created man al-insān the generic from a blood-clot ‘alaq is the plural of ‘alaqa which is a small quantity of congealing blood.
اقرأ -أيها النبي- ما أُنزل إليك من القرآن مُفْتَتِحًا باسم ربك المتفرد بالخلق، الذي خلق كل إنسان من قطعة دم غليظ أحمر. اقرأ -أيها النبي- ما أُنزل إليك، وإن ربك لكثير الإحسان واسع الجود، الذي علَّم خلقه الكتابة بالقلم، علَّم الإنسان ما لم يكن يعلم، ونقله من ظلمة الجهل إلى نور العلم.
التنبيه على خلق الإنسان من علقة.
وجملة ( خَلَقَ الإنسان مِنْ عَلَقٍ ) بدل من قوله ( الذي خَلَقَ ) بدل بعض من كل ، إذ خلق الإِنسان بمثل جزءا من خلق المخلوقات التى لا يعلمها إلا الله .و " العلق " الدم الجامد ، وهو الطورالثانى من أطوار خلق الإِنسان .وقيل : العلق : مجموعة من الخلايا التى نشأت بطريقة الانقسام عن البويضة الملقحة ، وسمى " علقا " لتعلقه بجدار الرحم .والمقصود من هذه الجملة الكريمة بيان مظهر من مظاهر قدرته - تعالى - فكأنه - سبحانه - يقول : إن من كان قادراً على أن يخلق من الدم الجامد إنساناً يسمع ويرى ويعقل . . قادر - أيضاً - على أن يجعل منك - أيها الرسول الكريم - قارئاً ، وإن لم تسبق لك القراءة .وخص - سبحانه - خلق الإِنسان بالذكر ، لأنه أشرف المخلوقات ولأن فيه من بدائع الصنع والتدبير ما فيه .
ثم بين الذي خلق فقال: ( خَلَقَ الإنْسَانَ مِنْ عَلَقٍ ) يعني: من الدم، وقال: من علق؛ والمراد به من علقة، لأنه ذهب إلى الجمع، كما يقال: شجرة وشجر، وقصَبة وَقصَب، وكذلك علقة وعَلَق. وإنما قال: من علق والإنسان في لفظ واحد، لأنه في معنى جمع، وإن كان في لفظ واحد، فلذلك قيل: من عَلَق.
ثم فسره فقال: "خلق الإنسان" يعني خلق ابن آدم، "من علق"، جمع علقة.
خَلَقَ الْإِنْسَانَ مِنْ عَلَقٍ (2) ويجوز أن تكون بياناً من { الذي خلق } إذا قُدر لفعل { خلق } الأول مفعول دل عليه بيانه فيكون تقدير الكلام : اقرأ باسم ربك الذي خلق الإنسان من علق .وعدم ذكر مفعول لفعل { خلق } يجوز أن يكون لتنزيل الفعل منزلة اللازم ، أي الذي هو الخالق وأن يكون حذف المفعول لإرادة العموم ، أي خلق كل المخلوقات ، وأن يكون تقديره : الذي خلق الإنسان اعتماداً على ما يرد بعده من قوله { خلق الإنسان } ، فهذه معاننٍ في الآية .وخص خلق الإِنسان بالذكر من بين بقية المخلوقات لأنه المطَّرد في مقام الاستدلال إذ لا يَغفُلُ أحد من الناس عن نفسه ولا يخلو من أن يخطر له خاطر البحث عن الذي خلقه وأوجده ولذلك قال تعالى : { وفي أنفسكم أفلا تبصرون } [ الذاريات : 21 ] .وفيه تعريض بتحميق المشركين الذين ضلوا عن توحيد الله تعالى مع أن دليل الوحدانية قائم في أنفسهم .