Al Imran (, ; The Family of Imran) is the third chapter (

sūrah A ''surah'' (; ; ) is an Arabic word meaning 'chapter' in the Quran. There are 114 ''suwar'' in the Quran, each divided into ayah, verses (). The ''suwar'' are of unequal length; the shortest ''surah'' (al-Kawthar) has only three verses, while ...

) of the

Quran The Quran, also Romanization, romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a Waḥy, revelation directly from God in Islam, God (''Allah, Allāh''). It is organized in 114 chapters (, ) which ...

with two hundred verses ('' āyāt''). This chapter is named after the family of Imran (Joachim), which includes Imran,

Saint Anne According to apocrypha, as well as Christianity, Christian and Islamic tradition, Saint Anne was the mother of Mary, mother of Jesus, Mary, the wife of Joachim and the maternal grandmother of Jesus. Mary's mother is not named in the Bible's Gosp ...

(wife of Imran), Mary, and

Jesus Jesus (AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Chris ...

. Regarding the timing and contextual background of the

asbāb al-nuzūl Occasions or circumstances of revelation (in Arabic - ''al-nuzūl'') names the historical context in which Quranic verses were revealed from the perspective of traditional Islam. Though of some use in reconstructing the Qur'an's historicity, ''a ...

or circumstances of revelation, the chapter is believed to have been either the second or third of the

Medinan surah A Medinan surah () of the Quran is one that was revealed at Medina after Muhammad's hijrah from Mecca. They are the latest 28 Suwar. The community was larger and more developed, in contrast to its minority position in Mecca. The Medinan Surahs oc ...

s, as it references both the events of the battles of Badr and Uhud. Almost all of it also belongs to the third

Hijri year The Hijri year () or era () is the era used in the Islamic lunar calendar. It begins its count from the Islamic New Year in which Muhammad and his followers migrated from Mecca to Yathrib (now Medina) in 622 CE. This event, known as the Hij ...

, though a minority of its verses might have been revealed during the visit of the deputation of the

Christian community of Najran The Christians of Najran were the most notable community of Christians in pre-Islamic Arabia. Christianity appears to have spread into the region by the fifth century, if not earlier. In some Islamic tradition, Najran is thought to have been the s ...

at the event of the mubahala, which occurred around the 10th year of the Hijrah.

Summary

*1-2 God is one and self-existent *3-4 The Quran is to be believed *5-6 God

omniscient Omniscience is the property of possessing maximal knowledge. In Hinduism, Sikhism and the Abrahamic religions, it is often attributed to a divine being or an all-knowing spirit, entity or person. In Jainism, omniscience is an attribute that any ...

*7 Plain and obscure verses of the Quran *8-9 The prayer of those versed in Quranic mystery *10-12 The punishment of

Pharaoh Pharaoh (, ; Egyptian language, Egyptian: ''wikt:pr ꜥꜣ, pr ꜥꜣ''; Meroitic language, Meroitic: 𐦲𐦤𐦧, ; Biblical Hebrew: ''Parʿō'') was the title of the monarch of ancient Egypt from the First Dynasty of Egypt, First Dynasty ( ...

a warning to infidels *13 The victory at the

Battle of Badr The Battle of Badr or sometimes called The Raid of Badr ( ; ''Ghazwahu Badr''), also referred to as The Day of the Criterion (, ; ''Yawm al-Furqan'') in the Qur'an and by Muslims, was fought on 13 March 624 CE (17 Ramadan, 2 AH), near the pre ...

alluded to *14-18 The

faithful Faithful may refer to: Film and television * ''Faithful'' (1910 film), an American comedy short directed by D. W. Griffith * ''Faithful'' (1936 film), a British musical drama directed by Paul L. Stein * ''Faithful'' (1996 film), an American cr ...

, their character and reward *19-20

Islam Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...

the true religion *21-25 The punishment of unbelievers eternal *26-27 God

omnipotent Omnipotence is the property of possessing maximal power. Monotheistic religions generally attribute omnipotence only to the deity of their faith. In the monotheistic religious philosophy of Abrahamic religions, omnipotence is often listed as ...

and sovereign *28-34 Obedience to the Rabbinical lineage of Abraham enjoined. *35-38 The

Virgin Mary Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is an important figure of Christianity, venerated under titles of Mary, mother of Jesus, various titles such as Perpetual virginity ...

- her conception - nurtured by Zacharias *39-41

John the Baptist John the Baptist ( – ) was a Jewish preacher active in the area of the Jordan River in the early first century AD. He is also known as Saint John the Forerunner in Eastern Orthodoxy and Oriental Orthodoxy, John the Immerser in some Baptist ...

