَأَسْلَمْتُمْ ۚ فَإِنْ أَسْلَمُوا۟ فَقَدِ ٱهْتَدَوا۟ ۖ وَّإِن تَوَلَّوْا۟ فَإِنَّمَا عَلَيْكَ ٱلْبَلَٰغُ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ بَصِيرٌۢ بِٱلْعِبَادِ

Fa in hajjuka faqul aslamtu wajhiya lillahi wa manit taba'an, wa qul lilladhina utul Kitaba wal ummiyyina a aslamtum, fa in aslamu faqadih tadaw, wa in tawallaw fa innama 'alaykal balagh, wallahu Basirum bil 'ibad

So if they argue with you, say, I have submitted my face to Allah, and so have those who follow me. And say to those given the Book and to the unlettered, have you submitted. If they submit, they are guided. And if they turn away, your duty is only delivery. And Allah is Seeing of His servants.

﴾٢١﴿ إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يَكْفُرُونَ بِـَٔايَٰتِ ٱللَّهِ وَيَقْتُلُونَ ٱلنَّبِيِّۦنَ بِغَيْرِ حَقٍّۢ وَيَقْتُلُونَ ٱلَّذِينَ يَأْمُرُونَ بِٱلْقِسْطِ مِنَ ٱلنَّاسِ فَبَشِّرْهُم بِعَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ

Innal ladhina yakfuruna bi Ayatil lahi wa yaqtulunan Nabiyyina bighayri haqqin wa yaqtulunal ladhina ya'muruna bilqisti minan nasi fabashshirhum bi'adhabin alim

Those who reject the signs of Allah and kill the prophets without right and kill those among people who order justice, give them news of a painful punishment.

﴾٢٢﴿ أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ حَبِطَتْ أَعْمَٰلُهُمْ فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا وَٱلْءَاخِرَةِ وَمَا لَهُم مِّن نَّٰصِرِينَ

Ula'ikal ladhina habitat a'maluhum fid dunya wal Akhirati wa ma lahum min nasirin

Those are the ones whose deeds have collapsed in this world and the Hereafter, and they will have no helpers.

﴾٢٣﴿ أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُوا۟ نَصِيبًۭا مِّنَ ٱلْكِتَٰبِ يُدْعَوْنَ إِلَىٰ كِتَٰبِ ٱللَّهِ لِيَحْكُمَ بَيْنَهُمْ ثُمَّ يَتَوَلَّىٰ فَرِيقٌۭ مِّنْهُمْ وَهُم مُّعْرِضُونَ

Alam tara ilal ladhina utu nasibam minal Kitabi yud'awna ila Kitabil lahi liyahkuma baynahum thumma yatawalla fariqum minhum wa hum mu'ridun

Have you not seen those given a portion of the Book, being called to the Book of Allah to judge between them, then a group of them turns away, refusing.

﴾٢٤﴿ ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ قَالُوا۟ لَن تَمَسَّنَا ٱلنَّارُ إِلَّآ أَيَّامًۭا مَّعْدُودَٰتٍۢ ۖ وَغَرَّهُمْ فِى دِينِهِم مَّا كَانُوا۟ يَفْتَرُونَ

Dhalika bi annahum qalu lan tamassanan naru illa ayyamam ma'dudat, wa gharrahum fi dinihim ma kanu yaftarun

That is because they said, the Fire will not touch us except for a number of days. And what they used to invent deceived them in their religion.

﴾٢٥﴿ فَكَيْفَ إِذَا جَمَعْنَٰهُمْ لِيَوْمٍۢ لَّا رَيْبَ فِيهِ وَوُفِّيَتْ كُلُّ نَفْسٍۢ مَّا كَسَبَتْ وَهُمْ لَا يُظْلَمُونَ

Fakayfa idha jama'nahum li Yawmil la rayba fihi wa wuffiyat kullu nafsim ma kasabat wa hum la yuzlamun

So how will it be when We gather them for a Day in which there is no doubt, and every soul is paid in full what it earned, and they are not wronged.

﴾٢٦﴿ قُلِ ٱللَّهُمَّ مَٰلِكَ ٱلْمُلْكِ تُؤْتِى ٱلْمُلْكَ مَن تَشَآءُ وَتَنزِعُ ٱلْمُلْكَ مِمَّن تَشَآءُ وَتُعِزُّ مَن تَشَآءُ وَتُذِلُّ مَن تَشَآءُ ۖ بِيَدِكَ ٱلْخَيْرُ ۖ إِنَّكَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍۢ قَدِيرٌۭ

Qulil lahumma Malikal Mulki tu'til mulka man tasha'u wa tanzi'ul mulka mimman tasha'u wa tu'izzu man tasha'u wa tudhillu man tasha', biyadikal khayr, innaka 'ala kulli shay'in Qadir

Say, Allah, Owner of all dominion, You give dominion to whom You will and You take dominion from whom You will. And You honor whom You will and You humble whom You will. In Your hand is the good. You are able to do all things.