وفي قوله : { من علق } إشارة إلى ما ينطوي في أصل خَلْق الإِنسان من بديع الأطوار والصفات التي جعلته سلطانَ هذا العالم الأرضي .والعلق : اسم جمع عَلَقَة وهي قطعةٌ قَدرُ الأنملة من الدم الغليظ الجامد الباقي رطْباً لم يجفّ ، سمي بذلك تشبيهاً لها بدودةٍ صغيرة تسمَّى علقة ، وهي حمراء داكنة تكون في المياه الحلوة ، تمتص الدم من الحيوان إذا علق خرطومها بجلده وقد تدخل إلى فم الدابة وخاصة الخيل والبغال فتعلق بلهاته ولا يُتفطن لها .ومعنى : { خلق الإنسان من علق } أن نطفة الذكر ونطفة المرأة بعد الاختلاط ومضي مدة كافيَة تصيران علقةً فإذا صارت علقة فقد أخذت في أطوار التكوّن ، فجُعلت العلقة مبدأ الخلق ولم تُجعل النطفة مبدأ الخلق لأن النطفة اشتهرت في ماء الرجل فلو لم تخالطه نطفة المرأة لم تصر العلقة فلا يتخلق الجنين وفيه إشارة إلى أن خلق الإنسان من علق ثم مصيره إلى كمال أشده هو خلق ينطوي على قوى كامنة وقابليات عظيمة أقصاها قابلية العلم والكتابة .ومن إعجاز القرآن العلمي ذكر العلقة لأن الثابت في العلم الآن أن الإِنسان يتخلق من بويضة دقيقة جداً لا ترى إلا بالمرآة المكبِّرة أضعافاً تكون في مبدإ ظهورها كروية الشكل سابحة في دم حيض المرأة فلا تقبل التخلق حتى تخالطها نطفة الرجل فتمتزج معها فتأخذ في التخلق إذا لم يَعُقْها عائق كما قال تعالى :{ مخلقة وغير مخلقة } [ الحج : 5 ] ، فإذا أخذت في التخلق والنمو امتد تكورها قليلاً فشابهت العلقة التي في الماء مشابَهة تامة في دقة الجسم وتلونها بلون الدم الذي هي سابحة فيه وفي كونها سابحة في سائل كما تسبح العلقة ، وقد تقدم هذا في سورة غافر وأشرت إليه في المقدمة العاشرة .ومعنى حرف { مِن } الابتداء .وفعل { اقرأ } الثاني تأكيد ل { اقرأ } الأول للاهتمام بهذا الأمر .
وذكر ابتداء خلقه { مِنْ عَلَقٍ } فالذي خلق الإنسان واعتنى بتدبيره، لا بد أن يدبره بالأمر والنهي، وذلك بإرسال الرسول إليهم ، وإنزال الكتب عليهم، ولهذا ذكر بعد الأمر بالقراءة، خلقه للإنسان.
قوله تعالى : خلق الإنسان من علق[ ص: 107 ] قوله تعالى : خلق الإنسان يعني ابن آدم .من علق أي من دم ; جمع علقة ، والعلقة الدم الجامد ; وإذا جرى فهو المسفوح . وقال : من علق فذكره بلفظ الجمع ; لأنه أراد بالإنسان الجمع ، وكلهم خلقوا من علق بعد النطفة . والعلقة : قطعة من دم رطب ، سميت بذلك لأنها تعلق لرطوبتها بما تمر عليه ، فإذا جفت لم تكن علقة . قال الشاعر :تركناه يخر على يديه يمج عليهما علق الوتينوخص الإنسان بالذكر تشريفا له . وقيل : أراد أن يبين قدر نعمته عليه ، بأن خلقه من علقة مهينة ، حتى صار بشرا سويا ، وعاقلا مميزا .
