Sura III.
The Family of Imran

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
ELIF. LAM. MIM.
God! there is no god but He, the Living, the Merciful!

In truth hath He sent down to thee “the Book,” which confirmeth those which precede it: For He had sent down the Law, and the Evangel aforetime, as man’s Guidance; and now hath He sent down the “Illumination.” Verily for those who believe not in the signs of God, is a severe chastisement! And God is Mighty, the Avenger!

God! nought that is in Earth or that is in Heaven, is hidden unto Him. He it is who formeth you in your mothers’ wombs. There is no god but He; the Mighty, the Wise! He it is who hath sent down to thee “the Book.” Some of its signs are of themselves perspicuous; — these are the basis of the Book — and others are figurative. But they whose hearts are given to err, follow its figures, craving discord, craving an interpretation; yet none knoweth its interpretation but God. And the stable in knowledge say, “We believe in it: it is all from our Lord.” But none will bear this in mind, save men endued with understanding.

O our Lord! suffer not our hearts to go astray after that thou hast once guided us, and give us mercy from before thee; for verily thou art He who giveth. O our Lord! For the day of whose coming there is not a doubt, thou wilt surely gather mankind together. Verily, God will not fail the promise.

As for the infidels, their wealth, and their children, shall avail them nothing against God. They shall be fuel for the fire. After the wont of the people of Pharaoh, and of those who went before them, they treated our signs as falsehoods. Therefore God laid hold of them in their sins; and God is severe in punishing!

Say to the infidels: ye shall be worsted, and to Hell shall ye be gathered together; and wretched the couch! Ye have already had a sign in the meeting of the two hosts. The one host fought in the cause of God, and the other was infidel. To their own eyesight, the infidels saw you twice as many as themselves: And God aided with his succour whom He would: And in this truly was a lesson for men endued with discernment.

Fair-seeming to men is the love of pleasures from women and children, and the treasured treasures of gold and silver, and horses of mark, and flocks, and cornfields! Such the enjoyment of this world’s life. But God! goodly the home with Him.

SAY: Shall I tell you of better things than these, prepared for those who fear God, in His presence? Theirs shall be gardens, beneath whose pavilions the rivers flow, and in which shall they abide for aye: and wives of stainless purity, and acceptance with God: for God regardeth his servants — Who say, “O our Lord! we have indeed believed; pardon us our sins, and keep us from the torment of the fire;” — The patient, and the truthful, the lowly, and the charitable, and they who seek pardon at each daybreak.

God witnesseth that there is no god but He: and the angels, and men endued with knowledge, stablished in righteousness, proclaim “There is no god but He, the Mighty, the Wise!” The true religion with God is Islam: and they to whom the Scriptures had been given, differed not till after “the knowledge” had come to them, and through mutual jealousy. But as for him who shall not believe in the signs of God — God will be prompt to reckon with him!

If they shall dispute with thee, then SAY: I have surrendered myself to God, as have they who follow me. SAY to those who have received the Book, and to the common folk, Do ye surrender yourselves unto God? If they become Muslims, then are they guided aright: but if they turn away — thy duty is only preaching; and God’s eye is on His servants.

But to those who believe not in the signs of God, and unjustly slay the prophets, and slay those men who enjoin uprightness, — announce an afflictive chastisement. These are they whose works come to nought in this world, and in the next; and none shall they have to help them!

Hast thou not marked those who have received a portion of the Scriptures, when they are summoned to the Book of God, that it may settle their differences? Then did a part of them turn back, and withdrew far off. This — because they said, “The fire shall by no means touch us, but for certain days:” — Their own devices have deceived them in their religion. But how, when we shall assemble them together for the day of whose coming there is no doubt, and when every soul shall be paid what it hath earned, and they shall not be wronged?

SAY: O God, possessor of all power, thou givest power to whom thou wilt, and from whom thou wilt, thou takest it away! Thou raisest up whom thou wilt, and whom thou wilt thou dost abase! In thy hand is good; for thou art over all things potent. Thou causest the night to pass into the day, and thou causest the day to pass into the night. Thou bringest the living out of the dead, and thou bringest the dead out of the living; and thou givest sustenance to whom thou wilt, without measure.

Let not believers take infidels for their friends rather than believers: whoso shall do this hath nothing to hope from God — unless, indeed, ye fear a fear from them: But God would have you beware of Himself; for to God ye return. SAY: Whether ye hide what is in your breasts, or whether ye publish it abroad, God knoweth it: He knoweth what is in the heavens and what is in the earth; and over all things is God potent.

