Bismillah-ir-Rahman-ir-Rahim.

In the Name of Allâh, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful. All the praises and thanks be to Allâh, the Lord of the 'Alamîn . The Only Owner of the Day of Recompense. You (Alone) we worship, and You (Alone) we ask for help. Guide us to the Straight Way. The Way of those on whom You have bestowed Your Grace , not (the way) of those who earned Your Anger, nor of those who went astray .

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3. (Al-'Imran)- The Family of 'Imran

Number of Rukus-20
Number of verses-200
Number of words-3503
Number of letters-14605

This Surah takes its name from v. 33. Al-i-Imran, like the names of many other surahs, is merely a name to distinguish it from other surahs and does not imply that the family of Imran has been discussed in it.

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Though these discourses were revealed at different periods and on different occasions, they are so inter-linked and so inter-connected iii regard to their aim, object and central theme that they make together one continuous whole. This Surah has been especially addressed to two groups-the people of the Book (the Jews and the Christians) and the followers of Muhammad (Allah's peace be upon him).

The message has been extended to the Jews and the Christians in continuation of the invitation in Al-Baqarah, in which they have been admonished for their erroneous beliefs and evil morals and advised to accept, as a remedy,the Truth of the Quran. They have been told here that Muhammad(Allah's peace be, upon him) taught the same right way of life that had been preached by their own Prophets; that it alone was the Right Way, the way of Allah; hence any deviation from it will be wrong even according to their own Scriptures.

The second group, the Muslims, who had been declared to be the best Community in Al-Baqarah and appointed torch-bearers of the Truth and entrusted with the responsibility of reforming the world, have been given additional instructions in continuation of those given in the preceding Surah. The Muslims have been warned to learn a lesson from the religious and moral degeneration of the former communities and to refrain from treading in their footsteps. Instructions have also been given about there formative work they had to perform. Besides this, they have been taught how to deal with the people of the Book and the hypocrites who were putting different kinds of hindrances in the way of Allah. Above all, they have been warned to guard against those weaknesses which had come to the surface in the Battle Uhd.

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•Revive a Sunnah

Ibn Abbas radi Allahu anhu narrates: One night I stayed overnight in the house of my aunt Maymoonah, and said to myself, "I will watch the prayer of Allah's Apostle." My aunt placed a cushion for Allah's Apostle and he slept on it in its length-wise direction and woke up rubbing the traces of sleep off his face and then he recited the last ten verses of Surah Ale Imraan till he finished it. Then he went to a hanging water skin and took it, performed the ablution and then stood up to offer the prayer.[Full hadith found in Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim]

Instead of diving quickly into the worldly life, recite the last ten ayaat[Quran, 3:190-200] first thing when you wake up and you will get rewarded for reviving a sunnah and hasanaat for reciting the Quran, in shaa Allah!

It might take some time to make it a habit, but at least aim to do so each morning, without getting discouraged if you didn't. And don't forget to rub your face with your hands when you wake up, it is asunnah as well- what an easy reward to gain.

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•In this Surah we learn a powerful Dua that is a source of our peace, "(They say): "Our Lord! Let not our hearts deviate (from the truth) after You have guided us, and grant us mercy from You. Truly, You are the Bestower."(Al-Imran 3:8)

After you have been guided, don't return to your old state. People start offering five daily prayers, and then suddenly drop down to four, then three, to eventually abandoning it. People have been modestly dressed for years but due to peer pressure or Shaytan's whisperings they abandon the good dress for immodest clothing. Don't regress. Move forward and earn the pleasure of Allah (swt).

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Benefits

The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) has said that whoever recites Surah Ale-Imran on Friday, then until the setting of the sun, he will be showered by the Mercy of Allah (s.w.t.) and the angels will beg for his forgiveness.

The Prophet (s.a.w.) has also recommended this surah for those women who are not able to conceive. The surah should be written using saffron and then given to her to wear as a talisman and by the Will of Allah (s.w.t.) she will conceive.

Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq (a.s.) has said that if a person faces hardship in earning his livelihood, he should write this surah and wear it as a talisman and Allah (s.w.t.) will increase his sustenance greatly. The Imam (a.s.) also said that if anyone recites both surah al-Baqarah and Ale-Imran, then these surahs will come in the shape of clouds on the day of judgement to protect him from the scorching heat.

Ayah ash-Shahada (Surah Ale Imran: 18-19)

Used for covenants.

In the commentary of Majma'ul Bayaan, it is narrated from the Holy Prophet that those who recite this ayah make a covenant with Allah (s.w.t.) and Allah always fulfils His covenants. If this ayah is recited after every prayer, then Jannah is guaranteed to the reciter.

Ayah al-Mulk (Surah Ale Imran: 26-27)

It is narrated that the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) once advised one of his companions, who was in debt, to recite this ayah after every prayer and then supplicate to Allah (s.w.t.) for the repayment of his debts saying that even if the debts are equal to the entire land on Earth, they will be repaid.

This should be recited for those who wish to repay their debts. One should recite this ayah and then supplicate to Allah (s.w.t.) that he wishes to repay his debts and seeks help for doing so.

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6 life-lessons from the last 10 ayaat of Surah Ale Imraan

1. Open your mind.

Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day are signs for those of understanding. [Quran, 3:190]

If you truly look at the plants, the trees, colours, scents, the light and darkness you will know there is only one Creator. Remember your purpose in life when you are distracted by work, play and family: to worship Him alone and strive for His pleasure above all.

2. Supplicate.

Those who remember Allah while standing, sitting or (reclining) on their backs, and reflect in the creation of the heavens and the earth, (saying): 'Our Lord! You have not created this in vain. Glory to You! Save us, then, from the Fire. Our Lord! Whomever You cause to enter the Fire, him You indeed bring to disgrace, and there will be none to succour the wrong-doers. Our Lord! Indeed we heard a crier calling to the faith saying: "Believe in your Lord"; so we did believe.
Our Lord, forgive us our sins, and wipe out our evil deeds and make us die with the righteous. [Quran, 3:191-193]

(Rabbana faghfirlanaa dhunubanaa -Wa kaffir 'annaa sayyi'aatinaa -Wa tawaffanaa ma'al abraar)

(Our Lord, forgive us our sins, and cover them and wipe out our evil deeds, so they do not even appear in your book of records anymore and cause us die with with al-abraar, join us with the righteous)

Recite these beautiful supplications from your heart!

3. Be motivated by the promise of Allah.

Our Lord, and grant us what You promised us through Your messengers and do not disgrace us on the Day of Resurrection. Indeed, You do not fail in [Your] promise. And their Lord responded to them, "Never will I allow to be lost the work of [any] worker among you, whether male or female; you are of one another. So those who emigrated or were evicted from their homes or were harmed in My cause or fought or were killed - I will surely remove from them their misdeeds, and I will surely admit them to gardens beneath which rivers flow as reward from Allah , and Allah has with Him the best reward [Quran, 194-195]

This world is a place of struggle. Paradise is to relax. Know whatever happens, however low you feel or whatever the hardship you encounter in this life and when all people seem to break your trust: Allah made you promises and He will keep them. When you feel weak in willpower to worship or do good deeds, get your act back together by reminding yourself that Allah will never allow one minute of work you did for His sake to be lost, your reward is stored with Him.

4. Don't be deceived.

Be not deceived by the [uninhibited] movement of the disbelievers throughout the land. [It is but] a small enjoyment; then their [final] refuge is Hell, and wretched is the resting place [Quran, 3: 196-197] But those who feared their Lord will have gardens beneath which rivers flow, abiding eternally therein, as accommodation from Allah . And that which is with Allah is best for the righteous [Quran, 3:198]

Allah knows that can be hard for you to see the pleasures, so-called freedom and wealth of the disbelievers around you, while you might be struggling to lower your gaze, pray on time and eat halaal. Here Allah 'azza wa jall timely reminds you life is only temporary and your Hereafter will be full of eternal pleasure, while that of those who didn't submit to Him will all end in this world. Think about this when you feel jealous!