The first five verses of this chapter were the very first verses which were revealed to the Prophet Muhammad. Almighty God created man out of ordinary material elements. Then He blessed him with the rare capacity to read and to understand the import of what he read. Then, man was given the additional capacity to use the pen and thus systematise and preserve his knowledge. While the capacity to read enables a man to acquire knowledge, the pen makes him capable of spreading this knowledge to others on a large scale. The ‘pen’ is a symbol of knowledge. In other words, through written words the believers are enjoined to acquire and spread the knowledge of the truth, wisdom and beauty of Islam. Today, spreading the word of God will be done by means of printed material and through other means of communication which includes the internet and the multimedia. Translations of the Quran in various languages, Islamic books and other printed material on Islam should be distributed as a part of dawah work on a large scale, so that the word of God reaches each and every home—big or small as predicted in a hadith (Musnad Ahmed). Thousands of men and women are dying every day without having had the message of God conveyed to them; without having had the opportunity to accept it, they have missed their chance of improving their lives in the Hereafter. In such a situation it is the solemn responsibility of the believers to desist from making excuses and seriously take up the mission of proclaiming the divine truth. The conveying of the message of Truth to everyone, the responsibility for which has been placed on the Muslims, is not like an optional subject, which you may either take up or leave off on some pretext. This is a responsibility of such a nature that it has to be discharged at all costs. Dawah, which in the Quran is called ‘warning and giving glad tidings’, is directly the mission of God. So that men might have no argument with God on the plea that they were unaware, this task was passed on to the believers themselves after the preservation of the Quran. This exigency has opened up the opportunity for man to perform this great divine task. Those who come forward to carry out this divine mission of dawah will receive special succour in this life and will be held deserving of great honour in the life Hereafter.
Verse [ 2] خَلَقَ الْإِنسَانَ مِنْ عَلَقٍ (Created man from a clot of blood.) The previous verse referred to the creation of macrocosm, the large or entire universe in general. In this verse, the phrase is khalaqa'l-insan which refers to the creation of microcosm 'the best, noblest or most honourable creation', Man. If analysed carefully, we notice that man is the epitome of macrocosm or the large universe. He is a small scale representation, analogue, or miniature of the large and complex universe. Another reason why man has been particularly mentioned is that the purpose of Prophet-hood, messenger-hood and revelation of the Qur'an is the implementation of Divine ordinances, injunctions and laws and acting upon them: This is the essential peculiarity of mankind. The word ` alaq, being the plural of 'alaqatun, means 'congealed blood'. The creation of man has passed and passes through various phases. His primordial creation is from the four major elements, that is, earth, water, fire and air. His procreation is from an insignificant and humble state, the sperm which then transforms into congealed blood. This is the primary state of the embryo which happens after the conception. Then it takes the shape of a lump of flesh and then the skeletal structure is created. 'Alaqah is the middle phase in the whole process of creation. The specific mention of ` alaqah covers the initial stage and the final stage of the process of creation.
(Createth man) i.e. the son of Adam (from a clot) and the Prophet (pbuh) said: �what shall I read?� And Gabriel read to him the first four verses of this surah.