﴾٢٧﴿ تُولِجُ ٱلَّيْلَ فِى ٱلنَّهَارِ وَتُولِجُ ٱلنَّهَارَ فِى ٱلَّيْلِ ۖ وَتُخْرِجُ ٱلْحَىَّ مِنَ ٱلْمَيِّتِ وَتُخْرِجُ ٱلْمَيِّتَ مِنَ ٱلْحَىِّ ۖ وَتَرْزُقُ مَن تَشَآءُ بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍۢ

Tulijul layla fin nahari wa tulijun nahara fil layli wa tukhrijul hayya minal mayyiti wa tukhrijul mayyita minal hayyi wa tarzuqu man tasha'u bighayri hisab

You make the night enter into the day and You make the day enter into the night. And You bring the living out of the dead and You bring the dead out of the living. And You provide for whom You will without reckoning.

﴾٢٨﴿ لَّا يَتَّخِذِ ٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ ٱلْكَٰفِرِينَ أَوْلِيَآءَ مِن دُونِ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ ۖ وَمَن يَفْعَلْ ذَٰلِكَ فَلَيْسَ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ فِى شَىْءٍ إِلَّآ أَن تَتَّقُوا۟ مِنْهُمْ تُقَىٰةًۭ ۗ وَيُحَذِّرُكُمُ ٱللَّهُ نَفْسَهُۥ ۗ وَإِلَى ٱللَّهِ ٱلْمَصِيرُ

La yattakhidhil mu'minunal kafirina awliya'a min dunil mu'minin, wa may yaf'al dhalika falaysa minal lahi fi shay'in illa an tattaqu minhum tuqah, wa yuhadhdhirukumul lahu nafsah, wa ilal lahil masir

Let the believers not take the disbelievers as allies instead of the believers. And whoever does that has nothing with Allah, unless you guard yourselves against them out of caution. And Allah warns you of Himself. And to Allah is the destination.

﴾٢٩﴿ قُلْ إِن تُخْفُوا۟ مَا فِى صُدُورِكُمْ أَوْ تُبْدُوهُ يَعْلَمْهُ ٱللَّهُ ۗ وَيَعْلَمُ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَمَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍۢ قَدِيرٌۭ

Qul in tukhfu ma fi sudurikum aw tubduhu ya'lamhul lah, wa ya'lamu ma fis samawati wa ma fil ard, wallahu 'ala kulli shay'in Qadir

Say, whether you hide what is in your chests or make it known, Allah knows it. And He knows what is in the heavens and what is on the earth. And Allah is able to do all things.

﴾٣٠﴿ يَوْمَ تَجِدُ كُلُّ نَفْسٍۢ مَّا عَمِلَتْ مِنْ خَيْرٍۢ مُّحْضَرًۭا وَمَا عَمِلَتْ مِن سُوٓءٍۢ تَوَدُّ لَوْ أَنَّ بَيْنَهَا وَبَيْنَهُۥٓ أَمَدًۢا بَعِيدًۭا ۗ وَيُحَذِّرُكُمُ ٱللَّهُ نَفْسَهُۥ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ رَءُوفٌۢ بِٱلْعِبَادِ

Yawma tajidu kullu nafsim ma 'amilat min khayrim muhdaran wa ma 'amilat min su'in tawaddu law anna baynaha wa baynahu amadam ba'ida, wa yuhadhdhirukumul lahu nafsah, wallahu Ra'ufum bil 'ibad

On the Day every soul finds present what it did of good, and what it did of evil, it will wish there were a long distance between itself and that. And Allah warns you of Himself. And Allah is Kind to His servants.

﴾٣١﴿ قُلْ إِن كُنتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ ٱللَّهَ فَٱتَّبِعُونِى يُحْبِبْكُمُ ٱللَّهُ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ غَفُورٌۭ رَّحِيمٌۭ

Qul in kuntum tuhibbunal laha fattabi'uni yuhbibkumul lahu wa yaghfir lakum dhunubakum, wallahu Ghafurur Rahim

Say, if you love Allah, then follow me, and Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. And Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.

﴾٣٢﴿ قُلْ أَطِيعُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَٱلرَّسُولَ ۖ فَإِن تَوَلَّوْا۟ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ ٱلْكَٰفِرِينَ

Qul ati'ul laha war Rasula fa in tawallaw fa innal laha la yuhibbul kafirin

Say, obey Allah and the Messenger. And if they turn away, Allah does not love the disbelievers.

﴾٣٣﴿ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ ٱصْطَفَىٰٓ ءَادَمَ وَنُوحًۭا وَءَالَ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ وَءَالَ عِمْرَٰنَ عَلَى ٱلْعَٰلَمِينَ

Innal lahas tafa Adama wa Nuhan wa Ala Ibrahima wa Ala 'Imrana 'alal 'alamin

Allah chose Adam and Nuh and the family of Ibrahim and the family of Imran above all the worlds.

