Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "Everything has an essence and the essence of the Qur'an is the family of Ha Mim,'' or he said, "the Ha Mims.'' Mis`ar bin Kidam said, "They used to be called `the brides'.'' All of this was recorded by the the Imam, great scholar, Abu `Ubayd Al-Qasim bin Sallam, may Allah have mercy upon him, in his book Fada'il Al-Qur'an. Humayd bin Zanjuyah narrated that `Abdullah, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "The parable of the Qur'an is that of a man who sets out to find a place for his family to stay, and he comes to a place where there is evidence of rainfall. While he is walking about, admiring it, he suddenly comes upon beautiful gardens. He says, `I liked the first traces of rainfall, but this is far better.' It was said to him, `The first place is like the Qur'an, and these beautiful gardens are like the splendor of family of Ha Mim in relation to the rest of the Qur'an'.'' This was recorded by Al-Baghawi. Ibn Mas`ud, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "When I reach the family of Ha Mim, it is like reaching a beautiful garden, so I take my time.''

﴿ط¨ظگط³ظ’ظ…ظگ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظگ ط§ظ„ط±ظ‘ظژط­ظ’ظ…ظژظ€ظ†ظگ ط§ظ„ط±ظ‘ظژط­ظگظٹظ…ظگ ﴾

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

﴿ط­ظ€ظ… - طھظژظ†ط²ظگظٹظ„ظڈ ط§ظ„ظ’ظƒظگطھظژظ€ط¨ظگ ظ…ظگظ†ظژ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظگ ط§ظ„ظ’ط¹ظژط²ظگظٹط²ظگ ط§ظ„ظ’ط¹ظژظ„ظگظٹظ…ظگ - ط؛ظژط§ظپظگط±ظگ ط§ظ„ط°ظ‘ظژظ†ط¨ظگ ظˆظژظ‚ظژط§ط¨ظگظ„ظگ ط§ظ„طھظ‘ظژظˆظ’ط¨ظگ ط´ظژط¯ظگظٹط¯ظگ ط§ظ„ظ’ط¹ظگظ‚ظژط§ط¨ظگ ط°ظگظ‰ ط§ظ„ط·ظ‘ظژظˆظ’ظ„ظگ ظ„ط§ظژ ط¥ظگظ„ظژظ€ظ‡ظژ ط¥ظگظ„ط§ظ‘ظژ ظ‡ظڈظˆظژ ط¥ظگظ„ظژظٹظ’ظ‡ظگ ط§ظ„ظ’ظ…ظژطµظگظٹط±ظڈ ﴾

(1. Ha Mim.) (2. The revelation of the Book is from Allah, the Almighty, the All-Knower.) (3. The Forgiver of sin, the Acceptor of repentance, the Severe in punishment, the Bestower. La ilaha illa Huwa, to Him is the final return.) We have already discussed the individual letters at the beginning of Surat Al-Baqarah, and there is no need to repeat the discussion here. In a Hadith recorded by Abu Dawud and At-Tirmidhi from one who heard it from the Messenger of Allah , it says:

آ«ط¥ظگظ†ظ’ ط¨ظڈظٹظ‘ظگطھظ‘ظڈظ…ظڈ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظٹظ’ظ„ظژط©ظژ ظپظژظ‚ظڈظˆظ„ظڈظˆط§: ط­ظ… ظ„ظژط§ ظٹظڈظ†ظ’طµظژط±ظڈظˆظ†آ»

(When you go to bed tonight, recite Ha Mim, La Yunsarun.)'' Its chain of narrators is Sahih.

﴿طھظژظ†ط²ظگظٹظ„ظڈ ط§ظ„ظ’ظƒظگطھظژظ€ط¨ظگ ظ…ظگظ†ظژ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظگ ط§ظ„ظ’ط¹ظژط²ظگظٹط²ظگ ط§ظ„ظ’ط¹ظژظ„ظگظٹظ…ظگ ﴾

(The revelation of the Book is from Allah, the Almighty, the All-Knower.) means, this book -- the Qur'an -- is from Allah, the Owner of might and knowledge, Who cannot be overtaken and from Whom nothing is hidden, not even an ant concealed beneath many layers.

﴿ط؛ظژط§ظپظگط±ظگ ط§ظ„ط°ظ‘ظژظ†ط¨ظگ ظˆظژظ‚ظژط§ط¨ظگظ„ظگ ط§ظ„طھظ‘ظژظˆظ’ط¨ظگ﴾

(The Forgiver of sin, the Acceptor of repentance,) means, He forgives sins that have been committed in the past, and He accepts repentance for sins that may be committed in the future, from the one who repents and submits to Him.

﴿ط´ظژط¯ظگظٹط¯ظڈ ط§ظ„ظ’ط¹ظگظ‚ظژط§ط¨ظگ﴾

(the Severe in punishment,) means, to the one who persists in transgression and prefers the life of this world, who stubbornly turns away from the commands of Allah and commits sin. This is like the Ayah:

﴿ظ†ظژط¨ظ‘ظگظ‰ط،ظ’ ط¹ظگط¨ظژط§ط¯ظگظ‰ ط£ظژظ†ظ‘ظگظ‰ ط£ظژظ†ظژط§ ط§ظ„ظ’ط؛ظژظپظڈظˆط±ظڈ ط§ظ„ط±ظ‘ظژط­ظگظٹظ…ظڈ - ظˆظژط£ظژظ†ظ‘ظژ ط¹ظژط°ظژط§ط¨ظگظ‰ ظ‡ظڈظˆظژ ط§ظ„ظ’ط¹ظژط°ظژط§ط¨ظڈ ط§ظ„ط§ظ‘ظŒظ„ظگظٹظ…ظڈ ﴾

(Declare unto My servants that truly I am the Oft-Forgiving, the Most-Merciful. And that My torment is indeed the most painful torment.) (15:49-50). These two attributes (mercy and punishment) are often mentioned together in the Qur'an, so that people will remain in a state of both hope and fear.

