96:1
ٱقۡرَأۡ بِٱسۡمِ رَبِّكَ ٱلَّذِي خَلَقَ ١
Read in the name of your Lord Who created,
سورة العلقSurah Al-'Alaq · The Clot
Meccan19 ayahsPage 597Juz 30
Sheikh Mohamed Siddiq al-Minshawi · murattal
of 19
بِسۡمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
96:2
خَلَقَ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنَ مِنۡ عَلَقٍ ٢
created man from a clinging clot.
96:3
ٱقۡرَأۡ وَرَبُّكَ ٱلۡأَكۡرَمُ ٣
Read, and your Lord is the Most Generous,
96:4
ٱلَّذِي عَلَّمَ بِٱلۡقَلَمِ ٤
Who taught by the pen,
96:5
عَلَّمَ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنَ مَا لَمۡ يَعۡلَمۡ ٥
taught man what he did not know[1].
Tafsir Notes
[1] These five verses (1-5) are the first ever verses revealed of the Qur’an. The Prophet (ﷺ) was retreating at a cave in the outskirts of Makkah when the angel Gabriel appeared before him, and ordered him to read. Since the Prophet (ﷺ) was unlettered, he would respond, “I cannot read.” Gabriel would then squeeze him tightly and order him again to read. Ultimately, Gabriel said to him: “Read in the name of your Lord …”.
96:6
كَلَّآ إِنَّ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنَ لَيَطۡغَىٰٓ ٦
Indeed, man transgresses
96:7
أَن رَّءَاهُ ٱسۡتَغۡنَىٰٓ ٧
when he deems himself to be self-sufficient.
96:8
إِنَّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ ٱلرُّجۡعَىٰٓ ٨
Indeed, to your Lord is the return.
96:9
أَرَءَيۡتَ ٱلَّذِي يَنۡهَىٰ ٩
Have you seen the one who prevents[2]
Tafsir Notes
[2] i.e., Abu Jahl was a pagan leader of the Makkah who was an arch-enemy of Islam.
96:10
عَبۡدًا إِذَا صَلَّىٰٓ ١٠
a slave [of Allah] from praying[3]?
Tafsir Notes
[3] Abu Jahl abused the Prophet (ﷺ) when he prayed in the Holy Mosque.
96:11
أَرَءَيۡتَ إِن كَانَ عَلَى ٱلۡهُدَىٰٓ ١١
What if this [slave] is rightly guided,
96:12
أَوۡ أَمَرَ بِٱلتَّقۡوَىٰٓ ١٢
and enjoins righteousness?
96:13
أَرَءَيۡتَ إِن كَذَّبَ وَتَوَلَّىٰٓ ١٣
How about the one who denies and turns away[4]?
Tafsir Notes
[4] From what the Prophet (ﷺ) has brought and does he not fear Allah?
96:14
أَلَمۡ يَعۡلَم بِأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَرَىٰ ١٤
Does he not know that Allah is watching all?
96:15
كَلَّا لَئِن لَّمۡ يَنتَهِ لَنَسۡفَعَۢا بِٱلنَّاصِيَةِ ١٥
No indeed; if he does not desist, We will surely drag him by the forelock[5]
Tafsir Notes
[5] To the Hellfire.
96:16
نَاصِيَةٖ كَٰذِبَةٍ خَاطِئَةٖ ١٦
a lying, sinful forelock[6].
Tafsir Notes
[6] It alludes to the frontal lobe of the brain, where reasoning is processed.
96:17
فَلۡيَدۡعُ نَادِيَهُۥ ١٧
So let him call his associates;
96:18
سَنَدۡعُ ٱلزَّبَانِيَةَ ١٨
We will call the wardens of Hellfire[7].
Tafsir Notes
[7] i.e., the coarse, rigorous, and harsh angels assigned for the Hellfire.
96:19۩ Place of prostration
كَلَّا لَا تُطِعۡهُ وَٱسۡجُدۡۤ وَٱقۡتَرِب۩ ١٩
No indeed; do not obey him, but prostrate and draw near [to Allah].
Sources
- Mushaf text: King Fahd Glorious Quran Printing Complex (Madinah), narration of Hafs from ʿAsim, in the Uthmani script.
- Rowwad Translation Center — version 1.0.19, QuranEnc.com
- Al-Mukhtasar in Interpreting the Noble Quran — QuranEnc.com, retrieved 2026-09-14
- Recitation: Sheikh Mohamed Siddiq al-Minshawi (murattal), via quran.com and everyayah.com.
Before publishing, every letter of the text was compared with a second, independent copy, and every translation and tafsir entry with its publisher's file.