THE QUR’AN
3. THE FAMILY OF ‘IMRAN
A Medinan sura which takes its title from the family of ‘Imran mentioned in verse 33. It begins by emphasizing that the Qur’an con rms the earlier scriptures and goes on to say later that the central tenet of faith is
devotion to God (verses 19–20). The story of Zachariah, Mary, and Jesus is given in verses 35–64 and the fact that Jesus was unfathered, just as Adam was created without a father, is accentuated. Aspects of the battles of Badr and Uhud are described, especially the latter, where the Muslims disobeyed the Prophet and were defeated. The sura rst
documents the tension that arose between the Muslims and certain of the Jews and Christians (verses 65–85 and 98–101), then closes by
emphasizing the unity of faith and conduct between the Muslims and some of these People of the Book, explaining that these will have their reward from God (verse 199).
In the name of God, the Lord of Mercy, the Giver of Mercy
1Alif Lam Mima
2God: there is no god but Him, the Ever Living, the Ever Watchful.
3Step by step, He has sent the Scripture down to you [Prophet] with the Truth, con rming what went before: He sent down the Torah and the Gospel 4earlier as a guide for people and He has sent down the distinction [between right and wrong].b Those who deny God’s revelations will su er severe torment: God is almighty and capable of retribution. 5Nothing on earth or in heaven is hidden from God:
6it is He who shapes you all in the womb as He pleases. There is no God but Him, the Mighty, the Wise: 7it is He who has sent this Scripture down to you [Prophet]. Some of its verses are de nite in meaning—these are the cornerstonec of the Scripture—and others are ambiguous. The perverse at heart eagerly pursue the ambiguities in their attempt to make trouble and to pin down a speci c meaning
of their own: only God knows the true meaning. Those rmly grounded in knowledge say, ‘We believe in it: it is all from our Lord’—only those with real perception will take heed— 8‘Our Lord, do not let our hearts deviate after You have guided us. Grant us Your mercy: You are the Ever Giving. 9Our Lord, You will gather all people on the Day of which there is no doubt:a God never breaks His promise.’
10Neither their possessions nor their children will be any use to the disbelievers against God. The disbelievers will be fuel for the Fire, 11just as Pharaoh’s people and their predecessors denied Our revelations, and God punished them for their sins: God is severe in punishing. 12[Prophet], say to the disbelievers, ‘You will be defeated and driven together into Hell, a foul resting place. 13You have
already seen a sign in the two armies that met in battle, one ghting for God’s cause and the other made up of disbelievers. With their own eyes [the former] saw [the latter] to be twice their number,b but God helps whoever He will. There truly is a lesson in this for all with eyes to see.’
14The love of desirable things is made alluring for men—women, children, gold and silver treasures piled up high, horses with ne markings, livestock, and farmland—these may be the joys of this life, but God has the best place to return to. 15[Prophet], say,
‘Would you like me to tell you of things that are better than all of these? Their Lord will give those who are mindful of God Gardens graced with owing streams, where they will stay with pure spouses and God’s good pleasure—God is fully aware of His servants—
16those who say, "Our Lord, we believe, so forgive us our sins and protect us from su ering in the Fire," 17those who are steadfast, truthful, truly devout, who give [in God’s cause] and pray before dawn for forgiveness.’
18God bears witness that there is no god but Him, as do the angels and those who have knowledge. He upholds justice. There is no god but Him, the Almighty, the All Wise. 19True Religion, in God’s eyes, is islam: [devotion to Him alone].c Those who were given the
Scripture disagreed out of rivalry, only after they had been given knowledge—if anyone denies God’s revelations, God is swift to take account— 20if they argue with you [Prophet], say, ‘I have devoted myselfd to God alone and so have my followers.’ Ask those who were given the Scripture, as well as those without one, ‘Do you too devote yourselves to Him alone?’ If they do, they will be guided, but if they turn away, your only duty is to convey the message. God is aware of His servants.
21Give news of agonizing torment to those who ignore God’s revelations, who unjusti ably kill prophets, who kill those who command that justice is done: 22the deeds of such people will come to nothing in this world and in the next and no one will help them.
23Have you considered those who were given a share of the Scripture? When they are asked to accept judgement from God’s Scripture, some of them turn their backs and walk away, all because they declare, 24‘The Fire will only touch us for a limited number of days.’ The lies they have invented have led them astray in their own religion. 25How will they fare when We gather them together for a Day of which there is no doubt, when every soul will be paid in full for what it has done, and they will not be wronged?
26Say, ‘God, holder of all control,a You give control to whoever You will and remove it from whoever You will; You elevate whoever You will and humble whoever You will. All that is good lies in Your hand: You have power over everything. 27You merge night into day and day into night; You bring the living out of the dead and the dead out of the living; You provide limitlessly for whoever You will.’
