His statement, may His mention be glorified: "Alif-Lam-Mim".
Yahya said: Al-Hasan used to say: "I do not know the interpretation of 'Alif-Lam-Mim', 'Alif-Lam-Ra', 'Alif-Lam-Mim-Sad', and similar letters of the alphabet, except that a group of Muslims used to say: They are the names of the surahs and their opening sequences."
Muhammad said: Ibn Salam mentioned in the interpretation of 'Alif-Lam-Mim' and other letters of the alphabet found at the beginnings of the surahs, interpretations that are not in agreement regarding their meanings. This is what Yahya mentioned on the authority of Al-Hasan, and Allah knows best. I have heard some of our sheikhs, whom I take as role models, say: "Refraining from interpreting them is better."
قَوْله: عز ذكره: ﴿الم﴾
قَالَ يَحْيَى: كَانَ الْحَسَنُ يَقُولُ: مَا أَدْرِي مَا تَفْسِيرُ ﴿الم﴾ و ﴿الر﴾ و ﴿المص﴾ وَأَشْبَاهِ ذَلِكَ مِنْ حُرُوفِ الْمُعْجَمِ، غير أَن قوما (ل ٤) مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ كَانُوا يَقُولُونَ: أَسْمَاءُ السُّوَرِ وَفَوَاتِحُهَا.
قَالَ مُحَمَّدٌ: وَذكر ابْن سَلام فِي تَفْسِير ﴿الم﴾ وَغير ذَلِكَ من حُرُوف المعجم الَّتِي فِي أَوَائِل السُّور - تفاسير غير متفقة فِي مَعَانِيهَا وَهَذَا الَّذِي ذكره يحيى عَنِ الْحَسَن، وَالله أعلم وَقد سَمِعْتُ بَعْض من أقتدي بِهِ من مَشَايِخنَا يَقُولُ: إِن الْإِمْسَاك عَنْ تَفْسِيرهَا أفضل.
