Sūrah 3 · Medinan

How Sūrah Aal-i-Imraan was revealed.

Where and when it came down, what it teaches, and the hadith about it — all on one calm page.

Where revealed Medinan

Revealed in the Madīnan period, after the migration to Madīnah.

Order of revelation #89

Its place in the traditional order in which the sūrahs were revealed.

Length 200 ayahs

20 reading sections in the Muṣḥaf.

The revelation story

How and when it came down.

This surah affirms the authority of the Quran, defends Islamic creed particularly against Christian distortions about Jesus, and restores the true legacy of Abraham. It serves as a debrief for the Battle of Uḥud, calling the believers to unity, patience, and obedience, while warning against disunity, hypocrisy, and usury, and establishing the fundamentals of faith.

Themes and purpose:

This surah affirms the authority of the Quran, defends Islamic creed particularly against Christian distortions about Jesus, and restores the true legacy of Abraham. It serves as a debrief for the Battle of Uḥud, calling the believers to unity, patience, and obedience, while warning against disunity, hypocrisy, and usury, and establishing the fundamentals of faith.

Context of Revelation:

Era: Madinan by unanimous agreement, and counted among the earliest Madinan surahs. Its revelation begins not long after al‑Baqarah.

Time & Context: Revealed over an extended period in the early Madinan years (roughly 2–3 AH), in two main clusters:

  1. The Debate [1-80+]: Revealed around 2 AH, addressing in particular the Christian delegation from Najran who came to debate the Prophet (ﷺ) about the nature of Jesus, and extending more broadly to the People of the Book as a whole.
  2. The Battle [121+]: Revealed in 3 AH, in the immediate aftermath of the Battle of Uḥud, analyzing the setback, exposing the hypocrites, consoling the believers, and training them in steadfastness, obedience, and unity.

Name and Ayah Count:

Name: The surah’s established name is "Āl ʿImrān" (The Family of ʿImrān), referring to the father of Maryam; his family includes his wife as well as the Prophet Zakariyya, who became the caretaker of Maryam. Through this blessed lineage, Allah manifested the signs surrounding the birth and mission of Jesus.

Honorific Title: It is famously paired with al-Baqarah, with the Prophet (ﷺ) calling them "al-Zahrāwān" (The Two Radiant Ones), reflecting the light they bestow upon those who recite them.

Ayah Count: 200 (majority) or 199 (Shām).

Surah Overview:

    • Praising the Quran and establishing Islam as the only acceptable religion. [1-4, 19, 85]
    • Affirming the divine origin of the Torah and Gospel as preparatory revelations leading to the Quran. [3-4]
    • Clarifying the categories of Quranic ayahs and the ranks of the believers in understanding them. [7]
    • Proving Allah’s Oneness and refuting the deification of Jesus. [2, 6, 59-64]
  • Praising Jesus and his family, affirming the miraculous nature of his birth and mission, and denying all claims of his divinity. [33–63]
  • Debating the People of the Book (and particularly the Najran delegation) about the true monotheism of Abraham and exposing their deviations from his straight way (ḥanīfiyyah). [33-80]
  • Warning the believers against the plots of the People of the Book and the hypocrites, and distinguishing the impure from the pure through trials. [3:69–72, 118–120, 166–168]
  • Exposing the distortions, concealment, and false claims of some Jews regarding scripture and doctrine. [70–78]
  • Affirming the universal prophetic covenant obligating all prophets to recognise and support the final Messenger. [81]
  • Affirming the Kaʿbah as the first house of monotheistic worship and mandating the Hajj. [96-97]
  • Warning the Muslims to unite and not fall into disunity. [100-107]
  • Warning disbelievers that their wealth and worldly success will not avail them, and assuring the believers that what awaits them with Allah is better. [116–120]
  • Providing a detailed, morally instructive analysis of the Battle of Uḥud as well as Badr. [121-179]
  • Commanding key virtues: patience, generosity, forgiveness, courage, and perseverance. [92, 134, 200]
  • Condemning and prohibiting usury. [130-132]
  • A concluding call to reflect on the creation of the heavens and the earth. [190-195]
  • Warning against being deceived by the fleeting prosperity of disbelievers, and urging steadfastness and piety. [196-200]

Sūrah background — via the Quran Foundation Content API. Shown as supplied by the provider. We do not edit, summarise or generate it.

Hadith about this sūrah

What the hadith say.

These 51 narrations in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī are connected to specific āyāt of this sūrah — a linkage reviewed by the Quran Foundation. Open any one to read it in full, in Arabic and English.

