Surah Ali ’Imran is one of the “two radiant ones” that will come on the Day of Resurrection like two clouds or two flocks of birds, pleading for those who recited them. Its opening contains Allah’s Greatest Name, by which He answers prayers. The Companions held in high regard whoever had learned it with Al-Baqarah, and the Prophet ﷺ recited it in the night prayer.
Together with Al-Baqarah it forms the “two radiant ones” that will come on the Day of Resurrection like two clouds or two flocks of birds pleading for their companions, leading the Qur’an and those who used to act upon it.
The Prophet ﷺ said that Allah’s Greatest Name, by which He answers, is in the opening of Ali ’Imran: “Alif-Lam-Mim. Allah, there is no god but He, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of all”, and in three surahs: Al-Baqarah, Ali ’Imran and Taha.
It is one of the seven long surahs given to the Prophet ﷺ in place of the Torah, according to the hadith of Wathilah ibn al-Asqa’, graded good: “I was given in place of the Torah the seven long ones…”
When to recite it
In the night prayer, like the Prophet ﷺ who recited it with Al-Baqarah and An-Nisa in a single rak’ah (hadith of Hudhayfah, Muslim)
Hadiths on its virtues
Arabic text, translation, reference and authenticity grade of each hadith.
اقرأوا القرآن، فإنه يأتي يوم القيامة شفيعًا لأصحابه، اقرأوا الزهراوين، البقرة وسورة آل عمران، فإنهما يأتيان يوم القيامة كأنهما غمامتان، أو كأنهما غيايتان، أو كأنهما فرقان من طير صواف تحاجان عن أصحابهما…
Recite the Qur’an, for it will come on the Day of Resurrection as an intercessor for its companions. Recite the two radiant ones, Al-Baqarah and Surah Ali ’Imran, for they will come on the Day of Resurrection like two clouds, or two shades, or two flocks of birds in ranks, pleading for their companions…
يُؤتَى بالقُرْآنِ يومَ القيامةِ وأهلِه الَّذين كانوا يعمَلون به، تقدُمُه سورةُ البقرةِ وآلُ عِمْرانَ، وضرب لهما رسولُ اللهِ ﷺ ثلاثةَ أمثالٍ، ما نسيتُهنَّ بعدُ، قال: كأنَّهما غَمامَتانِ أو ظُلَّتانِ سَوْداوانِ، بينهما شَرْقٌ، أو كأنَّهما حِزْقانِ من طيرٍ صوافَّ، تُحاجَّانِ عن صاحبِهما
On the Day of Resurrection the Qur’an will be brought with its people who used to act upon it, led by Surah Al-Baqarah and Ali ’Imran. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ gave three likenesses for them that I have never forgotten: “As if they were two clouds, or two dark canopies with light between them, or two flocks of birds in ranks, pleading for their companion.”
اسم اللّه الأعظم في هاتين الآيتين ﴿وَإِلَهُكُمْ إِلَهٌ وَاحِدٌ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ الرَّحْمَنُ الرَّحِيمُ﴾ وفاتحة آل عمران: ﴿الم (1) اللَّهُ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ الْحَيُّ الْقَيُّومُ﴾
Allah’s Greatest Name is in these two verses: “Your God is One God; there is no god but He, the Most Merciful, the Especially Merciful”, and in the opening of Ali ’Imran: “Alif-Lam-Mim. Allah, there is no god but He, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of all.”
اسم اللّه الأعظم الذي إذا دعي به أجاب في سور ثلاث: في البقرة، وآل عمران، وطه، يعني: الحي القيوم
Allah’s Greatest Name, by which He answers when He is called upon, is in three surahs: Al-Baqarah, Ali ’Imran and Taha, meaning “the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of all” (al-Hayy al-Qayyum).
كان الرجل إذا قرأ البقرة وآل عمران جد فينا، يعني: عظم
When a man had learned Al-Baqarah and Ali ’Imran, he became highly regarded among us.
صليت مع النبي ﷺ ذات ليلة، فافتتح البقرة، فقلت: يركع عند المائة ثم مضى، فقلت: يصلي بها في ركعة فمضى، فقلت: يركع بها، ثم افتتح النساء فقرأها، ثم افتتح آل عمران فقرأها، يقرأ مترسلًا…
I prayed with the Prophet ﷺ one night. He began Al-Baqarah, and I said to myself: he will bow at the hundredth verse, but he went on. I said: he will pray it in one rak’ah, but he went on; I said: he will bow at its end. Then he began An-Nisa and recited it, then Ali ’Imran and recited it, reading slowly…
Widespread but unproven narrations
The hadith “Allah does not disappoint a man who stands… and begins Al-Baqarah and Ali ’Imran” is weak because of Layth ibn Abi Sulaym, and ’Umar’s saying “Whoever recites Al-Baqarah, Ali ’Imran and An-Nisa in one night is recorded among the devout” is weak and broken; what is established is sufficient.
ما خيب اللّه امرءًا قام … فافتتح سورة البقرة وآل عمران، ونعم كنز المرء البقرة وآل عمران
“Allah does not disappoint a man who stands […] and begins Surah Al-Baqarah and Ali ’Imran; what an excellent treasure for a man are Al-Baqarah and Ali ’Imran!”
من قرأ البقرة وآل عمران والنساء في ليلة كتب من القانتين
“Whoever recites Al-Baqarah, Ali ’Imran and An-Nisa in one night is recorded among the devout (al-qanitin).”
What the surah is about
The oneness of Allah and the proofs that establish it
The religion accepted by Allah is Islam
The story of ’Imran’s wife, Mary, Zechariah and John, and the birth of Jesus
Debate with the People of the Book and the call to a common word
Loyalty among believers and the prohibition of taking disbelievers as allies
Lessons of the Battle of Uhud and Allah’s laws of victory and defeat
Training the believers in piety, patience, perseverance, vigilance and avoiding usury
The qualities of people of understanding and their humble supplications
Main purpose: To establish that Islam is the true religion, answering the doubts of the People of the Book and strengthening the believers.
About Surah Ali ’Imran
Ali ’Imran is a Medinan surah by scholarly consensus, the third in the order of the Qur’an after Al-Fatihah and Al-Baqarah; it has two hundred verses. It is named after the family of ’Imran: Jesus, John (Yahya), Mary and her mother, ’Imran being Mary’s father. Its other names include “the Radiant”, “Safety”, “the Treasure”, “the Debate” and “Taybah”. Its opening, some eighty verses, was revealed concerning the Christian delegation of Najran who came to dispute about Jesus, and about sixty verses of its second half after the Battle of Uhud.
