Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

www.alhassanain.org/english

Al-Mizan;

An Exegesis of the Qur'an, vol 5

From Chapter Three (Āl ‘Imrān) [The House of Imran] [3] verse 1 to Chapter Three (Āl ‘Imrān) [The House of Imran] [3] Verse 41

The tafseer [exposition] of Surah (Āl ‘Imrān) starts in the fifth volume and this volume ends with the verse 41 of the same surah. Translated by Allamah Sayyid Sa'eed Akhtar Rizvi

Author(s): Allamah Sayyid Muhammad Husayn at-Tabataba'i

Translator(s): Allamah Sayyid Sa'eed Akhtar Rizvi

Publisher(s): World Organization for Islamic Services [W.O.F.I.S.]

www.alhassanain.org/english

English translation

First edition 1982/1402

Second edition 2010/1431

Translated from the Arabic

al-Mizān fī tafsīri ’l-Qur’ān,

Beirut, 1393/1973 (3rd ed. )

Published by:

World Organization for Islamic Services, P. O. Box No. 11165-1545, Tehran – IRAN.

In the Name of Allāh,

The All-compassionate, The All-merciful

Praise belongs to Allāh, the Lord of all being;

the All-compassionate, the All-merciful;

the Master of the Day of Judgement;

Thee only we serve, and to Thee alone we pray

for succour:

Guide us in the straight path;

the path of those whom Thou hast blessed,

not of those against whom Thou art wrathful,

nor of those who are astray.

* * * * *

O’ Allāh!send your blessings to the head of

your messengers and the last of

your prophets,

Muhammad and his pure and cleansed progeny.

Also send your blessings to all your

prophets and envoys.

Notice:

This version is published on behalf of www.alhassanain.org/english

The composing errors are not corrected.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TRANSLITERATION 9

FOREWORD [IN ARABIC] 10

FOREWORD 12

CHAPTER 3 (Surah Āl ‘Imrān), VERSES 1 - 6 15

GENERAL COMMENT 15

COMMENTARY 16

CHASTISEMENT AS EXPLAINED BY THE QUR’ĀN 20

TRADITIONS 24

CHAPTER 3 (Surah Āl ‘Imrān), VERSES 7 - 9 29

COMMENTARY 29

A DETAILED DISCOURSE ABOUT THE DECISIVE AND AMBIGUOUS VERSES AND THE INTERPRETATION 42

1. The Decisive and the Ambiguous Verses 43

2. ‘‘The Decisive Verses are the Basis of the Book.’’ What does it mean? 54

3. The Meaning of ‘‘at-Ta’wīl’’ 55

4. Does Anyone, Other than Allāh, know the ‘‘interpretation’’ of the Qur’ān 60

5. Why the Book Contains the Ambiguous Verses 66

6. Conclusion 73

TRADITIONS 77

TRADITIONS ON INTERPRETING THE QUR’ĀN ACCORDING TO ONE'S OPINION 85

CHAPTER 3, (Surah Āl ‘Imrān), VERSES 10 - 18 98

GENERAL COMMENT 98

COMMENTARY 99

TRADITIONS 127

CHAPTER 3 (Surah Āl ‘Imrān), VERSES 19 -25 130

COMMENTARY 130

TRADITIONS 136

CHAPTER 3 (Surah Āl ‘Imrān), VERSES 26 -27 139

COMMENTARY 139

SUSTENANCE IN THE QUR’ĀN 148

TRADITIONS 152

AN ESSAY ON KINGDOM AND ITS PLACE IN SOCIETY 155

A PHILOSOPHICAL DISCOURSE ON ATTRIBUTION OF KINGDOM AND OTHER ABSTRACTS CONCEPTS TO ALLĀH 159

CHAPTER 3 (Surah Āl ‘Imrān), VERSES 28 -32 160

COMMENTARY 160

TRADITIONS, 170

CHAPTER 3 (Surah Āl ‘Imrān), VERSES 33 -34 173

COMMENTARY 173

TRADITIONS 176

CHAPTER 3 (Surah Āl ‘Imrān), VERSES 35 -41 178

COMMENTARY 178

ANGELIC INSPIRATION AND SATANIC WHISPERING: THE SPEECH OF ALLĀH 190

TRADITIONS 192

OTHER TRADITIONS ABOUT ‘‘THE ONE SPOKEN TO’’ 194

NOTES 197

LIST OF THE IMPORTANT SUBJECTS DEALT WITH IN THIS VOLUME 198

APPENDIX “A” 200

APPENDIX “B” 202

TRANSLITERATION

FOREWORD [IN ARABIC]

FOREWORD

1. al-‘Allāmah as-Sayyid Muhammad Husayn at-Tabātabā’ī (1321/1904 - 1402/1981) - may Allāh have mercy upon him was a famous scholar, thinker and the most celebrated contemporary Islamic philosopher. We have introduced him briefly in the first volume of the English translation of al-Mīzān which will be published, by the help of Allāh, in the near future.

2. al-‘Allāmah at-Tabātabā’ī is well-known for a number of his works of which the most important is his great exegesis al-Mīzān fī tafsīri ’l-Qur’ān which is rightly counted as the fundamental pillar of scholarly work which the ‘Allāmah has achieved in the Islamic world.

3. We felt the necessity of publishing an exegesis of the Holy Qur’ān in English. After a thorough consultation, we came to choose al-Mīzān because we found that it contained in itself, to a considerable extent, the points which should necessarily be expounded in a perfect exegesis of the Holy Qur’ān and the points which appeal to the mind of the contemporary Muslim reader. Therefore, we proposed to al-Ustādh al-‘Allāmah as-Sayyid Sa‘īd Akhtar ar-Radawī to undertake this task because we were familiar with his intellectual ability to understand the Arabic text of al-Mīzān and his literary capability in expression and translation. So we relied on him for this work and consider him responsible for the English translation as al-‘Allāmah at-Tabātabā’ī was responsible for the Arabic text of al-Mīzān and its discussions.

4. We have proceeded to publish the translation of the second volume of the Arabic al-Mīzān earlier as it was ready for printing, whereas the first volume is not ready yet for the reasons which we do not wish to state here. So we saw no reason in delaying its printing. We have included two appendixes: one for the authors cited in all the volumes of al-Mīzān, and the other for the books cited therein. These two appendixes have been attached to the first volume of the English translation. Apart from this, the reader will find two appendixes in all the volumes of the translation of al-Mīzān.

* * * *

We implore upon Allāh toeffect our work purely for His pleasure, and to help us to complete this work which we have started. May Allāh guide us in this step which we have taken and in the future steps, for He is the best Master and the best Helper.

WORLD ORGANIZATION FOR ISLAMIC SERVICES

(Board of Writing, Translation andPublication )

6/4/1402

1/2/1982.

Tehran-IRAN.

al-Mīzān

Volume Five

ch.3, vrs. 1-41

Chapter Three

Āl ‘Imrān (The House of Imran)

200 verses - Medina