  1. Relates to āyah7
    Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 4547

    حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مَسْلَمَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا يَزِيدُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ التُّسْتَرِيُّ، عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي مُلَيْكَةَ، عَنِ الْقَاسِمِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ ـ رضى الله عنها ـ قَالَتْ تَلاَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم هَذِهِ الآيَةَ ‏﴿‏هُوَ الَّذِي أَنْزَلَ عَلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ مِنْهُ آيَاتٌ مُحْكَمَاتٌ هُنَّ أُمُّ الْكِتَابِ وَأُخَرُ مُتَشَابِهَاتٌ فَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ زَيْغٌ فَيَتَّبِعُونَ مَا تَشَابَهَ مِنْهُ ابْتِغَاءَ الْفِتْنَةِ وَابْتِغَاءَ تَأْوِيلِهِ‏﴾‏ إِلَى قَوْلِهِ ‏{‏أُولُو الأَلْبَابِ‏}‏ قَالَتْ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ فَإِذَا رَأَيْتَ الَّذِينَ يَتَّبِعُونَ مَا تَشَابَهَ مِنْهُ، فَأُولَئِكَ الَّذِينَ سَمَّى اللَّهُ، فَاحْذَرُوهُمْ ‏"‏‏.‏

    Narrated `Aisha: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) recited the Verse:-- "It is He who has sent down to you the Book. In it are Verses that are entirely clear, they are the foundation of the Book, others not entirely clear. So as for those in whose hearts there is a deviation (from the Truth ). follow thereof that is not entirely clear seeking affliction and searching for its hidden meanings; but no one knows its hidden meanings but Allah. And those who are firmly grounded in knowledge say: "We believe in it (i.e. in the Qur'an) the whole of it (i.e. its clear and unclear Verses) are from our Lord. And none receive admonition except men of understanding." (3.7) Then Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "If you see those who follow thereof that is not entirely clear, then they are those whom Allah has named [as having deviation (from the Truth)] 'So beware of them."

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  2. Relates to āyah36
    Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 3431

    حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الْيَمَانِ، أَخْبَرَنَا شُعَيْبٌ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي سَعِيدُ بْنُ الْمُسَيَّبِ، قَالَ قَالَ أَبُو هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ ‏"‏ مَا مِنْ بَنِي آدَمَ مَوْلُودٌ إِلاَّ يَمَسُّهُ الشَّيْطَانُ حِينَ يُولَدُ، فَيَسْتَهِلُّ صَارِخًا مِنْ مَسِّ الشَّيْطَانِ، غَيْرَ مَرْيَمَ وَابْنِهَا ‏"‏‏.‏ ثُمَّ يَقُولُ أَبُو هُرَيْرَةَ ‏﴿‏وَإِنِّي أُعِيذُهَا بِكَ وَذُرِّيَّتَهَا مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ ‏﴾‏‏.‏

    Narrated Sa`id bin Al-Musaiyab: Abu Huraira said, "I heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) saying, 'There is none born among the off-spring of Adam, but Satan touches it. A child therefore, cries loudly at the time of birth because of the touch of Satan, except Mary and her child." Then Abu Huraira recited: "And I seek refuge with You for her and for her offspring from the outcast Satan" (3.36)

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    Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 4548

    حَدَّثَنِي عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ، أَخْبَرَنَا مَعْمَرٌ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ الْمُسَيَّبِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏"‏ مَا مِنْ مَوْلُودٍ يُولَدُ إِلاَّ وَالشَّيْطَانُ يَمَسُّهُ حِينَ يُولَدُ، فَيَسْتَهِلُّ صَارِخًا مِنْ مَسِّ الشَّيْطَانِ إِيَّاهُ، إِلاَّ مَرْيَمَ وَابْنَهَا ‏"‏‏.‏ ثُمَّ يَقُولُ أَبُو هُرَيْرَةَ وَاقْرَءُوا إِنْ شِئْتُمْ ‏﴿‏وَإِنِّي أُعِيذُهَا بِكَ وَذُرِّيَّتَهَا مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ ‏﴾‏

    Narrated Sa`id bin Al-Musaiyab: Abu Huraira said, "The Prophet (ﷺ) said, 'No child is born but that, Satan touches it when it is born whereupon it starts crying loudly because of being touched by Satan, except Mary and her son." Abu Huraira then said, "Recite, if you wish: "And I seek Refuge with You (Allah) for her and her offspring from Satan, the outcast." (3.36)

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  3. Relates to āyah64

The link between each āyah and these narrations is the Quran Foundation's reviewed reference map. The wording is reproduced verbatim from a public-domain edition of Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī and is not edited, summarised or generated; every narration also opens at Sunnah.com so it can be checked against another copy.