Quran : An Introduction to Chapter 3:Surah Ale- Imran  ( The Family of Imran - Mary , Jesus )

( The Surah was Revealed at Medina, Al-Imran takes its title from Verse 33 )

INTRODUCTION TO SURAT

Al-Imran, 3 This Sura is cognate to Sura II. but the matter is here treated from a different point of view. The references to Badr* (Ramadhan. H. 2) and Uhud **(Shawwal. H. 3.) give a clue to the dates of those passages.

Like Sūra II. it takes a general view of the religious history of mankind, with special reference to the People of the Book, proceeds to explain the birth of the new People of Islam and their ordinances, insists on the need of struggle and fighting in the cause of Truth, and exhorts those who have been blessed with Islam to remain constant in Faith, pray for guidance, and maintain their hope for the Future.

The new points of view developed are:

(1) The emphasis is here laid on the duty of the Christians to accept the new light: the Christians are here specially appealed to, as the Jews were specially appealed to in the last Süra: ( Surah Al - Baqarah )

(2) the lessons of the battles of Badr and Uhud are set out for the Muslim community; and

(3) the responsibilities of that community are insisted on both internally and in their relations to those outside.

Summary

Allah having revealed His Book, confirming previous revelations ( Scriptures revealed to Jesus, Moses, David and other prophets), we must accept it in all reverence, try to understand its meaning, and reject the base motives which make Truth unacceptable to those who reject Faith. (iii. 1-20). [Verse 3:7]*** The People of the Book had only a portion of the Book, and if they reject the complete Book, the People of Faith must part company with them, and their day is done. (iii. 21-30). The story of the family of 'Imran (the father of Mary) leads us from the Mosaic Dispensation to the miracles connected with the birth of Jesus and his ministry. (iii. 31-63). Allah's revelation being continuous, all people are invited to accept its completion in Islam, and controversies are deprecated. The Muslims are asked to hold together in union and harmony, and are promised security from harm from their enemies, and enjoined to seek friendship among their own people. (i. 64-120). The battle of Badr showed how Allah helps and upholds the virtuous, and how patience, perseverance, and discipline find their reward; on the other hand, the lessons of Uhud must be learnt, not in despair, but in the exercise of the higher virtues and in contempt of pain and death. (iii. 121-148), The misfortunes at Uhud are shown to be due to the indiscipline of some, the indecision and selfishness of others, and cowardice on the part of the Hypocrites, but no enemy can hurt Allah's Cause. (in. 149-180) The taunts of the enemy should be disregarded, and sincere prayer offered to Allah. Who would grant His servants success and prosperity, (iii. 181-200)

Battle of Uhad **

In the third year of the Move, the Meccans advanced against Medina with an army of 3,000 men to avenge their defeat at Badr* in the previous year and wipe out the Muslims. The Prophet's first plan was to defend Medina. At the urging of his companions, however, he went out to meet the Meccans at Mt. Uhud and carefully deployed his men. While he was first leading an army of 1,000 men, a third of them under the "Hypocrite" Abdullah ibn Ubey deserted him before the battle. Afterwards they were to say that they did not think there would be any fighting that day. Although the battle began well for the Muslims, it turned into near defeat by the disobedience of a band of fifty archers placed to guard a certain point. Seeing the Muslims winning, they feared that they might lose their share of the spoils and ran to join the others. They thus left a breach for the Meccan cavalry.

The pagans then rallied and inflicted considerable loss upon the Muslims, and the Prophet himself was wounded in the struggle. A cry arose that the Prophet had been slain, and the Muslims despaired until someone recognized the Prophet and cried out that he was living. The Muslims then rallied to his side and withdrew in order. The Quraish force also broke off after the battle. According to Ibn Hisham and Bukhari, the wives of the leaders of the Quraish, who had been brought with the army to give courage by their presence and their chanting, mutilated the Muslim slain, making necklaces and bracelets of ears and noses. Hind, the wife of Abu Sufyan, even tried to eat the liver of the Prophet's uncle, Hamzah. On the day after the battle of Uhud, the Prophet again went out with the remainder of the Muslim army for the Quraish to hear that he was in the field and to think better of any attack on Medina in its weakened state.

On that occasion many wounded men went out with him. Tradition tells how a friendly nomad met the Muslims and afterwards met the army of the Quraish. Questioned by Abū Sufyan, he said that the Prophet was seeking vengeance with an overwhelming force, and that report prompted Abů Sufyan to retreat to Mecca.

Verse 3:7***

*** 7. It is He Who has sent down to you the Book where there are solid verses-They are the Mother of the Book-and others (which are) unclear. But those in whose hearts is doubt follow what is unclear, seeking trouble by trying to explain it. None knows its explanation but God. And those who are well-grounded in knowledge say, "We believe it. It's all from our Lord" But only men of reason mind it.

*** "The Standard is that of right and wrong, and it refers to the Qur'an, as does "the Book" in Verse 3:7 below.

The "Mother of the Book,"

A literal rendering of the Arabic ummu 'l-kitab means the source or basis of all the scriptures. The verses are termed "solid" or confirmed, muhkamár, because their interpretation is clear and indisputable. The Arabic words, mutashâbihat and må tashabaha, have been given here as "unclear", a word that does not perfectly relay the meaning of the words above.

Naturally, they are unclear to its readers, not to Allah Who revealed them. Translators have used the words like "allegorical", "ambiguous" and "obscure". All such words imply something very different from His phrasing, "None knows its explanation but Allah." The commentators mentioned in the references at the end of this volume have given varying explanations of this verse, especially the three words above.

(The English translators, too, have footnoted this verse.

The best English discussions of the key issue of the "unclear", mutashabihät, are in Ahmad von Denſfer's 'Ulüm al-Qur'an (Leicester, U.K. 1983) pp: 79-85, Jamaal al-Din M. Zarabozo's How to Approach and Understand the Quran (Boulder, U.S.A. 1999), pp. 206-207, and Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips' Usool at-Tafseer (Riyadh 2005), pp. 237-244.)