Al-Alaq

ٱقْرَأْ بِٱسْمِ رَبِّكَ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ

Read in the name of your Lord Who created,

خَلَقَ ٱلْإِنسَٰنَ مِنْ عَلَقٍ

created man from a clinging clot.

ٱقْرَأْ وَرَبُّكَ ٱلْأَكْرَمُ

Read, and your Lord is the Most Generous,

ٱلَّذِى عَلَّمَ بِٱلْقَلَمِ

Who taught by the pen,

عَلَّمَ ٱلْإِنسَٰنَ مَا لَمْ يَعْلَمْ

taught man what he did not know¹.

كَلَّآ إِنَّ ٱلْإِنسَٰنَ لَيَطْغَىٰٓ

Indeed, man transgresses

أَن رَّءَاهُ ٱسْتَغْنَىٰٓ

when he deems himself to be self-sufficient.

إِنَّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ ٱلرُّجْعَىٰٓ

Indeed, to your Lord is the return.

أَرَءَيْتَ ٱلَّذِى يَنْهَىٰ

Have you seen the one who prevents²

عَبْدًا إِذَا صَلَّىٰٓ

a slave [of Allah] from praying³?

أَرَءَيْتَ إِن كَانَ عَلَى ٱلْهُدَىٰٓ

What if this [slave] is rightly guided,

أَوْ أَمَرَ بِٱلتَّقْوَىٰٓ

and enjoins righteousness?

أَرَءَيْتَ إِن كَذَّبَ وَتَوَلَّىٰٓ

How about the one who denies and turns away⁴?

أَلَمْ يَعْلَم بِأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَرَىٰ

Does he not know that Allah is watching all?

كَلَّا لَئِن لَّمْ يَنتَهِ لَنَسْفَعًۢا بِٱلنَّاصِيَةِ

No indeed; if he does not desist, We will surely drag him by the forelock⁵

نَاصِيَةٍ كَٰذِبَةٍ خَاطِئَةٍ

a lying, sinful forelock⁶.

فَلْيَدْعُ نَادِيَهُۥ

So let him call his associates;

سَنَدْعُ ٱلزَّبَانِيَةَ

We will call the wardens of Hellfire⁷.