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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Translation of Verse 1-19In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

(96:1) Recite¹ in the name of your Lord² Who created,³

(96:2) created man from a clot of congealed blood.⁴

(96:3) Recite: and your Lord is Most Generous,

(96:4) Who taught by the pen,⁵

(96:5) taught man what he did not know.⁶

(96:6) Nay,⁷ surely man transgresses;

(96:7) for he believes himself to be self-sufficient.⁸

(96:8) Surely to your Lord is your return.⁹

(96:9) Did you see him who forbids

(96:10) a servant (of Allah) when he prays?¹⁰

(96:11) Did you consider: what if he is on the Right Way,

(96:12) and enjoins piety?

(96:13) Did you consider: what if he gives the lie (to the Truth) and turns away (from it)?

(96:14) Does he not know that Allah sees everything?¹¹

(96:15) No indeed;¹² if he does not desist, We shall drag him by the forelock;

(96:16) by the lying forelock steeped in sin.¹³

(96:17) So let him summon his helpmates;¹⁴

(96:18) We too shall summon the guards of Hell.¹⁵

(96:19) No, not at all. Never obey him. But prostrate yourself and become nigh (to your Lord).¹⁶

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Commentary

1. As already explained in the Introduction to this Surah, when the angel asked the Prophet (peace be upon him) to recite, he replied that he was not a literate person. This implies that the revelation was presented to him in the written form. Had the angel asked him to repeat what he said, the Prophet (peace be upon him) would not have offered an excuse.

2. He was asked to recite in the name of his Lord. In other words, he was directed to chant basmalah. One notes also from all this that even prior to receiving revelation, the Prophet (peace be upon him) recognized Allah alone as his Lord. Therefore, his Lord was not introduced to him, but he was rather directed to recite in the name of his Lord Whom he already knew.

3. Allah’s act of creation is mentioned in its. generic sense. The Prophet (peace be upon him) is asked to recite in the name of his Lord, Who is the Creator of the entire universe and all that exists in it.

4. After making a passing reference to creation in general, particular mention is then made of man’s creation — how Allah created him from a despicable fluid and let him grow into an adult human being. ‘Alaq, being the plural of ‘alaqa stands for the clot of congealed blood. In the very early stages of conception this clot appears, which gradually develops into a fetus. Later on, the fetus takes on a distinct human form. (For further details see Towards Understanding the Qur’an, Vol. VI, al-Hajj 22: nn. 5-7, pp: 7-8.)

5. Out of His infinite grace Allah lets man grow from a lowly state and endows him with knowledge. Knowledge is the greatest attribute of creatures. Apart from conferring knowledge upon man, Allah also taught him use-of the pen. Needless to add, writing accounts. for the wide dissemination of knowledge, its preservation, and transmission to subsequent generations. Had Allah not imparted to man this innate knowledge of using the pen, his mental faculties would not have blossomed. Nor could any expansion or promotion or transfer of knowledge be possible without the divine gift of the skill to write.

6. On his own, man did not possess any knowledge. It was Allah ‘Who granted it to him. He enabled man to expand upon his know]- edge as and when it was required. The Qur’an declares: “He knows what lies before them and what is hidden from them, whereas they cannot attain anything of His knowledge save what He wills them to attain,” (al-Baqarah 2: 255). Allah lets man discover what was not in his knowledge, though man does not realize this truth.

These are the first five verses of the Surah which constitute the first revelation sent down to the Prophet (peace be upon him). This point is borne out by the Hadith narrated by ‘A’ishah. Receiving divine revelation was quite hard for him, both physically and emotionally. At that stage, therefore, he was instructed in the following truths: Allah Whom he already recognized as the Lord addresses him directly, marking the commencement of divine revelation to him. He has been appointed His Messenger. After a long gap, the opening verses of Surah al-Muddaththir were sent down to him, spelling out his duty as the Messenger of Allah. (See the Introduction to Surah al-Muddaththir.)

7. As Allah has done man numerous favors, he should not behave so arrogantly towards Him, as is described in Verses 9-10.

8. Far from expressing gratitude to Allah for being blessed with wealth, status and other worldly things, man rebels against Him and transgresses his limits as a creature.

9. Notwithstanding his pride and arrogance stemming from the wealth he had amassed, man has eventually to return to his Lord.

Only then will he realize the consequences of his misconduct.

10. In other words, the Prophet (peace be upon him). This form of address to him is fairly common in the Qur’an. Take the following as illustrative:

Holy is He Who carried His servant by night from the holy mosque (in Makkah) to the farthest mosque (in Jerusalem). (Bani Isra’il 17: 1)

Praise be to Allah Who has revealed to His servant the Book...(al-Kahf 18: 1)

And when Allah’s servant stood up to call on Him they almost swarmed him.(al-Jinn 72: 19)

The term of address used for the Prophet (peace be upon him) is marked by Allah’s affection. Moreover, it indicates that after appointing him to the office of Messenger ship, Allah then taught him how to offer Prayer, though this is not specified in the Qur’an. This further proves that the divine revelation to him is not confined to what is included in the Qur’an; he received other divine instructions as well.

11. It appears that all sane, sensible people are addressed here and are asked to note the misconduct of those who forbid the Prophet (peace be upon him) when he prays. They are further told: Did you consider: what if he is on the right way, and enjoins piety? Did you consider: what if he gives the lie (to the truth) and turns away (from it)? Does he not know that Allah sees everything? (Verses 11-14) That Allah watches both the oppressor and the victim underscore that He will punish the former and redress the latter.

12. This wicked person will not be able to execute his threat to crush the Prophet’s neck as he prays.

13. The reference here is to that wicked person’s forelock.

14. As already stated in the Introduction, Abu Jahl had asked the Prophet (peace be upon him) to summon his supporters and boasted that he too, had numerous sympathizers. Abu Jahl is challenged here to summon his helpmates.

15. According to Qatadah, the expression zabaniyah is used in Arabic of a security guard, though it literally means the person who pushes. Security guards were employed by kings to push away those who incurred their wrath. The verse throws out this challenge to Abu Jahl to summon his helpmates, who will be punished by the guards of Hell.

16. The allusion is to Prayer. The Prophet (peace be upon him) is asked to keep offering Prayer, without fear. His engaging in Prayer will help him gain proximity with Allah. Abu Hurayrah reports: “A servant of Allah becomes close to Him when he prostrates,” (Muslim, Bab al-Masjid). Abu Hurayrah’s other report, also cited by Muslim, informs us that the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to prostrate whenever he recited this verse.