Surah Al-‘Alaq
The Clinging Clot • Surah 96 • 19 verses
Introduction
Verses 1-5 are known to be the first ever revealed of the Quran. The Prophet 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 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.’” (The New American Standard Bible). The rest of the chapter was later revealed to deter Abu Jahl, a Meccan pagan elite, from abusing the Prophet.
ٱقْرَأْ بِٱسْمِ رَبِّكَ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ
Read, ˹O Prophet,˺ in the Name of your Lord Who created—
خَلَقَ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ مِنْ عَلَقٍ
created humans from a clinging clot.
ٱقْرَأْ وَرَبُّكَ ٱلْأَكْرَمُ
Read! And your Lord is the Most Generous,
ٱلَّذِى عَلَّمَ بِٱلْقَلَمِ
Who taught by the pen—
عَلَّمَ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ مَا لَمْ يَعْلَمْ
taught humanity what they knew not.
كَلَّآ إِنَّ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ لَيَطْغَىٰٓ
Most certainly, one exceeds all bounds
أَن رَّءَاهُ ٱسْتَغْنَىٰٓ
once they think they are self-sufficient.
إِنَّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ ٱلرُّجْعَىٰٓ
˹But˺ surely to your Lord is the return ˹of all˺.
أَرَءَيْتَ ٱلَّذِى يَنْهَىٰ
Have you seen the man who prevents
عَبْدًا إِذَا صَلَّىٰٓ
a servant ˹of Ours˺ from praying?
أَرَءَيْتَ إِن كَانَ عَلَى ٱلْهُدَىٰٓ
What if this ˹servant˺ is ˹rightly˺ guided,
أَوْ أَمَرَ بِٱلتَّقْوَىٰٓ
or encourages righteousness?
أَرَءَيْتَ إِن كَذَّبَ وَتَوَلَّىٰٓ
What if that ˹man˺ persists in denial and turns away?
أَلَمْ يَعْلَم بِأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَرَىٰ
Does he not know that Allah sees ˹all˺?
كَلَّا لَئِن لَّمْ يَنتَهِ لَنَسْفَعًۢا بِٱلنَّاصِيَةِ
But no! If he does not desist, We will certainly drag him by the forelock—
نَاصِيَةٍ كَـٰذِبَةٍ خَاطِئَةٍ
a lying, sinful forelock.
فَلْيَدْعُ نَادِيَهُۥ
So let him call his associates.
سَنَدْعُ ٱلزَّبَانِيَةَ
We will call the wardens of Hell.
كَلَّا لَا تُطِعْهُ وَٱسْجُدْ وَٱقْتَرِب ۩
Again, no! Never obey him ˹O Prophet˺! Rather, ˹continue to˺ prostrate and draw near ˹to Allah˺.
