Surah Al-'Alaq 96:1-19 - Quran Translation Commentary

1. Majid quotes Asad: “The primary duty of a Prophet, in contrast with that of any other spiritual leader, is not to produce images and ideas born in his own mind: it consists only in the reading out of the unseen book of Divine Truth and reproducing of its meanings to mankind without additions or subtractions. In the word 'Read!' which opened the first revelation to Muhammad this call to Perfect Prophethood is already fully expressed. The Law of God, the Eternal Truth behind the perceptible things, was laid bare before him, waiting to be understood by him in its innermost meaning." (Sahih Bukhari: translation).

2. The First Revelation: `A’isha, Abu Musa al-Ash`ari, al-`Utaridi, Mujahid, `Ubayd b. Bukayr, `Ata’ b. Yasar and several others have reported that the first verse to be revealed was: 'Read in the name of your Lord.’ `A’isha reports:

“The first sign of prophethood vouchsafed to the apostle were true visions, resembling the brightness of daybreak, which were shown to him in his sleep. Then Allah made solitude dear to him so that he would retreat to the cave of Hira and spend a number of days in devotion returning to his family to equip himself with some more provisions in preparation of another trip - until the Truth made its surprise appearance to him. He (angel Jibril) told him: 'Muhammad you are Allah’s Messenger.’ The Prophet said: 'I knelt down involuntarily.’”

“I returned home trembling. I said to Khadijah, 'Wrap me up, wrap me up,’ until the fright left me.’ Then he came again and said, 'Muhammad. I am Jibril and you are Allah’s Messenger.’ The Prophet said, 'I (was so disturbed) that I thought I would throw myself down a cliff. Once when I had made up my mind about it he came to me in a human form and said, 'Muhammad, I am Jibril and you are Allah’s Messenger.’ Then he said, 'Read.’ I said, 'What shall I read?’ Upon this he hugged me three times, until I was exhausted. Then he said, 'Read in the name of thy Lord Who created, created Man of blood-clot. Read! Your Lord is Most Generous, Who taught by the pen. Taught Man what he knew not.’ So I read. Then when I went back to Khadijah I told her, 'I fear for myself,’ and related to her the story. She assured me, 'Be of good heart, for, by Allah, He will never disgrace you. You do good to the kinsfolk, speak the truth, are faithful to the trust, help the poor, are hospitable to the guest, and you help in every just cause.’ (Subsequently she took him to Warqah b. Nawfal and told him, 'Listen to what your cousin has to say.’) He asked me and I narrated to him the whole story. He said, 'This is the same Namus (Jibril) that had come down to Musa. I am afraid it is going to be a difficult affair for you. I wish I am alive the day your people will expel you.’ I said, 'Will my people expel me?’ He said, 'No one ever came before you with what you have brought but he was expelled from his city. If I am alive until then, surely I shall lend you all my support.’”

“Then, (the Prophet continued), `the next revelation that came down after iqra’ was (68: 1-5):

"Nun. By the pen and by what they write down. You are not, by the grace of your Lord, mad. Indeed, for you is a reward unfailing. Indeed, you have a great character. So you shall see (what happens) and they shall also see.’

And then came down (74: 1-2),

'O one wrapping himself, rise and warn.’ And then, `By the bright morning, and by the night when it is still’" (Ibn Jarir, Qurtubi).

The hadith is in Bukhari and Muslim (Ibn Kathir).

According to another version, narrated by Ibn Zubayr, the first time Jibril came he brought with him a book encased in a box of rich material and said, 'Read!’ (Ibn Jarir).

3. Maurice Bucaille disagrees with the rendering of the word `alaqah as 'blood clot’. He writes: “Once the egg has been fertilized in the Fallopian tube it descends to lodge inside the uterus; this is called the 'implantation of the egg.’ ... it is the result of the development of villosities, veritable elongation of the egg, which, like roots in the soil, draw nourishment from the thickness of the uterus necessary to the egg’s growth. These formations make the egg literally cling to the uterus. This is a discovery of modern times.

“The act of clinging is described five times in the Qur’an. Firstly in verses 1 and 3 of surah 96:

“Read, in the name of they Lord Who fashioned,

Who fashioned man from something that clings."

'Something that clings’ is the translation of the word `alaq. It is the original meaning of the word. A meaning derived from it, 'blood clot’, often figures in translation; it is a mistake against which one should guard; man has never passed through the stage of 'blood clot’. The same is true for another translation of this term, 'adhesion’ which is equally inappropriate. The original sense of 'something which clings’ corresponds to today’s firmly established reality." - The Bible, the Qur’an, and Science, American Trust Publication, 1979, pp. 203-204.

Blood-clot

Keith Moore, however, who is a specialist on the subject, has allowed the following entry in the addenda of his internationally acclaimed work The Developing Human:

“`Alaqah in Arabic means leech, a suspended thing, or a blood clot. The leech is pear-shaped and thrives on blood sucking. In its early stages the embryo resembles a leech and this resemblance is more marked if seen from the side where projections of the nural folds forms a median prominence. At this stage the cardiovascular system starts to appear and the embryo is now dependent on the maternal blood for its nutrition like a leech. At this stage, when the embryo is suspended in the chorionic cavity by the body stalk and is surrounded by fluids of the amnion and the yolk sac, if abortion takes place, the conceptus will resemble a blood clot.” (The Developing Human, third edition, Dar al-Qiblah Publications, 1983, p. 56a).