Which was revealed in Makkah
This was the First of the Qur'an revealed
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
The Beginning of the Prophethood of Muhammad ﷺ and the First of the Qur'an revealed
Imam Ahmad recorded that `A'ishah said: The first thing that began happening with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ from the revelation was dreams that he would see in his sleep that would come true. He would not see any dream except that it would come true just like the (clearness of) the daybreak in the morning. Then seclusion became beloved to him. So, he used to go to the cave of Hira' and devote himself to worship there for a number of nights, and he would bring provisions for that. Then he would return to Khadijah and replenish his provisions for a similar number of nights. This continued until the revelation suddenly came to him while he was in the cave of Hira'. The angel came to him while he was in the cave and said, "Read!" The Messen- ger of Allah said,
«فَقُلْتُ: مَا أَنَا بِقَارِىء»
(I replied: "I am not one who reads.) Then he said, "So he (the angel) seized me and pressed me until I could no longer bear it. Then he released me and said: `Read!' So I replied: `I am not one who reads.' So, he pressed me a second time until I could no longer bear it. Then he released me and said:
اقْرَأْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ الَّذِى خَلَقَ
(Read in the Name of your Lord who has created.) until he reached the Ayah,
مَا لَمْ يَعْلَمْ
(That which he knew not. )" So he returned with them (those Ayat) and with his heart trembling until he came (home) to Khadijah, and he said,
«زَمِّلُونِي زَمِّلُونِي»
(Wrap me up, wrap me up!) So they wrapped him up until his fear went away. After that he told Khadijah everything that had happened (and said),
«قَدْ خَشِيتُ عَلَى نَفْسِي»
(I fear that something may happen to me.) Khadijah replied, "Never! By Allah, Allah will never disgrace you. You keep good relations with your relatives, you speak the truth, you help the poor and the destitute, you serve your guests generously, and you help the deserving, calamity afflicted people." Khadijah then accompanied him to her cousin Waraqah bin Nawfal bin Asad bin `Abdul-`Uzza bin Qusay, who, during the period of ignorance became a Christian and used to scribe the Scriptures in Arabic. He would write from the Injil in Hebrew as much as Allah willed for him to write. He was an old man and had lost his eyesight. Khadijah said to him, "O my cousin! Listen to the story of your nephew." Waraqah asked, "O my nephew! What have you seen" Allah's Messenger ﷺ described what he saw. Waraqah said, "This is An-Namus whom Allah had sent to Musa. I wish I was young and could live until the time when your people would drive you out." Allah's Messenger ﷺ asked,
«أَوَ مُخْرِجِيَّ هُمْ؟»
(Will they drive me out) Waraqah replied in the affirmative and said, "Anyone who came with something similar to what you have brought, was treated with hostility and enmity; and if I should remain alive till that day then I would firmly support you." But Waraqah did not remain. He died and the revelation paused until Allah's Messenger ﷺ became sad according to what we were told. Due to this grief he set out a number of times with the intent of throwing himself from the mountain tops. However, every time he would reach the peak of a mountain to throw himself from it, Jibril would appear to him and say, "O Muhammad! You are truly the Messenger of Allah ﷺ!" Therefore, his worry would be eased, his soul would be settled and he would return (down from the mountain). Then, when the revelation did not come again for a long time, he set out as he had done before. So when he reached the peak of the mountain, Jibril appeared to him again and said to him the same as he had said before." This Hadith has been recorded in the Two Sahihs by way of Az-Zuhri. We have already discussed this Hadith's chain of narration, its text and its meanings at length in the beginning of our explanation of Sahih Al-Bukhari. Therefore, whoever would like to read it, it is researched there, and all praise and blessings are due to Allah. So the first thing that was revealed of the Qur'an were these noble and blessed Ayat. They are the first mercy that Allah bestowed upon His servants and the first bounty that Allah favored them with.
The Honor and Nobility of Man is in His Knowledge
These Ayat inform of the beginning of man's creation from a dangling clot, and that out of Allah's generosity He taught man that which he did not know. Thus, Allah exalted him and honored him by giving him knowledge, and it is the dignity that the Father of Humanity, Adam, was distinguished with over the angels. Knowledge sometimes is in the mind, sometimes on the tongue, and sometimes in writing with the fingers. Thus, it may be intellectual, spoken and written. And while the last (written) necessitates the first two (intellectual and spoken), the reverse is not true. For this reason Allah says,
اقْرَأْ وَرَبُّكَ الاٌّكْرَمُ - الَّذِى عَلَّمَ بِالْقَلَمِ - عَلَّمَ الإِنسَـنَ مَا لَمْ يَعْلَمْ
(Read! And your Lord is the Most Generous. Who has taught by the pen. He has taught man that which he knew not.) There is a narration that states, "Record knowledge by writing." There is also a saying which states, "Whoever acts according to what he knows, Allah will make him inherit knowledge that he did not know."
created man al-insān the generic from a blood-clot ‘alaq is the plural of ‘alaqa which is a small quantity of congealing blood.
