الٓمٓ 1
Translations
Alif, Lām, Meem.
Transliteration
Alif Lam Meem
Tafsir (Explanation)
These are the Huruf Muqatta'ah (Disjointed Letters) that appear at the beginning of Surah Al-Baqarah and several other surahs. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari discuss various interpretations: some hold they are divine secrets whose meanings are known only to Allah, while others suggest they represent an abbreviation for divine names or attributes (e.g., Alif for Allah, Lam for Latif, Meem for Majeed). The most accepted view among scholars is that they serve as a miraculous challenge to the Arabs regarding the Quran's inimitability, as the Quran itself is composed of these same letters yet they cannot produce its like.
Revelation Context
Surah Al-Baqarah is the second and longest surah of the Quran, revealed in Madinah during the Prophet Muhammad's settlement there after the Hijrah. These opening letters introduce the surah and are followed immediately by affirmation of the Quran's divine origin, establishing the theme that despite being composed of ordinary Arabic letters, the Quran remains a miraculous text beyond human replication.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) advised against excessive speculation about the Huruf Muqatta'ah. Ibn Abbas reported that the Prophet said these letters are among the secrets of Allah that should not be delved into excessively (referenced in various tafsir works including Al-Tabari's Jami' al-Bayan).
Themes
Key Lesson
These letters remind us that the Quran's miraculous nature transcends human understanding and linguistic analysis—we should approach the Quran with reverence and recognize that some of its meanings belong to the unseen knowledge held only by Allah, encouraging us to seek understanding while accepting the limits of human comprehension.