﴾٣٤﴿ ذُرِّيَّةًۢ بَعْضُهَا مِنۢ بَعْضٍۢ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ

Dhurriyyatam ba'duha mim ba'd, wallahu Sami'un 'Alim

Descendants, some of them from others. And Allah is Hearing, Knowing.

﴾٣٥﴿ إِذْ قَالَتِ ٱمْرَأَتُ عِمْرَٰنَ رَبِّ إِنِّى نَذَرْتُ لَكَ مَا فِى بَطْنِى مُحَرَّرًۭا فَتَقَبَّلْ مِنِّىٓ ۖ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ ٱلسَّمِيعُ ٱلْعَلِيمُ

Idh qalatim ra'atu 'Imrana Rabbi inni nadhartu laka ma fi batni muharraran fataqabbal minni, innaka Antas Sami'ul 'Alim

When the wife of Imran said, my Lord, I have vowed to You what is in my womb, dedicated. So accept it from me. You are the Hearing, the Knowing.

﴾٣٦﴿ فَلَمَّا وَضَعَتْهَا قَالَتْ رَبِّ إِنِّى وَضَعْتُهَآ أُنثَىٰ وَٱللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا وَضَعَتْ وَلَيْسَ ٱلذَّكَرُ كَٱلْأُنثَىٰ ۖ وَإِنِّى سَمَّيْتُهَا مَرْيَمَ وَإِنِّىٓ أُعِيذُهَا بِكَ وَذُرِّيَّتَهَا مِنَ ٱلشَّيْطَٰنِ ٱلرَّجِيمِ

Falamma wada'atha qalat Rabbi inni wada'tuha untha, wallahu a'lamu bima wada'at, wa laysadh dhakaru kal untha, wa inni sammaytuha Maryama wa inni u'idhuha bika wa dhurriyyataha minash Shaytanir Rajim

Then when she delivered her she said, my Lord, I have delivered a female. And Allah knew best what she delivered, and the male is not like the female. And I have named her Maryam, and I place her and her offspring in Your protection from Satan the rejected.

﴾٣٧﴿ فَتَقَبَّلَهَا رَبُّهَا بِقَبُولٍ حَسَنٍۢ وَأَنۢبَتَهَا نَبَاتًا حَسَنًۭا وَكَفَّلَهَا زَكَرِيَّا ۖ كُلَّمَا دَخَلَ عَلَيْهَا زَكَرِيَّا ٱلْمِحْرَابَ وَجَدَ عِندَهَا رِزْقًۭا ۖ قَالَ يَٰمَرْيَمُ أَنَّىٰ لَكِ هَٰذَا ۖ قَالَتْ هُوَ مِنْ عِندِ ٱللَّهِ ۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَرْزُقُ مَن يَشَآءُ بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ

Fataqabbalaha Rabbuha biqabulin hasanin wa anbataha nabatan hasanan wa kaffalaha Zakariyya, kullama dakhala 'alayha Zakariyyal mihraba wajada 'indaha rizqa, qala ya Maryamu anna laki hadha, qalat huwa min 'indil lah, innal laha yarzuqu may yasha'u bighayri hisab

So her Lord accepted her with a good acceptance and made her grow well, and placed her in the care of Zakariyya. Every time Zakariyya entered upon her in the prayer chamber he found provision with her. He said, Maryam, where is this from for you. She said, it is from Allah. Allah provides for whom He wills without reckoning.

﴾٣٨﴿ هُنَالِكَ دَعَا زَكَرِيَّا رَبَّهُۥ ۖ قَالَ رَبِّ هَبْ لِى مِن لَّدُنكَ ذُرِّيَّةًۭ طَيِّبَةً ۖ إِنَّكَ سَمِيعُ ٱلدُّعَآءِ

Hunalika da'a Zakariyya Rabbahu qala Rabbi hab li mil ladunka dhurriyyatan tayyibatan innaka sami'ud du'a'

There Zakariyya called on his Lord. He said, my Lord, grant me from Yourself good offspring. You are the Hearer of the call.

﴾٣٩﴿ فَنَادَتْهُ ٱلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةُ وَهُوَ قَآئِمٌۭ يُصَلِّى فِى ٱلْمِحْرَابِ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُبَشِّرُكَ بِيَحْيَىٰ مُصَدِّقًۢا بِكَلِمَةٍۢ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ وَسَيِّدًۭا وَحَصُورًۭا وَنَبِيًّۭا مِّنَ ٱلصَّٰلِحِينَ

Fanadathul mala'ikatu wa huwa qa'imun yusalli fil mihrabi annal laha yubashshiruka bi Yahya musaddiqam bi Kalimatim minal lahi wa sayyidan wa hasuran wa Nabiyyam minas salihin

So the angels called to him while he was standing in prayer in the chamber, that Allah gives you good news of Yahya, confirming a word from Allah, and a leader, and restrained, and a prophet from among the righteous.

