In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful...surah,,Al,Alaq

In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

96:1 Proclaim! (or read!) in the name of thy Lord and Cherisher, Who created-

96:2 Created man, out of a (mere) clot of congealed blood:

96:3 Proclaim! And thy Lord is Most Bountiful,-

96:4 He Who taught (the use of) the pen,-

96:5 Taught man that which he knew not.

96:6 Nay, but man doth transgress all bounds,

96:7 In that he looketh upon himself as self-sufficient.

96:8 Verily, to thy Lord is the return (of all).

96:9 Seest thou one who forbids-

96:10 A votary when he (turns) to pray?

96:11 Seest thou if he is on (the road of) Guidance?-

96:12 Or enjoins Righteousness?

96:13 Seest thou if he denies (Truth) and turns away?

96:14 Knoweth he not that Allah doth see?

96:15 Let him beware! If he desist not, We will drag him by the forelock,-

96:16 A lying, sinful forelock!

96:17 Then, let him call (for help) to his council (of comrades):

96:18 We will call on the angels of punishment (to deal with him)!

96:19 Day, heed him not: But bow down in adoration, and bring thyself the closer (to Allah)!

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In this surah, God presents a concise but compelling argument: Man is a creature of wonder, beginning with its development from a biomass (or Alaq), who has been granted the gift of sentience by God. Then as a being Man divides into two distinct groups: those who recognize their cosmic condition, seek divine guidance (by 'reading' God's word), and bow to God's will (symbolized by 'prostration'); and those who even in the face of these apparent wonders of Man's condition, consider the Human to be an 'independent' entity, answerable to no transcendent authority, and even more contentiously, take it upon themselves to prevent the first class of man from following God's Word and submitting to Him.

God then states that the first type of Man, the believer, is the righteous one, and that the second class is both in error and is in fact a "lying and sinful" creature. The sura concludes with God's warning to the denier that the "guards of Hell" await, and that such men should cease from denying the believer the right to worship unmolested by them. The sura's last verse are words of encouragement to the believer to "not yield" to the threats of unbelievers but to continue in persistence in obeying God, and a promise of nearness to God for such a believer.