Surah Al-'Alaq
العلق
Surah Al-'Alaq is a 19-verse Meccan surah whose first five verses are, by wide agreement, the first revelation the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ received.
- Meaning
- The Clot
- Surah
- 96 of 114
- Verses
- 19
- Revealed in
- Mecca
- Found in
- Juz 30
What Surah Al-'Alaq is about
Surah Al-'Alaq, "The Clot", contains the first words of the Quran to be revealed. Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim record Aisha's account that the angel Gabriel (Jibril) came to the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ while he was in retreat in the cave of Hira near Mecca and told him to read. Verses 1 to 5 were revealed then: read in the name of your Lord who created, who created the human being from a clinging clot, read, for your Lord is the Most Generous, who taught by the pen and taught people what they did not know.
The rest of the surah, verses 6 to 19, is generally understood to have come later. Verses 6 to 8 warn that people overstep their bounds when they see themselves as self-sufficient, though all return to Allah. Verses 9 to 14 describe someone who tries to stop a servant of Allah from praying and ask whether he does not know that Allah sees. Commentators identify this man as Abu Jahl, who threatened the Prophet ﷺ for praying at the Kaaba. Verses 15 to 18 warn him that he will be seized by the forelock, and that if he calls his supporters, Allah will call the angelic guards. The surah ends with a direct instruction in verse 19: do not obey him, but prostrate and draw near.
Main themes
The first command: read
Revelation begins with reading, creation and the pen. The opening verses link knowledge directly to Allah, the Most Generous, who taught people what they did not know.
Verses 1–5The danger of feeling self-sufficient
Verses 6 and 7 identify a root of arrogance: believing you need no one. Verse 8 answers it simply, that everyone returns to their Lord.
Verses 6–8Standing firm in prayer
The surah describes a man who tries to stop someone from praying, and closes by telling the believer to keep prostrating and draw near to Allah.
Verses 9–19
Verses to know
ٱقۡرَأۡ بِٱسۡمِ رَبِّكَ ٱلَّذِي خَلَقَ ﴿١﴾ خَلَقَ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنَ مِنۡ عَلَقٍ ﴿٢﴾ ٱقۡرَأۡ وَرَبُّكَ ٱلۡأَكۡرَمُ ﴿٣﴾ ٱلَّذِي عَلَّمَ بِٱلۡقَلَمِ ﴿٤﴾ عَلَّمَ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنَ مَا لَمۡ يَعۡلَمۡ ﴿٥﴾
1Read: In the name of your Lord who created. 2Created man from a clot. 3Read: And your Lord is the Most Generous. 4He who taught by the pen. 5Taught man what he never knew.
The first verses of the Quran ever revealed, in the cave of Hira, according to Aisha's account in Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim. They begin with reading, creation and the pen.
أَلَمۡ يَعۡلَم بِأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَرَىٰ ﴿١٤﴾
Does he not know that Allah sees?
A brief question to the oppressor: does he not know that Allah sees. It works as both warning and comfort.
كَلَّا لَا تُطِعۡهُ وَٱسۡجُدۡۤ وَٱقۡتَرِب۩ ﴿١٩﴾
No, do not obey him; but kneel down, and come near.
The surah's final verse is a verse of prostration and tells the believer to come near through it. A hadith in Sahih Muslim says a servant is nearest to his Lord while in prostration.
When Surah Al-'Alaq is recited
Verse 19 is a verse of prostration (sajdah). Sahih Muslim reports that Abu Hurayrah prostrated with the Prophet ﷺ at this point in the surah, as well as in Al-Inshiqaq (84).
Surah Al-'Alaq in Arabic and English
All 19 verses, with the Arabic, a transliteration to help you read it aloud, and the English translation by Talal Itani.
بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
- 1
ٱقۡرَأۡ بِٱسۡمِ رَبِّكَ ٱلَّذِي خَلَقَ
Iqra biismi rabbika allathee khalaqa
Read: In the name of your Lord who created.
