العلق
Al-Alaq
The Clot • makkah • 19 Verses
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ٱقْرَأْ بِٱسْمِ رَبِّكَ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ
23:15; 40:68; 75:39.
Important Words:
اقرأ (proclaim) is derived from قرء which means, he collected together the thing; put it together part to part. قرأت القرآنmeans, I recited or read the Quran uninterruptedly or recited it chanting (syn. أنشد). قرء علیه القرآن means, he read or recited to him the Quran. قرأعلیهالسلام means, he conveyed or delivered to him the salutation. Thus اقرأ means, read, recite, convey, proclaim or collect (Lane & Aqrab).
Commentary:
The very first word of the verse shows that the Quran was meant to be read and proclaimed, to be collected and put together and conveyed to the whole world. Moreover, the verse embodies a prophecy that the Quran will be written and repeatedly read and recited. It is an undeniable fact of history that as soon as a portion of the Quran was revealed it was committed to writing and that among all religious Scriptures the Quran is the most widely read. The mention in the verse of the Divine attribute رب (the Lord) Who cherishes and sustains man through all the different stages of his development signifies that the spiritual development of man was to be gradual and in stages till it was to find its full consummation in the Holy Prophet.
The word Iqra’ meaning read, recite, convey, proclaim or collect, the verse signifies that the Qur’an was meant to be read and proclaimed, to be collected and put together and then conveyed to the whole world. The mention of the Divine attribute Rabb, (Nourisher, Sustainer and Developer, Who sustains man through all the stages of his development), shows that man’s moral development was to be gradual till it was to find full consummation in the Holy Prophet.
خَلَقَ ٱلْإِنسَٰنَ مِنْ عَلَقٍ
Important Words:
علق (clot of blood) is inf. noun from علق (‘aliqa). They say علق به i.e. it hung to it, clung, clave or stuck fast to it; it concerned him or it. علقھا او علق بھا means, he loved her. علق means, a clot of blood; love (Lane & Aqrab). خلق من علق is an Arabic phrase meaning, love forms a part of his nature; it is ingrained in his nature. See also 21:38 & 30:55.
Commentary:
The verse signifies that love of God is ingrained in the nature of man, and that it was natural that there should have been someone in whom this instinctive impulse should find its completest manifestation. This was the Holy Prophet who loved his Creator with all his mind, heart and soul. The verse also signifies that as man’s physical development is gradual, so is his spiritual development, and this gradual development culminated in the Holy Prophet.
23:15; 40:68; 75:39.
The verse signifies that love of God is ingrained in the nature of man, and that it was natural that there should have been someone in whom this instinctive impulse should have found its complete manifestation. He was the Holy Prophet who loved his Creator with all his mind, heart and soul, Insan in the verse besides the meaning given in the text signifies the perfect man—the Holy Prophet.
ٱقْرَأْ وَرَبُّكَ ٱلْأَكْرَمُ
Commentary:
The verse purports to say that the more the Quran is read and proclaimed to the world, the more the Holiness of God and the dignity of man will be recognised and appreciated. The verse may also imply a prophecy that through the reading, preaching and proclaiming of the Quran a place of great honour will accrue to the Holy Prophet and his followers.
The more the Qur’an is read and proclaimed to the world, the more the holiness of God and the dignity of man are recognised and appreciated.
ٱلَّذِى عَلَّمَ بِٱلْقَلَمِ
Commentary:
This verse also embodies a prophecy that the "pen" would play a great part in committing the Quran to writing and in preserving and protecting it from being lost or interfered with. It further refers to the great contribution that "the pen" was to make towards the propagation and dissemination of spiritual sciences and the divine secrets revealed by the Quran and of the physical sciences to which the study of the Quran imparted a great stimulus. It is really very significant that frequent mention should have been made of "pen" in a Book which was revealed among a people who had no respect for, and made rare use of it, and which was revealed to a person who himself did not know how to read and write.