اقرأ -أيها النبي- ما أُنزل إليك من القرآن مُفْتَتِحًا باسم ربك المتفرد بالخلق، الذي خلق كل إنسان من قطعة دم غليظ أحمر. اقرأ -أيها النبي- ما أُنزل إليك، وإن ربك لكثير الإحسان واسع الجود، الذي علَّم خلقه الكتابة بالقلم، علَّم الإنسان ما لم يكن يعلم، ونقله من ظلمة الجهل إلى نور العلم.
التنبيه على خلق الإنسان من علقة.
وجملة ( خَلَقَ الإنسان مِنْ عَلَقٍ ) بدل من قوله ( الذي خَلَقَ ) بدل بعض من كل ، إذ خلق الإِنسان بمثل جزءا من خلق المخلوقات التى لا يعلمها إلا الله .و " العلق " الدم الجامد ، وهو الطورالثانى من أطوار خلق الإِنسان .وقيل : العلق : مجموعة من الخلايا التى نشأت بطريقة الانقسام عن البويضة الملقحة ، وسمى " علقا " لتعلقه بجدار الرحم .والمقصود من هذه الجملة الكريمة بيان مظهر من مظاهر قدرته - تعالى - فكأنه - سبحانه - يقول : إن من كان قادراً على أن يخلق من الدم الجامد إنساناً يسمع ويرى ويعقل . . قادر - أيضاً - على أن يجعل منك - أيها الرسول الكريم - قارئاً ، وإن لم تسبق لك القراءة .وخص - سبحانه - خلق الإِنسان بالذكر ، لأنه أشرف المخلوقات ولأن فيه من بدائع الصنع والتدبير ما فيه .
ثم بين الذي خلق فقال: ( خَلَقَ الإنْسَانَ مِنْ عَلَقٍ ) يعني: من الدم، وقال: من علق؛ والمراد به من علقة، لأنه ذهب إلى الجمع، كما يقال: شجرة وشجر، وقصَبة وَقصَب، وكذلك علقة وعَلَق. وإنما قال: من علق والإنسان في لفظ واحد، لأنه في معنى جمع، وإن كان في لفظ واحد، فلذلك قيل: من عَلَق.
ثم فسره فقال: "خلق الإنسان" يعني خلق ابن آدم، "من علق"، جمع علقة.
خَلَقَ الْإِنْسَانَ مِنْ عَلَقٍ (2) ويجوز أن تكون بياناً من { الذي خلق } إذا قُدر لفعل { خلق } الأول مفعول دل عليه بيانه فيكون تقدير الكلام : اقرأ باسم ربك الذي خلق الإنسان من علق .وعدم ذكر مفعول لفعل { خلق } يجوز أن يكون لتنزيل الفعل منزلة اللازم ، أي الذي هو الخالق وأن يكون حذف المفعول لإرادة العموم ، أي خلق كل المخلوقات ، وأن يكون تقديره : الذي خلق الإنسان اعتماداً على ما يرد بعده من قوله { خلق الإنسان } ، فهذه معاننٍ في الآية .وخص خلق الإِنسان بالذكر من بين بقية المخلوقات لأنه المطَّرد في مقام الاستدلال إذ لا يَغفُلُ أحد من الناس عن نفسه ولا يخلو من أن يخطر له خاطر البحث عن الذي خلقه وأوجده ولذلك قال تعالى : { وفي أنفسكم أفلا تبصرون } [ الذاريات : 21 ] .وفيه تعريض بتحميق المشركين الذين ضلوا عن توحيد الله تعالى مع أن دليل الوحدانية قائم في أنفسهم .