Sūrat al-ʿAlaq

سورۃ العلق

Sūrat al-ʿAlaq, Makkī — revealed in Makkah. It has nineteen (19) āyāt.

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

Bismillāhi l-Raḥmāni l-Raḥīm.

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

اقْرَأْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ

Iqraʾ bi-smi rabbika l-ladhī khalaq.

"Read in the name of your Lord who created." (al-ʿAlaq 96:1)

This verse has many probable interpretations. The first is that iqraʾ is a complete sentence and has no object — it needs none, just as one does not need an object for the verb read in certain constructions. The second is that iqraʾ is connected to bi-smi rabbik, meaning: read and begin, and from its blessing draw help. Bi-smi rabbik means "with the name of your Lord" — seek assistance through Allah's name, through the baraka of your Lord's name. "Your Lord" — the One who nurtured you to perfection. He is your great Lord and Master — al-ladhī khalaq — who created you, who brought all of creation into being. For such a majestic divine Lord, teaching you to read is no difficulty whatsoever.

Translation: "(O Muḥammad ﷺ!) Read, in the name of your Lord (that is, with Allah's help and blessing), who created you and brought all the worlds into existence."

خَلَقَ الْإِنسَانَ مِنْ عَلَقٍ

khalaqa l-insāna min ʿalaq.

"He created the human being from a clot of blood." (al-ʿAlaq 96:2)

Khalaqa l-insān — He created the human being. Min ʿalaq — from a clinging clot — from a drop that develops into a clotted form.

Translation: "He who created the human being from a (drop and then a) clinging clot of blood — (it is He who will enable you to read and learn)."

اقْرَأْ وَرَبُّكَ الْأَكْرَمُ

iqraʾ wa-rabbuka l-akram.

"Read, and your Lord is the Most Generous." (al-ʿAlaq 96:3)

Iqraʾ — read. Wa-rabbuka — and your Lord. Al-akram — the Most Generous, the supremely noble.

Translation: "Read — your Lord who nurtures you is the most generous and will enable you to learn."

الَّذِي عَلَّمَ بِالْقَلَمِ

al-ladhī ʿallama bi-l-qalam.

"Who taught by the pen." (al-ʿAlaq 96:4)

Al-ladhī ʿallam — who taught, who gave knowledge, who imparted learning. Bi-l-qalam — by means of the pen — the one who gives knowledge through the medium of the pen. Through this He also gives knowledge to Jibrīl (upon him be peace) and through Jibrīl He sends it to the prophets.

Translation: "(Your Lord is the Most Generous) who gave knowledge to (human beings) by means of the pen."

This verse hints at the greatness and nobility of reading and writing — through writing, grandeur and dignity become manifest, and the knowledge of the ages is transmitted to those who come later. Your Guardian records your words until they reach distant posterity. Writing is also a great virtue of Allah — for through it, scientific knowledge reaches peoples and nations, and then reaches us.

عَلَّمَ الْإِنسَانَ مَا لَمْ يَعْلَمْ

ʿallama l-insāna mā lam yaʿlam.

"He taught the human being what he did not know." (al-ʿAlaq 96:5)

ʿAllama l-insān — He taught the human being, furnished him with knowledge. Mā — that which. Lam yaʿlam — he did not know — mā lam yaʿlam — that which he did not know at all.

Translation: "(Your Lord the Most Generous taught) the human being all the things he did not know (of which he had no knowledge whatsoever)."

Esteemed readers! The first time five āyāt were revealed, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ began to encounter true visions — things he saw in sleep and would observe in the waking world as well. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to leave from there for seclusion in the cave of Ḥirāʾ, and he would remain there in seclusion — sometimes for a month, sometimes for eight days, spending time in solitude — and in his 'Itikāf (spiritual retreat) in Makkah al-Mukarrama. It is apparent that he used to stay so long there that he did not eat even meat — this suggests that he had completely abandoned worldly pleasures and spiritual attachments. This was the practice of the Fuqarāʾ (the spiritually poor and devoted servants of God).

