Quran Universe
7:1

الٓمٓصٓ

Aliflammeemsad

Alif, Lam, Meem, Sad.

Word by word
  1. الٓمٓصٓAlif Laam Meem Saad
Al-A'raf · 7:1Makkah

Four letters, then a long warning. Stop and listen.

Letters whose meaning is with Allah

How the surah opens
Alif Lam Mim Sadmeaning known to Allah
opens
Al-A'rafa long calland a warning
How to meet them
skip to the clear partthese are just letters
pause and pay attentionsomething weighty follows

This surah came near the end of the Prophet's ﷺ years in Makkah. He had called his people for a long time, and most had turned a deaf ear. The surah opens with four letters whose meaning is known to Allah, before a long message to people who had stopped listening.

You open the app on the bus, thumb already on the scroll bar. Four letters you cannot explain sit at the top. You do not have to decode them. You only have to slow down.

If I cannot understand something right away, I move past it.

Some words are there to stop me and make me ready to listen.

Try this

Before you read your next page of Quran, sit still for ten seconds first.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

المص - كِتَابٌ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ فَلَا يَكُن فِي صَدْرِكَ حَرَجٌ مِّنْهُ لِتُنذِرَ بِهِ وَذِكْرَىٰ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ - اتَّبِعُوا مَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكُم مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَلَا تَتَّبِعُوا مِن دُونِهِ أَوْلِيَاءَ قَلِيلًا مَّا تَذَكَّرُونَ

(1. Alif-Lam-Mim-Şad.)(2. (This is the) Book (the Qur'an) sent down unto you, so let not your breast be narrow therefrom, that you warn thereby; and a reminder unto the believers.)(3. Follow what has been sent down unto you from your Lord, and follow not any Awliya' (protectors), besides Him (Allah). Little do you remember!)

We mentioned before the explanation of the letters [such as, Alif-Lam, that are in the beginning of some Surahs in the Qur'an].

كِتَابٌ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ

((This is the) Book (the Qur'an) sent down unto you (O Muhammad)), from your Lord,

فَلَا يَكُن فِي صَدْرِكَ حَرَجٌ مِّنْهُ

(so let not your breast be narrow therefrom,) meaning, having doubt about it according to Mujahid, Qatadah and As-Suddi. It was also said that the meaning here is: 'do not hesitate to convey the Qur'an and warn with it,'

فَاصْبِرْ كَمَا صَبَرَ أُولُو الْعَزْمِ مِنَ الرُّسُلِ

(Therefore be patient as did the Messengers of strong will)[46:35]. Allah said here,

لِتُنذِرَ بِهِ 

(that you warn thereby) meaning, 'We sent down the Qur'an so that you may warn the disbelievers with it,'

وَذِكْرَىٰ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ

(and a reminder unto the believers). Allah then said to the world,

اتَّبِعُوا مَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكُم مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ

(Follow what has been sent down unto you from your Lord) meaning, follow and imitate the unlettered Prophet ﷺ, who brought you a Book that was revealed for you, from the Lord and master of everything.

وَلَا تَتَّبِعُوا مِن دُونِهِ أَوْلِيَاءَ

(and follow not any Awliya', besides Him (Allah)) meaning, do not disregard what the Messenger ﷺ brought you and follow something else, for in this case, you will be deviating from Allah's judgment to the decision of someone else. Allah's statement,

قَلِيلًا مَّا تَذَكَّرُونَ

(Little do you remember!) is similar to,

وَمَا أَكْثَرُ النَّاسِ وَلَوْ حَرَصْتَ بِمُؤْمِنِينَ

(And most of mankind will not believe even if you desire it eagerly)[12:103], and;

وَإِن تُطِعْ أَكْثَرَ مَن فِي الْأَرْضِ يُضِلُّوكَ عَن سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ

(And if you obey most of those on the earth, they will mislead you far away from Allah's path)[6:116], and,

وَمَا يُؤْمِنُ أَكْثَرُهُم بِاللَّهِ إِلَّا وَهُم مُّشْرِكُونَ

(And most of them believe not in Allah except that they attribute partners unto Him)[12:106].