Al-`Alaq
The Clot
﷽
العلق
ٱقْرَأْ Read iq'ra in (the) name bi-is'mi (of) your Lord rabbika the One Who alladhī created khalaqa
Recite in the name of your Lord who created
خَلَقَ He created khalaqa man l-insāna from min a clinging substance ʿalaqin
Created man from a clinging substance.
ٱقْرَأْ Read iq'ra and your Lord warabbuka (is) the Most Generous l-akramu
Recite, and your Lord is the most Generous -
ٱلَّذِى The One Who alladhī taught ʿallama by the pen bil-qalami
Who taught by the pen
عَلَّمَ Taught ʿallama man l-insāna what mā not lam he knew yaʿlam
Taught man that which he knew not.
كَلَّآ Nay kallā Indeed inna man l-insāna surely transgresses layaṭghā
No! [But] indeed, man transgresses
أَن That an he sees himself raāhu self-sufficient is'taghnā
Because he sees himself self-sufficient.
إِنَّ Indeed inna to ilā your Lord rabbika (is) the return l-ruj'ʿā
Indeed, to your Lord is the return.
أَرَءَيْتَ Have you seen ara-ayta the one who alladhī forbids yanhā
Have you seen the one who forbids
أَرَءَيْتَ Have you seen ara-ayta if in he is kāna upon ʿalā [the] guidance l-hudā
Have you seen if he is upon guidance
أَوْ Or aw he enjoins amara [of the] righteousness bil-taqwā
Or enjoins righteousness?
أَرَءَيْتَ Have you seen ara-ayta if in he denies kadhaba and turns away watawallā
Have you seen if he denies and turns away -
أَلَمْ Does not alam he know yaʿlam that bi-anna Allah l-laha sees yarā
Does he not know that Allāh sees?
كَلَّا Nay kallā If la-in not lam he desists yantahi surely We will drag him lanasfaʿan by the forelock bil-nāṣiyati
No! If he does not desist, We will surely drag him by the forelock1
نَاصِيَةٍۢ A forelock nāṣiyatin lying kādhibatin sinful khāṭi-atin
A lying, sinning forelock.
فَلْيَدْعُ Then let him call falyadʿu his associates nādiyahu
Then let him call his associates;
سَنَدْعُ We will call sanadʿu the Angels of Hell l-zabāniyata
We will call the angels of Hell.1
كَلَّا Nay kallā (Do) not lā obey him tuṭiʿ'hu But prostrate wa-us'jud and draw near (to Allah) wa-iq'tarib
No! Do not obey him. But prostrate and draw near [to Allāh].