, his birth *42-57

Christ Jesus ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Christianity, central figure of Christianity, the M ...

announced to the Virgin - his miracles,

apostles An apostle (), in its literal sense, is an emissary. The word is derived from Ancient Greek ἀπόστολος (''apóstolos''), literally "one who is sent off", itself derived from the verb ἀποστέλλειν (''apostéllein''), "to se ...

etc. *58-65 Muhammad's dispute with the Christians of

Najran Najran ( '), is a city in southwestern Saudi Arabia. It is the capital of Najran Province. Today, the city of Najran is one of the fastest-growing cities in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia. As of the 2022 census, the city population was 381,431, wi ...

*66-77 The hypocritical

Jews Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

reproached *78-83

Prophets In religion, a prophet or prophetess is an individual who is regarded as being in contact with a divine being and is said to speak on behalf of that being, serving as an intermediary with humanity by delivering messages or teachings from the ...

not to be

worshipped Worship is an act of religious devotion usually directed towards a deity or God. For many, worship is not about an emotion, it is more about a recognition of a God. An act of worship may be performed individually, in an informal or formal group, ...

*84-91 God's curse on infidels *92

Almsgiving Alms (, ) are money, food, or other material goods donated to people living in poverty. Providing alms is often considered an act of charity. The act of providing alms is called almsgiving. Etymology The word ''alms'' comes from the Old Engli ...

enjoined *93-95 The Jews unlawfully forbid certain meats *96-97 The

Kaaba The Kaaba (), also spelled Kaba, Kabah or Kabah, sometimes referred to as al-Kaba al-Musharrafa (), is a stone building at the center of Islam's most important mosque and Holiest sites in Islam, holiest site, the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca, Sa ...

founded *98-120 The lot of infidels and believers contrasted *121-122 The

battle of Uhud The Battle of Uhud () was fought between the early Muslims and the Quraysh during the Muslim–Quraysh wars in a valley north of Mount Uhud near Medina on Saturday, 23 March 625 AD (7 Shawwal, 3 AH). After the expulsion of Hijrah, Muslims from ...

alluded to *123 The narration about divine intervention from God in battle of Badr, as the number of personnel and war equipments brought by Muslims are few.

Muhammad al-Bukhari Abū ʿAbd Allāh Muḥammad ibn Ismāʿīl ibn Ibrāhīm al-Juʿfī al-Bukhārī (; 21 July 810 – 1 September 870) was a 9th-century Persian Muslim '' muhaddith'' who is widely regarded as the most important ''hadith'' scholar in the histor ...

giving commentary about the conclusion of this verse by correlate the subsequent event about the conversation between Muhammad and Gabriel, that the help which Allah sent down to bring victory to the Muslims were in the form of the army of best angels among their kinds. This were viewed as the instruction from the verse for Muslims to always fear and be thankful for Allah. *124 Consensus of Islamic scholars and clerics has enclosed various hadiths as interpretation material for this verse that

Gabriel In the Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam), Gabriel ( ) is an archangel with the power to announce God's will to mankind, as the messenger of God. He is mentioned in the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament and the Quran. Many Chris ...

Michael Michael may refer to: People * Michael (given name), a given name * he He ..., a given name * Michael (surname), including a list of people with the surname Michael Given name * Michael (bishop elect)">Michael (surname)">he He ..., a given nam ...

Raphael Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino (; March 28 or April 6, 1483April 6, 1520), now generally known in English as Raphael ( , ), was an Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance. List of paintings by Raphael, His work is admired for its cl ...

and thousands of the best angels from the third level of sky, all came to the battle of Badr. According to a Hadith narrated by Suyuti, the third sky angels were said to rode horses. Meanwhile, Mahdi Rizqullah has compiled the commentary from classical Islamic scholars, that the verse narration about the angels attendance in the battle were also supported by hadiths from hadith collection from Muslim ibn Hajjaj,

Ahmad ibn Hanbal Ahmad ibn Hanbal (; (164-241 AH; 780 – 855 CE) was an Arab Muslim scholar, jurist, theologian, traditionist, ascetic and eponym of the Hanbali school of Islamic jurisprudence—one of the four major orthodox legal schools of Sunni Islam. T ...

, and the also from Quranic historiography work by

Ibn Kathir Abu al-Fida Isma'il ibn Umar ibn Kathir al-Dimashqi (; ), known simply as Ibn Kathir, was an Arab Islamic Exegesis, exegete, historian and scholar. An expert on (Quranic exegesis), (history) and (Islamic jurisprudence), he is considered a lea ...

Muhammad Nasiruddin al-Albani Muhammad Nasir al-Din (19142 October 1999), commonly known as al-Albani, was an Albanian Islamic scholar. A leading figure of Salafism, he is commemorated for his works on revaluation of hadith studies. Born in Shkodër, Albania, to a family ad ...

gave commentary of another supportive narration from al-Baihaqi and

Ibn Ishaq Abu Abd Allah Muhammad ibn Ishaq ibn Yasar al-Muttalibi (; – , known simply as Ibn Ishaq, was an 8th-century Muslim historian and hagiographer who collected oral traditions that formed the basis of an important biography of the Islamic proph ...