Asad writes: “It is ... noteworthy that this very first Qur’anic revelation alludes to man’s embryonic evolution out of a 'germ-cell' - i.e. out of a fertilized female ovum - thus contrasting the primitiveness and simplicity of the biological origins with his intellectual and spiritual potential: a contrast which clearly points to the existence of a conscious design and purpose underlying in the creation of man."

4. A sahih hadith says:

The first thing that Allah created was the Pen. He ordered: 'Write.’ It wrote down all that was to happen until the Day of Judgment. That writing is with Him in the Scroll on the `Arsh (Qurtubi).

5. That is, if Allah is capable of teaching a blood clot by the pen why can you not, O Muhammad, even if unlettered, be taught and made a Master unto all masters? (Shah `Abdul `Aziz - Shabbir).

6. That is, he became rich in wealth and progeny (Qurtubi).

It might be noticed that at the beginning of the chapter knowledge stood honored. By this verse wealth stands condemned (Razi).

7. Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid and Qatadah have said that these verses were occasioned by Abu Jahl’s threats to the Prophet. He asked his henchmen whether, despite his objection, Muhammad still place his head in the sand (meaning in prostration) in their presence. They said yes. He threatened that if he saw him doing that he would step on his neck.

Shabbir adds: This is the height of ignorance and arrogance. Man not only refuses to prostrate himself before his Lord, he cannot even bear to see another person prostrate himself before Him.

And Qatadah says it used to be said during his times that every nation has a Fir`awn of its own. Abu Jahl was the Fir`awn of this Ummah (Ibn Jarir).

It is said that `Ali (ra) saw some people Praying before the sermon of the `Eid Prayers. He said, 'I have not seen the Prophet Pray (at this time).’ It was said, 'Why do you not stop them?’ He said, 'I’m afraid that Allah’s words “Have you seen him who forbids,” would become applicable to me.’

8. Salah induces some amount of piety even in a casual onlooker (Razi).

9. The reference to the forelock could possibly be because Abu Jahl was especially attentive of his forelock, dying it and perfuming it (Razi).

Promises Come True

It is said that once Ibn Mas`ud (ra) recited the Qur’an near Ka`ba. Abu Jahl pounded upon him and beat him up. It is significant to note, therefore, that it was Ibn Mas`ud (ra) who finally beheaded Abu Jahl at Badr. When he found Abu Jahl lying injured, he was initially afraid to go near him - Abu Jahl being such a powerful man. So Ibn Mas`ud first pricked him on his nose with his spear. That was thus, the first occasion of Allah’s promise coming true (68: 16):

'We shall brand him upon the muzzle.’ Assured that Abu Jahl could not rise Ibn Mas`ud went closer and placed his foot on his face to behead him. Recognizing him, Abu Jahl remarked, 'You have climbed high O Shepherd.’ After beheading him Ibn Mas`ud carried his head by his forelock. And thus the first manifestation of the words:

'We shall drag him by the forelock. A lying, sinful forelock’ (Based on Razi).

10. The man is so much soaked in sin that his every hair is drenched in it (Shabbir).

The above commentary apart, it had always been intriguing that the Qur’an referred to the “forelock” as the “sinful forelock.” Modern science has come to our rescue. Researches going back a few decades have established that it is the anterior portion of the frontal lobes, the prefrontal area of the brain, just behind the forelock on the head which performs the functions of motivation and foresight to plan and initiate movements. Also known as the “region of association cortex,” it is also thought to be the functional center for aggression. Julian Huxley has called it in his Man in the Modern World, (A Mentor Book, p. 103) as “the seat of intelligence and learning” (Au.).

11. Ibn `Abbas said that once Abu Jahl found the Prophet Praying near the Station of Ibrahim. He rebuked the Prophet and reminded of his warning. The Prophet replied to him sternly (and threatened him with divine punishment). Abu Jahl retorted: “Do you threaten me, Muhammad? I’ve the largest number of followers behind me.” Allah revealed this verse (Ibn Jarir).

Then, on another occasion, Abu Hurayrah and Ibn `Abbas report, the Prophet arrived and began to Pray. Abu Jahl made a move towards him and then retreated in haste trying to fend off something with his hands. He was asked, 'What happened to you man?’ He said, 'Between me and him I found a trench of fire.’ According to another report, 'Between me and him I found the space filled to darkness with soldiers.’ And the Prophet remarked, 'Had he stepped closer, angels would have seized him and torn him to pieces right there before the people’ (Ibn Jarir). Reports identical to this are in Bukhari, Muslim, Tirmidhi, Nasa’i and others (Ibn Kathir).

12. The Prophet has said in a hadith preserved by Muslim:

“The closest a man gets to his Lord is during his prostration. Therefore make much supplications (during it)” - Ibn Kathir.