Al-Alaq

ٱقۡرَأۡiq'raReadبِٱسۡمِbi-is'miin (the) nameرَبِّكَrabbika(of) your Lordٱلَّذِيalladhīthe One Whoخَلَقَkhalaqacreated

iq'ra bi-is'mi rabbika alladhī khalaqa

Read, ˹O Prophet,˺ in the Name of your Lord Who created—

خَلَقَkhalaqaHe createdٱلۡإِنسَٰنَl-insānamanمِنۡminfromعَلَقٍʿalaqina clinging substance

khalaqa l-insāna min ʿalaqin

created humans from a clinging clot.

ٱقۡرَأۡiq'raReadوَرَبُّكَwarabbukaand your Lordٱلۡأَكۡرَمُl-akramu(is) the Most Generous

iq'ra warabbuka l-akramu

Read! And your Lord is the Most Generous,

ٱلَّذِيalladhīThe One Whoعَلَّمَʿallamataughtبِٱلۡقَلَمِbil-qalamiby the pen

alladhī ʿallama bil-qalami

Who taught by the pen—

عَلَّمَʿallamaTaughtٱلۡإِنسَٰنَl-insānamanمَاmāwhatلَمۡlamnotيَعۡلَمۡyaʿlamhe knew

ʿallama l-insāna mā lam yaʿlam

taught humanity what they knew not.

كـَلَّآkallāNayإِنَّinnaIndeedٱلۡإِنسَٰنَl-insānamanلَيَطۡغَىٰٓlayaṭghāsurely transgresses

kallā inna l-insāna layaṭghā

Most certainly, one exceeds all bounds

أَنanThatرَّءَاهُraāhuhe sees himselfٱسۡتَغۡنَىٰٓis'taghnāself-sufficient

an raāhu is'taghnā

once they think they are self-sufficient.

إِنَّinnaIndeedإِلَىٰilātoرَبِّكَrabbikayour Lordٱلرُّجۡعَىٰٓl-ruj'ʿā(is) the return

inna ilā rabbika l-ruj'ʿā

˹But˺ surely to your Lord is the return ˹of all˺.

أَرَءَيۡتَara-aytaHave you seenٱلَّذِيalladhīthe one whoيَنۡهَىٰyanhāforbids

ara-ayta alladhī yanhā

Have you seen the man who prevents

عَبۡدًاʿabdanA slaveإِذَاidhāwhenصَلَّىٰٓṣallāhe prays

ʿabdan idhā ṣallā

a servant ˹of Ours˺ from praying?

أَرَءَيۡتَara-aytaHave you seenإِنinifكَانَkānahe isعَلَىʿalāuponٱلۡهُدَىٰٓl-hudā[the] guidance

ara-ayta in kāna ʿalā l-hudā

What if this ˹servant˺ is ˹rightly˺ guided,

أَوۡawOrأَمَرَamarahe enjoinsبِٱلتَّقۡوَىٰٓbil-taqwā[of the] righteousness

aw amara bil-taqwā

or encourages righteousness?

أَرَءَيۡتَara-aytaHave you seenإِنinifكَذَّبَkadhabahe deniesوَتَوَلَّىٰٓwatawallāand turns away

ara-ayta in kadhaba watawallā

What if that ˹man˺ persists in denial and turns away?

أَلَمۡalamDoes notيَعۡلَمyaʿlamhe knowبِأَنَّbi-annathatٱللَّهَl-lahaAllahيَرَىٰyarāsees

alam yaʿlam bi-anna l-laha yarā

Does he not know that Allah sees ˹all˺?

كـَلَّاkallāNayلَئِنla-inIfلَّمۡlamnotيَنتَهِyantahihe desistsلَنَسۡفَعَۢاlanasfaʿansurely We will drag himبِٱلنَّاصِيَةِbil-nāṣiyatiby the forelock

kallā la-in lam yantahi lanasfaʿan bil-nāṣiyati

But no! If he does not desist, We will certainly drag him by the forelock—

نَاصِيَةٖnāṣiyatinA forelockكَٰذِبَةٍkādhibatinlyingخَاطِئَةٖkhāṭi-atinsinful

nāṣiyatin kādhibatin khāṭi-atin

a lying, sinful forelock.

فَلۡيَدۡعُfalyadʿuThen let him callنَادِيَهُۥnādiyahuhis associates

falyadʿu nādiyahu

So let him call his associates.

سَنَدۡعُsanadʿuWe will callٱلزَّبَانِيَةَl-zabāniyatathe Angels of Hell

sanadʿu l-zabāniyata

We will call the wardens of Hell.

كـَلَّاkallāNayلَاlā(Do) notتُطِعۡهُtuṭiʿ'huobey himوَٱسۡجُدۡۤwa-us'judBut prostrateوَٱقۡتَرِب۩wa-iq'tariband draw near (to Allah)

kallā lā tuṭiʿ'hu wa-us'jud wa-iq'tarib

Again, no! Never obey him ˹O Prophet˺! Rather, ˹continue to˺ prostrate and draw near ˹to Allah˺.