العلق
Surah Al-Alaq (العلق) - Transliteration, Translation and Audio
Chapter 96 of the Quran, 19 verses, "The Clot"
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
Surah Al-Alaq Transliteration and English Translation
- 1
ٱقْرَأْ بِٱسْمِ رَبِّكَ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ
Iqra bismi rab bikal lazee khalaq
Recite in the name of your Lord who created -
- 2
خَلَقَ ٱلْإِنسَٰنَ مِنْ عَلَقٍ
Khalaqal insaana min 'alaq
Created man from a clinging substance.
- 3
ٱقْرَأْ وَرَبُّكَ ٱلْأَكْرَمُ
Iqra wa rab bukal akram
Recite, and your Lord is the most Generous -
- 4
ٱلَّذِى عَلَّمَ بِٱلْقَلَمِ
Al lazee 'allama bil qalam
Who taught by the pen -
- 5
عَلَّمَ ٱلْإِنسَٰنَ مَا لَمْ يَعْلَمْ
'Al lamal insaana ma lam y'alam
Taught man that which he knew not.
- 6
كَلَّآ إِنَّ ٱلْإِنسَٰنَ لَيَطْغَىٰٓ
Kallaa innal insaana layatghaa
No! [But] indeed, man transgresses
- 7
أَن رَّءَاهُ ٱسْتَغْنَىٰٓ
Ar-ra aahus taghnaa
Because he sees himself self-sufficient.
- 8
إِنَّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ ٱلرُّجْعَىٰٓ
Innna ilaa rabbikar ruj'aa
Indeed, to your Lord is the return.
- 9
أَرَءَيْتَ ٱلَّذِى يَنْهَىٰ
Ara-aital lazee yanhaa
Have you seen the one who forbids
- 10
عَبْدًا إِذَا صَلَّىٰٓ
'Abdan iza sallaa
A servant when he prays?
- 11
أَرَءَيْتَ إِن كَانَ عَلَى ٱلْهُدَىٰٓ
Ara-aita in kana 'alal hudaa
Have you seen if he is upon guidance
- 12
أَوْ أَمَرَ بِٱلتَّقْوَىٰٓ
Au amara bit taqwaa
Or enjoins righteousness?
- 13
أَرَءَيْتَ إِن كَذَّبَ وَتَوَلَّىٰٓ
Ara-aita in kaz zaba wa ta walla
Have you seen if he denies and turns away -
- 14
أَلَمْ يَعْلَم بِأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَرَىٰ
Alam y'alam bi-an nal lahaa yaraa
Does he not know that Allah sees?
- 15
كَلَّا لَئِن لَّمْ يَنتَهِ لَنَسْفَعًۢا بِٱلنَّاصِيَةِ
Kalla la illam yantahi la nasfa'am bin nasiyah
No! If he does not desist, We will surely drag him by the forelock -
- 16
نَاصِيَةٍۢ كَٰذِبَةٍ خَاطِئَةٍۢ
Nasiyatin kazi batin khaatiyah
A lying, sinning forelock.
- 17
فَلْيَدْعُ نَادِيَهُۥ
Fal yad'u naadiyah
Then let him call his associates;
- 18
سَنَدْعُ ٱلزَّبَانِيَةَ
Sanad 'uz zabaaniyah
We will call the angels of Hell.
- 19
كَلَّا لَا تُطِعْهُ وَٱسْجُدْ وَٱقْتَرِب ۩
Kalla; la tuti'hu wasjud waqtarib
No! Do not obey him. But prostrate and draw near [to Allah].
About Surah Al-Alaq
Surah Al-Alaq (Arabic: العلق), meaning "The Clot", is the 96th chapter of the Quran and has 19 verses. It was revealed in Makkah, and its first five verses were the very first revelation given to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), in the Cave of Hira around 610 CE. The surah joins two ideas: reading and knowledge in the name of Allah, and the danger of arrogance that makes a person forget his need for his Lord.
The first verses command: "Recite in the name of your Lord who created", who created the human being from a clinging clot, taught by the pen, and taught man what he did not know. Aisha narrates the account of this first revelation, when the angel Jibril came to the Prophet, in Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim. The rest of the surah came later and turns to a man who forbade a servant of Allah from praying; commentators widely identify him as Abu Jahl. The surah warns that man transgresses when he sees himself as self-sufficient, reminds him that the return is to Allah, and asks whether he does not know that Allah sees. It ends: do not obey him, but prostrate and draw near. In most schools of law this final verse is a place of prostration during recitation.
Main Themes of Surah Al-Alaq
- The first revelation: Read in the name of your Lord
- The human being created from a clinging clot
- Knowledge taught by Allah through the pen
- The arrogance of feeling self-sufficient
- Prostrating and drawing near to Allah
Listen to Surah Al-Alaq with Audio-Synced Transliteration
Play Surah Al-Alaq and follow the Arabic text and Latin transliteration as each verse is recited. You can adjust the speed or loop a verse range for practice.
Frequently Asked Questions About Surah Al-Alaq
- Was Surah Al-Alaq the first surah revealed?
- Its first five verses were the first revelation, given to the Prophet (peace be upon him) in the Cave of Hira, as narrated by Aisha in Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim. The remaining fourteen verses were revealed later, so it is more precise to say that the surah begins with the first revelation.
- What is the command Iqra?
- Iqra means "read" or "recite". It was the first command revealed, and it links reading and learning to the name of Allah, who created the human being and taught him by the pen what he did not know.
- What is the alaq mentioned in Surah Al-Alaq?
- Alaq is usually translated as "clot" or "clinging substance", describing an early stage in the creation of the human being in the womb. By opening with it, the surah reminds people of their humble origin just before warning against arrogance.