5. Never compromise your deen for dunya.

And indeed, among the People of the Scripture are those who believe in Allah and what was revealed to you and what was revealed to them, [being] humbly submissive to Allah . They do not exchange the verses of Allah for a small price. Those will have their reward with their Lord. Indeed, Allah is swift in account [Quran, 3:199]

6. The keys to success: patience, steadfastness and taqwa.

O you who have believed, persevere and endure and remain stationed and fear Allah that you may be successful [Quran, 3:200]

Allah gives you a beautiful, comprehensive conclusion: be patient in both easy and hard times, keep your focus, know that life is temporary - remember all the promises in the former ayaat.
Be brave against the enemies of Islam and think about Allah at all times!

May Allah enable us to revive the sunnah of reciting these ayaat when we wake, may we recite these ayaat with sincerity and may Allah 'azza wa jall give us an immense reward for them, ameen.

Praying you will benefit

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Lessons

•Then when she gave birth to her, she said: "O my Lord! I have given birth to a female child, [and Allah knew better what she bore,] "And the male is not like the female, and I have named her Maryam, and I seek refuge with You for her and for her offspring from Shaytan, the outcast."}

The Story of Maryam's Birth

The wife of Imran mentioned here is the mother of Maryam, and her name is Hannah bint Faqudh. Muhammad bin Ishaq mentioned that Hannah could not have children and that one day, she saw a bird feeding its chick. She wished she could have children and supplicated to Allah to grant her offspring. Allah accepted her supplication, and when her husband slept with her, she became pregnant. She vowed to make her child concentrate on worship and serving Bayt Al-Maqdis (the Masjid in Jerusalem), when she became aware that she was pregnant. She said, "O my Lord! I have vowed to You what is in my womb to be dedicated for Your services, so accept this from me. Verily, You are the All-Hearer, the All-Knowing" meaning, You hear my supplication and You know my intention. She did not know then what she would give birth to, a male or a female. "Then when she gave birth to her, she said: "O my Lord! I have given birth to a female child, – and Allah knew better what she bore." "And the male is not like the female" in strength and the commitment to worship Allah and serve the Masjid in Jerusalem. "And I have named her Maryam" thus, testifying to the fact that it is allowed to give a name to the newly born the day it is born, as is apparent from the Ayah, which is also a part of the law of those who were before us. Further, the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah mentioned that the Prophet said,

"This night, a son was born for me and I called him by my father's name, Ibrahim." (Fath Al-Bari 3:306 and Muslim 4:1807)

They also recorded that Anas bin Malik brought his newborn brother to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, who chewed a piece of date and put it in the child's mouth and called him Abdullah. Other new born infants were also given names on the day they were born.

Qatadah narrated that Al-Hasan Al-Basri said, that Samurah bin Jundub said that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said,

"Every new born boy held in security by his Aqiqah, until his seventh day, a sacrifice is offered on his behalf, he is given a name, and the hair on his head is shaved." (Ahmad 5:7)

We should mention that another narration for this Hadith contained the wording, "and blood is offered on his behalf," which is more famous and established than the former narration, and Allah knows best.

Allah's statement that Maryam's mother said, "...And I seek refuge with You for her and for her offspring from Shaytan, the outcast." means, that she sought refuge with Allah from the evil of Shaytan, for her and her offspring, i.e., Isa, peace be upon him. Allah accepted her supplication, for Abdur-Razzaq recorded that Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said,

"Every newly born baby is touched by Shaytan when it is born, and the baby starts crying because of this touch, except Maryam and her son."

Abu Hurayrah then said, "Read if you will, "And I seek refuge with You for her and for her offspring from Shaytan, the outcast." The Two Sahihs recorded this Hadith. (Fath Al-Bari 8:60, Muslim 4:1838)

Tafsir Ibn Kathir (Abridged) Vol 2 Pages 130-150

So her Lord (Allah) accepted her with goodly acceptance. He made her grow in a good manner and put her under the care of Zakariyya. Every time he entered the Mihrab to (visit) her, he found her supplied with sustenance. He said: "O Maryam! From where have you gotten this?" She said, "This is from Allah." Verily, Allah provides sustenance to whom He wills, without limit.}

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Hadiths

•Abu Umamah reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, "Recite the Quran, for on the Day of Resurrection it will come as an intercessor for its reciters. Recite the two illuminated chapters, Surat al-Baqarah and Ali Imrān, for on the Day of Resurrection they will come as two clouds, or two shades, or two flocks of birds pleading for those who recited them. Recite Surat al-Baqarah as there is blessing in it, there is sorrow in leaving it, and the sorcerers cannot confront it."

