Âli-’Imran (Surah 3)

Introduction

This Medinian sûrah takes its name from the Family of ’Imran mentioned in verse 33. Like the previous sûrah, it reiterates the fact that Allah is the source of divine revelation and affirms the belief in Allah as the only Lord and Islam as His only accepted religion. The story of the birth of Mary, John the Baptist, and Jesus is mentioned, along with a challenge to the Christian perception of Jesus (ﷺ). The sûrah also touches on early battles against the Meccan pagans with emphasis on the lessons to be drawn from the Muslims’ defeat at the Battle of Uḥud, which took place in 3 A.H./625 C.E. The virtue of being mindful of Allah is highlighted at the end of this sûrah and the beginning of the next one. In the Name of Allah—the Most Compassionate, Most Merciful