Quran Garden

Session 322

Chapter 3

Verse 1

Alif, Lam, Meem.

The chapter begins with three individual letters from the Arabic alphabet: Alif, Lam, and Meem.  In any language, Letters have names and phonetic sounds.  When people communicate, they pronounce the sounds of the letters and not their names.  For example, when you say the word ‘drive,’ you pronounce the phonetic sounds of the letters; but if you want to specify the letters by their names, you would spell the word and say “D,” “R,” “I,” “V,” “E”.  Only an educated person can pronounce both the names and sounds of letters.  As for the illiterate, he or she can only pronounce the sounds of letters while speaking; but if you ask an illiterate person to spell a word, he or she won’t be able to.

This is an interesting fact that should draw our attention.  Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, was an illiterate person who could not read, write, or spell.  However, when the Quran was revealed to him, he recited verses –such as the first verse of Al Imran- with the names of the letters. 

Perhaps more interestingly, we find that some chapters of the Quran begin with words that are identical in their Arabic written form to ‘Alif Lam Meem’; however, these words are recited differently.  For example, in chapter 105 (The Elephant), the written word الم  Alam is recited as a single word, while in chapter 3 –Al Imran- the exact same written word is recited by pronouncing each letter separately ‘Alif Laam Meem.’  What made the Prophet recite these two identically written words differently?  This indicates that He was reciting the Holy text, not from his knowledge or interpretation, but he was relaying to us what he heard from the Angel Gabriel.   

Thus, we understand that the true essence of the Quran can only be learned by listening to it being recited in the Arabic language.  A person cannot recite the Quran properly by reading alone.  Only through listening to a teacher, who learned from a previous teacher who learned from a companion who heard the Quran directly from the Prophet as he heard it from the Angel Gabriel, can one learn the proper recitation of each word of the Quran.    

When you examine the Quran for verses similar to the first verse in “Al Imran”, you will find some chapters that begin with verses of a single letter, and others that begin with a verse that consists of four or five letters.  At times, these letters are spread over two verses, and in other chapters (such as Chapter 13) you find these letters part of a larger verse.  It becomes quickly evident that the letters that occur at the beginning of some chapters do not follow any certain rule or pattern.

Naturally, at this point, you may ask: What is the meaning of these letters? We answer that your question is incorrect, because linguistically -around the world- single alphabetical letters carry no meaning.  Letters are the building blocks for assembling words.  What is the meaning of the letter “B” in English, French, or Russian? It has no meaning.

Let’s, however, recall what our beloved Prophet Muhammad told us: "Whoever recites God’s Book will earn a reward for each letter.  And that reward will be multiplied by ten.  I am not saying that "Alif, Lam, Meem" is a letter, I am saying "Alif" is a letter, "Lam" is a letter, and "Meem" is a letter."

So while you may not understand the meaning of a verse or two as you recite the Quran, rest assured that you still benefit from the recitation.  Let me clarify with the example of a person living in a remote village.   He fully enjoys the benefits of electricity, television, and mobile phone, although he has no understanding of how they work.  Likewise, when you do not understand a verse, take it as God intended.  He has instilled within these letters secrets and miracles that, at this point in time, we do not understand but can still benefit from.

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) always welcomed questions from believers and nonbelievers alike.  It is interesting that when you research the companions of the Prophet, you will notice that none had asked him about verses in the Quran that did not carry any clear meaning to such as the verse (ألف لام ميم)Alim Lam Meem or (حا ميم) Ha Meem. 

Perhaps more interestingly, no one of the nonbelievers, who came to the Prophet to debate him and prove that his holy book was nonsense, questioned these verses.  How could the non-believers, despite their deep knowledge of the Arabic language, have missed such an opportunity to attack the Prophet?  This cannot be unless deep down, they understood the value of such speech.  Even though they did not believe in the Quran, they did not find fault in these verses to use against the Prophet. 

Let’s look at this verse from another angle.  Speech is a means of communication between the speaker and the listener.  While the speaker has the initiative, many times the listener’s mind is occupied with something else.  He or she could miss the first few words of an important conversation.  Therefore, before delivering an important message, you can alert the listener by making sounds or letters to grab his or her attention. 

Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, said: “Practice what you understand of the Quran, and believe in what you do not understand.”  God says:  

It is He who has sent this Scripture down to you. Some of its verses are definite in meaning- these are the cornerstone of the Scripture- and others are ambiguous. The perverse at heart eagerly pursue the ambiguities in their attempt to make trouble and to pin down a specific meaning of their own: only God knows the true meaning. Those firmly grounded in knowledge say, ‘We believe in it: it is all from our Lord’- only those with real perception will take heed- (3:07)