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•Bakr ibn Al-Aswad reported: I heard Hasan Al-Basri mention a people during the time of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, who said, "O Muhammad! We love our Lord." So Allah the Exalted revealed the verse, "Say: If you love Allah, then follow me. Allah will love you and forgive your sins." (3:31) Thus, Allah made following His prophet a sign of their love and a punishment for differing from him.

Source: Tafseer At-Tabari 3:31

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•Aisha reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, recited the verse, "It is He who has revealed the Book in which are clear verses and others unclear. As for those in whose hearts there is disease, they follow what is unclear in it seeking tribulations and its interpretation, but none knows its interpretation except Allah, and those who are grounded in knowledge say: we believe in it, all of it is from our Lord; and none remembers except those of learning." (3:7) The Messenger of Allah said, "If you see those who follow the unclear verses, then know they are those whom Allah has named so beware of them."

Source: Sahih Muslim 2665

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•The Prophet would recite verses from Al-Baqarah and Ali Imran during dawn prayer

Ibn Abbas reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, would recite in his dawn prayers the verse, "Say: We believe in Allah and what has been revealed to us..." (2:136) and the verse, "Let us come to a common word between us and you." (3:64)

Source: Sahih Muslim 727

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•An-Nawwas ibn Sam'an reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, "On the Day of Resurrection, the Quran and its people who acted upon it will be brought forth, preceded by Surat al-Baqarah and Surat Ali Imrān." And the Messenger of Allah set forth three examples and I have not forgotten them since, "They will come like two clouds, two dark shades, or two lines of birds advocating on behalf of their people."

Source: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 805

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•Paradise is what no eye has seen, no ear has heard, no heart has conceived

Abu Huraira reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, "Allah has said: I have prepared for My righteous servants what no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no heart has conceived. So recite if you wish: No person knows what is kept hidden for them of delights of the eye as a reward for what they used to do (32:17). And in Paradise there is a tree under whose shade a rider can travel for one hundred years without stopping. Recite if you wish: In shade extended (56:30). And the space in Paradise occupied by a whip is better than the whole world and everything in it. Recite if you wish: Whoever is removed from the Hellfire and entered into Paradise is indeed successful, for the life of this world is only the enjoyment of deception." (3:185)

Source: Sunan At-Tirmidhi 3292

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•Learn Al-Baqarah and Ali Imran for its reciters will ascend the ranks of Paradise

Abu Abdullah ibn Burayda reported: I was sitting in the presence of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and I heard him say, "Learn Surah Al-Baqarah because there is blessing in learning it, there is sorrow in ignoring it, and the magicians cannot confront it." He remained for an hour and then he said, "Learn Surah Al-Baqarah and Surah Ali Imran because they are the two bright ones and they shade their people on the Day of Resurrection just as two clouds, two spaces of shade or two lines of birds. On the Day of Resurrection, the Quran will meet its companion in the shape of a pale-faced man when his grave is opened. The Quran will ask him: Do you know me? The man will say: I do not know you. The Quran will say: I am your companion, the Quran, which has brought you thirst during the heat and made you stay up during the night. Every merchant has his certain trade, but this Day, you are behind all types of trade. Then, kingship will then be given to him in his right hand, eternal life in his left hand and the crown of grace will be placed on his head. His parents will also be granted two garments that the people of this world could never afford. They will say: Why were we granted these garments? It will be said: Because your son was carrying the Quran. It will be said (to the reciter of the Quran): Read and ascend through the levels of Paradise. He will go on ascending as long as he recites, whether reciting slowly or quickly."

Source: Musnad Ahmad 22441

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