وفي قوله : { من علق } إشارة إلى ما ينطوي في أصل خَلْق الإِنسان من بديع الأطوار والصفات التي جعلته سلطانَ هذا العالم الأرضي .والعلق : اسم جمع عَلَقَة وهي قطعةٌ قَدرُ الأنملة من الدم الغليظ الجامد الباقي رطْباً لم يجفّ ، سمي بذلك تشبيهاً لها بدودةٍ صغيرة تسمَّى علقة ، وهي حمراء داكنة تكون في المياه الحلوة ، تمتص الدم من الحيوان إذا علق خرطومها بجلده وقد تدخل إلى فم الدابة وخاصة الخيل والبغال فتعلق بلهاته ولا يُتفطن لها .ومعنى : { خلق الإنسان من علق } أن نطفة الذكر ونطفة المرأة بعد الاختلاط ومضي مدة كافيَة تصيران علقةً فإذا صارت علقة فقد أخذت في أطوار التكوّن ، فجُعلت العلقة مبدأ الخلق ولم تُجعل النطفة مبدأ الخلق لأن النطفة اشتهرت في ماء الرجل فلو لم تخالطه نطفة المرأة لم تصر العلقة فلا يتخلق الجنين وفيه إشارة إلى أن خلق الإنسان من علق ثم مصيره إلى كمال أشده هو خلق ينطوي على قوى كامنة وقابليات عظيمة أقصاها قابلية العلم والكتابة .ومن إعجاز القرآن العلمي ذكر العلقة لأن الثابت في العلم الآن أن الإِنسان يتخلق من بويضة دقيقة جداً لا ترى إلا بالمرآة المكبِّرة أضعافاً تكون في مبدإ ظهورها كروية الشكل سابحة في دم حيض المرأة فلا تقبل التخلق حتى تخالطها نطفة الرجل فتمتزج معها فتأخذ في التخلق إذا لم يَعُقْها عائق كما قال تعالى :{ مخلقة وغير مخلقة } [ الحج : 5 ] ، فإذا أخذت في التخلق والنمو امتد تكورها قليلاً فشابهت العلقة التي في الماء مشابَهة تامة في دقة الجسم وتلونها بلون الدم الذي هي سابحة فيه وفي كونها سابحة في سائل كما تسبح العلقة ، وقد تقدم هذا في سورة غافر وأشرت إليه في المقدمة العاشرة .ومعنى حرف { مِن } الابتداء .وفعل { اقرأ } الثاني تأكيد ل { اقرأ } الأول للاهتمام بهذا الأمر .
وذكر ابتداء خلقه { مِنْ عَلَقٍ } فالذي خلق الإنسان واعتنى بتدبيره، لا بد أن يدبره بالأمر والنهي، وذلك بإرسال الرسول إليهم ، وإنزال الكتب عليهم، ولهذا ذكر بعد الأمر بالقراءة، خلقه للإنسان.
قوله تعالى : خلق الإنسان من علق[ ص: 107 ] قوله تعالى : خلق الإنسان يعني ابن آدم .من علق أي من دم ; جمع علقة ، والعلقة الدم الجامد ; وإذا جرى فهو المسفوح . وقال : من علق فذكره بلفظ الجمع ; لأنه أراد بالإنسان الجمع ، وكلهم خلقوا من علق بعد النطفة . والعلقة : قطعة من دم رطب ، سميت بذلك لأنها تعلق لرطوبتها بما تمر عليه ، فإذا جفت لم تكن علقة . قال الشاعر :تركناه يخر على يديه يمج عليهما علق الوتينوخص الإنسان بالذكر تشريفا له . وقيل : أراد أن يبين قدر نعمته عليه ، بأن خلقه من علقة مهينة ، حتى صار بشرا سويا ، وعاقلا مميزا .
