Surah Al 'Alaq
Translation by:
Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran
بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ
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اِقْرَأْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ الَّذِيْ خَلَقَۚ
Iqra' bismi rabbikal-lażī khalaq(a).
Read, ˹O Prophet,˺ in the Name of your Lord Who created—
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خَلَقَ الْاِنْسَانَ مِنْ عَلَقٍۚ
Khalaqal-insāna min ‘alaq(in).
created humans from a clinging clot.
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اِقْرَأْ وَرَبُّكَ الْاَكْرَمُۙ
Iqra' wa rabbukal-akram(u).
Read! And your Lord is the Most Generous,
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الَّذِيْ عَلَّمَ بِالْقَلَمِۙ
Allażī ‘allama bil-qalam(i).
Who taught by the pen—
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عَلَّمَ الْاِنْسَانَ مَا لَمْ يَعْلَمْۗ
‘Allamal-insāna mā lam ya‘lam.
taught humanity what they knew not.
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كَلَّآ اِنَّ الْاِنْسَانَ لَيَطْغٰىٓ ۙ
Kallā innal-insāna layaṭgā.
Most certainly, one exceeds all bounds
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اَنْ رَّاٰهُ اسْتَغْنٰىۗ
Ar ra'āhustagnā.
once they think they are self-sufficient.
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اِنَّ اِلٰى رَبِّكَ الرُّجْعٰىۗ
Inna ilā rabbikar-ruj‘ā.
˹But˺ surely to your Lord is the return ˹of all˺.
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اَرَاَيْتَ الَّذِيْ يَنْهٰىۙ
Ara'aital-lażī yanhā.
Have you seen the man who prevents
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عَبْدًا اِذَا صَلّٰىۗ
‘Abdan iżā ṣallā.
a servant ˹of Ours˺ from praying?
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اَرَاَيْتَ اِنْ كَانَ عَلَى الْهُدٰىٓۙ
Ara'aita in kāna ‘alal-hudā.
What if this ˹servant˺ is ˹rightly˺ guided,
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اَوْ اَمَرَ بِالتَّقْوٰىۗ
Au amara bit-taqwā.
or encourages righteousness?
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اَرَاَيْتَ اِنْ كَذَّبَ وَتَوَلّٰىۗ
Ara'aita in każżaba wa tawallā.
What if that ˹man˺ persists in denial and turns away?
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اَلَمْ يَعْلَمْ بِاَنَّ اللّٰهَ يَرٰىۗ
Alam ya‘lam bi'annallāha yarā.
Does he not know that Allah sees ˹all˺?
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كَلَّا لَىِٕنْ لَّمْ يَنْتَهِ ەۙ لَنَسْفَعًاۢ بِالنَّاصِيَةِۙ
Kallā la'il lam yantah(i), lanasfa‘am bin-nāṣiyah(ti).
But no! If he does not desist, We will certainly drag him by the forelock—
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نَاصِيَةٍ كَاذِبَةٍ خَاطِئَةٍۚ
Nāṣiyatin kāżibatin khāṭi'ah(tin).
a lying, sinful forelock.
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فَلْيَدْعُ نَادِيَهٗۙ
Falyad‘u nādiyah(ū).
So let him call his associates.
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سَنَدْعُ الزَّبَانِيَةَۙ
Sanad‘uz-zabāniyah(ta).
We will call the wardens of Hell.
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كَلَّاۗ لَا تُطِعْهُ وَاسْجُدْ وَاقْتَرِبْ ۩ ࣖ
Kallā, lā tuṭi‘hu wasjud waqtarib.
Again, no! Never obey him ˹O Prophet˺! Rather, ˹continue to˺ prostrate and draw near ˹to Allah˺.