﴾٤٠﴿ قَالَ رَبِّ أَنَّىٰ يَكُونُ لِى غُلَٰمٌۭ وَقَدْ بَلَغَنِىَ ٱلْكِبَرُ وَٱمْرَأَتِى عَاقِرٌۭ ۖ قَالَ كَذَٰلِكَ ٱللَّهُ يَفْعَلُ مَا يَشَآءُ

Qala Rabbi anna yakunu li ghulamun wa qad balaghaniyal kibaru wamra'ati 'aqir, qala kadhalikal lahu yaf'alu ma yasha'

He said, my Lord, how can I have a boy when old age has reached me and my wife is barren. He said, in this way Allah does what He wills.

﴾٤١﴿ قَالَ رَبِّ ٱجْعَل لِّىٓ ءَايَةًۭ ۖ قَالَ ءَايَتُكَ أَلَّا تُكَلِّمَ ٱلنَّاسَ ثَلَٰثَةَ أَيَّامٍ إِلَّا رَمْزًۭا ۗ وَٱذْكُر رَّبَّكَ كَثِيرًۭا وَسَبِّحْ بِٱلْعَشِىِّ وَٱلْإِبْكَٰرِ

Qala Rabbij'al li ayah, qala ayatuka alla tukalliman nasa thalathata ayyamin illa ramza, wadhkur Rabbaka kathiran wa sabbih bil 'ashiyyi wal ibkar

He said, my Lord, appoint a sign for me. He said, your sign is that you will not speak to people for three days except by gesture. And remember your Lord much, and glorify Him in the evening and the early morning.

﴾٤٢﴿ وَإِذْ قَالَتِ ٱلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةُ يَٰمَرْيَمُ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ ٱصْطَفَىٰكِ وَطَهَّرَكِ وَٱصْطَفَىٰكِ عَلَىٰ نِسَآءِ ٱلْعَٰلَمِينَ

Wa idh qalatil mala'ikatu ya Maryamu innal lahas tafaki wa tahharaki wastafaki 'ala nisa'il 'alamin

And when the angels said, Maryam, Allah has chosen you and purified you and chosen you above the women of the worlds.

﴾٤٣﴿ يَٰمَرْيَمُ ٱقْنُتِى لِرَبِّكِ وَٱسْجُدِى وَٱرْكَعِى مَعَ ٱلرَّٰكِعِينَ

Ya Maryamuqnuti li Rabbiki wasjudi warka'i ma'ar raki'in

Maryam, be devoted to your Lord and prostrate and bow with those who bow.

﴾٤٤﴿ ذَٰلِكَ مِنْ أَنۢبَآءِ ٱلْغَيْبِ نُوحِيهِ إِلَيْكَ ۚ وَمَا كُنتَ لَدَيْهِمْ إِذْ يُلْقُونَ أَقْلَٰمَهُمْ أَيُّهُمْ يَكْفُلُ مَرْيَمَ وَمَا كُنتَ لَدَيْهِمْ إِذْ يَخْتَصِمُونَ

Dhalika min amba'il ghaybi nuhihi ilayk, wa ma kunta ladayhim idh yulquna aqlamahum ayyuhum yakfulu Maryama wa ma kunta ladayhim idh yakhtasimun

That is from the news of the unseen, which We reveal to you. And you were not with them when they cast their pens to see which of them would take charge of Maryam, and you were not with them when they were disputing.

﴾٤٥﴿ إِذْ قَالَتِ ٱلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةُ يَٰمَرْيَمُ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُبَشِّرُكِ بِكَلِمَةٍۢ مِّنْهُ ٱسْمُهُ ٱلْمَسِيحُ عِيسَى ٱبْنُ مَرْيَمَ وَجِيهًۭا فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا وَٱلْءَاخِرَةِ وَمِنَ ٱلْمُقَرَّبِينَ

Idh qalatil mala'ikatu ya Maryamu innal laha yubashshiruki bi Kalimatim minhu, smuhul Masihu 'Isa bnu Maryama wajihan fid dunya wal Akhirati wa minal muqarrabin

When the angels said, Maryam, Allah gives you good news of a word from Him. His name is the Messiah, Isa son of Maryam, honored in this world and the Hereafter, and of those brought near.

﴾٤٦﴿ وَيُكَلِّمُ ٱلنَّاسَ فِى ٱلْمَهْدِ وَكَهْلًۭا وَمِنَ ٱلصَّٰلِحِينَ

Wa yukallimun nasa fil mahdi wa kahlan wa minas salihin

And he will speak to people in the cradle and in maturity, and he will be of the righteous.

