Tafsir of Surah Al-'Alaq - Verse 1

Which was revealed in Makkah

This was the First of the Qur'an revealed

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

The Beginning of the Prophethood of Muhammad ﷺ and the First of the Qur'an revealed

Imam Ahmad recorded that `A'ishah said: The first thing that began happening with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ from the revelation was dreams that he would see in his sleep that would come true. He would not see any dream except that it would come true just like the (clearness of) the daybreak in the morning. Then seclusion became beloved to him. So, he used to go to the cave of Hira' and devote himself to worship there for a number of nights, and he would bring provisions for that. Then he would return to Khadijah and replenish his provisions for a similar number of nights. This continued until the revelation suddenly came to him while he was in the cave of Hira'. The angel came to him while he was in the cave and said, "Read!" The Messen- ger of Allah said,

«فَقُلْتُ: مَا أَنَا بِقَارِىء»

(I replied: "I am not one who reads.) Then he said, "So he (the angel) seized me and pressed me until I could no longer bear it. Then he released me and said: `Read!' So I replied: `I am not one who reads.' So, he pressed me a second time until I could no longer bear it. Then he released me and said:

اقْرَأْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ الَّذِى خَلَقَ

(Read in the Name of your Lord who has created.) until he reached the Ayah,

مَا لَمْ يَعْلَمْ

(That which he knew not. )" So he returned with them (those Ayat) and with his heart trembling until he came (home) to Khadijah, and he said,

«زَمِّلُونِي زَمِّلُونِي»

(Wrap me up, wrap me up!) So they wrapped him up until his fear went away. After that he told Khadijah everything that had happened (and said),

«قَدْ خَشِيتُ عَلَى نَفْسِي»

(I fear that something may happen to me.) Khadijah replied, "Never! By Allah, Allah will never disgrace you. You keep good relations with your relatives, you speak the truth, you help the poor and the destitute, you serve your guests generously, and you help the deserving, calamity afflicted people." Khadijah then accompanied him to her cousin Waraqah bin Nawfal bin Asad bin `Abdul-`Uzza bin Qusay, who, during the period of ignorance became a Christian and used to scribe the Scriptures in Arabic. He would write from the Injil in Hebrew as much as Allah willed for him to write. He was an old man and had lost his eyesight. Khadijah said to him, "O my cousin! Listen to the story of your nephew." Waraqah asked, "O my nephew! What have you seen" Allah's Messenger ﷺ described what he saw. Waraqah said, "This is An-Namus whom Allah had sent to Musa. I wish I was young and could live until the time when your people would drive you out." Allah's Messenger ﷺ asked,

«أَوَ مُخْرِجِيَّ هُمْ؟»

(Will they drive me out) Waraqah replied in the affirmative and said, "Anyone who came with something similar to what you have brought, was treated with hostility and enmity; and if I should remain alive till that day then I would firmly support you." But Waraqah did not remain. He died and the revelation paused until Allah's Messenger ﷺ became sad according to what we were told. Due to this grief he set out a number of times with the intent of throwing himself from the mountain tops. However, every time he would reach the peak of a mountain to throw himself from it, Jibril would appear to him and say, "O Muhammad! You are truly the Messenger of Allah ﷺ!" Therefore, his worry would be eased, his soul would be settled and he would return (down from the mountain). Then, when the revelation did not come again for a long time, he set out as he had done before. So when he reached the peak of the mountain, Jibril appeared to him again and said to him the same as he had said before." This Hadith has been recorded in the Two Sahihs by way of Az-Zuhri. We have already discussed this Hadith's chain of narration, its text and its meanings at length in the beginning of our explanation of Sahih Al-Bukhari. Therefore, whoever would like to read it, it is researched there, and all praise and blessings are due to Allah. So the first thing that was revealed of the Qur'an were these noble and blessed Ayat. They are the first mercy that Allah bestowed upon His servants and the first bounty that Allah favored them with.

The Honor and Nobility of Man is in His Knowledge

These Ayat inform of the beginning of man's creation from a dangling clot, and that out of Allah's generosity He taught man that which he did not know. Thus, Allah exalted him and honored him by giving him knowledge, and it is the dignity that the Father of Humanity, Adam, was distinguished with over the angels. Knowledge sometimes is in the mind, sometimes on the tongue, and sometimes in writing with the fingers. Thus, it may be intellectual, spoken and written. And while the last (written) necessitates the first two (intellectual and spoken), the reverse is not true. For this reason Allah says,

اقْرَأْ وَرَبُّكَ الاٌّكْرَمُ - الَّذِى عَلَّمَ بِالْقَلَمِ - عَلَّمَ الإِنسَـنَ مَا لَمْ يَعْلَمْ

(Read! And your Lord is the Most Generous. Who has taught by the pen. He has taught man that which he knew not.) There is a narration that states, "Record knowledge by writing." There is also a saying which states, "Whoever acts according to what he knows, Allah will make him inherit knowledge that he did not know."

