Al-Alaq

Read! In the name of your Lord who created:

اقْرَأْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ

iq'ra bi-is'mi rabbika alladhī khalaqa

He created man from a clinging form.

خَلَقَ الْإِنْسَانَ مِنْ عَلَقٍ

khalaqa l-insāna min ʿalaqin

Read! Your Lord is the Most Bountiful One

اقْرَأْ وَرَبُّكَ الْأَكْرَمُ

iq'ra warabbuka l-akramu

who taught by [means of] the pen,

الَّذِي عَلَّمَ بِالْقَلَمِ

alladhī ʿallama bil-qalami

who taught man what he did not know.

عَلَّمَ الْإِنْسَانَ مَا لَمْ يَعْلَمْ

ʿallama l-insāna mā lam yaʿlam

But man exceeds all bounds

كَلَّا إِنَّ الْإِنْسَانَ لَيَطْغَىٰ

kallā inna l-insāna layaṭghā

when he thinks he is self-sufficient:

أَنْ رَآهُ اسْتَغْنَىٰ

an raāhu is'taghnā

[Prophet], all will return to your Lord.

إِنَّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ الرُّجْعَىٰ

inna ilā rabbika l-ruj'ʿā

Have you seen the man who forbids

أَرَأَيْتَ الَّذِي يَنْهَىٰ

ara-ayta alladhī yanhā

[Our] servant to pray?

عَبْدًا إِذَا صَلَّىٰ

ʿabdan idhā ṣallā

Have you seen whether he is rightly guided,

أَرَأَيْتَ إِنْ كَانَ عَلَى الْهُدَىٰ

ara-ayta in kāna ʿalā l-hudā

or encourages true piety?

أَوْ أَمَرَ بِالتَّقْوَىٰ

aw amara bil-taqwā

Have you seen whether he denies the truth and turns away from it?

أَرَأَيْتَ إِنْ كَذَّبَ وَتَوَلَّىٰ

ara-ayta in kadhaba watawallā

Does he not realize that God sees all?

أَلَمْ يَعْلَمْ بِأَنَّ اللَّهَ يَرَىٰ

alam yaʿlam bi-anna l-laha yarā

No! If he does not stop, We shall drag him by his forehead––

كَلَّا لَئِنْ لَمْ يَنْتَهِ لَنَسْفَعًا بِالنَّاصِيَةِ

kallā la-in lam yantahi lanasfaʿan bil-nāṣiyati

his lying, sinful forehead.

نَاصِيَةٍ كَاذِبَةٍ خَاطِئَةٍ

nāṣiyatin kādhibatin khāṭi-atin

Let him summon his comrades;

فَلْيَدْعُ نَادِيَهُ

falyadʿu nādiyahu

We shall summon the guards of Hell.

سَنَدْعُ الزَّبَانِيَةَ

sanadʿu l-zabāniyata

No! Do not obey him [Prophet]: bow down in worship and draw close.

كَلَّا لَا تُطِعْهُ وَاسْجُدْ وَاقْتَرِبْ

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