96. Sūrat al-ʿAlaq

٩٦۔ سُورَةُ العَلـَق

Qurʾān > Chapter 96
القرآن > كتاب ٩٦

The Clot (Meccan)

quran:96:1 – In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.

Recite in the name of your Lord who created -  

Recite, bring recitation into existence, beginning with: In the Name of your Lord Who created, all creatures;
القرآن:٩٦:١ – بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

اقْرَأْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ  

{اقرأ} أوجد القراءة مبتدئا {باسم ربك الذي خلق} الخلائق.
quran:96:2 –

Created man from a clinging substance.  

created man (al-insān: the generic) from a blood-clot (‘alaq is the plural of ‘alaqa, which is a small quantity of congealing blood).
القرآن:٩٦:٢ –

خَلَقَ الْإِنْسَانَ مِنْ عَلَقٍ  

{خلق الإنسان} الجنس {من علق} جمع علقة وهي القطعة اليسيرة من الدم الغليظ.
quran:96:3 –

Recite, and your Lord is the most Generous -  

Recite: (reiterating the first one) and your Lord is the Most Generous, having no counterpart in terms of His generosity (wa-rabbuka’l-akram is a circumstantial qualifier referring to the subject ˹of the verb˺ iqra’, ‘recite’),
القرآن:٩٦:٣ –

اقْرَأْ وَرَبُّكَ الْأَكْرَمُ  

{اقرأ} تأكيد للأول {وربك الأكرم} الذي لا يوازيه كريم، حال من الضمير اقرأ.
quran:96:4 –

Who taught by the pen -  

Who taught, ˹the art of˺ script, by the pen — the first to write with it was ˹the prophet˺ Enoch (Idrīs), peace be upon him —
القرآن:٩٦:٤ –

الَّذِي عَلَّمَ بِالْقَلَمِ  

{الذي علم} الخط {بالقلم} وأول من خط به إدريس عليه السلام.
quran:96:5 –

Taught man that which he knew not.  

taught man (al-insān: the generic) what he did not know, before he was taught, in the way of guidance, ˹the art of˺ writing, crafts and so on.
القرآن:٩٦:٥ –

عَلَّمَ الْإِنْسَانَ مَا لَمْ يَعْلَمْ  

{علم الإنسان} الجنس {ما لم يعلم} قبل تعليمه الهدى والكتابة والصناعة وغيرها.
quran:96:6 –

No! ˹But˺ indeed, man transgresses  

Nay, but verily man is ˹wont to be˺ rebellious,
القرآن:٩٦:٦ –

كَلَّا إِنَّ الْإِنْسَانَ لَيَطْغَىٰ  

{كلا} حقا {إنَّ الإنسان ليطغى}.
quran:96:7 –

Because he sees himself self-sufficient.  

when he sees it, that is to say, his own soul, to be self-sufficient, in terms of wealth — this was revealed regarding Abū Jahl (ra’ā, ‘sees’, means ˹to see˺ mentally; istaghnā, ‘self-sufficient’, is the second direct object; an ra’āhu, ‘when he sees it’, is an object denoting reason).
القرآن:٩٦:٧ –

أَنْ رَآهُ اسْتَغْنَىٰ  

{أن رآه} أي نفسه {استغنى} بالمال، نزل في أبي جهل، ورأى علمية واستغنى مفعول ثان وأن رآه مفعول له.
quran:96:8 –

Indeed, to your Lord is the return.  

Surely to your Lord, O man, is the return — ˹meant as˺ a threat for him — and so He will requite the rebellious one with what he deserves.
القرآن:٩٦:٨ –

إِنَّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ الرُّجْعَىٰ  

{إن إلى ربك} يا إنسان {الرجعى} أي الرجوع تخويف له فيجازي الطاغي بما يستحقه.
quran:96:9 –

Have you seen the one who forbids  

Have you seen (a-ra’ayta in all three instances ˹here and below˺ is an exclamation of wonder) him, namely, Abū Jahl, who forbids
القرآن:٩٦:٩ –

أَرَأَيْتَ الَّذِي يَنْهَىٰ  

{أرأيت} في الثلاثة مواضع للتعجب {الذي ينهي} هو أبو جهل.
quran:96:10 –

A servant when he prays?  

a servant, namely, Muhammad (s), when he prays?
القرآن:٩٦:١٠ –

عَبْدًا إِذَا صَلَّىٰ  

{عبدا} هو النبي ﷺ {إذا صلّى}.
quran:96:11 –

Have you seen if he is upon guidance  

Have you considered what if he, the one forbidden, should be upon ˹a path of˺ guidance,
القرآن:٩٦:١١ –

أَرَأَيْتَ إِنْ كَانَ عَلَى الْهُدَىٰ  

{أرأيت إن كان} المنهي {على الهدى}.
quran:96:12 –

Or enjoins righteousness?  

