Surah 96
The Clinging Form
Al-ʿAlaq 🧬
Containing the famous historical first five verses revealed to the Prophet in the cave of Hira, this chapter commands humanity to read and learn, while warning a proud tyrant who tried to stop people from praying. The title comes from verse 2, which notes that God created humans from a clinging form (an embryo).
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
1Read! In the name of your Lord who created:
2He created man from a clinging form.
3Read! Your Lord is the Most Bountiful One
4Who taught by [means of] the pen,
5Who taught man what he did not know.
6But man exceeds all bounds
7When he thinks he is self-sufficient:
8[Prophet], all will return to your Lord.
9Have you seen the man who forbids
10[Our] servant to pray?
11Have you seen whether he is rightly guided,
12Or encourages true piety?
13Have you seen whether he denies the truth and turns away from it?
14Does he not realize that God sees all?
15No! If he does not stop, We shall drag him by his forehead —
16His lying, sinful forehead.
17Let him summon his comrades —
18We shall summon the guards of Hell.
19No! Do not obey him [Prophet]: bow down in worship and draw close.