As for the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) — how did waḥy (revelation) come? Waḥy is a form of divine inspiration which Allah Most High sends. There is the secondary waḥy in which Jibrīl's word and expression do not appear — some narrations call this waḥī qalbī (revelation to the heart). The primary waḥy is the one in which Jibrīl comes bodily and directly to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ — the Qurʾān itself was sent down in this manner as well, sometimes without even the intermediary of Jibrīl. The first time this happened, Jibrīl came to the Messenger ﷺ and pressed him against his own chest with great force — and the Messenger ﷺ said: "I cannot read" — and people of that time thought he could not read. The first time it separated from the world, the second time from the physical realm, the third time it separated the souls from the world of spirits — and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was so absorbed in his own humility that if we were to hold a mountain on his behalf, our strength would be less. However, in this lies the greatest of hidden secrets — his blessed body could bear what even the mountains could not. Jibrīl would press him against himself — and after that the Messenger ﷺ would begin to feel a great coolness — his soul directed upwards. The earth shook beneath his feet — Khadīja (may Allah be pleased with her), the Mother of the Believers, said to him: I fear it is this waḥy. She addressed the Mother of the Believers: "Do not worry. You have honoured your guests, alleviated the burdens of the poor, been of help to people of the age, and all the affairs through your means are Allah's work — nothing is yours personally. Others do not wish you harm." The second time Waraqa ibn Nawfal came to the Messenger's blessed assembly for this purpose and to learn Sūrat al-Fātiḥa — then for several days waḥy continued to arrive.

This is the account of several narrations. Some say that Sūrat al-ʿAlaq is the first sūra — and among them the first five āyāt are the earliest āyāt. And some call this the second beginning, for there were those additional beginnings before — but in any case the true beginning is Iqraʾ, for through it the importance of reading was established at that time.

Now, what is the difference between a Prophet and a sorcerer? The Prophet receives waḥy — divine command is delivered to him through Jibrīl, and his spirituality is very powerful. His purpose is to make known the truth of God and to manifest truth to others — he also guides others to the truth of tawḥīd (divine unity) and calls to righteous deeds. He takes from God and gives to servants. A sorcerer too is from among those who produce certain effects in people's hearts through negative forces — or through his own psychic powers. The work of a Prophet is reform; the work of a sorcerer is corruption — destroying homes, families, causing people to lose their senses, falling to self-interest. The sorcerer's attention remains fixed on his own selfish goals.

The Difference between Prophet and Reformer

A reformer (muṣliḥ or Reformer) — his worldview is based only on what he himself considers good for this world. His thinking is flawed, his reason is deficient, and therefore his reform is also deficient.

The Difference between Prophet and Walī

The Prophet is a recipient of waḥy, while the Walī is a recipient of ilhām (divine inspiration). The Walī possesses all the perfections of the Prophet to some degree — but those are branches of the Prophet's perfections and follow in his wake.

Heraclius, when he investigated, concluded that Ḥażrat Muḥammad Muṣṭafā ﷺ is truly a Prophet — and those who follow him in his religion give their life and give up their homeland. They do not turn back from their creed — they offer prayer, give zakāt, and their hands and tongues are pure — and from this he was certain that Ḥażrat ﷺ is a Prophet of God.

As for the arrangement of the Qurʾānic āyāt — who established it? The Messenger of Allah ﷺ would recite the Qurʾān on Laylat al-Qadr. Then as the need to convey it to the Umma arose, the āyāt of the Qurʾān were transmitted progressively. Bear in mind that the Qurʾān itself says: Innā anzalnāhu fī Laylati l-Qadr — it was revealed in its entirety and tanzīl (gradual descent) also occurred. Gibrīl used to descend bit by bit, part by part — and Ḥażrat ﷺ and Jibrīl (upon him be peace) would review the Qurʾān together every Ramaḍān, reciting it to each other.

