Tafseer of The Family of Imraan · Aal-i-Imraan · 3:33
Indeed, Allah chose Adam and Noah and the family of Abraham and the family of 'Imran over the worlds -
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
The discourse on the explanation of His statement: إِنَّ اللَّهَ اصْطَفَى آدَمَ وَنُوحًا وَآلَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَآلَ عِمْرَانَ عَلَى الْعَالَمِينَ ("Indeed, Allah chose Adam, Noah, the family of Ibrāhīm, and the family of ʿImrān over the worlds") (33)
Abū Jaʿfar said: He, exalted is His praise, means by this: Indeed, Allah selected Adam and Noah and chose them on account of their religion = and the family of Ibrāhīm and the family of ʿImrān on account of their religion upon which they were, for they were the people of Islam. Thus Allah, mighty and exalted is He, informed that He chose the religion of those whom we have mentioned over all other religions that opposed it. (18)
And by "the family of Ibrāhīm and the family of ʿImrān" He meant only the believers.
* * *
And we have already demonstrated that "the family (āl) of the man" means his followers, his people, and whoever is upon his religion. (19)
* * *
And in accordance with what we have said about that, the statement is related from Ibn ʿAbbās, that he used to say it.
6851 - Al-Muthannā related to me, saying: ʿAbd Allāh ibn Ṣāliḥ related to us, saying: Muʿāwiya related to me, on the authority of ʿAlī, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning His statement: "Indeed, Allah chose Adam, Noah, the family of Ibrāhīm, and the family of ʿImrān over the worlds". He said: They are the believers of the family of Ibrāhīm, the family of ʿImrān, the family of Yāsīn, and the family of Muḥammad. Allah, mighty and exalted is He, says: إِنَّ أَوْلَى النَّاسِ بِإِبْرَاهِيمَ لَلَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوهُ ("Indeed, the people most worthy of Ibrāhīm are those who followed him") [Sūrat Āl ʿImrān: 68], and they are the believers.
6852 - Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His statement: "Indeed, Allah chose Adam, Noah, the family of Ibrāhīm, and the family of ʿImrān over the worlds". Two men, two prophets, whom Allah chose over the worlds.
6853 - Al-Ḥasan ibn Yaḥyā related to us, saying: ʿAbd al-Razzāq informed us, saying: Maʿmar informed us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His statement: "Indeed, Allah chose Adam, Noah, the family of Ibrāhīm, and the family of ʿImrān over the worlds". He said: Allah mentioned the people of two righteous houses, and two righteous men, and chose them &; 6-327 &; over the worlds, and Muḥammad belonged to the family of Ibrāhīm.
6854 - Muḥammad ibn Sinān related to me, saying: Abū Bakr al-Ḥanafī related to us, saying: ʿAbbād related to us, on the authority of al-Ḥasan, concerning His statement: "Indeed, Allah chose Adam, Noah, and the family of Ibrāhīm" up to His statement: وَاللَّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ ("And Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing"). He said: Allah chose them over the worlds with prophethood, above all people; they were the prophets, the godfearing, the chosen ones for their Lord. (20)
--------------------------
The footnotes:
(18) See the explanation of "iṣṭafā" in what passed earlier 3: 91, 69 / then 5: 312, 313.
(19) See what passed earlier 2: 37 / 3: 222, annotation: 1.
(20) In the printed edition: "al-muṭīʿīn li-rabbihim" (those obedient to their Lord), as in al-Durr al-manthūr 2: 17, 18, but the manuscript is very clear, and accords with His statement, exalted is He: "Indeed, Allah chose Adam...".