or (aw is for division) be bidding ˹others˺ to fear of God?
القرآن:٩٦:١٢ –

أَوْ أَمَرَ بِالتَّقْوَىٰ  

{أو} للتقسيم {أمر بالتقوى}.
quran:96:13 –

Have you seen if he denies and turns away -  

Have you considered what if he, the one forbidding the Prophet, should be denying ˹God’s guidance˺ and turning away?, from faith.
القرآن:٩٦:١٣ –

أَرَأَيْتَ إِنْ كَذَّبَ وَتَوَلَّىٰ  

{أرأيت إن كذب} أي الناهي النبي {وتولى} عن الإيمان.
quran:96:14 –

Does he not know that Allah sees?  

Is he not aware that God sees?, what has issued from him, that is to say, He does ˹indeed˺ know it and will requite him for it. In other words, ‘Marvel, O you being addressed, at the way in which he forbids prayer, and at the fact that the one being forbidden is actually the one upon guidance, bidding to fear of God, while the one forbidding is a denier, disregarding faith’.
القرآن:٩٦:١٤ –

أَلَمْ يَعْلَمْ بِأَنَّ اللَّهَ يَرَىٰ  

{ألم يعلم بأن الله يرى} ما صدر منه، أي يعلمه فيجازيه عليه، أي اعجب منه يا مخاطب من حيث نهيه عن الصلاة ومن حيث أن المنهي على الهدى آمر بالتقوى ومن حيث أن الناهي مكذب متولٍ عن الإيمان.
quran:96:15 –

No! If he does not desist, We will surely drag him by the forelock -  

No indeed! — a repudiation of him — Assuredly if (la-in: the lām is for oaths) he does not desist, from the disbelief that he is upon, We shall seize him by the forelock, We shall drag him to the Fire by his forelock,
القرآن:٩٦:١٥ –

كَلَّا لَئِنْ لَمْ يَنْتَهِ لَنَسْفَعًا بِالنَّاصِيَةِ  

{كلا} ردع له {لئن} لام قسم {لم ينته} عما هو عليه من الكفر {لنسفعا بالناصية} لنجرنَّ بناصيته غلى النار.
quran:96:16 –

A lying, sinning forelock.  

a lying, iniquitous forelock! (nāsiyatin: an indefinite noun substituting for a definite) — the description of this ˹forelock˺ in such terms is meant figuratively, and what is actually meant is that individual.
القرآن:٩٦:١٦ –

نَاصِيَةٍ كَاذِبَةٍ خَاطِئَةٍ  

{ناصية} بدل نكرة من معرفة {كاذبة خاطئة} وصفها بذلك مجازًا والمراد صاحبها.
quran:96:17 –

Then let him call his associates;  

Let him, then, call upon ˹the henchmen of˺ his council, the members of his council (nādin) — a place of assembly where people gather to talk. He ˹Abū Jahl˺ had said to the Prophet (s) in reproof, having forbidden him from prayer, ‘You are well aware that there is none in this ˹town˺ who has ˹recourse to˺ as large a council ˹of men˺ as I do. Verily, I shall fill this ˹entire˺ valley with mature steeds and young men ˹in battle˺ against you if you so wish!’
القرآن:٩٦:١٧ –

فَلْيَدْعُ نَادِيَهُ  

{فليدع ناديه} أي أهل ناديه وهو المجلس ينتدى يتحدث فيه القوم وكان قال للنبي ﷺ لما انتهره حيث نهاه عن الصلاة: لقد علمت ما بها رجل أكثر ناديا مني لأملأنَّ عليك هذا الوادي إن شئت خيلا جردا ورجالا مردا.
quran:96:18 –

We will call the angels of Hell.  

We shall call the Zabāniya, the grim stern angels to destroy him, as ˹stated˺ in the hadīth, ‘Had he called his council ˹of henchmen˺ together, the Zabāniya would have seized him right before his own eyes!’.
القرآن:٩٦:١٨ –

سَنَدْعُ الزَّبَانِيَةَ  

(سندع الزبانية) الملائكة الغلاظ الشداد لإهلاكه كما في الحديث "" لو دعا ناديه لأخذته الزبانية عيانا "".
quran:96:19 –

No! Do not obey him. But prostrate and draw near ˹to Allah˺.  

No indeed! — a repudiation of him — Do not obey him, O Muhammad (s) and abandon prayer, and prostrate yourself, perform prayer to God, and draw near, to Him through obedience to Him. Meccan or Medinese, consisting of 5 or 6 verses.
القرآن:٩٦:١٩ –

كَلَّا لَا تُطِعْهُ وَاسْجُدْ وَاقْتَرِبْ ۩  

{كلا} ردع له {لا تطعه} يا محمد في ترك الصلاة {واسجد} صلِّ لله {واقترب} منه بطاعته.