28The believers should not make the disbelievers their allies rather than other believers—anyone who does such a thing will isolate himself completely from God—except when you need to protect yourselves from them. God warns you to beware of Him: the Final Return is to God. 29Say [Prophet], ‘God knows everything that is in your hearts, whether you conceal or reveal it; He knows
everything in the heavens and earth; God has power over all things.’
30On the Day when every soul nds all the good it has done present
before it, it will wish all the bad it has done to be far, far away. God warns you to beware of Him, but God is compassionate towards His servants. 31Say, ‘If you love God, follow me, and God will love you and forgive you your sins; God is most forgiving, most merciful.’
32Say, ‘Obey God and the Messenger,’ but if they turn away, [know that] God does not love those who ignore [His commands].
33God chose Adam, Noah, Abraham’s family,a and the family of
‘Imran, over all other people, 34in one line of descent—God hears and knows all. 35‘Imran’s wife said, ‘Lord, I have dedicated what is growing in my womb entirely to You; so accept this from me. You are the One who hears and knows all,’ 36but when she gave birth, she said, ‘My Lord! I have given birth to a girl’—God knew best what she had given birth to: the male is not like the female—‘I name her Mary and I commend her and her o spring to Your
protection from the rejected Satan.’ 37Her Lord graciously accepted her and made her grow in goodness, and entrusted her to the charge of Zachariah.
Whenever Zachariah went in to see her in her sanctuary, he found her supplied with provisions. He said, ‘Mary, how is it you have these provisions?’ and she said, ‘They are from God: God provides limitlessly for whoever He will.’ 38There and then Zachariah prayed to his Lord, saying, ‘Lord, from Your grace grant me virtuous
o spring: You hear every prayer.’ 39The angels called out to him, while he stood praying in the sanctuary, ‘God gives you news of John, con rming a Word from God.b He will be noble and chaste, a prophet, one of the righteous. 40He said, ‘My Lord, how can I have a son when I am so old and my wife is barren?’ [An angel] said, ‘It will be so: God does whatever He will.’ 41He said, ‘My Lord, give me a sign.’ ‘Your sign,’ [the angel] said, ‘is that you will not
communicate with anyone for three days, except by gestures.
Remember your Lord often; celebrate His glory in the evening and at dawn.’
42The angels said to Mary: ‘Mary, God has chosen you and made you pure: He has truly chosen you above all women. 43Mary, be
devout to your Lord, prostrate yourself in worship, bow down with those who pray.’ 44This is an account of things beyond your
knowledge that We reveal to you [Muhammad]: you were not present among them when theyc cast lots to see which of them should take charge of Mary, you were not present with them when they argued [about her].
45The angels said, ‘Mary, God gives you news of a Word from Him, whose name will be the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, who will be held in honour in this world and the next, who will be one of those brought near to God. 46He will speak to people in his infancya and in his adulthood. He will be one of the righteous.’ 47She said,
‘My Lord, how can I have a son when no man has touched me?’
[The angel] said, ‘This is how God creates what He will: when He has ordained something, He only says, "Be", and it is. 48He will teach him the Scripture and wisdom, the Torah and the Gospel, 49He will send him as a messenger to the Children of Israel: "I have come to you with a sign from your Lord: I will make the shape of a bird for you out of clay, then breathe into it and, with God’s permission, it will become a real bird; I will heal the blind and the leper, and bring the dead back to life with God’s permission; I will tell you what you may eat and what you may store up in your houses.b There truly is a sign for you in this, if you are believers. 50I have come to con rm the truth of the Torah which preceded me, and to make some things lawful to you which used to be forbidden. I have come to you with a sign from your Lord. Be mindful of God, obey me: 51God is my Lord and your Lord, so serve Him—that is a straight path."’
52When Jesus realized they [still] did not believe, he said, ‘Who will help me in God’s cause?’ The disciples said, ‘We will be God’s helpers; we believe in God—witness our devotion to Him. 53Lord, we believe in what You have revealed and we follow the messenger:
record us among those who bear witness [to the Truth].’ 54The [disbelievers] schemed but God also schemed; God is the Best of Schemers.
55God said, ‘Jesus, I will take you back and raise you up to Me: I will purify you of the disbelievers. To the Day of Resurrection I will make those who follow you superior to those who disbelieved. Then you will all return to Me and I will judge between you regarding your di erences. 56I will make the disbelievers su er severely in this world and the next; no one will help them.’ 57God will pay those who believe and do good deeds their reward in full; God does not love evildoers.
