Al-‘Alaq

اقْرَأْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ ١

(O Beloved!) Read (commencing) with the Name of Allah, Who has created (everything).

خَلَقَ الْإِنسَانَ مِنْ عَلَقٍ ٢

He created man from a hanging mass (clinging) like a leech (to the mother’s womb).

اقْرَأْ وَرَبُّكَ الْأَكْرَمُ ٣

Read, and your Lord is Most Generous,

الَّذِي عَلَّمَ بِالْقَلَمِ ٤

Who taught man (reading and writing) by the pen,

عَلَّمَ الْإِنسَانَ مَا لَمْ يَعْلَمْ ٥

Who (besides that) taught man (all that) which he did not know. Or Who imparted to (the most eminent of) mankind (the chosen Prophet Muhammad [blessings and peace be upon him] without using any pen) the whole knowledge that he was not aware of before.

كَلَّا إِنَّ الْإِنسَانَ لَيَطْغَىٰ ٦

(But) the fact is that (the disobedient) man rebels,

أَن رَّآهُ اسْتَغْنَىٰ ٧

For the reason that (apparently) he finds himself self-sufficient (in the world).

إِنَّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ الرُّجْعَىٰ ٨

Surely, (every man) has to return to your Lord.

أَرَأَيْتَ الَّذِي يَنْهَىٰ ٩

Have you seen him who prevents,

عَبْدًا إِذَا صَلَّىٰ ١٠

The servant (of Allah) when he prays? Or The (beloved and the exalted) servant of Allah (Muhammad [blessings and peace be upon him]) when he offers Prayers.

أَرَأَيْتَ إِن كَانَ عَلَى الْهُدَىٰ ١١

Well, imagine! If he had been rightly guided;

أَوْ أَمَرَ بِالتَّقْوَىٰ ١٢

Or if he had commanded (the people) to be pious (how beneficial it would have been)!

أَرَأَيْتَ إِن كَذَّبَ وَتَوَلَّىٰ ١٣

But see now when he has rejected (the true Din [Religion]) and has turned away (from you, what torment is he going to face?)

أَلَمْ يَعْلَم بِأَنَّ اللَّهَ يَرَىٰ ١٤

Does he not know that Allah monitors (minutely all his conduct)?

كَلَّا لَئِن لَّمْ يَنتَهِ لَنَسْفَعًا بِالنَّاصِيَةِ ١٥

Beware! If he does not desist (from the denigration of the Holy Prophet [blessings and peace be upon him] and antagonism against the true Din [Religion]), We shall certainly grab his forehead and drag him by the forelock,

نَاصِيَةٍ كَاذِبَةٍ خَاطِئَةٍ ١٦

His lying (and) sinful forehead!

فَلْيَدْعُ نَادِيَهُ ١٧

Then let him call his companions (for help).

سَنَدْعُ الزَّبَانِيَةَ ١٨

We too shall soon call (Our) guards (the angels appointed to inflict the punishment of Hell).

كَلَّا لَا تُطِعْهُ وَاسْجُدْ وَاقْتَرِب ۩ ١٩

No indeed! Do not pay any heed to his doings and, (O Esteemed Beloved,) persist in prostration and keep drawing near (to Us more and more).