In the Name of Almighty Allah, the Merciful, the Compassionate
19 آية
بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
Surah Al-Alaq is the 96th chapter of the Quran, containing 19 verses. Its opening five verses were the very first words of the Quran revealed to the Prophet Muhammad in the cave of Hira, commanding him to read and recite in the Name of his Lord who created, who created man from a clinging clot, and who taught man by the pen what he did not know. The surah warns of man’s transgression when he considers himself self-sufficient, and describes the arrogant one who forbade a servant of Allah from praying, closing with the command to prostrate and draw near to his Lord. Below you can read the full Surah Al-Alaq in Arabic with a clear English translation and a verse-by-verse tafsir (explanation of the meaning) from Aysar al-Tafaseer, with the option to jump to any specific verse.
1. The first few verses of this chapter (sura) are the first revealed in the Quran. The Prophet (peace be upon him) was in the habit of worshipping his Lord in the cave of Hira’a near Makkah. When the angel came to him and said: “Read!” The Prophet said: “I am no reader.” The angel took him and squeezed him to exhaustion. He did that three times; then the fourth time the Prophet asked him: “What shall I read?” The angel said : “Read in the name of your Lord, the Creator.” When the angel left the Prophet, he returned to his wife Khadija bint Khuailed shivering. He said : “Wrap me up, wrap me.” As soon as he had calmed down, he told her what he had seen, and that he feared for his life. She said: “Rejoice! for Allah will not let you down, for you observe the ties of relations, you are truthful, you endure fatigue, welcome the guest, and give relief against hardships.” This verse means: “Read, O Mohammad, what was inspired to you and begin with the name of your Lord, who Alone has the power to create.”
2. It is your Lord Who created man, strong and whole, from a sperm that gushes out of a man’s loins and settles in the woman’s womb. It develops after a few days into a blood-clot (as mentioned in another verse); then the development of the creation of man continues until he is completed and is born a child.
3. Read as you are commanded. Your Lord, the most generous and bountiful in giving whoever asks Him for a gift, is capable of blessing you with the gift of reading.
4. He Almighty taught man to write with a pen, which is a means for him to learn all the sciences and knowledge until he has attained what he did. It is due to the pen that knowledge was preserved and transferred from one country to another.
6. Allah Almighty says that man grows defiant, exceeds all limits, becomes too haughty to be humble and submissive to Allah, and harms Allah’s creatures,
8. Allah Almighty threatens this haughty self-sufficient person who exceeds all bounds, and says that he will ineluctably return to his Lord, and will account for all his deeds, good and evil.
9. Do you not see this tyrant who has forgotten Allah’s favours to him? It was Allah Who bestowed upon him his wealth, yet he forbids a believer from praying to his Lord.
{ عَبْداً إِذَا صَلَّىٰ }
(10) – وَقَدْ نَزَلَتْ هَذِهِ الآيَةُ وَالآيَاتُ قَبْلَهَا فِي أَبِي جَهْلٍ عَمْرِو بْنِ هِشَامٍ، فَقَدْ نَهَى النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَنِ الصَّلاَةِ عِنْدَ الكَعْبَةِ، وَتَوَعَّدَهُ إِنْ عَادَ إِلَى الصَّلاَةِ هُنَاكَ فَوَعَظَهُ اللهُ بِهَذِهِ الآيَةِ.
Surah Al-Alaq: Verse 10
10. This verse and those which precede it were revealed in connection to Abi Jahl Amr ibn Hisham, for he prohibited the holy Prophet (peace be upon him) from praying at the holy shrine (the Ka’aba) and threatened him. So Allah admonished him in this verse.
12. Or enjoined charity and piety, while you, on the other hand, are threatening and forbidding him from his prayers? (Some commentators said that the meaning of this verse is as follows: What if this oppressor were to clothe himself in the virtues of the reformer and call to charity and the fear of Allah? Would that not be better for him than his disbelief in his Lord and the prevention of obedience to Allah?
