سُورَةُ العَلَقِ
Surah Al-'Alaq (The Clot) – Arabic, Translation & Audio
Surah Al-'Alaq is the 96th surah (chapter) of the Quran. Its name means “The Clot”. It has 19 ayahs (verses), is a Meccan surah (revealed in Makkah) and is found in Juz 30 of the Quran. Below you can read the full Arabic text with English translation and transliteration, and listen to each ayah.
| Surah number | 96 of 114 |
|---|---|
| Arabic name | العلق |
| English meaning | The Clot |
| Number of ayahs | 19 |
| Revelation | Meccan (Makkah) |
| Order of revelation | 1 (traditional chronology) |
| Juz (part) | 30 |
| Mushaf pages | 597 (604-page Madinah mushaf) |
| Verses of prostration | 96:19 |
| Begins with Bismillah | Yes – recited before ayah 1 (not numbered) |
About Surah Al-'Alaq
Al-‘Alaq, "The Clot", contains the first verses of the Quran ever revealed: "Recite in the name of your Lord who created — created man from a clinging substance. Recite, and your Lord is the most Generous — who taught by the pen" (96:1–5). They were revealed to the Prophet ﷺ in the cave of Hira, as narrated by ‘A’ishah in Sahih al-Bukhari 3.
The rest of the surah, revealed later, warns a man who tried to stop the Prophet ﷺ from praying, and ends with the command "prostrate and draw near", a verse of prostration.
Read Surah Al-'Alaq in Arabic with English translation
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
Bismillaahir Rahmaanir Raheem
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.
ٱقْرَأْ بِٱسْمِ رَبِّكَ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ ﴿١﴾
Iqra bismi rab bikal lazee khalaq
Read: In the name of thy Lord Who createth,
خَلَقَ ٱلْإِنسَٰنَ مِنْ عَلَقٍ ﴿٢﴾
Khalaqal insaana min 'alaq
Createth man from a clot.
ٱقْرَأْ وَرَبُّكَ ٱلْأَكْرَمُ ﴿٣﴾
Iqra wa rab bukal akram
Read: And thy Lord is the Most Bounteous,
ٱلَّذِى عَلَّمَ بِٱلْقَلَمِ ﴿٤﴾
Al lazee 'allama bil qalam
Who teacheth by the pen,
عَلَّمَ ٱلْإِنسَٰنَ مَا لَمْ يَعْلَمْ ﴿٥﴾
'Al lamal insaana ma lam y'alam
Teacheth man that which he knew not.
كَلَّآ إِنَّ ٱلْإِنسَٰنَ لَيَطْغَىٰٓ ﴿٦﴾
Kallaa innal insaana layatghaa
Nay, but verily man is rebellious
أَن رَّءَاهُ ٱسْتَغْنَىٰٓ ﴿٧﴾
Ar-ra aahus taghnaa
That he thinketh himself independent!
إِنَّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ ٱلرُّجْعَىٰٓ ﴿٨﴾
Innna ilaa rabbikar ruj'aa
Lo! unto thy Lord is the return.
أَرَءَيْتَ ٱلَّذِى يَنْهَىٰ ﴿٩﴾
Ara-aital lazee yanhaa
Hast thou seen him who dissuadeth
عَبْدًا إِذَا صَلَّىٰٓ ﴿١٠﴾
'Abdan iza sallaa
A slave when he prayeth?
أَرَءَيْتَ إِن كَانَ عَلَى ٱلْهُدَىٰٓ ﴿١١﴾
Ara-aita in kana 'alal hudaa
Hast thou seen if he relieth on the guidance (of Allah)
أَوْ أَمَرَ بِٱلتَّقْوَىٰٓ ﴿١٢﴾
Au amara bit taqwaa
Or enjoineth piety?
أَرَءَيْتَ إِن كَذَّبَ وَتَوَلَّىٰٓ ﴿١٣﴾
Ara-aita in kaz zaba wa ta walla
Hast thou seen if he denieth (Allah's guidance) and is froward?
أَلَمْ يَعْلَم بِأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَرَىٰ ﴿١٤﴾
Alam y'alam bi-an nal lahaa yaraa
Is he then unaware that Allah seeth?
كَلَّا لَئِن لَّمْ يَنتَهِ لَنَسْفَعًۢا بِٱلنَّاصِيَةِ ﴿١٥﴾
Kalla la illam yantahi la nasfa'am bin nasiyah
Nay, but if he cease not We will seize him by the forelock -
نَاصِيَةٍۢ كَٰذِبَةٍ خَاطِئَةٍۢ ﴿١٦﴾
Nasiyatin kazi batin khaatiyah
The lying, sinful forelock -
فَلْيَدْعُ نَادِيَهُۥ ﴿١٧﴾
Fal yad'u naadiyah
Then let him call upon his henchmen!
سَنَدْعُ ٱلزَّبَانِيَةَ ﴿١٨﴾
Sanad 'uz zabaaniyah
We will call the guards of hell.
كَلَّا لَا تُطِعْهُ وَٱسْجُدْ وَٱقْتَرِب ۩ ﴿١٩﴾
Kalla; la tuti'hu wasjud waqtarib
Nay, Obey not thou him. But prostrate thyself, and draw near (unto Allah).
Arabic text: Uthmani script (Tanzil). English translation: Marmaduke Pickthall (1930, public domain). Transliteration: English transliteration from the Al Quran Cloud API, in a simple English spelling (it writes the Arabic letter dhal as “z”, while the duas on this site write it as “dh”). Audio: Mishary Rashid Alafasy. A translation conveys the meaning of the Quran; it is not the Quran itself.
More: Quran index · Ayat al-Kursi · Last 10 surahs · Duas · 99 Names of Allah