La signification des lettres séparées au début des chapitres du Coran

2. We were told by Ahmad bin Ziyad bin Ja’far al-Hamdani, may Allah be pleased with him, that he said: We were told by Ali ibn Ibrahim, from his father, from Yahya bin Abi Imran, from Yunus bin Abdul-Rahman, from Sa’dan, from Abu Baseer, from Abu Abdillah, peace be upon him, that he said: «Alif Laam Meem» is a letter from the letters of the Great Name of Allah that is segmented in the Qur’an, which is known by the Prophet, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family, and the Imam by which if he supplicates, he will be answered. «That Book, in which there is no doubt, a guidance to the godfearing» (2:2). He said: It is a notice to our Shi’a. «Those who believe in the unseen, establish the prayer and from that which We sustained them, they spend.» (2:3) He said: From that which we know, they inform, and from that which we taught them of the Qur’an, they recite.

"Alif Lam Mim" est une lettre parmi les lettres du Nom d'Allah le Plus Grand, qui est mentionnée dans le Coran, composée par le Prophète (que la paix et les bénédictions d'Allah soient sur lui et sa famille) et l'Imam. Lorsqu'on l'invoque, on est exaucé. "C'est le Livre, en quoi il n'y a point de doute, un guide pour les pieux", c'est une clarification pour nos partisans, ceux qui croient en l'invisible, accomplissent la prière et dépensent de ce que Nous leur avons attribué. C'est par ce que Nous leur avons enseigné qu'ils informent et récitent du Coran ce qu'ils ont appris."

3. We were told by Muhammed bin Hasan bin Ahmad bin Waleed, may Allah grant him mercy, that he said: We were told by Muhammed bin Hasan al-Saffar, from Ibrahim bin Hashim, from Hasan bin Mahbub, from Ali bin Ri’aab, from Muhammed bin Qais, that he said: I heard Abu Ja’far, peace be upon him, speak Hayee and Abu Yasir, the two sons of Akhtub, and some from the Jews of Najran came to the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family, and said to him: Is not from what you mention that among what Allah sent down upon you, is «Alif Laam Meem»? He said: Sure. They said: Did Jibra’eel bring it to you from Allah, Exalted is He? He said: Yes. They said: There are Prophets who have been sent before you, and we do not know of a Prophet who informed us of the duration of his reign and the time of his nation, except for you. He said: Then Hayee bin Akhtub approached his companions and said to them: The «Alif» is one, the «Laam» is thirty and the «Meem» is forty, so these are seventy one years. How strange is it of someone who enters into a religion whose duration of its reign and time of its nation is seventy one years! He said: Then he approached the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family, and said to him: O Muhammed, is there more to this? He said: Yes. He said: Bring it. He said: «Alif Laam Meem Ssaad». He said: This is heavier and longer; the «Alif» is one, the «Laam» is thirty, the «Meem» is forty and the «Ssaad» are ninety, so these are one hundred and sixty one years. Then he said to the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family: Is there more to this? He said: Yes. He said: Bring it. He, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family, said: «Alif Laam Raa’». He said: This is heavier and longe; the «Alif» is one, the «Laam» is thirty and the «Raa’» is two hundred. Then he said to the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family: Is there more to this? He said: Yes. He said: Bring it. He said: «Alif Laam Meem Raa’». He said: This is heavier and longer; «the «Alif» is one, the «Laam» is thirty, the «Meem» is forty and the «Raa’» is two hundred. Then he said to him: Is there more to this? He said: Yes. They said: Your matter has been of confusion to us, so we do not know what you have given! Then they stood up from him, and then Abu Yasir said to Hayee, his brother: What would you know? Perhaps for Muhammed, it has been gathered all of this and more than it. He said: Then Abu Ja’far, peace be upon him, mentioned that from these verses were sent down for their sake; among them are clear verses who are the Foundation of the Book, and others are not clear. He said: And they go in another direction, other than the interpretation of Hayee, Abu Yasir and their companions.