﴿ط°ظگظ‰ ط§ظ„ط·ظ‘ظژظˆظ’ظ„ظگ﴾

(the Bestower.) Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "This means He is Generous and Rich (Independent of means).'' The meaning is that He is Most Generous to His servants, granting ongoing blessings for which they can never sufficiently thank Him.

﴿ظˆظژط¥ظگظ† طھظژط¹ظڈط¯ظ‘ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ظ†ظگط¹ظ’ظ…ظژط©ظژ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظگ ظ„ط§ظژ طھظڈط­ظ’طµظڈظˆظ‡ظژط§﴾

(And if you would count the favors of Allah, never could you be able to count them...) (16:18).

﴿ظ„ط§ظژ ط¥ظگظ„ظژظ€ظ‡ظژ ط¥ظگظ„ط§ظ‘ظژ ظ‡ظڈظˆظژ﴾

(La ilaha illa Huwa) means, there is none that is equal to Him in all His attributes; there is no God or Lord besides Him.

﴿ط¥ظگظ„ظژظٹظ’ظ‡ظگ ط§ظ„ظ’ظ…ظژطµظگظٹط±ظڈ﴾

(to Him is the final return.) means, all things will come back to Him and He will reward or punish each person according to his deeds.

﴿ظˆظژظ‡ظڈظˆظژ ط³ظژط±ظگظٹط¹ظڈ ط§ظ„ظ’ط­ظگط³ظژط§ط¨ظگ﴾

(and He is Swift at reckoning) (13:41).

﴿ظ…ظژط§ ظٹظڈط¬ظژظ€ط¯ظگظ„ظڈ ظپظگظ‰ ط،ظژط§ظٹظژظ€طھظگ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظگ ط¥ظگظ„ط§ظ‘ظژ ط§ظ„ظ‘ظژط°ظگظٹظ†ظژ ظƒظژظپظژط±ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ظپظژظ„ط§ظژ ظٹظژط؛ظ’ط±ظڈط±ظ’ظƒظژ طھظژظ‚ظژظ„ظ‘ظڈط¨ظڈظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’ ظپظگظ‰ ط§ظ„ظ’ط¨ظگظ„ط§ظژط¯ظگ - ظƒظژظ€ط°ظ‘ظژط¨ظژطھظ’ ظ‚ظژط¨ظ’ظ„ظژظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’ ظ‚ظژظˆظ’ظ…ظڈ ظ†ظڈظˆط­ظچ ظˆظژط§ظ„ط§ظ‘ظŒط­ظ’ط²ظژط§ط¨ظڈ ظ…ظگظ† ط¨ظژط¹ظ’ط¯ظگظ‡ظگظ…ظ’ ظˆظژظ‡ظژظ…ظ‘ظژطھظ’ ظƒظڈظ€ظ„ظ‘ظڈ ط£ظڈظ…ظ‘ظژط©ظچ ط¨ظگط±ظژط³ظڈظˆظ„ظگظ‡ظگظ…ظ’ ظ„ظگظٹظژط£ظ’ط®ظڈط°ظڈظˆظ‡ظڈ ظˆظژط¬ظژظ€ط¯ظژظ„ظڈظˆط§ ط¨ظگط§ظ„ظ’ط¨ظژظ€ط·ظگظ„ظگ ظ„ظگظٹظڈط¯ظ’ط­ظگط¶ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ط¨ظگظ‡ظگ ط§ظ„ظ’ط­ظژظ‚ظ‘ظژ ظپظژط£ظژط®ظژط°ظ’طھظڈظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’ ظپظژظƒظژظٹظ’ظپظژ ظƒظژط§ظ†ظژ ط¹ظگظ‚ظژط§ط¨ظگ - ظˆظژظƒظژط°ظژظ„ظگظƒظژ ط­ظژظ‚ظ‘ظژطھظ’ ظƒظژظ„ظگظ…ظژط©ظڈ ط±ظژط¨ظ‘ظگظƒظژ ط¹ظژظ„ظژظ‰ ط§ظ„ظ‘ظژط°ظگظٹظ†ظژ ظƒظژظپظژط±ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ط£ظژظ†ظ‘ظژظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’ ط£ظژطµظ’ط­ظژظ€ط¨ظڈ ط§ظ„ظ†ظ‘ظژط§ط±ظگ ﴾

(4. None disputes in the Ayat of Allah but those who disbelieve. So let not their ability of going about here and there through the land (for their purposes) deceive you!) (5. The people of Nuh and the groups after them denied before these; and every nation plotted against their Messenger to seize him, and disputed by means of falsehood to refute therewith the truth. So I seized them, and how was My punishment!) (6. Thus has the Word of your Lord been justified against those who disbelieved, that they will be the dwellers of the Fire.)