Beginning of The Qur’ anic Revelation

It is universally agreed that the first five verses of Surah Al-` Alaq or Iqra' mark the very beginning of Qur’ anic revelation. [ Baghawi ]. Bukhari, Muslim, other authentic sources and overwhelming consensus of scholars, ancient and modern, all concur on this point. However, some scholars state that Surah Al-Muddaththir was the first Surah to be revealed, and yet others say that Surah Al-Fatihah [ The Opening ] was revealed first. It is possible to reconcile between these different views as follows: After the revelation of Surah Al-` Alaq or Iqra', there was a temporary break in the revelation during which the Holy Prophet used to be very sad, but after some time, the Angel Jibra'il (علیہ السلام) appeared to him once again, and he faced the same situation as he faced when the first verses of Surah Iqra' were revealed to him. On this occasion, the opening verses of Surah Al-Muddaththir were conveyed to him by the angel. From this point of view, it may be said that the first Surah to be revealed after the temporary break was Surah Al-Muddaththir. Some of the Companions held the view that Surah Al-Fatihah was the first Surah to be revealed. They probably meant to say that this was the first Surah to be revealed in a complete form. Undoubtedly, some verses (of Surahs Al-` Alaq or Iqra', Al-Muzzammil and Al-Muddaththir) were revealed earlier, but the rest of the verses of those Surahs were revealed at later dates. Al-Fatihah is the first Surah that was revealed to the Holy Prophet ﷺ in its entirety, all seven verses at once. [ Mazhari ]

The Holy Prophet's ﷺ First Experience of Revelation

In a lengthy narration, as recorded in the Sahihs of Bukhari and Muslim, the Mother of the Faithful, Sayyidah ` A'ishah ؓ says that revelation to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was started by true dreams. Whatever he saw in a dream would happen in reality as clearly as the light of dawn. Then solitude became dear to him, and he used to seclude himself for worship in the cave Ha', (a cave in the mount known today as 'Jabal-un-Nur, which is clearly visible in front of Jannat-ul-Ma` la, the famous graveyard of Makkah) and therein he devoted himself to Divine worship for several nights before he came back to his family and took provisions for his retirement; then he would return to the Mother of the Faithful, Sayyidah Khadijah ؓ and take more provisions for a similar period. (The period of his stay in the cave is mentioned differently by different reports, but the report of sahihain maintains that it was a month, the whole month of Ramadan. Authentic traditions are silent about the mode of worship he adopted during this period. Some scholars have opined that he used to worship according to the Shari` ah of Nuh, Ibrahim and ` Isa (علیہم السلام) but neither any authentic report supports it, nor is it likely, because he was an 'ummiyy (unlettered). It is, therefore, more likely that his worship was concentration and reflection on Allah Almighty and His omnipotence until the Truth, that is, the revelation came to him while he was in the cave of Hira'; so the angel came to him and said, اِقرَا 'Read'. The Holy Prophet replied, ما انا بقاری 'I am not the one who can read'. (The Holy Prophet was under the impression that he was directing him to read a written document. Since the Holy Prophet ﷺ could not read or write, he replied accordingly.) Then the angel embraced him and pressed him so hard that he felt extreme pain, then he released him and said, اِقرَا 'Read'. The Holy Prophet ﷺ replied, 'I am not the one who can read'. Then he embraced him and pressed him a second time so hard that he felt extreme pain, then he released him again and said, اِقرَا 'Read'. The Holy Prophet ﷺ replied ما انا بقاری ، 'I am not the one who can read'. Then he embraced the Holy Prophet ﷺ and pressed him a third time, then he released him and said,

اقْرَ‌أْ بِاسْمِ رَ‌بِّكَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ ﴿1﴾ خَلَقَ الْإِنسَانَ مِنْ عَلَقٍ ﴿2﴾ اقْرَ‌أْ وَرَ‌بُّكَ الْأَكْرَ‌مُ ﴿3﴾ الَّذِي عَلَّمَ بِالْقَلَمِ ﴿4﴾ عَلَّمَ الْإِنسَانَ مَا لَمْ يَعْلَمْ ﴿5﴾

'Read with the Name of your Lord Who created [ everything ], He created man from a clot of blood. Read, and your Lord is the most gracious, who imparted knowledge by means of the Pen. He taught man what he did not know.'

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ returned with this message [ of five verses ] while his heart trembled and he came to Sayyidah Khadijah ؓ saying زمّلونی زمّلونی 'wrap me up, wrap me up', and she wrapped him up, until the awe left him. (It should be noted that the fear felt by the Holy Prophet ﷺ was due to the great responsibility delegated to him, and due to the unusual event of seeing an angel in his original form.)