13. Do you not see this unbeliever who disbelieves in his Lord and denies His Messenger and threatens him if he prays in the Ka’aba, or turns away from the good and faith that the Messenger calls him? Would it not have been better for this unbeliever to believe in Allah and be guided for fear that a torture from Him should be inflicted upon him which he incapable of repelling?
{ أَلَمْ يَعْلَم بِأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَرَىٰ }
(14) – أَمَا عَلِمَ هَذَا الطَّاغِيَةُ الذِي يَكْفُرُ بِاللهِ، وَيَنْهَى النَّاسَ عَنِ الإِيْمَانِ، وَيَنْهَى رَسُولَ اللهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَنِ الصَّلاَةِ عِنْدَ الكَعْبَةِ، أَنَّ اللهَ يَرَاهُ، وَيَسْمَعُ كَلاَمَهُ، وَأَنَّهُ سَيَجْزِيهِ عَلَى أَفْعَالِهِ الجَزَاءَ الأَوْفَى؟.
Surah Al-Alaq: Verse 14
14. Does this oppressor, who does not believe in Allah, and prevents people from believing and stops the Messenger of Allah from praying at the Ka’aba, not know that Allah sees him and hears what he says, and that He will punish him suitably for his deeds?.
15. If the oppressor does not desist from doing what he does, Allah Almighty swears that He will drag him by his forelock and hurl him face down into the fire of Hell. This oppressor should therefore not feel proud of his sins and persist in his pride. (It was said that the meaning is as follows: We will let this oppressor’s forelock turn black, just like an andiron on which cooking pots are placed turns blackish and becomes charred.)
16. The owner of this forelock, Abu Jahl, is mendacious in his pretension to power and his unfounded claims. He is wrong to practise oppression, exceed his limits and disobey the orders of His Lord.
17. After Abu Jahl had warned the Prophet against praying at the Ka’aba and had threatened him, he saw him nevertheless praying there one day and said: “Did I not prohibit you, O Mohammad, from doing this?” The Prophet (peace be upon him) answered harshly and scolded him. Abu Jahl then said: “With what are you threatening me? For I, by Allah, have the most numerous company in this valley.”
18. Allah Almighty answered this criminal oppressor, threatening and rebuking him, and said: “Let him call out to any of his crowd to help him prevent those who pray and inflict harm upon the righteous. If he does, he will gain Allah’s anger. Allah will then call upon His soldiers who are assigned to punish the disobedient oppressors in the Fire. They will demolish him on earth, and in the hereafter they are charged with torturing him in the Fire. Then that oppressor will know who will triumph: Allah’s party or his own.
19. O Mohammad, do not obey this polytheist who prevents you from persevering in your devotion. Pray wherever you wish. Do not mind him, for he is too weak to inflict any harm on you. Come closer to Allah, for He will champion you and protect you from others.
Tafsir by Dr. Assaad Homad (1917–2011), Syrian scholar and jurist, author of Aysar al-Tafaseer, an accessible interpretation of the Quran reviewed by Sheikh Muhammad Mutwally Al-Shaarawi and certified by the Ministries of Awqaf in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. English translation by the Homad family. Read more about the author and this tafsir →
Source: This series of Tafsir books has been made available online by the family of Dr. Assaad Homad (may Allah have mercy on him). These volumes were entirely digitized to provide an accessible and easy format for todays digital age. Please keep Dr. Assaad and his family in your sincere prayers.
تم إتاحة هذه السلسلة من كتب التفسير عبر الإنترنت من قبل عائلة الدكتور أسعد حومد (رحمه الله). لقد قمنا برقمنة هذه المجلدات بالكامل لتوفير تنسيق يسهل الوصول إليه واستخدامه في عصرنا الرقمي الحالي. نرجو منكم ألا تنسوا الدكتور أسعد وعائلته من صالح دعائكم.