, through various hadith narration chains about the testimony from several different

sahabah The Companions of the Prophet () were the Muslim disciples and followers of the Islamic prophet Muhammad who saw or met him during his lifetime. The companions played a major role in Muslim battles, society, hadith narration, and governance ...

. This included the narration of

Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib Al-Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib () was a paternal uncle and sahabi (companion) of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, just three years older than his nephew. A wealthy merchant, during the early years of Islam he protected Muhammad while he was in Mecca, ...

who at that time fought on the side of Qurayshite polytheist, who testified that he has been taken captive on the aftermath of the battle by a horse rider whom he did not recognize at all from Muslims rank. According to the hadith authority from Ahmad ibn Hanbal, The captor of Abbas were confirmed by Muhammad as one of the angel who helped the Muslims during this battle. *125 The angels that came to aid the Muslims in Badr has been strengthened by another five thousands of their kinds who wearing distinctive marks on their bodies, and on their horses which they rode which will be recognized by the Muslims in the battlefield. The distinctive marks which are reported by some reports are said to be a white scarves, while another opinions says they are red or yellow. more ️clearer source has stated that the angels has taken form of

Zubayr ibn al-Awwam Al-Zubayr ibn al-Awwam ibn Khuwaylid al-Asadi (; ) was an Arab Muslim commander in the service of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and the caliphs Abu Bakr () and Umar () who played a leading role in the Ridda Wars, Ridda wars against rebel tribes in ...

companion of Muhammad The Companions of the Prophet () were the Muslim disciples and followers of the Islamic prophet Muhammad who saw or met him during his lifetime. The companions played a major role in Muslim battles, society, hadith narration, and governance ...

. Zubayr were said usually wore yellow turban most of the time, as prophet Muhammad spoke in hadith the army of angels dressing in yellow headgear and the clothing similar to Zubayr's attire. *126 According to various Qur'anic Tafsir scholars, particularly those who endorsed by Religious ministry of Saudi Arabia and

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...

, this verse affirms that the victory of Muslims in Badr were solely due to the help from God who sent His angels as sign good news and fulfilment of the promise to give them victory in battle. *128-129 Disheartened Muslims encouraged *130-136

Usury Usury () is the practice of making loans that are seen as unfairly enriching the lender. The term may be used in a moral sense—condemning taking advantage of others' misfortunes—or in a legal sense, where an interest rate is charged in e ...

forbidden *137-138 The doom of defamers of the

*139-144 Islam not dependent on Muhammad for success *145-148 The former prophets are examples of perseverance *149-151 Unbelievers to be avoided *152-153 Certain Muslims disobedient at Uhud *154 This verse narrates the feel drowsiness and comfort which covers the Muslims before the battle. this event were agreed by both Abdul-Rahman al-Sa'di and group of contemporary scholars from Saudi Arabia, both from Islamic University of Madinah and committee of

Masjid al-Haram Masjid al-Haram (), also known as the Sacred Mosque or the Great Mosque of Mecca, is considered to be the most significant mosque in Islam. It encloses the vicinity of the Kaaba in Mecca, in the Mecca Province of Saudi Arabia. It is among the ...

this verse were revealed just before the

, based from Hadith narrated by

. *155-157 The hypocrites rebuked *158-159 Muslims slain at Uhud to enter paradise *160-161 Mild treatment of vacillating Muslims *162-165 The spoils of war to be honestly divided *166-169 The faithful sifted by defeat at Uhud *172 Regarding Battle of Hamra al-Asad participation of

and Abu Bakar, as exegesis scholars believed that "those who responded to the call of Allah and His Messenger after their injury" depicted in Ali Imran, were intended to be az-Zubayr and Abu Bakar, two of Sahaba who lead the vanguard of this battle, after they receiving injuries from the battle of Uhud. *173-176 Certain Muslims commended for faithfulness *177-180 The fate of unbelievers *181 The miser's doom *182-190 Scoffing Jews denounced—they charge Muhammad with imposture *191-195 Meditations and prayers of the pious *196-198 God's answer to the prayers of the pious *199 Certain believing Jews and Christians commended *200 Exhortation to patience and perseverance

3:33 The family of Imran

The chapter takes its name from the family of Imran mentioned in verse . According to

Christian tradition Christian tradition is a collection of traditions consisting of practices or beliefs associated with Christianity. Many churches have traditional practices, such as particular patterns of worship or rites, that developed over time. Deviations from ...