- 2
خَلَقَ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنَ مِنۡ عَلَقٍ
Khalaqa alinsana min AAalaqin
Created man from a clot.
- 3
ٱقۡرَأۡ وَرَبُّكَ ٱلۡأَكۡرَمُ
Iqra warabbuka alakramu
Read: And your Lord is the Most Generous.
- 4
ٱلَّذِي عَلَّمَ بِٱلۡقَلَمِ
Allathee AAallama bialqalami
He who taught by the pen.
- 5
عَلَّمَ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنَ مَا لَمۡ يَعۡلَمۡ
AAallama alinsana ma lam yaAAlam
Taught man what he never knew.
- 6
كَلَّآ إِنَّ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنَ لَيَطۡغَىٰٓ
Kalla inna alinsana layatgha
In fact, man oversteps all bounds.
- 7
أَن رَّءَاهُ ٱسۡتَغۡنَىٰٓ
An raahu istaghna
When he considers himself exempt.
- 8
إِنَّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ ٱلرُّجۡعَىٰٓ
Inna ila rabbika alrrujAAa
But to your Lord is the return.
- 9
أَرَءَيۡتَ ٱلَّذِي يَنۡهَىٰ
Araayta allathee yanha
Have you seen him who prevents?
- 10
عَبۡدًا إِذَا صَلَّىٰٓ
AAabdan itha salla
A servant when he prays?
- 11
أَرَءَيۡتَ إِن كَانَ عَلَى ٱلۡهُدَىٰٓ
Araayta in kana AAala alhuda
Do you think he is upon guidance?
- 12
أَوۡ أَمَرَ بِٱلتَّقۡوَىٰٓ
Aw amara bialttaqwa
Or advocates righteousness?
- 13
أَرَءَيۡتَ إِن كَذَّبَ وَتَوَلَّىٰٓ
Araayta in kaththaba watawalla
Do you see how he disbelieved and turned away?
- 14
أَلَمۡ يَعۡلَم بِأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَرَىٰ
Alam yaAAlam bianna Allaha yara
Does he not know that Allah sees?
- 15
كَلَّا لَئِن لَّمۡ يَنتَهِ لَنَسۡفَعَۢا بِٱلنَّاصِيَةِ
Kalla lain lam yantahi lanasfaAAan bialnnasiyati
No. If he does not desist, We will drag him by the forelock.
- 16
نَاصِيَةٖ كَٰذِبَةٍ خَاطِئَةٖ
Nasiyatin kathibatin khatiatin
A deceitful, sinful forelock.
- 17
فَلۡيَدۡعُ نَادِيَهُۥ
FalyadAAu nadiyahu
Let him call on his gang.
- 18
سَنَدۡعُ ٱلزَّبَانِيَةَ
SanadAAu alzzabaniyata
We will call the Guards.
- 19
كَلَّا لَا تُطِعۡهُ وَٱسۡجُدۡۤ وَٱقۡتَرِب۩
Kalla la tutiAAhu waosjud waiqtarib
No, do not obey him; but kneel down, and come near.
Surah Al-'Alaq PDF
The whole surah on printable pages: Arabic, transliteration and English side by side. Free to download, print and share.
Questions about Surah Al-'Alaq
What was the first surah revealed in the Quran?
The first five verses of Surah Al-'Alaq (96:1-5) are widely accepted as the first revelation, given to the Prophet ﷺ in the cave of Hira. The rest of the surah was revealed later.
How many verses are in Surah Al-'Alaq?
Surah Al-'Alaq has 19 verses. It is the 96th surah and a Meccan surah.
Is there a sajdah in Surah Al-'Alaq?
Yes. The last verse, 96:19, is a verse of prostration.
Who is the man who prevents prayer in Surah Al-'Alaq?
Commentators identify him as Abu Jahl, a leader of Quraysh who threatened the Prophet ﷺ for praying at the Kaaba. Sahih Muslim records a report about this.