Sūrah No. 96. Revealed in Makkah, 19 verses. Commentators of the Quran believe that this was the first Sūrah to be revealed to the Prophet a.
Sūrat al-‘Alaq
Merits of reciting the Sūrah
Imam Ja‘far al-Sādiq (a) has said: Whoever recites Sūrat ‘Alaq during the day or at night and dies that day or night will die as a martyr and Allah will raise him as a martyr, and he will be brought back to life as one who fought in the way of Allah with the Messenger of Allah. Note: Such a status will be for those who understand and act on the contents of the sūra.
General synopsis of contents
1) The command to read and learn (vv. 1-5)
2) Cause of rebellion of the human being (vv. 6-8)
3) Those who hinder others from the right path (vv. 9-14)
4) The punishment awaiting such people (vv. 15-18)
5) Command for Sajdah (v. 19)
Selected Lessons
1) Reading is the pathway to learning.
2) Reading and learning must be in the way of Allah, to gain closeness to Him.
3) Human beings’ rebel against Allah X when they think they are needless.
4) Rebellious transgressors want to prevent others also from accepting faith.
Suggested verses for reflection and memorization.
1) 96:1-5 – Read in the name of your Lord Who created. He created man from a clot. Read and your Lord is Most Honorable, Who taught (to write) with the pen. Taught man what he knew not.
2) 96:6-7 – Indeed man becomes rebellious, when he considers himself without need.
Activities for self-study
Reading is the path to knowledge. Knowledge helps people make meaning of life and brings them closer to Allah Y. What are your reading habits? How can you read more, and read appropriate material for self-growth? Make a reading plan for the coming year – choose some categories of books you want to read, list some names for each category and plan your schedule. Many online resources help with the idea of making a personal reading plan. It is a good way to start the year after the month of Ramadan.