This verse seems to embody a prophecy that "pen" would play a very important part in committing the Qur’an to writing and in preserving and protecting it from being lost or interfered with. It further refers to the great contribution which "pen" was to make towards the propagation and dissemination of the spiritual sciences and Divine secrets revealed by the Qur’an and of the physical sciences to which the study of the Qur’an was to impart a great stimulus. It is really very significant that frequent mention should have been made of "pen" in a Book which was revealed among a people who had no respect for, and had made rare use of, it and which was revealed to a person who himself did not know how to read and write.
عَلَّمَ ٱلْإِنسَٰنَ مَا لَمْ يَعْلَمْ
4:114; 55:5.
كَلَّآ إِنَّ ٱلْإِنسَٰنَ لَيَطْغَىٰٓ
37:31.
Commentary:
The particle کلا is sometimes used to impart emphasis and is expressive of certainty. Or it is used in the sense of 'nay' or 'never'. The verse means that though man has been endowed with great natural powers and has been created in the best make, he errs grievously if he thinks that he can ignore God’s help and guidance. He constantly stands in need of Divine assistance because his capacities and capabilities are at best limited.
أَن رَّءَاهُ ٱسْتَغْنَىٰٓ
عَبْدًا إِذَا صَلَّىٰٓ
Commentary:
The verse is of general application. But it may in particular refer to the Holy Prophet.
The reference is to every Muslim, who prays, particularly to the Holy Prophet.
أَرَءَيْتَ إِن كَانَ عَلَى ٱلْهُدَىٰٓ
أَوْ أَمَرَ بِٱلتَّقْوَىٰٓ
أَرَءَيْتَ إِن كَذَّبَ وَتَوَلَّىٰٓ
Commentary:
کذب (rejects) relates to beliefs and تولی (turns his back) to actions and deeds, meaning that his beliefs are wrong and his deeds bad.
أَلَمْ يَعْلَم بِأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَرَىٰ
90:8.
كَلَّا لَئِن لَّمْ يَنتَهِ لَنَسْفَعًۢا بِٱلنَّاصِيَةِ
Important Words:
نسفعا (we shall seize him and drag him). سفعه means, he made a mark upon it with hot iron; he struck or slapped his face. سفع بناصیته means, he seized his forelock and dragged him (Lane & Aqrab).
Commentary:
The verses (10-18) though generally applying to every haughty and hardened disbeliever, have been taken by some commentators to refer particularly to Abu Jahl, leader of the Quraish of Mecca. He was in the forefront in annoying, opposing and persecuting the Holy Prophet and the Muslims. Some of the slaves who had embraced Islam were dragged at his instance by the forelock in the streets of Mecca. After the defeat at Badr, the dead bodies of some of the leaders of the Quraish, Abu Jahl among them, were dragged by their forelocks and thrown into a pit dug for that purpose. That was a fit punishment for the treatment they had meted out to the helpless Muslims years before at Mecca.
The verses (10-18) though generally applying to every haughty and hardened disbeliever, have been taken by some Commentators to refer particularly to Abu Jahl, leader of the Quraish of Mecca. He was in the forefront to annoy, oppose and persecute the Holy Prophet and the Muslims. Some of the slaves, who had embraced Islam, at his instance were dragged by the forelock in the streets of Mecca. After the defeat at Badr, the dead bodies of some of the leaders of the Quraish, Abu Jahl among them, were dragged by their forelocks and thrown into a pit dug for that purpose. That was a fit punishment for the treatment they had meted out to the helpless Muslims years before at Mecca.
نَاصِيَةٍ كَٰذِبَةٍ خَاطِئَةٍ
فَلْيَدْعُ نَادِيَهُۥ
Important Words:
نادی (associates) is derived from ندا. They say ندا القوم the people gathered and came to the meeting. ندی or النادی means, an assembly (Aqrab).
سَنَدْعُ ٱلزَّبَانِيَةَ
Important Words:
زبانیه (angels of punishment) is the plural of زبنیة which is derived from زبن . They say زبنه he pushed or thrust it, or thrust it away. زبنت الناقة means, the she-camel pushed away the milker on the occasion of being milked. زبانیة means, armed attendants or officers or soldiers or the prefect of police (syn. شرطة); angels or guards of hell because they push the sinners into it; angels of punishment (Lane & Aqrab).
Zabaniyah means, armed officers or the prefect of police; angels or guards of Hell; angels of punishment (Lane).