A Novel Analysis of Verse 9 of Surah Āl ʿImrān Using Verses 191-195

Barūmand, Muḥammad Ḥūsayn; Joudavi, Amir; Alavi, Batool

doi:10.22054/ajsm.2026.86209.2139

A Novel Analysis of Verse 9 of Surah Āl ʿImrān Using Verses 191-195

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Muḥammad Ḥūsayn Barūmand ¹

Amir Joudavi ²

batool alavi ³

¹ Associate Professor, Department of Quranic Sciences and Hadith, Faculty of Theology, Yazd University, Yazd, Iran.

² Department of Quran and Hadith Sciences, Faculty of Theology, Yazd University, Iran

³ Independent scholar, Shiraz.Iran

https://doi.org/10.22054/ajsm.2026.86209.2139

Abstract

The topic of "non-breaking of promises" in the second part of verse 9 of Surah Āl-ʿImrān has raised significant questions: What is meant by the divine promise in this verse, and who is the speaker of the concluding statement? What is the relationship between the two parts of the verse? What is the cause of iltifāt? Furthermore, a fundamental question arises: Is there a meaningful connection between this verse and the other verses within the same chapter? How can identifying this relationship contribute to a better understanding of the ninth verse? This research, employing a descriptive-analytical method, aims to address these questions by extracting, categorizing, and evaluating the opinions of commentators. The findings of this study indicate that understanding verse 9 without considering the concluding verses of the surah will be incomplete. A point that commentators have overlooked. Verse 9 concisely alludes to the themes of the detailed supplications in verses 191 to 195, which promise the non-wastage of deeds, the covering of misdeeds, and entry into Paradise. The concluding part of verse 9 represents the speech of the Ulu al-Albab, which is confirmed by God; thus, it encompasses both the speech of the Ulu al-Albab and the speech of God. The best way to reconcile these two speeches is by applying iltifāt. The iltifāt establishes a two-way relationship between the two parts of the verse, resulting in the sharing and overlapping of the speech of the ʿabd and Rabb within a short statement.

Keywords

Verse 9

Verses 191-195

brief and comprehensive

the unbreakable promise

Iltifat

Subjects