58We relate to you [Muhammad] this revelation, a decisive statement. 59In God’s eyes Jesus is just like Adam: He created him from dust, said to him, ‘Be’, and he was. 60This is the truth from your Lord, so do not be one of those who doubt. 61If anyone disputes this with you now that you have been given this
knowledge, say, ‘Come, let us gather our sons and your sons, our women and your women, ourselves and yourselves, and let us pray earnestly and invoke God’s rejection on those of us who are lying.
62This is the truth of the matter: there is no god but God; God is the Exalted, the Decider.’a 63If they turn away, [know that] God is well aware of anyone who causes corruption.b 64Say, ‘People of the Book, let us arrive at a statement that is common to us all: we worship God alone, we ascribe no partner to Him, and none of us takes others beside God as lords.’ If they turn away, say, ‘Witness our devotion to Him.’
65People of the Book, why do you argue about Abraham when the Torah and the Gospels were not revealed until after his time? Do you not understand? 66You argue about some things of which you have some knowledge, but why do you argue about things of which you know nothing? God knows and you do not. 67Abraham was neither a Jew nor a Christian. He was upright and devoted to God, never an idolater, 68and the people who are closest to him are those who truly follow his ways, this Prophet, and [true] believers—God is close to [true] believers.
69Some of the People of the Book would dearly love to lead you [believers] astray, but they only lead themselves astray, though they
do not realize it. 70People of the Book, why do you deny God’s revelations when you can see they are true? 71People of the Book, why do you mix truth with falsehood? Why do you hide the truth when you recognize it? 72Some of the People of the Book say, ‘At the beginning of the day, believe in what has been revealed to these believers [the Muslims], then at the end of the day reject it, so that they too may turn back, 73but do not sincerely believe in anyone unless he follows your own religion’—[Prophet], tell them, ‘True guidance is the guidance of God’—[they say], ‘Do not believe that anyone else could be given a revelation similar to what you were given, or that they could use it to argue against you in your Lord’s presence.’ [Prophet], tell them, ‘All grace is in God’s hands: He grants it to whoever He will—He is all embracing, all knowing—
74and He singles out for His mercy whoever He will. His grace is in nite.’
75There are People of the Book who, if you [Prophet] entrust them with a heap of gold, will return it to you intact, but there are others of them who, if you entrust them with a single dinar, will not return it to you unless you keep standing over them, because they say, ‘We are under no obligation towards the gentiles.’ They tell a lie against God and they know it. 76No indeed! God loves those who keep their pledges and are mindful of Him, 77but those who sell out God’s covenant and their own oaths for a small price will have no share in the life to come. God will neither speak to them nor look at them on the Day of Resurrection—He will not cleanse them [of their sins]—agonizing torment awaits them. 78There are some who twist the Scripture with their tongues to make you [people] think that what they say is part of the Scripture when it is not; they say it is from God when it is not; they attribute lies to God and they know it.
79No person to whom God had given the Scripture, wisdom, and prophethood would ever say to people, ‘Be my servants, not God’s.’
[He would say], ‘You should be devoted to God because you have taught the Scripture and studied it closely.’ 80He would never command you to take angels and prophets as lords. How could he
command you to be disbelievers after you had devoted yourselves to God?81God took a pledge from the prophets, saying, ‘If, after I have bestowed Scripture and wisdom upon you, a messenger comes
con rming what you have been given, you must believe in him and support him. Do you a rm this and accept My pledge as binding on you?’ They said, ‘We do.’ He said, ‘Then bear witness and I too will bear witness.’ 82Those who turn away after this are the ones who break pledges. 83Do they seek anything other than submission to God? Everyone in the heavens and earth submits to Him, willingly or unwillingly; they will all be returned to Him.
84Say [Muhammad], ‘We [Muslims] believe in God and in what has been sent down to us and to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes. We believe in what has been given to Moses, Jesus, and the prophets from their Lord. We do not make a distinction between any of the [prophets]. It is to Him that we devote
ourselves.’ 85If anyone seeks a religion other than [islam] complete devotion to God, it will not be accepted from him: he will be one of the losers in the Hereafter. 86Why would God guide people who deny the truth, after they have believed and acknowledged that the Messenger is true, and after they have been shown clear proof? God does not guide evildoers: 87such people will be rewarded with
rejection by God, by the angels, by all people, 88and so they will remain, with no relief or respite for their su ering. 89Not so those who afterwards repent and mend their ways—God is most forgiving and merciful— 90[although] the repentance of those who, having believed, then increase in their disbelief, will not be accepted. They are the ones who have gone [far] astray: 91those who disbelieve and die disbelievers will not be saved even if they o er enough gold to
ll the entire earth. Agonizing torment is in store for them, and there will be no one to help them. 92None of you [believers] will attain true piety unless you give out of what you cherish: whatever you give, God knows about it very well.