Chapter 96
Chapter 96 of the holy Quran with full Arabic text and English translation (Surah Al-Alaq – سُوْرَةُ العَلَقِ – The clot)
In the name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Eternally Merciful
بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَانِ الرَّحِيْمِ
| Part 30 / Chapter 96 | Chapter 96 / عَمَّ يَتَسَآءَلُوْنَ | |
| Read! In the Name of your Nurturer Who has created | 1 | اِقْرَأْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ |
| He created man from a clot | 2 | خَلَقَ الإِنْسَانَ مِنْ عَلَقٍ |
| Read and your Lord is the Most Generous | 3 | اقْرَأْ وَرَبُّكَ الأَكْرَمُ |
| Who has taught by the pen | 4 | الَّذِي عَلَّمَ بِالْقَلَمِ |
| He taught man what he did not know | 5 | عَلَّمَ الإِنْسَانَ مَا لَمْ يَعْلَمْ |
| Nay! Truly man incessantly transgresses | 6 | كَلَّا إِنَّ الإِنْسَانَ لَيَطْغَى |
| as he considers himself self-sufficient | 7 | أَنْ رَّءَاهُ اسْتَغْنَى |
| Surely to your Lord is the return | 8 | إِنَّ إِلَى رّبِّكَ الرُّجْعَى |
| Have you seen him who prevents? | 9 | أَرَءَيْتَ الَّذِي يَنْهَى |
| a slave when he prays | 10 | عَبْدًا إِذَا صَلَّى |
| Do you consider that he is on the guidance? | 11 | أَرَءَيْتَ إِنْ كَانَ عَلَى الهُدَى |
| or that he enjoins piety? | 12 | أَوْ أَمَرَ بِالتَّقْوَى |
| Do you consider that he denies and turns away? | 13 | أَرَءَيْتَ إِنْ كَذَّبَ وَتَوَلَّى |
| Does he not know that Allah (SWT) sees | 14 | أَلَمْ يَعْلَمْ بِأَنَّ اللهَ يَرَى |
| Nay! if he ceases not, We will surely catch him by the forelock | 15 | كَلَّا لَئِنْ لَّمْ يَنْتَهِ لَنَسْفَعًا بِالنَّاصِيَةِ |
| A lying, sinful forelock | 16 | نَاصِيَةٍ كَاذِبَةٍ خَاطِئَةٍ |
| Then let him call upon his council | 17 | فَلْيَدْعُ نَادِيَهُ |
| We will call out the guards of Hell | 18 | سَنَدْعُ الزَّبَانِيَةَ |
| Nay! do not obey him. Fall prostrate and draw near to Allah (SWT) | 19 | كَلَّا لَا تُطِعْهُ وَاسْجُدْ وَاقْتَرِبْ |
Chapter 96, Ayat 1-5
“The first that Allah (SWT’s) Messenger, Allah (SWT) bless him and give him peace, was initiated with of revelation was true vision in sleep,
such that he did not see anything in dream vision except that it took place like the break of dawn. Then, retreat was made beloved to him.
He used to go to Hira’ for meditation for several nights on end, taking his provision with him during this time.
When his provision would finish, he returned to Khadijah to get more provision, again for another retreat of a few more nights.
This continued until the truth suddenly came to him while in the cave of Hira’.4
The angel said to him: ‘Read!’
and Allah (SWT’s) Messenger, Allah (SWT) bless him and give him peace, said: ‘I said to him: I cannot read’.
He said: ‘He seized me and then pressed me so hard that I felt exhausted and then he released me,
saying: ‘Read!’ I said: ‘I cannot read’.
He seized me again and pressed me so hard that I felt exhausted and then he released me,
saying: ‘Read!’ I said, ‘I cannot read’.
He seized me a third time and pressed me so hard that I felt exhausted and then he released me,
saying: (Read: In the name of thy Lord who created) until he reached (… that which he knew not) [96:1-5]’.
He went back home, his limbs trembling, and when he entered in on Khadijah, may Allah (SWT) be well pleased with her, he said: ‘Cover me!’
They covered him and when his alarm left him, he said: ‘O Khadijah! What is wrong with me?’
After informing her of what had happened, he said: ‘I was afraid for myself’. She said to him: ‘Nay, this is a herald of good tidings for you.
By Allah (SWT), Allah (SWT) shall never disgrace you; you keep the ties of kinship, say the truth, support the orphan, host the guests and help to alleviate the misfortunes of time’.
“Narrated by Bukhari from Yahya ibn Bukayr, and by Muslim from Muhammad ibn Rafi‘, and both these two narrators narrated it from ‘Abd al-Razzaq.