﴾٤٧﴿ قَالَتْ رَبِّ أَنَّىٰ يَكُونُ لِى وَلَدٌۭ وَلَمْ يَمْسَسْنِى بَشَرٌۭ ۖ قَالَ كَذَٰلِكِ ٱللَّهُ يَخْلُقُ مَا يَشَآءُ ۚ إِذَا قَضَىٰٓ أَمْرًۭا فَإِنَّمَا يَقُولُ لَهُۥ كُن فَيَكُونُ

Qalat Rabbi anna yakunu li waladun wa lam yamsasni bashar, qala kadhalikil lahu yakhluqu ma yasha', idha qada amran fa innama yaqulu lahu kun fayakun

She said, my Lord, how can I have a child when no man has touched me. He said, in this way Allah creates what He wills. When He decides a matter, He only says to it be, and it is.

﴾٤٨﴿ وَيُعَلِّمُهُ ٱلْكِتَٰبَ وَٱلْحِكْمَةَ وَٱلتَّوْرَىٰةَ وَٱلْإِنجِيلَ

Wa yu'allimuhul Kitaba wal Hikmata wat Tawrata wal Injil

And He will teach him the Book and the wisdom and the Torah and the Gospel.

﴾٤٩﴿ وَرَسُولًا إِلَىٰ بَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ أَنِّى قَدْ جِئْتُكُم بِـَٔايَةٍۢ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ ۖ أَنِّىٓ أَخْلُقُ لَكُم مِّنَ ٱلطِّينِ كَهَيْـَٔةِ ٱلطَّيْرِ فَأَنفُخُ فِيهِ فَيَكُونُ طَيْرًۢا بِإِذْنِ ٱللَّهِ ۖ وَأُبْرِئُ ٱلْأَكْمَهَ وَٱلْأَبْرَصَ وَأُحْىِ ٱلْمَوْتَىٰ بِإِذْنِ ٱللَّهِ ۖ وَأُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا تَأْكُلُونَ وَمَا تَدَّخِرُونَ فِى بُيُوتِكُمْ ۚ إِنَّ فِى ذَٰلِكَ لَءَايَةًۭ لَّكُمْ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ

Wa Rasulan ila Bani Isra'ila anni qad ji'tukum bi Ayatim mir Rabbikum, anni akhluqu lakum minat tini kahay'atit tayri fa anfukhu fihi fayakunu tayram bi idhnil lah, wa ubri'ul akmaha wal abrasa wa uhyil mawta bi idhnil lah, wa unabbi'ukum bima ta'kuluna wa ma taddakhiruna fi buyutikum, inna fi dhalika la ayatal lakum in kuntum mu'minin

And a messenger to the children of Israel, that I have come to you with a sign from your Lord, that I form for you from clay the shape of a bird and breathe into it, and it becomes a bird by the permission of Allah. And I heal the blind from birth and the leper, and I give life to the dead by the permission of Allah. And I tell you what you eat and what you store in your houses. In that is a sign for you, if you are believers.

﴾٥٠﴿ وَمُصَدِّقًۭا لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَىَّ مِنَ ٱلتَّوْرَىٰةِ وَلِأُحِلَّ لَكُم بَعْضَ ٱلَّذِى حُرِّمَ عَلَيْكُمْ ۚ وَجِئْتُكُم بِـَٔايَةٍۢ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ فَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُونِ

Wa musaddiqal lima bayna yadayya minat Tawrati wa li uhilla lakum ba'dal ladhi hurrima 'alaykum, wa ji'tukum bi Ayatim mir Rabbikum fattaqul laha wa ati'un

And confirming what came before me of the Torah, and to make lawful for you some of what was forbidden to you. And I have come to you with a sign from your Lord, so be conscious of Allah and obey me.

﴾٥١﴿ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ رَبِّى وَرَبُّكُمْ فَٱعْبُدُوهُ ۗ هَٰذَا صِرَٰطٌۭ مُّسْتَقِيمٌۭ

Innal laha Rabbi wa Rabbukum fa'buduh, hadha Siratum Mustaqim

Allah is my Lord and your Lord, so worship Him. This is a straight path.

﴾٥٢﴿ فَلَمَّآ أَحَسَّ عِيسَىٰ مِنْهُمُ ٱلْكُفْرَ قَالَ مَنْ أَنصَارِىٓ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ ۖ قَالَ ٱلْحَوَارِيُّونَ نَحْنُ أَنصَارُ ٱللَّهِ ءَامَنَّا بِٱللَّهِ وَٱشْهَدْ بِأَنَّا مُسْلِمُونَ

Falamma ahassa 'Isa minhumul kufra qala man ansari ilal lah, qalal Hawariyyuna nahnu ansarul lah, amanna billahi washhad bi anna muslimun

Then when Isa sensed disbelief from them he said, who are my helpers toward Allah. The disciples said, we are the helpers of Allah. We have believed in Allah, and bear witness that we are submitted.

﴾٥٣﴿ رَبَّنَآ ءَامَنَّا بِمَآ أَنزَلْتَ وَٱتَّبَعْنَا ٱلرَّسُولَ فَٱكْتُبْنَا مَعَ ٱلشَّٰهِدِينَ

Rabbana amanna bima anzalta wattaba'nar Rasula faktubna ma'ash shahidin

Our Lord, we have believed in what You sent down and we have followed the Messenger, so write us among the witnesses.

