سُورَةُ الْعَلَقِ

The text: Surah Al-'Alaq (96), verses 1 to 19 بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ اقْرَأْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ ﴿١﴾ خَلَقَ الْإِنْسَانَ مِنْ عَلَقٍ ﴿٢﴾ اقْرَأْ وَرَبُّكَ الْأَكْرَمُ ﴿٣﴾ الَّذِي عَلَّمَ بِالْقَلَمِ ﴿٤﴾ عَلَّمَ الْإِنْسَانَ مَا لَمْ يَعْلَمْ ﴿٥﴾ كَلَّا إِنَّ الْإِنْسَانَ لَيَطْغَىٰ ﴿٦﴾ أَنْ رَآهُ اسْتَغْنَىٰ ﴿٧﴾ إِنَّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ الرُّجْعَىٰ ﴿٨﴾ أَرَأَيْتَ الَّذِي يَنْهَىٰ ﴿٩﴾ عَبْدًا إِذَا صَلَّىٰ ﴿١٠﴾ أَرَأَيْتَ إِنْ كَانَ عَلَى الْهُدَىٰ ﴿١١﴾ أَوْ أَمَرَ بِالتَّقْوَىٰ ﴿١٢﴾ أَرَأَيْتَ إِنْ كَذَّبَ وَتَوَلَّىٰ ﴿١٣﴾ أَلَمْ يَعْلَمْ بِأَنَّ اللَّهَ يَرَىٰ ﴿١٤﴾ كَلَّا لَئِنْ لَمْ يَنْتَهِ لَنَسْفَعًا بِالنَّاصِيَةِ ﴿١٥﴾ نَاصِيَةٍ كَاذِبَةٍ خَاطِئَةٍ ﴿١٦﴾ فَلْيَدْعُ نَادِيَهُ ﴿١٧﴾ سَنَدْعُ الزَّبَانِيَةَ ﴿١٨﴾ كَلَّا لَا تُطِعْهُ وَاسْجُدْ وَاقْتَرِبْ ۩ ﴿١٩﴾

Listen to the recitation while following the text with your eyes, then read the meaning in the next block. Verse 19 is a verse of prostration.

Arabic text: Tanzil Quran Text (Simple, version 1.0.2), © 2008-2010 Tanzil.net, Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 licence, reproduced without any change (http://tanzil.net). Each verse is on its own line, followed by its number; the basmala, which the Tanzil file places at the start of the first verse, is written on its own line.

The name and the context Al-'Alaq means "the clinging substance": the stage of the embryo that clings. The first five verses are, according to the best-known view, the first verses of the Qur'an to be revealed. 'Aa'isha relates that the Prophet ﷺ used to retreat to the cave of Ḥiraa', near Makkah, to worship Allah. The angel came and said to him: "Read!" He replied: "I am not a reader." The angel squeezed him hard, three times, then recited: "Read, in the name of your Lord who created…" The Prophet ﷺ returned to Khadiija, his heart trembling, and she reassured him: "Allah will never disgrace you: you keep the ties of kinship, you bear the burden of the weak, you help the one who has nothing, you honour the guest and you support against the misfortunes of fate" (Bukhari 3, Muslim 160). Verses 6 to 19 were revealed later, about Abu Jahl, who threatened the Prophet ﷺ if he prayed near the Ka'ba. Abu Hurayra relates that one day he came forward to tread on his neck during his prostration, then drew back shielding himself with his hands, saying he had seen between them a trench of fire and wings (Muslim 2797).

The meaning, passage by passage • Verses 1 to 5: "Read, in the name of your Lord who created." He created the human being from a clinging substance. "Read, and your Lord is the Most Generous, who taught by the pen, taught man what he did not know." • Verses 6 to 8: "No! Man truly transgresses, as soon as he sees himself in no need." Yet to your Lord is the return. • Verses 9 to 14: have you seen the one who forbids a servant to pray? What if that servant were on guidance, or enjoined piety? What if the other denied and turned away? Does he not know that Allah sees? • Verses 15 to 18: if he does not stop, We will seize him by the forelock, a lying, sinful forelock. Let him call his assembly; We will call the guardians of Hell. • Verse 19: "No! Do not obey him; prostrate and draw near." It is a verse of prostration: Abu Hurayra relates that they prostrated with the Prophet ﷺ when reciting this surah and Al-Inshiqaaq (Muslim 578).

Exercise: choose one useful piece of knowledge (a surah, a rule of prayer, a supplication) and learn it this week "in the name of your Lord", that is, beginning with "Bismillaah" and with the intention of pleasing Allah.

Understanding the lesson

Explanation The first revealed word of the Qur'an is a command: "Read!" Islam begins with knowledge. But it is not just any reading: "in the name of your Lord". Ibn Kathir stresses that these verses recall the beginning of the creation of the human being and the generosity of Allah, who taught him what he did not know: knowledge is a gift, and it must lead to the One who gives it. The pen is mentioned as one of the great blessings: through writing, knowledge is preserved and passed on. The Qur'an itself was written and preserved in this way. The second part shows the opposite danger: the man who thinks himself in no need of Allah (istighnaa') becomes a tyrant. As-Sa'di notes that wealth and strength, instead of making one grateful, can make one arrogant. The remedy is the last verse: prostrate. Prostration is the opposite of pride: the forehead, the noblest part of the face, placed on the ground. The Prophet ﷺ said: "The closest a servant is to his Lord is when he is prostrating, so make many supplications" (Muslim 482). Khadiija's answer also shows something: good deeds towards people (ties of kinship, support of the weak, hospitality) are a protection.

Lessons to draw from it • Seek knowledge, and seek it "in the name of Allah". • Remember that all knowledge is a gift from Allah, which makes one humble. • Beware of the pride that comes with wealth and strength. • Do not give in to those who want to prevent prayer. • Make many supplications in prostration.

Key points to remember • Al-'Alaq (96), 19 verses, Makkan; verses 1 to 5: the first revelation (Bukhari 3, Muslim 160). • Verse 4: "who taught by the pen". • Verses 6 and 7: man transgresses when he thinks himself in no need. • Verse 19: prostration (Muslim 578); Muslim 482: closest to Allah.

The main message Islam begins with "Read!" and reaches its height in prostration: learn in the name of your Lord, and let your knowledge bring you closer to Him instead of making you proud.