On that day shall every soul find present to it, whatever it hath wrought of good: and as to what it hath wrought of evil, it will wish that wide were the space between itself and it! But God would have you beware of Himself; for God is kind to His servants. SAY: If ye love God, then follow me: God will love you, and forgive your sins, for God is Forgiving, Merciful. SAY: Obey God and the Apostle; but if ye turn away, then verily, God loveth not the unbelievers.

Verily above all human beings did God choose Adam, and Noah, and the family of Abraham, and the family of IMRAN, the one the posterity of the other: And God Heareth, Knoweth.

Remember when the wife of Imran said, “O my Lord! I vow to thee what is in my womb, for thy special service. Accept it from me, for thou Hearest, Knowest!” And when she had given birth to it, she said, “O my Lord! Verily I have brought forth a female,” — God knew what she had brought forth; a male is not as a female — “and I have named her Mary, and I take refuge with thee for her and for her offspring, from Satan the stoned.”

So with goodly acceptance did her Lord accept her, and with goodly growth did he make her grow. Zacharias reared her. So oft as Zacharias went in to Mary at the sanctuary, he found her supplied with food. “Oh, Mary!” said he, “whence hast thou this?” She said, “It is from God; for God supplieth whom He will, without reckoning!”

There did Zacharias call upon his Lord: “O my Lord!” said he, “vouchsafe me from thyself good descendants, for thou art the hearer of prayer.” Then did the angels call to him, as he stood praying in the sanctuary: “God announceth John to thee, who shall be a verifier of the word from God, and a great one, chaste, and a prophet of the number of the just.”

He said, “O my Lord! how shall I have a son, now that old age hath come upon me, and my wife is barren?” He said, “Thus will God do His pleasure.” He said, “Lord! give me a token.” He said, “Thy token shall be, that for three days thou shalt speak to no man but by signs: But remember thy Lord often, and praise him at even and at morn:”

And remember when the angels said, “O Mary! verily hath God chosen thee, and purified thee, and chosen thee above the women of the worlds! O Mary! be devout towards thy Lord, and prostrate thyself, and bow down with those who bow.”

This is one of the announcements of things unseen by thee: To thee, O Muhammad! do we reveal it; for thou wast not with them when they cast lots with reeds which of them should rear Mary; nor wast thou with them when they disputed about it.

Remember when the angel said, “O Mary! Verily God announceth to thee the Word from Him: His name shall be, Messiah Jesus the son of Mary, illustrious in this world, and in the next, and one of those who have near access to God; And He shall speak to men alike when in the cradle and when grown up; And he shall be one of the just.” She said, “How, O my Lord! shall I have a son, when man hath not touched me?” He said, “Thus: God will create what He will; When He decreeth a thing, He only saith, ‘Be,’ and it is.”

And he will teach him the Book, and the Wisdom, and the Law, and the Evangel; and he shall be an apostle to the children of Israel. “Now have I come,” he will say, “to you with a sign from your Lord: Out of clay will I make for you, as it were, the figure of a bird: and I will breathe into it, and it shall become, by God’s leave, a bird. And I will heal the blind, and the leper; and by God’s leave will I quicken the dead; and I will tell you what ye eat, and what ye store up in your houses! Truly in this will be a sign for you, if ye are believers.

And I have come to attest the law which was before me; and to allow you part of that which had been forbidden you; and I come to you with a sign from your Lord: Fear God, then, and obey me; of a truth God is my Lord, and your Lord: Therefore worship Him. This is a right way.”

And when Jesus perceived unbelief on their part, He said, “Who my helpers with God?” The apostles said, “We will be God’s helpers! We believe in God, and bear thou witness that we are Muslims. O our Lord! we believe in what thou hast sent down, and we follow the apostle; write us up, then, with those who bear witness to him.”

And the Jews plotted, and God plotted: But of those who plot is God the best.

Remember when God said, “O Jesus! verily I will cause thee to die, and will take thee up to myself and deliver thee from those who believe not; and I will place those who follow thee above those who believe not, until the day of resurrection. Then, to me is your return, and wherein ye differ will I decide between you. And as to those who believe not, I will chastise them with a terrible chastisement in this world and in the next; and none shall they have to help them.” But as to those who believe, and do the things that are right, He will pay them their recompense. God loveth not the doers of evil.

These signs, and this wise warning do we rehearse to thee. Verily, Jesus is as Adam in the sight of God. He created him of dust: He then said to him, “Be” — and he was. The truth from thy Lord! Be not thou, therefore, of those who doubt.