The first five verses of this chapter were the very first verses which were revealed to the Prophet Muhammad. Almighty God created man out of ordinary material elements. Then He blessed him with the rare capacity to read and to understand the import of what he read. Then, man was given the additional capacity to use the pen and thus systematise and preserve his knowledge. While the capacity to read enables a man to acquire knowledge, the pen makes him capable of spreading this knowledge to others on a large scale. The ‘pen’ is a symbol of knowledge. In other words, through written words the believers are enjoined to acquire and spread the knowledge of the truth, wisdom and beauty of Islam. Today, spreading the word of God will be done by means of printed material and through other means of communication which includes the internet and the multimedia. Translations of the Quran in various languages, Islamic books and other printed material on Islam should be distributed as a part of dawah work on a large scale, so that the word of God reaches each and every home—big or small as predicted in a hadith (Musnad Ahmed). Thousands of men and women are dying every day without having had the message of God conveyed to them; without having had the opportunity to accept it, they have missed their chance of improving their lives in the Hereafter. In such a situation it is the solemn responsibility of the believers to desist from making excuses and seriously take up the mission of proclaiming the divine truth. The conveying of the message of Truth to everyone, the responsibility for which has been placed on the Muslims, is not like an optional subject, which you may either take up or leave off on some pretext. This is a responsibility of such a nature that it has to be discharged at all costs. Dawah, which in the Quran is called ‘warning and giving glad tidings’, is directly the mission of God. So that men might have no argument with God on the plea that they were unaware, this task was passed on to the believers themselves after the preservation of the Quran. This exigency has opened up the opportunity for man to perform this great divine task. Those who come forward to carry out this divine mission of dawah will receive special succour in this life and will be held deserving of great honour in the life Hereafter.
Verse [ 2] خَلَقَ الْإِنسَانَ مِنْ عَلَقٍ (Created man from a clot of blood.) The previous verse referred to the creation of macrocosm, the large or entire universe in general. In this verse, the phrase is khalaqa'l-insan which refers to the creation of microcosm 'the best, noblest or most honourable creation', Man. If analysed carefully, we notice that man is the epitome of macrocosm or the large universe. He is a small scale representation, analogue, or miniature of the large and complex universe. Another reason why man has been particularly mentioned is that the purpose of Prophet-hood, messenger-hood and revelation of the Qur'an is the implementation of Divine ordinances, injunctions and laws and acting upon them: This is the essential peculiarity of mankind. The word ` alaq, being the plural of 'alaqatun, means 'congealed blood'. The creation of man has passed and passes through various phases. His primordial creation is from the four major elements, that is, earth, water, fire and air. His procreation is from an insignificant and humble state, the sperm which then transforms into congealed blood. This is the primary state of the embryo which happens after the conception. Then it takes the shape of a lump of flesh and then the skeletal structure is created. 'Alaqah is the middle phase in the whole process of creation. The specific mention of ` alaqah covers the initial stage and the final stage of the process of creation.
(Createth man) i.e. the son of Adam (from a clot) and the Prophet (pbuh) said: �what shall I read?� And Gabriel read to him the first four verses of this surah.