4. We were told by Muhammed bin Qasim al-Esterabadi, known as Abu’l-Hasan al-Jarjani, the Exegetist, may Allah be pleased with him, that he said: I was told by Abu Ya’qub, Yusuf bin Muhammed bin Ziyad, and Abu’l-Hasan, Ali bin Muhammed bin Sayyar, from their fathers, from Hasan bin Ali bin Abi Talib, Allah’s blessings be upon them all, that he said: Quraish and the Jews rejected the Qur’an, and they said: A clear magic that he has uttered. Then Allah said: «Alif Laam Meem. That Book» meaning: O Muhammed, this book that We have sent down unto you is the segmented letters among which are «Alif Laam Meem», which is in your language and the letters of your alphabet, hence, bring an equal to it if you are truthful, and seek assistance for that from the rest of your witnesses. Then he clarified that they are not able to it, with His saying: «Say: Certainly, if the humans and the jinns were to gather to bring an equal to this Qur’an, they will not bring an equal to it, even if they were to each other, assistants.» (17:88) Then Allah said: «Alif Laam Meem». The Qur’an that was opened with «Alif Laam Meem», it is «That Book» which was informed of by Musa [1] and those after him of Prophets; they informed the sons of Isra’eel that I will send down unto you, O Muhammed, a Mighty Book «whom falsehood does not come from between its hands nor from behind it; a Revelation from an All-Wise, an All-Praiseworthy» (41:42). «In which there is no doubt», in which there is no doubt, due to its appearance among them, like how they were informed by their Prophets that upon Muhammed the Book shall be sent down. It will not be erased by falsehood; it will be read by him and his nation on the rest of their conditions. «A guidance» clear from aberration «to the godfearing» who guard against grave sins and guard against granting control of foolishness upon themselves, until they are knowledgeable of what is obligatory upon them to know, they act by what brings them the satisfaction of their Lord. He said: Al-Sadiq, peace be upon him, said: The «Alif» is a letter from the letters of the saying: Allah. With the «Alif» He denoted your saying: Allah. And with the «Laam» He denoted your saying: The Great King, the Vanquisher of the creation, all of them. With the «Meem» He denoted that He is the Commendable, the Praised, in all all His acts, and He made this saying a proof upon the Jews. That is because when Allah sent Musa bin Imran [2], and then after him the Prophets to the sons of Isra’eel, there was none among them except that they took upon them oaths and covenants that they will certainly believe in Muhammed, the Arab, the Ummi [3] who will be sent in Mecca, who will migrate to Medina, who will bring a Book consisting of segmented letters as an opening to some of its chapters. His nation will preserve it, and they will read it while standing, sitting, walking and in all conditions. Allah, Exalted and Glorious is He, will make its memorizing easy upon them. They will equal to Muhammed, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family, his brother and Successor, Ali bin Abi Talib, peace be upon him, the one who takes from him his knowledge that he knew, and who takes on his behalf the trust that he was entrusted, and the humiliator of everyone who was adamant towards Muhammed, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family, with his cutting sword, and who overwhelms everyone who argues against him and opposes him with his manifest proof. He will fight the servants of Allah over the revelation of the Book of Allah until he leads them to accept it, willingly or forcibly. Then, when Muhammed, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family, will move to the satisfaction of Allah, Exalted and Glorious is He, and it will apostatize many from those who granted him apparent faith, and they alter his interpretations, change its meanings and place them on the contrary of their indications, he will fight them after over its interpretation, until Iblees, their seducer, is the looser, the humiliated, the banished, the chained. He said: Then, when Allah sent Muhammed and made him appear in Mecca, then made him march from it to Medina and made him appear in it, then sent down the Book unto him and made the opening of its greatest chapter with «Alif Laam Meem», meaning «Alif Laam Meem. That Book» which is that Book whom My previous Prophets informed that I will send down unto you, O Muhammed «in which there is no doubt» it appeared like how they were informed by their Prophets that upon Muhammed there will be sent down a Blessed Book which falsehood will not erase, which will be read by him and his nation on the rest of their conditions. Then, the Jews attempted to alter it from its direction and interpret it differently than its indication, and they pursued to reach a knowledge that Allah has not folded from them with regards to the conditions of the time of this nation and the duration of their reign. So, a group of them came to the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family, and the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family, assigned Ali, peace be upon him, so he addressed them. Their speaker said: If what Muhammed, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family [4], says is true, then we will teach you the duration of his nation’s reign. It is seventy one years; the «Alif» is one, the «Laam» is thirty and the «Meem» is forty. Then Ali, peace be upon him, said: So what do you do with «Alif Laam Meem Ssaad» which has been sent down unto him? Then they said: These are more; they are two hundred and thirty one years. Then Ali, peace be upon him, said: So what do you do with what has been sent down unto him of «Alif Laam Meem Raa’»? They said: These are two hundred and seventy one years. Then Ali, peace be upon him, said: So, is one of these for him, or are they all for him? Their word differed, and so some of them said to him: One of them. And others said: Rather, all shall be calculated for him, and that will be seven hundred and thirty four years, and then the reign will return to us, meaning to the Jews. Then Ali, peace be upon him, said: Has a Book from the Books of Allah spoken this, or did your reasoning lead you to it? Some of them said: The Book of Allah spoke it. Others of them said: Rather, our reasoning lead to it. Then Ali, peace be upon him, said: Then bring the Book that is from Allah which speaks what you say. Then they were unable to bring that. And he said to the others: Then lead us to the validity of this reasoning. He said: The validity of our opinion, its proof is that this is the camel’s calculation. Then Ali, peace be upon him, said: How did it lead to what you say, when there is not in these letters except that which you suggested without evidence? Would you imagine if it was said to you: These letters do not denote the duration of the reign of Muhammed’s nation, but they denote that everyone of you has been cursed by the amount of this calculation, or for each one of you and us is as the mount of this calculation in dirhams and dinars, or that Ali has upon each one of you a debt whose amount of money is like the amount of this calculation? They said: O Aba’l-Hasan, none of what you mentioned is confirmed in «Alif Laam Meem», «Alif Laam Meem Ssaad», «Alif Laam Raa’» and «Alif Laam Meem Raa’». Then Ali, peace be upon him, said: And nothing from what you mentioned is confirmed in «Alif Laam Meem», «Alif Laam Meem Ssaad», «Alif Laam Raa’» and «Alif Laam Meem Raa’». Hence, if our saying is invalid due to what we said, then your saying is invalid due to what you said. Then their speaker and eloquent said: Do not rejoice, O Ali, that we were unable to establish a proof in what you said about our claim, for what proof do you have of your claim? Unless you make our inability your proof. Hence, we have no proof of what we say, and you have no proof of what you say. Ali, peace be upon him, said: They are not the same. Indeed, we have a proof, that is the dazzling miracle. Then he called to the camels of the Jews: O camels, testify for Muhammed and his Successor. Then the camels initiated: You spoke true, you spoke true, O Successor of Muhammed, and these Jews have lied. Then Ali, peace be upon him said: These are a part of the witnesses. O clothes of the Jews which are on them, testify for Muhammed and his Successor. Then all the clothes spoke: You spoke true, you spoke true, O Ali, we testify that Muhammed is truly the Messenger of Allah, and that you, O Ali, is truly his Successor; Muhammed stepped into no noble quality except that you stepped on his footstep with his same noble quality. You are two brothers from the radiance of the Lights of Allah, after which you were made distinct into two, and you are associates in virtues, except that there is no prophet after Muhammed, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family. Therein, the Jews were silent, and some of their attendants believed in the Messenger of Allah, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family. Then wretchedness dominated the Jews and the rest of the other attendants. That is about which Allah said: «in which there is no doubt». It is as was said by Muhammed, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family, and the Successor of Muhammed about the saying of Muhammed, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family, about the saying of the Lord of all the worlds. Then he said: «a guidance» is a clarification and a remedy «to the godfearing» from the Shi’a of Muhammed and Ali; they guarded against the various types of disbelief, and so they abandoned them, and they guarded against grieve sins, and so they rejected them, and they guarded against demonstrating the secrets of Allah and the secrets of his pure servants, the Successors after Muhammed, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family, and so they concealed them, and they guarded against veiling knowledge from its people who deserve it, and they spread it among them.