As for those who dispute with thee about Him, after “the knowledge” hath come to thee, SAY: Come, let us summon our sons and your sons, our wives and your wives, and ourselves and yourselves. Then will we invoke and lay the malison of God on those that lie! This recital is very truth, and there is no god but God; and verily God is the Mighty, the Wise. But if they turn away, then verily God hath knowledge of the corrupt doers.

SAY: O people of the Book! come ye to a just judgment between us and you — That we worship not aught but God, and that we join no other god with Him, and that the one of us take not the other for lords, beside God. Then if they turn their backs, SAY: Bear ye witness that we are Muslims.

O people of the Book! Why dispute about Abraham, when the Law and the Evangel were not sent down till after him? Do ye not then understand? Lo! ye are they who dispute about that in which ye have knowledge; but why dispute ye about that of which ye have no knowledge? God hath knowledge, but ye know nothing.

Abraham was neither Jew nor Christian; but he was sound in the faith, a Muslim; and not of those who add gods to God. They among men, who are nearest of kin to Abraham, are surely those who follow him, and this prophet Muhammad, and they who believe on him. And God is the protector of the faithful.

A party among the people of the Book would fain mislead you: but they only mislead themselves, and perceive it not. O people of the Book! why disbelieve the signs of God, of which yourselves have been witnesses? O people of the Book! why clothe ye the truth with falsehood? Why wittingly hide the truth?

Others of the people of the Book say: “Believe in what hath been sent down to the believers, at daybreak, and deny it at its close” — Thus do they go back — “And believe in those only who follow your Religion.” SAY: True guidance is guidance from God — that to others may be imparted the like of what hath been imparted to you. Will they wrangle then with you in the presence of their Lord? SAY: Plenteous gifts are in the hands of God: He imparteth them unto whom He will, and God is Bounteous, Wise. He will vouchsafe His mercy to whom He will, for God is of great bounteousness.

Among the people of the Book are some, to one of whom if thou entrust a thousand dinars, he will restore them to thee: And there is of them to whom if thou entrust a dinar, he will not restore it to thee, unless thou be ever instant with him. This — because they say, “We are not bound to keep faith with the ignorant folk, and they utter a lie against God, and know they do so:” But whoso is true to his engagement, and feareth God, — verily God loveth those that fear Him.

Verily they who barter their engagement with God, and their oaths, for some paltry price — These! no portion for them in the world to come! and God will not speak to them, and will not look on them, on the day of resurrection, and will not assoil them! for them, a grievous chastisement!

And some truly are there among them who torture the Scriptures with their tongues, in order that ye may suppose it to be from the Scripture, yet it is not from the Scripture. And they say, “This is from God;” yet it is not from God: and they utter a lie against God, and they know they do so.

It beseemeth not a man, that God should give him the Scriptures and the Wisdom, and the gift of prophecy, and that then he should say to his followers, “Be ye worshippers of me, as well as of God;” but rather, “Be ye perfect in things pertaining to God, since ye know the Scriptures, and have studied deep.” God doth not command you to take the angels or the prophets as lords. What! would he command you to become infidels after ye have been Muslims?

When God entered into covenant with the prophets, he said, “This is the Book and the Wisdom which I give you. Hereafter shall a prophet come unto you to confirm the Scriptures already with you. Ye shall surely believe on him, and ye shall surely aid him. Are ye resolved?” said he, “and do ye accept the covenant on these terms?” They said, “We are resolved;” “Be ye then the witnesses,” said he, “and I will be a witness as well as you. And whoever turneth back after this, these are surely the perverse.”

Other religion than that of God desire they? To him doth everything that is in the Heavens and in the Earth submit, in willing or forced obedience! and to Him do they return.

SAY: We believe in God, and in what hath been sent down to us, and what hath been sent down to Abraham, and Ismael, and Isaac, and Jacob, and the tribes, and in what was given to Moses, and Jesus, and the Prophets, from their Lord. We make no difference between them. And to Him are we resigned. Whoso desireth any other religion than Islam, that religion shall never be accepted from him, and in the next world he shall be among the lost.

How shall God guide a people who, after they had believed and borne witness that the apostle was true, and after that clear proofs of his mission had reached them, disbelieved? God guideth not the people who transgress. These! their recompense, that the curse of God, and of angels, and of all men, is on them! Under it shall they abide for ever; their torment shall not be assuaged! nor shall God even look upon them! — Save those who after this repent and amend; for verily God is Gracious, Merciful!

As for those who become infidels, after having believed, and then increase their infidelity — their repentance shall never be accepted. These! they are the erring ones.As for those who are infidels, and die infidels, from no one of them shall as much gold as the earth could contain be accepted, though he should offer it in ransom. These! a grievous punishment awaiteth them; and they shall have none to help them.

