Surah Al-‘Alaq — Part 1

Ayahs 1–10 · word-by-word grammatical analysis Read the bilingual lesson for Surah Al-‘Alaq — Part 1 and test your understanding with a focused quiz.

Lesson

1. Surah Al-‘Alaq · Ayah 1

ٱقْرَأْ بِٱسْمِ رَبِّكَ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ ۝١ Sentence structure ٱقْرَأْ is an imperative with understood subject ‘you’. بِٱسْمِ رَبِّكَ is a genitive phrase linked to it; ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ describes the Lord through a relative clause. Ayah summary Read in the name of your Lord who created. ٱقْرَأْ — Read Grammar: A masculine-singular imperative with understood subject أَنْتَ. بِٱسْمِ — in the name Grammar: بِ is a preposition; ٱسْمِ is genitive and annexed onward. This phrase is linked to «ٱقْرَأْ» through an omitted circumstantial element. رَبِّكَ — your Lord Grammar: A genitive complement; attached كَ is its possessive complement. ٱلَّذِى — who Grammar: A masculine-singular relative noun describing رَبِّكَ. خَلَقَ — created Grammar: A third-person masculine-singular perfect with understood subject.

2. Surah Al-‘Alaq · Ayah 2

خَلَقَ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ مِنْ عَلَقٍ ۝٢ Sentence structure خَلَقَ has an understood subject; ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ is its object and مِنْ عَلَقٍ a genitive phrase linked to the verb. Ayah summary Allah created the human being from a clinging substance. خَلَقَ — He created Grammar: A third-person masculine-singular perfect with understood subject. ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ — the human Grammar: A defined masculine accusative object of خَلَقَ. مِنْ — from Grammar: A preposition. This phrase is linked to «خَلَقَ». عَلَقٍ — a clinging substance Grammar: An indefinite masculine genitive noun after مِنْ.

3. Surah Al-‘Alaq · Ayah 3

ٱقْرَأْ وَرَبُّكَ ٱلْأَكْرَمُ ۝٣ Sentence structure ٱقْرَأْ repeats the imperative. رَبُّكَ is a nominative subject and ٱلْأَكْرَمُ its nominative adjective; the predicate is understood. Ayah summary Read, for your Lord is the Most Generous. ٱقْرَأْ — Read Grammar: A masculine-singular imperative with understood subject. وَرَبُّكَ — and your Lord Grammar: وَ is resumptive; رَبُّ is nominative subject and كَ possessive. The predicate is omitted here. ٱلْأَكْرَمُ — the Most Generous Grammar: A defined masculine nominative elative adjective of رَبُّكَ.

4. Surah Al-‘Alaq · Ayah 4

ٱلَّذِى عَلَّمَ بِٱلْقَلَمِ ۝٤ Sentence structure ٱلَّذِى continues the description; عَلَّمَ is its relative clause and بِٱلْقَلَمِ a genitive phrase linked to the verb. Ayah summary Allah taught knowledge through the pen. ٱلَّذِى — who Grammar: A masculine-singular relative noun continuing the description. عَلَّمَ — taught Grammar: A Form II third-person masculine-singular perfect with understood subject. بِٱلْقَلَمِ — by the pen Grammar: بِ is a preposition and the defined masculine noun is genitive. This phrase is linked to «عَلَّمَ».

5. Surah Al-‘Alaq · Ayah 5

عَلَّمَ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ مَا لَمْ يَعْلَمْ ۝٥ Sentence structure عَلَّمَ takes ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ as object. Relative مَا is a further object and لَمْ يَعْلَمْ its negative relative clause. Ayah summary He taught the human being what he did not know. عَلَّمَ — He taught Grammar: A Form II perfect with understood subject. ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ — the human Grammar: A defined masculine accusative object. مَا — what Grammar: A relative noun functioning as an object; its clause follows. لَمْ — did not Grammar: A negative particle that jussivizes the following imperfect. يَعْلَمْ — he knew Grammar: A third-person masculine-singular imperfect, jussive after لَمْ, with understood subject.

6. Surah Al-‘Alaq · Ayah 6

كَلَّآ إِنَّ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ لَيَطْغَىٰٓ ۝٦ Sentence structure كَلَّآ is a deterrent particle. إِنَّ governs accusative ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ; emphatic لَ precedes its verbal predicate يَطْغَىٰٓ. Ayah summary The truth is that the human being becomes rebellious. كَلَّآ — No indeed Grammar: A deterrent and rebuke particle. إِنَّ — indeed Grammar: An accusative particle of emphasis. ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ — the human Grammar: The defined masculine accusative noun of إِنَّ. لَيَطْغَىٰٓ — surely transgresses Grammar: لَ emphasizes; the third-person masculine-singular imperfect has understood subject.