When was the Qurʾān collected? From the beginning, various things were written on leaves and distributed to different locations for people to be taught from them. Ḥażrat Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq (may Allah be pleased with him) — he was the first Caliph to gather all the writings of the Qurʾān in one place. Then Ḥażrat ʿUthmān Ghanī (may Allah be pleased with him) had the Qurʾān arranged in its final book form in the period of his caliphate — seven copies were prepared and dispatched to the large cities. The original copies are now in certain cities, including one narrated to be in the library of Ḥajjāj ibn Yūsuf. Bear in mind that we read the Qurʾān with the eyes and not with the ears — Ḥażrat ﷺ instructed the Companions to memorise it and from those who memorised it a tradition continued. The Qurʾān says: Innā naḥnu nazzalnā l-dhikra wa-innā lahu la-ḥāfiẓūn. The Qurʾān itself is the Guardian of its own recitation — through Ḥażrat ʿUthmān Ghanī (may Allah be pleased with him), Zayd ibn Thābit, ʿAbdullāh ibn Masʿūd, Abū ibn Kaʿb and successive reciters after them — not a single letter more or less than the tradition is possible. The Qurʾān is established by continuous unbroken narration — scholarship is twofold: one is the knowledge of the Book, and the other is the knowledge through the pen — the knowledge bestowed upon Prophets is knowledge through divine waḥy and ilhām. The knowledge of the awliyāʾ is the ilhām of the intellect — those who deny the ilhām of the awliyāʾ become deprived, yet the denial of waḥy is outright unbelief. Following the Prophet is essential — without the intermediary of the Prophet there is no way. Who follows the Prophet today, especially in this age?

كَلَّا إِنَّ الْإِنسَانَ لَيَطْغَىٰ

kallā inna l-insāna la-yaṭghā.

"But no! Indeed, the human being transgresses." (al-ʿAlaq 96:6)

Kallā — no, not at all! Look — the reality is never in accordance with your presumptions. Inna l-insāna — indeed the human being. La-yaṭghā — transgresses, goes beyond bounds — this is the wickedness of the human being, who does not submit to his Lord's commands.

Translation: "Indeed! The wickedness and transgression of the human being proceeds in bounds."

We taught him writing and raised him from nothing — yet why does he perform such rebellious acts with knowledge and understanding?

أَن رَّآهُ اسْتَغْنَىٰ

an raʾāhu staghná.

"Because he sees himself self-sufficient." (al-ʿAlaq 96:7)

An raʾāhu — for this reason, he saw himself. Istaghná — he considered himself self-sufficient — he has become wealthy, become without need. All the things of worldly necessity have been acquired by him.

Translation: "Because he considers himself wealthy and self-sufficient (a great man and wealthy)."

إِنَّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ الرُّجْعَىٰ

inna ilā rabbika l-rujʿā.

"Indeed, to your Lord is the return." (al-ʿAlaq 96:8)

Inna — indeed. Ilā rabbika — to your Lord. Al-rujʿā — the return, to go back, to revert.

Translation: "(O human being!) Indeed you must return to your Lord — (Allah will confront you and what will you answer? What will then be your state?)"

أَرَأَيْتَ الَّذِي يَنْهَىٰ

a-raʾayta l-ladhī yanhā.

"Have you seen him who forbids?" (al-ʿAlaq 96:9)

A-raʾayt — have you seen, do you know nothing? Al-ladhī yanhā — this person who forbids and prevents — he prohibits and obstructs.

Translation: "Have you seen that person who prevents and obstructs (one who stops him from doing what is right)?"

عَبْدًا إِذَا صَلَّىٰ

ʿabdan idhā ṣallā.

"A servant when he prays." (al-ʿAlaq 96:10)

ʿAbdā — a servant — ʿabdā points to the obedient servant, one who has prostrated his servitude on the earth. Idhā — when. Idhā ṣallā — when he prays, when this servant performs the prayer.

Translation: "(Have you seen?) (The evil of) one who, when a servant of God prays (he prevents him, stops him)."

أَرَأَيْتَ إِن كَانَ عَلَى الْهُدَىٰ ۝ أَوْ أَمَرَ بِالتَّقْوَىٰ

a-raʾayta in kāna ʿalā l-hudā aw amara bi-l-taqwā.

"Have you considered: if he is upon guidance, or commands taqwā?" (al-ʿAlaq 96:11–12)

A-raʾayt — have you seen — the expression here in Arabic is interrogative but means: know, understand. In kāna ʿalā l-hudā — if he were on the path of right guidance, straight and upright. Aw amara — or he commanded. Bi-l-taqwā — God-consciousness, piety, fear of Allah.