Muhammad ibn al-Qasim al-Istirabadhi, connu sous le nom d'Abu al-Hasan al-Jurjani, le commentateur - qu'Allah soit satisfait de lui - a rapporté: Abu Ya'qub Yusuf ibn Muhammad ibn Ziyad, et Abu al-Hasan Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Sayyar, de leurs pères, de Hassan ibn Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Musa ibn Ja'far ibn Muhammad ibn Ali ibn al-Hussein ibn Ali ibn Abi Talib - que les bénédictions d'Allah soient sur eux tous - a dit: "Les Quraysh et les Juifs ont menti au sujet du Coran en disant: 'C'est une magie évidente que tu prononces.' Alors Allah dit: 'Alif, Lam, Mim.' C'est-à-dire, ô Muhammad, ce Coran que Nous t'avons révélé, ce sont les lettres disjointes parmi lesquelles se trouvent 'Alif, Lam, Mim', et c'est dans votre langue et vos lettres. Apportez donc quelque chose de semblable, si vous êtes véridiques, et demandez l'aide de tous vos martyrs pour cela. Ensuite, Il a montré qu'ils ne pouvaient pas le produire en disant: 'Dis: Même si les humains et les djinns s'unissaient pour produire quelque chose de semblable à ce Coran, ils ne pourraient produire rien de tel, même s'ils se soutenaient mutuellement.' Puis Allah dit: 'Alif.' C'est le Coran qui commence par 'Alif', qui est 'ce Livre' dont Moïse a été informé, et après lui les prophètes ont informé les Enfants d'Israël qu'un livre puissant vous sera descendu, ô Muhammad, 'qui ne lui vient pas de l'avant ni de l'arrière, une révélation du Sage, du Digne de louange.' 'Pas de doute en lui', il n'y a aucun doute sur sa révélation parmi eux, comme leurs prophètes les ont informés qu'un livre descendrait sur Muhammad, un livre que le mensonge ne peut effacer, que lui et sa communauté réciteront dans toutes les situations. 'Guidance' pour ceux qui se prémunissent contre les péchés et contre l'exposition de leur propre sottise, jusqu'à ce qu'ils sachent ce qui leur est nécessaire à savoir et agissent en conséquence pour obtenir la satisfaction de leur Seigneur. Puis, as-Sadiq - que la paix soit sur lui - a dit: Ensuite, 'Alif' est une lettre parmi les lettres de la parole d'Allah, qui indique que ta parole est celle d'Allah, et 'Lam' indique que ta parole est celle du Roi Suprême, le Conquérant de toute la création, et 'Mim' indique qu'Il est le Glorieux, le Loué dans toutes Ses actions. Et cette parole est une preuve contre les Juifs, car quand Allah a envoyé Moïse fils d'Imran, puis après lui d'autres prophètes aux Enfants d'Israël, il n'y avait personne parmi eux qui n'ait pris des engagements et des pactes pour croire en Muhammad l'Arabe, l'Illettré, envoyé à La Mecque, qui émigre à Médine, apportant un livre composé de lettres disjointes, commençant certaines de ses sourates, que sa communauté mémorise et récite debout, assise, et en marchant, et en toutes circonstances, Allah a facilité sa mémorisation pour eux, et ils ont associé Muhammad, que la paix soit sur lui et sa famille, à son frère et son successeur Ali ibn Abi Talib, que la paix soit sur lui, pour apprendre de lui les connaissances qu'il a enseignées, et celui qui les a apprises de lui les a transmises en toute fidélité, et a humilié quiconque a contesté Muhammad, que la paix soit sur lui, avec son épée tranchante, et a réfuté quiconque l'a débattu et disputé avec ses preuves évidentes,

