Surah 96. Al-'Alaq

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Verses [Section]: 1-19[1]

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Quran Text of Verse 1-1996. Al-'Alaqبِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِاِقْرَاْReadبِاسْمِin (the) nameرَبِّكَ(of) your Lordالَّذِیْthe One Whoخَلَقَۚcreated خَلَقَHe createdالْاِنْسَانَmanمِنْfromعَلَقٍۚa clinging substance اِقْرَاْReadوَ رَبُّكَand your Lordالْاَكْرَمُۙ(is) the Most Generous الَّذِیْThe One Whoعَلَّمَtaughtبِالْقَلَمِۙby the pen عَلَّمَTaughtالْاِنْسَانَmanمَاwhatلَمْnotیَعْلَمْؕhe knew كَلَّاۤNay!اِنَّIndeedالْاِنْسَانَmanلَیَطْغٰۤیۙsurely transgresses اَنْBecauseرَّاٰهُhe sees himselfاسْتَغْنٰیؕself-sufficient اِنَّIndeedاِلٰیtoرَبِّكَyour Lordالرُّجْعٰیؕ(is) the return اَرَءَیْتَHave you seenالَّذِیْthe one whoیَنْهٰیۙforbids عَبْدًاA slaveاِذَاwhenصَلّٰیؕhe prays اَرَءَیْتَHave you seenاِنْifكَانَhe isعَلَیuponالْهُدٰۤیۙ[the] guidance اَوْOrاَمَرَhe enjoinsبِالتَّقْوٰیؕ[of the] righteousness اَرَءَیْتَHave you seenاِنْifكَذَّبَhe deniesوَ تَوَلّٰیؕand turns away اَلَمْDoes notیَعْلَمْhe knowبِاَنَّthatاللّٰهَAllahیَرٰیؕsees كَلَّاNay!لَىِٕنْIfلَّمْnotیَنْتَهِ ۙ۬he desistsلَنَسْفَعًۢاsurely We will drag himبِالنَّاصِیَةِۙby the forelock نَاصِیَةٍA forelockكَاذِبَةٍlyingخَاطِئَةٍۚsinful فَلْیَدْعُThen let him callنَادِیَهٗۙhis associates سَنَدْعُWe will callالزَّبَانِیَةَۙthe Angels of Hell كَلَّا ؕNay!لَا(Do) notتُطِعْهُobey himوَ اسْجُدْBut prostrateوَ اقْتَرِبْ۠۩and draw near (to Allah)

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Surah Introduction

Verses 1-5 are known to be the first ever revealed of the Quran. The Prophet ( ﷺ ) was retreating at a cave in the outskirts of Mecca when the angel Gabriel appeared to him, squeezing him tightly and ordering him to read. Since the Prophet ( ﷺ ) was unlettered, he responded, "I cannot read." Ultimately, Gabriel taught him: "Read in the Name of your Lord ..." Some scholars believe that this encounter is the fulfilment of Isaiah 29:12, which states, "Then the book will be given to the one who is illiterate, saying, 'Read this.' And he will say, 'I cannot read.'" ¹³¹⁸ The rest of the sûrah was later revealed to deter Abu Jahl, a Meccan pagan elite, from abusing the Prophet ( ﷺ ) .

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Translation of Verse 1-191. In the Name of Allah-the Most Compassionate, Most Merciful.

1. Read, ˹O Prophet,˺ in the Name of your Lord Who created-

2. created humans from a clinging clot. ¹³¹⁹

3. Read! And your Lord is the Most Generous,

4. Who taught by the pen-

5. taught humanity what they knew not.

6. Most certainly, one exceeds all bounds

7. once they think they are self-sufficient.

8. ˹But˺ surely to your Lord is the return ˹of all˺.

9. Have you seen the man who prevents

10. a servant ˹of Ours˺ from praying? ¹³²⁰

11. What if this ˹servant˺ is ˹rightly˺ guided,

12. or encourages righteousness?

13. What if that ˹man˺ persists in denial and turns away?

14. Does he not know that Allah sees ˹all˺?

15. But no! If he does not desist, We will certainly drag him by the forelock-

16. a lying, sinful forelock. ¹³²¹

17. So let him call his associates.

18. We will call the wardens of Hell.

19. Again, no! Never obey him ˹O Prophet˺! Rather, ˹continue to˺ prostrate and draw near ˹to Allah˺.

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Commentary

1319. ' Alaq , meaning the embryo resembles a leech.

1320. Abu Jahl was a staunch leader of the Meccan opposition to Islam. There are many authentic stories of his abuse of the Prophet ( ﷺ ) .

1321. This refers to the frontal lobe of the brain, where reasoning is processed.