Key to Al 'Imran. Abdur Rashid Siddiqui
has responded positively to this need and produced this valuable work. Since its inception the Islamic Foundation has been engaged in bringing out works which may enable readers to gain a better, sharper understanding of things Islamic. The present work constitutes a substantial effort in this direction. I am sure this work will be read with much profit both by specialists and the general public alike.
I take this opportunity to thank all my colleagues at the Foundation who have been associated with its production. May Allah reward the author and grant us the ability and strength to draw upon the invaluable guidance contained in the Qur’ān, which this work seeks to state clearly. (Āmīn)
| Jumādā al-Thānī 1422 A.H. | Dr. M. Manazir Ahsan |
| August 2001 | Director General |
Preface
IN THE LAST year of his life (1996) our respected Brother Khurram Murad (may Allah have Mercy on him) published a booklet giving an overview of Sūrah al-Baqarah as well as its major themes. In his own words his sole aim was, “to make the message of the Qur’an, and its summons to live by it, reach the hearts and minds of readers” (p. 6.) His death so soon after its publication, deprived us of his so many talents and not least his ability to expound the message of the Glorious Qur’ān so as to penetrate the hearts of his listeners and readers.
Efforts are afoot to edit and publish his very many unpublished manuscripts. So far the Islamic Foundation has published his trilogy on the Qur’ān and the life and message of the Prophet Muḥammad ṣallallāhu ‘alaihi wa sallam1 entitled: The Quranic Treasures, Gifts from Muhammad and Who is Muhammad. His two other works in English both recently published are: In the Early Hours: Reflections on Spiritual and Self Development and Dying and Living for Allah. His works in Urdu are also being published in Pakistan posthumously. Thus, we are fortunate to benefit from his scholarship and advice even after his death. I have no doubt this Ṣadaqah Jārīyah will continue and may Allah in His infinite mercy forgive his shortcomings and elevate him to Jannat al-Firdaws. (Āmīn)
Still there is a need to continue the work to which he had devoted his life. One very important area was his love for and devotion to the Book of Allah. Although in his modest way he used to disclaim any pretence of deep knowledge and scholarship in this field, those who knew him and had the privilege of listening to his Dars-e-Qur’ān knew his erudite scholarship and deep insight into Qur’ānic knowledge. His book Way to the Qur’ān is immensely popular and has guided a great many young people to undertake Qur’ānic studies.
I must admit that I am a novice in the field of Qur’ānic sciences. I am conscious of my lack of competence to undertake this task. Yet last year when I made a brief presentation, following the pattern of Brother Khurram Murad on Sūrah Āl ‘Imrān, I was persuaded by many well-wishers and friends to compile this booklet so as to continue the work of our learned friend and mentor.
I have tried to follow Brother Khurram Murad’s methodology and pattern and attempted to present an overview of Sūrah Āl ‘Imrān. In this, I have tried to cover areas which were so dear to him. His purpose was to make the Holy Qur’ān accessible to the masses and facilitate its understanding. Thus making the Qur’ān relevant to our lives and the life of the Ummah so that we may receive guidance from this Divine source. For a proper understanding of the Qur’ān studying reliable tafāsīr (commentaries) and self-reflection are essential. Yet there is also a need to have clear perspectives of the sūrahs as well. Of course, some tafāsīr also provide this information. Usually, however, these are not expounded in great detail. Although there are voluminous Qur’ānic literatures available in the Arabic and Urdu languages, there is a paucity of reliable tafāsīr (commentaries) in English. Unfortunately, there are also only a few commentaries in English dealing with the aspect of the naẓm (internal arrangement) of the sūrahs. I have given a selection of commentaries that can be consulted for further study in the Bibliography. This compilation is for young men and women who ardently desire to understand the Qur’ān and want to live by it.
I would like to thank Professor Khurshid Ahmad, Professor Salman Nadvi, Dr. Abdur Raheem Kidwai and Adil Salahi for meticulously reading the entire manuscript and offering many valuable comments. I am also grateful to Maulana Sohaib Hasan, Dr. Ataullah Siddiqui, Farooq Murad and Zahid Parvez for their constructive suggestions for improving the work. Whatever errors there are, I alone am responsible for them. May Allah Subḥānu wa ta‘ālā2 forgive me. I am very grateful to Dr. Manazir Ahsan, the Director General of the Islamic Foundation for publishing this book and writing a Foreword to it. He also kindly checked the diacritical marks for the Arabic words. I am also grateful to Mrs Susanne Thackray for her editorial suggestions. Not least, my thanks are due to Naiem Qaddoura for typesetting the manuscript and Nasir Cadir for the cover design.
I hope and pray that Allah (swt) may bless this humble effort and that it may inspire and stimulate interest in the study of the Holy Qur’ān in our younger generation.
| Leicester | |
| 17th Rabī ‘ al-Thānī 1422 | Abdur Rashid Siddiqui |
| 9th July 2001 |
1 It is customary to recite the salutation after the names of prophets. It means, “May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him”. In the rest of the book it is abbreviated as “saws”.
2 This phrase praises Allah and will subsequently be abbreviated as (swt).
Sūrah Āl ‘Imrān
SŪRAH ĀL ‘IMRĀN is the third sūrah following al-Fātiḥah and al-Baqarah. It is composed of 200 verses. Together with al-Baqarah these sūrahs form about one-eighth of the Holy Qur’ān. Āl ‘Imrān is not a continuous narration. Many mufassirūn, (commentators), believe that the first part of the Sūrah was revealed after the Battle of Badr (2 A.H./624 C.E.) and the last part was certainly revealed after the Battle of Uḥud (3 A.H./625 C.E.) The section dealing with the family of ‘Imrān is specifically addressed to the Christians, and according to some mufassirūn was revealed in 9 A.H./630 C.E. when a delegation of Christians from Najrān, Yemen visited the Prophet (saws) in Madinah.
Sūrah Āl ‘Imrān covers a very volatile period in Islamic history after the Prophet’s migration to Madinah. It extends from 2 A.H./624 C.E. at the end of the Battle of Badr to the aftermath of the Battle of Uḥud 3 A.H/625 C.E. It provides a graphic record of the circumstances and prevailing atmosphere of the events and psychology of the different groups of people involved. At the time of its revelation, the Muslim community was settling into their new surroundings. This period was covered by Sūrah al-Baqarah in which guidance was provided about the performance of religious duties as well as about legal, economic and social obligations. Then, the Battle of Badr took place and which afforded a decisive victory. This Muslim victory against all odds and with scarce manpower and resources strengthened and reinforced the Islamic faith. The very first confrontation with the Makkans that gave the Muslims their success might also have given them a false sense of security. They might have assumed as believers, that they would be victorious in every encounter. However, the laws of success and defeat designed by Allah are not so simplistic and superficial. For achieving success there are many prerequisites which must be met. In addition to unflinching faith there