5. We were told by Mudaffar bin Ja’far bin Mudaffar al-Alawi al-Samarqandi, may Allah be pleased with him, that he said: We were told by Ja’far bin Muhammed bin Mas’ud al-Ayyashi, from his father, that he said: We were told by Ahmad bin Ahmad, that he said: We were told by Sulayman bin Khusayb, that he said: We were told by the truthful, that he said: We were told by Abu Jum’a, Rahma bin Sadaqa, that he said: A man from the sons of Umayya, and he was a heretic, came to Ja’far bin Muhammed, peace be upon them both, and said: The saying of Allah, Exalted and Glorious is He, in His Book: «Alif Laam Meem Ssaad», what thing did He intend with it? And what does it include of what is allowed and forbidden? And what does it include of what people benefit from? He said: Then Ja’far bin Muhammed, peace be upon them both, was angered because of that. Then he said: Hold, woe to you. The «Alif» is one, the «Laam» is thirty, the «Meem» is forty and the «Ssaad» is ninety. How much do you have with you? The man said: Thirty one and a hundred. Then Ja’far bin Muhammed, peace be upon them both, said to him: When the year thirty one and a hundred will end, the reign of your people will end. He said: Then we looked, and when the year thirty one and a hundred ended, on the Day of Ashura, the Blacks entered Kufa and their reign came to end.

Alors Ja'far ibn Muhammad, que la paix soit sur eux, s'est irrité de cela et a dit: Tiens-toi tranquille, malheur à toi! "Alif" vaut un et "Lam" trente, "Mim" quarante, "Sad" quatre-vingt-dix. Combien en as-tu avec toi? L'homme répondit: Trente et cent. Alors Ja'far ibn Muhammad, que la paix soit sur eux, lui dit: Quand se termine une année de trente et cent, la royauté de tes compagnons prend fin. Nous avons donc regardé et quand une année de trente et cent s'est écoulée, le jour de 'Ashura, la révolte est entrée à Koufa et leur royaume a disparu.

6. We were told by Muhammed bin Ibrahim bin Ishaq al-Talaqani, may Allah be pleased with him, that he said: We were told by Abdul-Aziz bin Yahya al-Jaludi, that he said: We were informed by Muhammed bin Zakariya, that he said: We were told by Ja’far bin Muhammed ibn ‘Umara, from his father, that he said: I was present at the place of Ja’far bin Muhammed al-Baqir, peace be upon them both, and a man entered into his place and asked him about «Kaaf Haa’ Yaa’ ‘Ayn Ssaad». So he, peace be upon him, said: The «Kaaf» is Sufficient [1] to our Shi’a; «Haa» is a Guide to them; «Yaa» is a Protector of them; «’Ayn» is Knowledgeable of the people of obedience to Us; «Ssaad» is Truthful in promise to them until He makes them reach the rank He promised them in the depth of the Qur’an.