﴾٥٤﴿ وَمَكَرُوا۟ وَمَكَرَ ٱللَّهُ ۖ وَٱللَّهُ خَيْرُ ٱلْمَٰكِرِينَ

Wa makaru wa makaral lahu wallahu khayrul makirin

And they planned, and Allah planned. And Allah is the best of planners.

﴾٥٥﴿ إِذْ قَالَ ٱللَّهُ يَٰعِيسَىٰٓ إِنِّى مُتَوَفِّيكَ وَرَافِعُكَ إِلَىَّ وَمُطَهِّرُكَ مِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ وَجَاعِلُ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّبَعُوكَ فَوْقَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوٓا۟ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ ٱلْقِيَٰمَةِ ۖ ثُمَّ إِلَىَّ مَرْجِعُكُمْ فَأَحْكُمُ بَيْنَكُمْ فِيمَا كُنتُمْ فِيهِ تَخْتَلِفُونَ

Idh qalal lahu ya 'Isa inni mutawaffika wa rafi'uka ilayya wa mutahhiruka minal ladhina kafaru wa ja'ilul ladhinat taba'uka fawqal ladhina kafaru ila Yawmil Qiyamah, thumma ilayya marji'ukum fa ahkumu baynakum fima kuntum fihi takhtalifun

When Allah said, Isa, I am taking you and raising you to Myself and purifying you of those who disbelieved, and placing those who followed you above those who disbelieved until the Day of Standing. Then to Me is your return, and I will judge between you concerning what you used to differ in.

﴾٥٦﴿ فَأَمَّا ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ فَأُعَذِّبُهُمْ عَذَابًۭا شَدِيدًۭا فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا وَٱلْءَاخِرَةِ وَمَا لَهُم مِّن نَّٰصِرِينَ

Fa ammal ladhina kafaru fa u'adhdhibuhum 'adhaban shadidan fid dunya wal Akhirati wa ma lahum min nasirin

So as for those who disbelieved, I will punish them with a severe punishment in this world and the Hereafter, and they will have no helpers.

﴾٥٧﴿ وَأَمَّا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَعَمِلُوا۟ ٱلصَّٰلِحَٰتِ فَيُوَفِّيهِمْ أُجُورَهُمْ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ لَا يُحِبُّ ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ

Wa ammal ladhina amanu wa 'amilus salihati fayuwaffihim ujurahum, wallahu la yuhibbuz zalimin

And as for those who believed and did righteous deeds, He will pay them their rewards in full. And Allah does not love the wrongdoers.

﴾٥٨﴿ ذَٰلِكَ نَتْلُوهُ عَلَيْكَ مِنَ ٱلْءَايَٰتِ وَٱلذِّكْرِ ٱلْحَكِيمِ

Dhalika natluhu 'alayka minal ayati wadh Dhikril Hakim

That is what We recite to you of the signs and the wise reminder.

﴾٥٩﴿ إِنَّ مَثَلَ عِيسَىٰ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ كَمَثَلِ ءَادَمَ ۖ خَلَقَهُۥ مِن تُرَابٍۢ ثُمَّ قَالَ لَهُۥ كُن فَيَكُونُ

Inna mathala 'Isa 'indal lahi kamathali Adam, khalaqahu min turabin thumma qala lahu kun fayakun

The likeness of Isa with Allah is like the likeness of Adam. He created him from dust, then said to him be, and he was.

﴾٦٠﴿ ٱلْحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّكَ فَلَا تَكُن مِّنَ ٱلْمُمْتَرِينَ

Alhaqqu mir Rabbika fala takum minal mumtarin

The truth is from your Lord, so do not be of those who doubt.

﴾٦١﴿ فَمَنْ حَآجَّكَ فِيهِ مِنۢ بَعْدِ مَا جَآءَكَ مِنَ ٱلْعِلْمِ فَقُلْ تَعَالَوْا۟ نَدْعُ أَبْنَآءَنَا وَأَبْنَآءَكُمْ وَنِسَآءَنَا وَنِسَآءَكُمْ وَأَنفُسَنَا وَأَنفُسَكُمْ ثُمَّ نَبْتَهِلْ فَنَجْعَل لَّعْنَتَ ٱللَّهِ عَلَى ٱلْكَٰذِبِينَ

Faman hajjaka fihi mim ba'di ma ja'aka minal 'ilmi faqul ta'alaw nad'u abna'ana wa abna'akum wa nisa'ana wa nisa'akum wa anfusana wa anfusakum thumma nabtahil fanaj'al la'natal lahi 'alal kadhibin

So whoever argues with you about him after the knowledge has come to you, say, come, let us call our sons and your sons, and our women and your women, and ourselves and yourselves, then let us pray earnestly and place the curse of Allah on the liars.

