Surah Al-'Alaq: word by word, transliteration and English translation

بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

Transliteration bis'mi l-lahi l-raḥmāni l-raḥīmi

English In the name of Allāh, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.

1. بِسْمِbis'miIn (the) name
2. ٱللَّهِl-lahi(of) Allah
3. ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِl-raḥmānithe Most Gracious
4. ٱلرَّحِيمِl-raḥīmithe Most Merciful

ٱقْرَأْ بِٱسْمِ رَبِّكَ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ

Transliteration iq'ra bi-is'mi rabbika alladhī khalaqa

English Recite in the name of your Lord who created

1. ٱقْرَأْiq'raRead
2. بِٱسْمِbi-is'miin (the) name
3. رَبِّكَrabbika(of) your Lord
4. ٱلَّذِىalladhīthe One Who
5. خَلَقَkhalaqacreated

خَلَقَ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ مِنْ عَلَقٍ

Transliteration khalaqa l-insāna min ʿalaqin

English Created man from a clinging substance.

1. خَلَقَkhalaqaHe created
2. ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَl-insānaman
3. مِنْminfrom
4. عَلَقٍʿalaqina clinging substance

ٱقْرَأْ وَرَبُّكَ ٱلْأَكْرَمُ

Transliteration iq'ra warabbuka l-akramu

English Recite, and your Lord is the most Generous -

1. ٱقْرَأْiq'raRead
2. وَرَبُّكَwarabbukaand your Lord
3. ٱلْأَكْرَمُl-akramu(is) the Most Generous

ٱلَّذِى عَلَّمَ بِٱلْقَلَمِ

Transliteration alladhī ʿallama bil-qalami

English Who taught by the pen

1. ٱلَّذِىalladhīThe One Who
2. عَلَّمَʿallamataught
3. بِٱلْقَلَمِbil-qalamiby the pen

عَلَّمَ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ مَا لَمْ يَعْلَمْ

Transliteration ʿallama l-insāna mā lam yaʿlam

English Taught man that which he knew not.

1. عَلَّمَʿallamaTaught
2. ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَl-insānaman
3. مَاmāwhat
4. لَمْlamnot
5. يَعْلَمْyaʿlamhe knew

كَلَّآ إِنَّ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ لَيَطْغَىٰٓ

Transliteration kallā inna l-insāna layaṭghā

English No! [But] indeed, man transgresses

1. كَلَّآkallāNay
2. إِنَّinnaIndeed
3. ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَl-insānaman
4. لَيَطْغَىٰٓlayaṭghāsurely transgresses

أَن رَّءَاهُ ٱسْتَغْنَىٰٓ

Transliteration an raāhu is'taghnā

English Because he sees himself self-sufficient.

1. أَنanThat
2. رَّءَاهُraāhuhe sees himself
3. ٱسْتَغْنَىٰٓis'taghnāself-sufficient

إِنَّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ ٱلرُّجْعَىٰٓ

Transliteration inna ilā rabbika l-ruj'ʿā

English Indeed, to your Lord is the return.

1. إِنَّinnaIndeed
2. إِلَىٰilāto
3. رَبِّكَrabbikayour Lord
4. ٱلرُّجْعَىٰٓl-ruj'ʿā(is) the return

أَرَءَيْتَ ٱلَّذِى يَنْهَىٰ

Transliteration ara-ayta alladhī yanhā

English Have you seen the one who forbids

1. أَرَءَيْتَara-aytaHave you seen
2. ٱلَّذِىalladhīthe one who
3. يَنْهَىٰyanhāforbids

عَبْدًا إِذَا صَلَّىٰٓ

Transliteration ʿabdan idhā ṣallā

English A servant when he prays?

1. عَبْدًاʿabdanA slave
2. إِذَاidhāwhen
3. صَلَّىٰٓṣallāhe prays

أَرَءَيْتَ إِن كَانَ عَلَى ٱلْهُدَىٰٓ

Transliteration ara-ayta in kāna ʿalā l-hudā

English Have you seen if he is upon guidance

1. أَرَءَيْتَara-aytaHave you seen
2. إِنinif
3. كَانَkānahe is
4. عَلَىʿalāupon
5. ٱلْهُدَىٰٓl-hudā[the] guidance

أَوْ أَمَرَ بِٱلتَّقْوَىٰٓ

Transliteration aw amara bil-taqwā

English Or enjoins righteousness?

1. أَوْawOr
2. أَمَرَamarahe enjoins
3. بِٱلتَّقْوَىٰٓbil-taqwā[of the] righteousness

أَرَءَيْتَ إِن كَذَّبَ وَتَوَلَّىٰٓ

Transliteration ara-ayta in kadhaba watawallā

English Have you seen if he denies and turns away -

1. أَرَءَيْتَara-aytaHave you seen
2. إِنinif
3. كَذَّبَkadhabahe denies
4. وَتَوَلَّىٰٓwatawallāand turns away

أَلَمْ يَعْلَم بِأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَرَىٰ

Transliteration alam yaʿlam bi-anna l-laha yarā

English Does he not know that Allāh sees?

1. أَلَمْalamDoes not
2. يَعْلَمyaʿlamhe know
3. بِأَنَّbi-annathat
4. ٱللَّهَl-lahaAllah
5. يَرَىٰyarāsees

كَلَّا لَئِن لَّمْ يَنتَهِ لَنَسْفَعًۢا بِٱلنَّاصِيَةِ

Transliteration kallā la-in lam yantahi lanasfaʿan bil-nāṣiyati

English No! If he does not desist, We will surely drag him by the forelock

1. كَلَّاkallāNay
2. لَئِنla-inIf
3. لَّمْlamnot
4. يَنتَهِyantahihe desists
5. لَنَسْفَعًۢاlanasfaʿansurely We will drag him
6. بِٱلنَّاصِيَةِbil-nāṣiyatiby the forelock

نَاصِيَةٍ كَـٰذِبَةٍ خَاطِئَةٍ

Transliteration nāṣiyatin kādhibatin khāṭi-atin

English A lying, sinning forelock.

1. نَاصِيَةٍۢnāṣiyatinA forelock
2. كَـٰذِبَةٍkādhibatinlying
3. خَاطِئَةٍۢkhāṭi-atinsinful

فَلْيَدْعُ نَادِيَهُۥ

Transliteration falyadʿu nādiyahu

English Then let him call his associates;

1. فَلْيَدْعُfalyadʿuThen let him call
2. نَادِيَهُۥnādiyahuhis associates

سَنَدْعُ ٱلزَّبَانِيَةَ

Transliteration sanadʿu l-zabāniyata

English We will call the angels of Hell.

1. سَنَدْعُsanadʿuWe will call
2. ٱلزَّبَانِيَةَl-zabāniyatathe Angels of Hell

كَلَّا لَا تُطِعْهُ وَٱسْجُدْ وَٱقْتَرِب ۩

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

English No! Do not obey him. But prostrate and draw near [to Allāh].

1. كَلَّاkallāNay
2. لَاlā(Do) not
3. تُطِعْهُtuṭiʿ'huobey him
4. وَٱسْجُدْwa-us'judBut prostrate
5. وَٱقْتَرِب ۩wa-iq'tariband draw near (to Allah)