Al-’Alaq (Surah 96)

Introduction

Verses 1-5 are known to be the first ever revealed of the Quran. The Prophet (ﷺ) was retreating at a cave in the outskirts of Mecca when the angel Gabriel appeared to him, squeezing him tightly and ordering him to read. Since the Prophet (ﷺ) was unlettered, he responded, “I cannot read.” Ultimately, Gabriel taught him: “Read in the Name of your Lord …” Some scholars believe that this encounter is the fulfilment of Isaiah 29:12, which states, “Then the book will be given to the one who is illiterate, saying, ‘Read this.’ And he will say, ‘I cannot read.’” The rest of the sûrah was later revealed to deter Abu Jahl, a Meccan pagan elite, from abusing the Prophet (ﷺ). In the Name of Allah—the Most Compassionate, Most Merciful