﴾٦٢﴿ إِنَّ هَٰذَا لَهُوَ ٱلْقَصَصُ ٱلْحَقُّ ۚ وَمَا مِنْ إِلَٰهٍ إِلَّا ٱللَّهُ ۚ وَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَهُوَ ٱلْعَزِيزُ ٱلْحَكِيمُ

Inna hadha lahuwal qasasul haqq, wa ma min ilahin illal lah, wa innal laha la Huwal 'Azizul Hakim

This is the true account. And there is no god except Allah. And Allah is the Mighty, the Wise.

﴾٦٣﴿ فَإِن تَوَلَّوْا۟ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلِيمٌۢ بِٱلْمُفْسِدِينَ

Fa in tawallaw fa innal laha 'Alimum bil mufsidin

And if they turn away, Allah knows the corrupters.

Tafsir · The Reading

Overview

The Mother of the Book.

Verse 7 is placed near the front of this chapter for a reason. Before any argument is made, the reader is told how the Book is built and how it is misused.

Some verses are muhkam, decisive, and they are called umm al-kitab, the mother of the Book, the part everything else is referred back to. Others are mutashabih, carrying more than one sense. And the verse then does something no ordinary text does: it names the disposition that goes hunting for the second category. As for those in whose hearts is a swerve. The fault is located in the reader before it is located in the reading.

And the alternative posture is given in the same verse. Those firmly rooted in knowledge say, we believe in it, all of it is from our Lord. Rooted, not merely learned.

The rest of Part One runs through the things people actually build their confidence on. Wealth and children in verse 10. Desires listed in detail in verse 14, and then a better offer made in verse 15 rather than a condemnation. A claim of limited punishment in verse 24. And then the prayer of kingship in verse 26, which is where the confidence should have been placed all along.

And then the family the chapter is named after. A woman making a vow about a child she had not met, a daughter she had not expected, and a granddaughter of that line who would be chosen above the women of the worlds.

Verses 1 to 32

A Swerve in the Heart.

Verse 7 gives the diagnosis and the remedy in one verse, and verse 8 turns the diagnosis into a prayer. Rabbana la tuzigh qulubana ba’da idh hadaytana. Our Lord, do not let our hearts swerve after You have guided us. The word for swerve is the same word used in verse 7 for the condition of the people who misuse the Book. Having been told what the disease looks like, the reader is immediately given the words to ask not to catch it.

Verse 14 lists what is made attractive and it does not sneer at any of it. Women, sons, heaped-up gold and silver, branded horses, cattle, cultivated land. Spouse, children, savings, transport, livestock, property. That is a description of a good life in any century. The verse calls it the provision of the life of this world, which is accurate rather than dismissive, and then verse 15 does something a warning would not do. Say, shall I tell you of something better than that. The list is not cancelled. It is outbid.

Verse 18 is one of the most striking sentences in the Quran. Allah bears witness that there is no god except Him, and so do the angels and those of knowledge. Three witnesses are named to one fact, and the third is people who know. Scholarship is placed in the same sentence as the testimony of angels, and the qualifier at the end applies to all three: standing in justice.

Verse 24 records the belief that made everything else possible. The Fire will not touch us except for a number of days. A short, survivable, manageable consequence. And then the verse names what that assumption did: what they used to invent deceived them in their religion. The self-deception was not about Allah. It was about the size of the bill.

Verse 26 is the prayer people reach for when everything is being decided by somebody else. Allah, Owner of all dominion, You give dominion to whom You will and You take dominion from whom You will. And You honor whom You will and You humble whom You will. Four movements, two up and two down, all attributed to one hand. And then the clause that keeps it from being frightening: bi yadika al-khayr. In Your hand is the good. Only the good is named as being in the hand, even though the verse has just described the taking as well as the giving.

And verse 31 settles a question people avoid. Say, if you love Allah, then follow me, and Allah will love you. The claim to love is answered with a test of conduct rather than a test of feeling. And notice the direction of the exchange. Your love is the claim. His love is the result. The verse does not treat them as the same kind of thing.

Verses 33 to 47

I Have Delivered a Female.

Verse 35 is a woman making a vow about a child she has not met. I have vowed to You what is in my womb, dedicated. Muharraran means released from all other claims, given entirely to the service of the sanctuary. That was work done by men.

Then verse 36, and the Quran preserves her disappointment without editing it. Then when she delivered her she said, my Lord, I have delivered a female. She had made a promise she now could not keep in the form she intended, and she says so. The verse does not rebuke her. It interrupts her with a parenthesis: and Allah knew best what she delivered. The correction is not to her character. It is to her information.

And then she does the thing that made everything downstream possible. And I have named her Maryam, and I place her and her offspring in Your protection from Satan the rejected. She could not give the temple the servant she had promised. So she gave what she had, and asked for protection for a line she would not live to see.