Ye shall never attain to goodness till ye give alms of that which ye love; and whatever ye give, of a truth God knoweth it.

All food was allowed to the children of Israel, except what Jacob forbad himself, ere the law was sent down; SAY: Bring ye then the law and read it, if ye be men of truth. And whoso after this inventeth the lie about God: These are evil doers. SAY: God speaketh truth. Follow, therefore, the religion of Abraham, the sound in faith, who was not one of those who joined other gods to God.

The first temple that was founded for mankind, was that in Becca, Blessed, and a guidance to human beings. In it are evident signs, even the standing-place of Abraham: and he who entereth it is safe. And the pilgrimage to the temple, is a service due to God from those who are able to journey thither. And as to him who believeth not — verily God can afford to dispense with all creatures! SAY: O people of the Book! why disbelieve ye the signs of God? But God is witness of your doings. SAY: O people of the Book! why repel believers from the way of God? Ye fain would make it crooked, and yet ye are its witnesses! But God is not regardless of what ye do.

O believers! if ye obey some amongst those who have received the Scripture, after your very Faith will they make you infidels! But how can ye become infidels, when the signs of God are recited to you, and his prophet is among you? Whoever holdeth fast by God, is already guided to a straight path.

O ye believers! fear God as He deserveth to be feared! and die not till ye have become Muslims. And hold ye fast by the cord of God, all of you, and break not loose from it; and remember God’s goodness towards you, how that when ye were enemies, He united your hearts, and by his favour ye became brethren; And when ye were on the brink of the pit of fire, he drew you back from it. Thus God clearly sheweth you his signs that ye may be guided; And that there may be among you a people who invite to the Good, and enjoin the Just, and forbid the Wrong. These are they with whom it shall be well.

And be ye not like those who have formed divisions, and fallen to variance after the clear proofs have come to them. These! a terrible chastisement doth await them, On THE DAY when faces shall turn white, and faces shall turn black! And as to those whose faces shall have turned black…. “What! after your belief have ye become infidels? Taste then the chastisement, for that ye have been unbelievers.” And as to those whose faces shall have become white, they shall be within the mercy of God: therein shall they abide for ever.

These are the signs of God: we recite them to thee in truth: And God willeth not injustice to mankind.
Whatever is in the Heavens, and whatever is on the Earth, is God’s. And to God shall all things return.

Ye are the best folk that hath been raised up unto mankind. Ye enjoin the Just, and ye forbid the Evil, and ye believe in God: And if the people of the Book had believed, it had surely been better for them! Believers there are among them, but most of them are perverse.

They will never inflict on you but a trifling damage; and if they do battle with you, they shall turn their backs to you: then they shall not be succoured.

Shame shall be stamped upon them wherever found, unless they ally them with God and men! And the wrath of God will they incur, and poverty shall be stamped upon them! This — for that they believed not in the signs of God, and slew the prophets unjustly: This — because they rebelled, and became transgressors.

Yet all are not alike: Among the people of the Book is an upright folk, who recite the signs of God in the night-season, and adore: They believe in God and in the latter day, and enjoin justice, and forbid evil, and speed on in good works. These are of the righteous. And of whatever good they do, they shall not be denied the meed. God knoweth those who fear Him.

But as for the infidels, their wealth, and their children shall avail them nothing against God. They shall be the inmates of the fire, to abide therein eternally. The alms which they bestow in this present life, are like a freezing wind, which falleth upon and destroyeth the cornfields of a people who have been to themselves unjust. God doeth them no injustice, but to themselves are they unjust.

O ye who have believed! form not intimacies among others than yourselves. They will not fail to corrupt you. They long for your ruin. Hatred hath already shewn itself out of their mouths, but more grievous is what their breasts conceal. The tokens thereof we have already made plain to you, if ye will comprehend.

See now! ye love them, but they love not you. Ye believe the entire Book. And when they meet you, they say, “We believe;” but when they are apart, they bite their fingers’ ends at you, out of wrath. SAY: “Die in your wrath!” God truly knoweth the very recesses of your breasts. If good befalleth you it grieveth them, and when ill lighteth on you, they rejoice in it. But if ye be steadfast and fear God, their craft shall in no way harm you. For God is round about their doings.

And remember when thou didst leave thy household at early morn, that thou mightest prepare the faithful a camp for the war; God heard, knew it — When two troops of you became full of anxious thoughts, and lost heart, and when God became the protector of both! In God, then, let the faithful trust. God had already succoured you at Bedr, when ye were the weaker! Fear God, then, that ye may be thankful.