Which was revealed in Makkah
This was the First of the Qur'an revealed
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
The Beginning of the Prophethood of Muhammad ﷺ and the First of the Qur'an revealed
Imam Ahmad recorded that `A'ishah said: The first thing that began happening with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ from the revelation was dreams that he would see in his sleep that would come true. He would not see any dream except that it would come true just like the (clearness of) the daybreak in the morning. Then seclusion became beloved to him. So, he used to go to the cave of Hira' and devote himself to worship there for a number of nights, and he would bring provisions for that. Then he would return to Khadijah and replenish his provisions for a similar number of nights. This continued until the revelation suddenly came to him while he was in the cave of Hira'. The angel came to him while he was in the cave and said, "Read!" The Messen- ger of Allah said,
«فَقُلْتُ: مَا أَنَا بِقَارِىء»
(I replied: "I am not one who reads.) Then he said, "So he (the angel) seized me and pressed me until I could no longer bear it. Then he released me and said: `Read!' So I replied: `I am not one who reads.' So, he pressed me a second time until I could no longer bear it. Then he released me and said:
اقْرَأْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ الَّذِى خَلَقَ
(Read in the Name of your Lord who has created.) until he reached the Ayah,
مَا لَمْ يَعْلَمْ
(That which he knew not. )" So he returned with them (those Ayat) and with his heart trembling until he came (home) to Khadijah, and he said,
«زَمِّلُونِي زَمِّلُونِي»
(Wrap me up, wrap me up!) So they wrapped him up until his fear went away. After that he told Khadijah everything that had happened (and said),
«قَدْ خَشِيتُ عَلَى نَفْسِي»
(I fear that something may happen to me.) Khadijah replied, "Never! By Allah, Allah will never disgrace you. You keep good relations with your relatives, you speak the truth, you help the poor and the destitute, you serve your guests generously, and you help the deserving, calamity afflicted people." Khadijah then accompanied him to her cousin Waraqah bin Nawfal bin Asad bin `Abdul-`Uzza bin Qusay, who, during the period of ignorance became a Christian and used to scribe the Scriptures in Arabic. He would write from the Injil in Hebrew as much as Allah willed for him to write. He was an old man and had lost his eyesight. Khadijah said to him, "O my cousin! Listen to the story of your nephew." Waraqah asked, "O my nephew! What have you seen" Allah's Messenger ﷺ described what he saw. Waraqah said, "This is An-Namus whom Allah had sent to Musa. I wish I was young and could live until the time when your people would drive you out." Allah's Messenger ﷺ asked,
«أَوَ مُخْرِجِيَّ هُمْ؟»
(Will they drive me out) Waraqah replied in the affirmative and said, "Anyone who came with something similar to what you have brought, was treated with hostility and enmity; and if I should remain alive till that day then I would firmly support you." But Waraqah did not remain. He died and the revelation paused until Allah's Messenger ﷺ became sad according to what we were told. Due to this grief he set out a number of times with the intent of throwing himself from the mountain tops. However, every time he would reach the peak of a mountain to throw himself from it, Jibril would appear to him and say, "O Muhammad! You are truly the Messenger of Allah ﷺ!" Therefore, his worry would be eased, his soul would be settled and he would return (down from the mountain). Then, when the revelation did not come again for a long time, he set out as he had done before. So when he reached the peak of the mountain, Jibril appeared to him again and said to him the same as he had said before." This Hadith has been recorded in the Two Sahihs by way of Az-Zuhri. We have already discussed this Hadith's chain of narration, its text and its meanings at length in the beginning of our explanation of Sahih Al-Bukhari. Therefore, whoever would like to read it, it is researched there, and all praise and blessings are due to Allah. So the first thing that was revealed of the Qur'an were these noble and blessed Ayat. They are the first mercy that Allah bestowed upon His servants and the first bounty that Allah favored them with.
The Honor and Nobility of Man is in His Knowledge
These Ayat inform of the beginning of man's creation from a dangling clot, and that out of Allah's generosity He taught man that which he did not know. Thus, Allah exalted him and honored him by giving him knowledge, and it is the dignity that the Father of Humanity, Adam, was distinguished with over the angels. Knowledge sometimes is in the mind, sometimes on the tongue, and sometimes in writing with the fingers. Thus, it may be intellectual, spoken and written. And while the last (written) necessitates the first two (intellectual and spoken), the reverse is not true. For this reason Allah says,
اقْرَأْ وَرَبُّكَ الاٌّكْرَمُ - الَّذِى عَلَّمَ بِالْقَلَمِ - عَلَّمَ الإِنسَـنَ مَا لَمْ يَعْلَمْ
(Read! And your Lord is the Most Generous. Who has taught by the pen. He has taught man that which he knew not.) There is a narration that states, "Record knowledge by writing." There is also a saying which states, "Whoever acts according to what he knows, Allah will make him inherit knowledge that he did not know."