Verse 37 shows what came of it. Every time Zakariyya entered upon her in the prayer chamber he found provision with her. He asks where it came from. She answers, it is from Allah, and adds a general principle rather than an explanation: Allah provides for whom He wills without reckoning.

Verse 38 is the part most readers pass over and it is the point of the whole sequence. Hunalika. There. In that place, at that moment, Zakariyya called on his Lord. He had been childless for decades and had presumably prayed about it before. What moved him to pray again was seeing provision arrive for somebody else without a visible cause. Another person’s answered prayer is what unlocked his own.

Verse 39 answers him while he is standing in prayer, which is worth noticing, and verse 40 records his response honestly: my Lord, how can I have a boy when old age has reached me and my wife is barren. It is not doubt in Allah. It is a man reporting the state of the material facts, and the answer he gets does not argue with the facts. In this way Allah does what He wills.

Verse 42 then states what Maryam was given, and the verb is repeated. Allah has chosen you and purified you and chosen you above the women of the worlds. Chosen twice, with the purification placed between the two.

And verse 43 gives her instruction, and its last clause has occupied readers for centuries. Prostrate, and bow with those who bow. Not with those who bow, feminine. The masculine plural. She is told to take her place in the congregation as it stands.

Verses 48 to 63

Be, and It Is.

Verse 47 gives Maryam’s question and it is exactly the question Zakariyya asked eight verses earlier, in the same form. My Lord, how can I have a child when no man has touched me. Both of them report the physical obstacle. Both of them are answered without the obstacle being disputed. And her answer adds the mechanism: when He decides a matter, He only says to it be, and it is.

Verse 49 lists the signs given to Isa, peace be upon him, and every one of the extraordinary ones carries the same qualifier, spoken by him. By the permission of Allah. He says it himself, twice, inside the description of his own miracles, before anyone had begun to make claims about him.

Verse 52 records the moment a mission narrows to almost nothing. Then when Isa sensed disbelief from them he said, who are my helpers toward Allah. A question asked out loud into a room, by a man who has just understood that the crowd is not with him. And the answer comes from a handful. We are the helpers of Allah.

Verse 55 uses a phrase that has been discussed for fourteen centuries and the guide should present it plainly rather than resolving it. Inni mutawaffika wa rafi’uka ilayya. The verb tawaffa means to take in full, and is used in the Quran both for death and for the taking of the soul in sleep. Scholars have read this verse in more than one way, and the chapter itself does not settle the sequence. What it settles is the second clause: and raising you to Myself.

Verse 59 makes the argument that closes the question of origin. The likeness of Isa with Allah is like the likeness of Adam. He created him from dust, then said to him be, and he was. If a birth without a father proves divinity, then a man made with neither father nor mother proves more of it, and nobody has ever claimed that about Adam. The argument is made by comparison rather than by denial, and it is unanswerable on its own terms.

And verse 61 is the mubahala, the invitation to a mutual invocation. Come, let us call our sons and your sons, and our women and your women, and ourselves and yourselves, then let us pray earnestly and place the curse of Allah on the liars. It is not a debate. It is an offer to stand together, with the people each side loves most present, and ask Allah to settle it. There is no version of this offer that a man making a claim he is unsure of would ever extend.

Structural Summary

Verses One to Sixty-Three. The Mother of the Book.

A distinction between two kinds of verse, and a fault located in the reader. A prayer built from the diagnosis one verse earlier. A description of a good life, outbid rather than condemned. Three witnesses to one fact, the third being people who know. A short survivable sentence assumed and named as the deception. Four movements attributed to one hand, with only the good named as being in it. A claim of love answered with a test of conduct. A vow made about an unmet child. A disappointment preserved and corrected only on the facts. A man who prayed because he saw somebody else answered. Two identical questions about impossibility, and two answers that never dispute the facts. Permission attached to every miracle by the man performing them. A question asked into a room that had emptied. A likeness that settles an argument without denying anything. And an offer to stand with the people you love most and let Allah decide.

The Practice · Daily Integration

Verses One to Sixty-Three. Do It Specifically.

One. Verse 8 is the prayer given immediately after the diagnosis in verse 7. Memorize it in Arabic this week and say it after every fard prayer. Rabbana la tuzigh qulubana ba’da idh hadaytana.

Two. Verse 31 tests love by conduct rather than feeling. Name one thing the Sunnah asks of you that you have never adopted because it felt optional. Adopt it this week and keep it for a month.

Three. Verse 38 records a man moved to pray by seeing someone else answered. Take the person whose blessing you have been quietly measuring yourself against. Make the same du’a for yourself, in the same words, and then make it for them.

آمِين

Prepared with discipline · Ameen

Verse-By-Verse · Test Yourself

The Quiz

Two questions per verse. Translation and a key Arabic word. Walk through it slow. The goal is comprehension, not speed.

Verses 1 to 181 / 12

Verse 7

What are the two kinds of verse named in verse 7, and which is called the mother of the Book?