Then he said to Sayyidah Khadijah ؓ عنہا while he related to her what had happened: "I feared for myself." Sayyidah Khadijah ؓ said: 'Nay, by Allah, Allah will never expose you to disgrace, because you unite the ties of kinship, and bear the burden of the weak, and earn for the destitute, and offer hospitality to the guests, and help (people) in real distress.'

Then Sayyidah Khadijah ؓ took him to her cousin, Waraqah Ibn Naufal. He was a man who had adopted Christianity (which was a true religion at that time) during the days of Ignorance, and he used to write the Hebrew script, and translate it into Arabic. He was a very old man who had turned blind. Sayyidah Khadijah ؓ said to him, 0 Uncle's son! Listen to your brother's son. Waraqah asked him, My brother's son! What have you seen? So the Messenger of Allah ﷺ related to him what he had seen. Waraqah said to him, This is the very same confidant [ angel Jibra'il (علیہ السلام) ] whom Allah sent to Holy Prophet Musa (علیہ السلام) ; would that I were a young man at this time - would that I were alive when your people would expel you! The Messenger of Allah ﷺ asked in surprise, Will they expel me?" He replied. Yes; never has a man appeared with the like of that which you have brought, but he has been held in enmity; and if your time finds me alive, I shall help you with the fullest support. After that, not much time had passed before Waraqah died, and the revelation broke off temporarily. [ Bukhari and Muslim ]

The temporary break of revelation, according to Suhaili, lasted for about a year and half. Other reports say that it lasted to about three years. [ Mazhari ]

Verse [ 1] اقْرَ‌أْ بِاسْمِ رَ‌بِّكَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ (Read with the Name of your Lord, Who created [ everything ]) In the prepositional phrase bismi rabbika [ with the name of your Lord ], the addition of the word ismi is significant in two ways [ 1] that whenever the Qur'an is being recited, the reader should begin by reciting the formula , بسم اللہ الرحمٰن الرحیم "With the name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Very-Merciful". When Jibra'il Amin (علیہ السلام) suddenly appeared to the Holy Prophet ﷺ and said 'iqra' (read) , he tendered apology that he is unable to read or recite, because he is unlettered. The phrase b-ismi rabbika points to the fact that under present circumstances you, 0 Holy Prophet ﷺ ، may be 'ummiyy' or unlettered, but Allah has the power to grant you the highest level of knowledge, the most elegant style of oration and eloquence, so that you would surpass and subdue the most educated or literate people, as it became manifest later on. [ Mazhari ]. [ 2] Allah has many Beautiful Names, but the blessed name rabb is particularly chosen in the verse here probably because it supports and emphasizes the theme that Allah cherishes and sustains the Holy Prophet through all the different stages of his development, until he is fully consummated. He can make him read and recite, despite being unlettered. In the relative clause al-ladhi khalaqa [ Who created ], particularly contains the Divine attribute of takhliq [ creating ] presumably because the first Divine favor is wujud or 'existence' as a result of His drawing out beings from the realm of non-existence into the realm of existence. Many other favors of His follow. The verb khalaqa [ created ] is transitive and it requires an object that is absent here. This indicates the verb is used absolutely, and it signifies that the Creator has created the entire universe and every existent thing it contains.

The first five verses of this chapter were the very first verses which were revealed to the Prophet Muhammad. Almighty God created man out of ordinary material elements. Then He blessed him with the rare capacity to read and to understand the import of what he read. Then, man was given the additional capacity to use the pen and thus systematise and preserve his knowledge. While the capacity to read enables a man to acquire knowledge, the pen makes him capable of spreading this knowledge to others on a large scale. The ‘pen’ is a symbol of knowledge. In other words, through written words the believers are enjoined to acquire and spread the knowledge of the truth, wisdom and beauty of Islam. Today, spreading the word of God will be done by means of printed material and through other means of communication which includes the internet and the multimedia. Translations of the Quran in various languages, Islamic books and other printed material on Islam should be distributed as a part of dawah work on a large scale, so that the word of God reaches each and every home—big or small as predicted in a hadith (Musnad Ahmed). Thousands of men and women are dying every day without having had the message of God conveyed to them; without having had the opportunity to accept it, they have missed their chance of improving their lives in the Hereafter. In such a situation it is the solemn responsibility of the believers to desist from making excuses and seriously take up the mission of proclaiming the divine truth. The conveying of the message of Truth to everyone, the responsibility for which has been placed on the Muslims, is not like an optional subject, which you may either take up or leave off on some pretext. This is a responsibility of such a nature that it has to be discharged at all costs. Dawah, which in the Quran is called ‘warning and giving glad tidings’, is directly the mission of God. So that men might have no argument with God on the plea that they were unaware, this task was passed on to the believers themselves after the preservation of the Quran. This exigency has opened up the opportunity for man to perform this great divine task. Those who come forward to carry out this divine mission of dawah will receive special succour in this life and will be held deserving of great honour in the life Hereafter.