His saying (may He be glorified): "Alif-Lam-Ra." Al-Hasan said: "I do not know the interpretation of 'Alif-Lam-Ra' and the like; except that a group from the predecessors used to say: 'They are the names of the surahs and their opening letters.'"
"These are the verses" of this "Wise Book," meaning the firmly perfected one.
قَوْله ﷿: ﴿الر﴾ قَالَ الْحَسَنُ: لَا أَدْرِي مَا تَفْسِير ﴿الر﴾ وَأَشْبَاهُ ذَلِكَ؛ غَيْرَ أَنَّ قَوْمًا مِنَ السَّلَفِ كَانُوا يَقُولُونَ: أَسْمَاءُ السُّور وفواتحها.
﴿تِلْكَ آيَات﴾ هَذِهِ آيَاتُ ﴿الْكِتَابِ الْحَكِيمِ﴾ الْمُحْكَمِ.