Ramadhan 2016 – Day 3 (Aali Imran)

Chapter 3 (Aali Imran) is the fraternal twin of Chapter 2. Although they do not look alike, Ch 3 compliments Al-Baqarah’s ideas and takes it to a more personal level. For example, the standing position of Ibrahm which is only mentioned in these two chapters (2/125 and 3/96) is mentioned in Ch 2 in the sense of nation building and in Ch 3 on a personal level by connecting it to the personality of Isa. In Ch 3, the messenger personality is the focus of this personal level.

The beginning of Ch 3 shows us how to engage with revelation (Vs 1-28). Revelation needs to be considered, engaged with and ultimately applied.

Next comes the personality who shows this practice, Isa ibn Maryam (Vs 35-63). Isa shows us the blueprint of messengership which is the key of achieving Allah’s personal intervention in life (3/55).Isa’s system then becomes the ‘kitab’ of this chapter and the people of this kitab are instructed in various ways (3/64-99).

The final phase of this chapter is a series of seven calls to those who have believed in the path of Isa. In these calls, the system of Isa is detailed as well as the pitfalls which can bring down the system. This phase ends with a single verse call (3/200) telling us emphatically how much patience and endurance is necessary for growth.