7. Surah Al-‘Alaq · Ayah 7

أَن رَّءَاهُ ٱسْتَغْنَىٰٓ ۝٧ Sentence structure أَن introduces the cause. رَّءَاهُ has understood subject and attached object هُ; ٱسْتَغْنَىٰٓ is its second object clause here. Ayah summary This happens because he considers himself self-sufficient. أَن — because Grammar: A subordinating particle introducing a causal clause. رَّءَاهُ — he sees himself Grammar: A third-person masculine-singular perfect; subject is understood and هُ is object. ٱسْتَغْنَىٰٓ — self-sufficient Grammar: A Form X third-person masculine-singular perfect, linked as the second object of seeing. Its subject is the hidden pronoun «هُوَ».

8. Surah Al-‘Alaq · Ayah 8

إِنَّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ ٱلرُّجْعَىٰٓ ۝٨ Sentence structure إِنَّ emphasizes the clause. إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ is the fronted predicate and ٱلرُّجْعَىٰٓ its delayed accusative noun. Ayah summary Surely everyone must return to your Lord alone. إِنَّ — indeed Grammar: An accusative particle of emphasis. إِلَىٰ — to Grammar: A preposition introducing the fronted predicate phrase. رَبِّكَ — your Lord Grammar: A genitive noun after إِلَىٰ; كَ is possessive. ٱلرُّجْعَىٰٓ — the return Grammar: A defined feminine delayed noun of إِنَّ, morphologically accusative.

9. Surah Al-‘Alaq · Ayah 9

أَرَءَيْتَ ٱلَّذِى يَنْهَىٰ ۝٩ Sentence structure Interrogative أَ precedes رَءَيْتَ. ٱلَّذِى is its object and يَنْهَىٰ the relative clause. Ayah summary Have you seen the person who prevents worship? أَرَءَيْتَ — Have you seen Grammar: أَ is interrogative; the perfect has attached subject تَ. ٱلَّذِى — the one who Grammar: A masculine-singular relative noun functioning as object. يَنْهَىٰ — forbids Grammar: A third-person masculine-singular imperfect with understood subject, forming the relative clause.

10. Surah Al-‘Alaq · Ayah 10

عَبْدًا إِذَا صَلَّىٰٓ ۝١٠ Sentence structure عَبْدًا is the object of يَنْهَىٰ from the preceding ayah. إِذَا صَلَّىٰٓ is a temporal clause. Ayah summary He prevents a servant of Allah from praying. عَبْدًا — a servant Grammar: An indefinite masculine accusative object of preceding يَنْهَىٰ. إِذَا — when Grammar: A temporal adverb introducing its clause. صَلَّىٰٓ — he prays Grammar: A Form II third-person masculine-singular perfect with understood subject.

Practice questions

Question 1

ٱقْرَأْ بِٱسْمِ رَبِّكَ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ ۝١ What kind of verb is ٱقْرَأْ?

  • Imperative
  • Perfect
  • Passive imperfect
  • Participle

Question 2

خَلَقَ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ مِنْ عَلَقٍ ۝٢ What is ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ with خَلَقَ?

  • Subject
  • Object
  • Predicate
  • Genitive noun

Question 3

ٱقْرَأْ وَرَبُّكَ ٱلْأَكْرَمُ ۝٣ What is ٱلْأَكْرَمُ?

  • Accusative object
  • Genitive adjective
  • Nominative adjective
  • Jussive verb

Question 4

ٱلَّذِى عَلَّمَ بِٱلْقَلَمِ ۝٤ What is بِٱلْقَلَمِ?

  • Subject
  • Object
  • Predicate
  • Genitive phrase

Question 5

عَلَّمَ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ مَا لَمْ يَعْلَمْ ۝٥ What does لَمْ do to يَعْلَمْ?

  • Makes it jussive
  • Makes it accusative
  • Makes it genitive
  • Makes it imperative

Question 6

كَلَّآ إِنَّ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ لَيَطْغَىٰٓ ۝٦ What is ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ after إِنَّ?

  • Predicate
  • Accusative noun of Inna
  • Subject
  • Genitive complement

Question 7

أَن رَّءَاهُ ٱسْتَغْنَىٰٓ ۝٧ What is attached هُ in رَّءَاهُ?

  • Subject
  • Predicate
  • Object
  • Possessor

Question 8

إِنَّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ ٱلرُّجْعَىٰٓ ۝٨ What is إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ in this clause?

  • Object
  • Subject
  • Adjective
  • Fronted predicate phrase

Question 9

أَرَءَيْتَ ٱلَّذِى يَنْهَىٰ ۝٩ What is ٱلَّذِى with أَرَءَيْتَ?

  • Object
  • Subject
  • Predicate
  • Adverb

Question 10

عَبْدًا إِذَا صَلَّىٰٓ ۝١٠ What is عَبْدًا with the preceding يَنْهَىٰ?

  • Subject
  • Object
  • Predicate
  • Genitive noun

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