Translation: "Tell us — if he (the one who is prevented) were a guide on the straight path and were commanding (others as well as himself) to God-consciousness — (what right does anyone have to stop such a servant of God from praying, and why would they stop him?)"

أَرَأَيْتَ إِن كَذَّبَ وَتَوَلَّىٰ

a-raʾayta in kadhdhaba wa-tawallā.

"Have you seen if he (the one who prevents) denied and turned away?" (al-ʿAlaq 96:13)

A-raʾayt — have you seen! In kadhdhaba — if he denied, lied. Wa-tawallā — and turned away, showing aversion and abandonment.

Translation: "Have you seen — if this person (the preventer, the opponent of the Prophet and Islam) denies and turns away — what will be his outcome? What will his condition be? What will become of him?"

أَلَمْ يَعْلَم بِأَنَّ اللَّهَ يَرَىٰ

a-lam yaʿlam bi-anna llāha yarā.

"Does he not know that Allah sees?" (al-ʿAlaq 96:14)

A-lam yaʿlam — does he not know, is he unaware? Bi-anna llāhu — that Allah. Yarā — sees, is watching.

Translation: "Does he not know that Allah Most High knows and observes? (Allah watches and knows — what will then happen when He sees his wickedness? What will the outcome of this wickedness be?)"

كَلَّا لَئِن لَّمْ يَنتَهِ لَنَسْفَعًا بِالنَّاصِيَةِ ۝ نَاصِيَةٍ كَاذِبَةٍ خَاطِئَةٍ

kallā la-in lam yantahi la-nasfarʿan bi-l-nāṣiya. nāṣiyatin kādhibatin khāṭiʾa.

"No! If he does not desist, We will surely drag him by the forelock — a lying, sinful forelock." (al-ʿAlaq 96:15–16)

Kallā — no, not at all — as it ought to be (from his evil ways). La-in lam yantahi — if he does not hold back. La-nasfarʿan — We shall seize him. Bi-l-nāṣiya — by the forelock. What is this forelock? The forelock of a human being — nāṣiyatin kādhibatin — a false, sinful forelock — what kind of forelock is this? Kādhibatin khāṭiʾa — a lying, erring, sinful forelock.

Translation: "No! Not at all — if he does not desist from his wickedness, We shall seize this liar and sinner by the forelock and drag him (he will become helpless and incapacitated)."

فَلْيَدْعُ نَادِيَهُ

fa-l-yadʿu nādiyah.

"Then let him call his assembly." (al-ʿAlaq 96:17)

Fa-l-yadʿu — then let him call out, cry for help. Nādiyah — his assembly, his gathering, his own circle and group, his own companions.

Translation: "Then let him go and call his supporters and helpers to himself — (and let him try to call us? And we?)"

سَنَدْعُ الزَّبَانِيَةَ

sa-nadʿu l-zabāniya.

"We will call the angels of punishment." (al-ʿAlaq 96:18)

Sa-nadʿu — We too will summon very soon. Al-zabāniya — those who push and hurl — who give punishment and drag violently.

Translation: "And We too will soon summon (the divine police force) against him — (his wicked plans will become apparent to him then)."

كَلَّا لَا تُطِعْهُ وَاسْجُدْ وَاقْتَرِبْ۩

kallā lā tuṭiʿhu wa-sjud wa-qtarib.

"No! Do not obey him — prostrate and draw near!" (al-ʿAlaq 96:19)

Kallā — no, not at all. Lā tuṭiʿhu — do not obey him, do not listen to him. Usjud — prostrate before Allah, cast yourself in sajda at His threshold, remain humbled. Wa-qtarib — and draw near — attain nearness to Allah and His proximity.

Translation: "No! (O Messenger ﷺ!) Do not listen to him, do not yield even one word to him. Go before Allah and remain prostrate and gain nearness and distinction before the Lord of all lordship."

Note: This is a verse of prostration (sajda) — one who reads or hears it should perform a prostration for it.