Joachim Joachim was, according to Sacred tradition, the husband of Saint Anne, the father of Mary, mother of Jesus, Mary (mother of Jesus), and the maternal grandfather of Jesus. The story of Joachim and Anne first appears in the Gospel of James, part of ...

is the husband of

and the father of

Mary, mother of Jesus Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is an important figure of Christianity, venerated under titles of Mary, mother of Jesus, various titles such as Perpetual virginity ...

. As there is sparse evidence for Joachim being the name for the father of Mary, the Quranic account possibly alludes to the pun of

Miriam Miriam (, lit. ‘rebellion’) is described in the Hebrew Bible as the daughter of Amram and Jochebed, and the older sister of Moses and Aaron. She was a prophetess and first appears in the Book of Exodus. The Torah refers to her as "Miria ...

, the daughter of

Amram In the Book of Exodus, Amram (; ) is the husband of Jochebed and father of Aaron, Moses and Miriam. In the Holy Scriptures In addition to being married to Jochebed, Amram is also described in the Bible as having been related to Jochebed ...

and sister of

Aaron According to the Old Testament of the Bible, Aaron ( or ) was an Israelite prophet, a high priest, and the elder brother of Moses. Information about Aaron comes exclusively from religious texts, such as the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament ...

, for whom Muslim tradition believes Mary is named after. It also serves as a common focal point for Jewish and Christian audiences. According to Iraqi Jewish translator, N.J. Dawood, the Quran confuses Mary mother of Jesus with Mary the sister of Moses, by referring to Mary, the mother of Jesus' father as Imran, which is the Arabic version of Amram, who in Exodus 6:20, is shown to be the father of Moses. Dawood, in a note to Surah 19:28, where Mary the Mother of Jesus is referred to as the "Sister of Aaron", and

was the brother of Mary sister of Moses, states: "It Appears that Miriam, Aaron's sister, and Maryam (Mary), mother of Jesus, were according to the Quran, the same person." Although

Islamic studies Islamic studies is the academic study of Islam, which is analogous to related fields such as Jewish studies and Quranic studies. Islamic studies seeks to understand the past and the potential future of the Islamic world. In this multidiscipli ...

of the beginning of the 20th century tended to note genealogical discrepancies, in more recent Islamic Studies of the 21st century the general consensus is, according to

Angelika Neuwirth Angelika Neuwirth (born 4 November, 1943) is a German Islamic studies scholar and Professor of Qur’anic studies at the Free University of Berlin. Qur’anic education Born in Nienburg, Lower Saxony, she studied Islamic studies, Semitic studi ...

, Nicolai Sinai and Michael Marx, that the

does not make a genealogical error but instead makes use of

typology A typology is a system of classification used to organize things according to similar or dissimilar characteristics. Groups of things within a typology are known as "types". Typologies are distinct from taxonomies in that they primarily address t ...

. This is, following Wensinck's conclusion, supported by the figurative speech of the Quran and the Islamic tradition: Similarly, Stowasser concludes that "to confuse Mary the mother of Jesus with Mary the sister of Moses and Aaron in Torah is completely wrong and in contradiction to the sound Hadith and the Qur'anic text as we have established". Rather it serves as a pun for the name

, daughter of

and the sister of

, venerated for helping to save her brother

Moses In Abrahamic religions, Moses was the Hebrews, Hebrew prophet who led the Israelites out of slavery in the The Exodus, Exodus from ancient Egypt, Egypt. He is considered the most important Prophets in Judaism, prophet in Judaism and Samaritani ...

as an infant. According to Muslim tradition, she serves as the forebearer of that name for Mary, mother of Jesus. This matter has been explained in the following

Hadith Hadith is the Arabic word for a 'report' or an 'account f an event and refers to the Islamic oral tradition of anecdotes containing the purported words, actions, and the silent approvals of the Islamic prophet Muhammad or his immediate circle ...

(d.1373) also commented on this in his Quranic exegesis (''

tafsir Tafsir ( ; ) refers to an exegesis, or commentary, of the Quran. An author of a ''tafsir'' is a ' (; plural: ). A Quranic ''tafsir'' attempts to provide elucidation, explanation, interpretation, context or commentary for clear understanding ...

''), recalling the Arab tradition of addressing a person as the brother or sister of their notable ancestor:

Appendix

Notes

References

Bibliography

* * * * *

External links

Q3:55
50+ translations, islamawakened.com
Al-Quran
– ''Āl ʿImrān'' (The Family of Imran)
A fragment showing verses 85-88 from the World Digital LibraryQuran 3

Clear Quran translation Mustafa Khattab is a Canadian–Egyptian Muslim scholar, imam, and university chaplain. He holds a professional ijâzah in the Ḥafṣ style of recitation. He is known for his translation of the Quran in "The Clear Quran" series. Career He ...

{{Authority control Chapters in the Quran Joachim Jesus in Islam Medinan surah Imran