The meaning of the separated letters at the beginning of the chapters of the Qur’an

I said to Ja’far bin Muhammed bin Ali bin Hussain bin Ali bin Abi Talib, peace be upon them: O son of Allah’s Messenger, what is the meaning of the saying of Allah, Exalted and Glorious is He: «Alif Laam Meem» [1] (2:1), «Alif Laam Ssaad’» (7:1), «Alif Laam Raa’» (10:1), «Alif Laam Meem Raa’» (13:1), «Kaaf Haa’ Yaa’ ‘Ayn Ssaad» (19:1), «Taa’ Haa’» (20:1), «Taa’ Seen» (27:1), «Taa’ Seen Meem» (26:1), «Yaa’ Seen» (6:1), «Ssaad» (38:1), «Hhaa’ Meem» (40:1), «Hhaa’ Meem ‘Ayn Seen Qaaf» (42:1), «Qaaf» (50:1) and «Nun» (68:1)? He, peace be upon him, said: As for «Alif Laam Meem» at the beginning of al-Baqarah, it means: I am Allah, the King. As for «Alif Laam Meem» at the beginning of Aal Imran, it means: I am Allah, the Commendable. «Alif Laam Meem Ssaad» means: I am Allah, the Potent, the Truthful. «Alif Laam Raa’» means: I am Allah, the Compassionate. «Alif Laam Meem Raa’» means: I am Allah, the Giver of life, the Causer of death, the Sustainer. «Kaaf Haa’ Yaa’ ‘Ayn Ssaad» means: I am the Sufficient, the Guide, the Protector, the Knowledgeable, the Truthful in promise. As for «Taa’ Haa’», it is a name from the names of the Prophet, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family, and it means: O he who seeks the truth, he who guides to it. «The Qur’an was not sent down unto you for you to be distressed» (20:1), but rather: for you to be glad with it [2]. As for «Taa’ Seen» it means: I am the Seeker, the All-Hearing. As for «Taa’ Seen Meem» it means: I am the Seeker, the All-Hearing, the Initiator, the Returner. As for «Yaa’ Seen» it is a name from the names of the Prophet, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family, and it means: O he who hears the Revelation. «And by the Wise Qur’an. Indeed, you are certainly from the Messengers, upon the Straight Path.» (36:3-4) As for «Ssaad» it is a water source that springs from beneath the Throne, and it is from which the Prophet, Allah’s blessings be upon him and his Family, made Wudu when it was journeyed with him. Jibra’eel [3], peace be upon him, enters into it every day and immerses into and then exits from, and then he shakes his wings. At then, there is no drop that drops from his wings, except that Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, has created from it an Angel who glorifies Allah and sanctifies, declares Him Greater and praises Him till the Day of Resurrection. As for «Hhaa’ Meem» it means: The Praiseworthy, the Commendable. As for «Hhaa’ Meem ‘Ayn Seen Qaaf» it means: The All-Forbearing, the Rewarding, the Knowledgeable, the All-Hearing, the Powerful, the Strong. As for «Qaaf» it is the mountain that surrounds the earth and of which is the greenness of the sky, and by which Allah holds the earth from swaying with its inhabitants. As for «Nun» it is a river [46] in Paradise about which Allah, Exalted and Glorious is He, said: «Freeze» and it froze and became ink. Then Allah, Exalted and Glorious is He, said to the pen: «Write» and the Pen wrote on the Preserved Tablet what was and what will be till the Day of Resurrection. The Ink is of light, the Pen is a pen is of light and the Tablet is a tablet of light. And Sufyan said: So I said to him: O son of Allah’s Messenger, clarify to me the matter of the Tablet, the Pen and the Ink in bountiful clarification and teach me from what Allah has taught you. So he said: O son of Sa’d, were it not that you are deserving the answer, I would not have answered you. The «Nun» is an Angel who delivers to the Pen, who is an Angel, and the Pen delivers to the Tablet, who is an Angel, and the Tablet delivers to Israfeel [4], and Israfeel delivers to Mika’eel [5], and Mika’eel delivers to Jibra’eel, and Jibra’eel delivers to the Prophets and Messengers, upon whom are the blessings of Allah. He said: Then he said to me: Stand up, O Sufyan, for I can not be assured of you.

From that which we know, they inform, and from that which we taught them of the Qur’an, they recite.

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.

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.

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.

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.