Surah al-‘Alaq

It is called Surat Iqra’. There is no dispute regarding its Meccan nature; however, there is disagreement regarding the number of its verses. In the Hijazi count, it is twenty verses; in the Iraqi, nineteen; and in the Syrian, eighteen.

Regarding whether it was the first to be revealed: A majority hold the view that it is the first. Al-Tabarani recorded in his al-Kabir, with a chain of narration satisfying the conditions of the Sahih, from Abu Raja’ al-‘Utaridi, who said: "Abu Musa al-Ash’ari used to instruct us and seat us in a group while wearing two white garments. When he recited this Surah, 'Recite in the name of your Lord,' he said: 'This is the first Surah sent down upon Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.'" Al-Hakim in al-Mustadrak and al-Bayhaqi in al-Dala’il recorded a similar account from ‘A’ishah and authenticated it. Many others recorded from Mujahid that he said: "The first of what was revealed of the Qur'an was 'Recite in the name of your Lord,' then 'Nun. By the Pen'."

The two Shaykhs (al-Bukhari and Muslim) recorded from Abu Salamah ibn ‘Abd al-Rahman that he said: "I asked Jabir ibn ‘Abd Allah which part of the Qur'an was revealed first. He said: 'O you who are wrapped in blankets (al-Muddaththir).' I said: 'They say it is "Recite in the name of your Lord."' He said: 'I will tell you what the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, told us,' and he narrated the hadith as evidence for his claim." The predecessors responded to this with several answers that have already been mentioned.

It is also said that it was al-Fatihah, and this was argued for using a mursal (interrupted chain) hadith whose narrators are trustworthy; it was recorded by al-Bayhaqi in al-Dala’il and al-Wahidi via Yunus ibn Bukayr from Yunus ibn ‘Umar from his father from Abu Maysarah ‘Amr ibn Sharhabil. The response to this is that its contents could be interpreted as informing about what was revealed after Iqra’ and al-Muddaththir, especially since other reports are stronger in terms of their chain.

Jabir ibn Zayd asserted that the first revealed was Iqra’, then Nun, then al-Muzzammil, then al-Muddaththir, then al-Fatihah.

It is also said that the first revealed was the beginning of this Surah up to what Allah willed, while the Prophet was in the Cave of Hira’, and that the rest of it was revealed afterward, as Allah willed. This is the apparent meaning of what Imam Ahmad, the two Shaykhs, ‘Abd ibn Humayd, ‘Abd al-Razzaq, and others recorded via Ibn Shihab from ‘Urwah ibn al-Zubayr from ‘A’ishah in the hadith of the Bad’ al-Wahy (Beginning of Revelation). It states: "Then he seized me and squeezed me until I reached the point of exhaustion, then he released me and said: 'Recite in the name of your Lord who created. He created man from a clinging substance. Recite, and your Lord is the Most Generous, who taught by the pen, taught man that which he knew not.' The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, returned with it, his heart trembling..." until she said: "Then Waraqah died, and the revelation ceased."

In the latter part of this report, they narrate that Ibn Shihab said: "Abu Salamah informed me from Jabir ibn ‘Abd Allah al-Ansari, who was speaking about the period of the cessation of revelation, saying in his hadith: 'While I was walking, I heard a voice from the sky. I raised my eyes, and there was the angel who had come to me at Hira’, sitting on a chair between the sky and the earth. I was terrified of him, so I returned and said: "Wrap me up." Then Allah the Exalted revealed: "O you who are wrapped in blankets, arise and warn. And your Lord magnify. And your garments purify. And avoid the idols."'" Thus, the revelation resumed and continued. From this, the weakness of the argument that Surat al-Muddaththir was the first revealed, based on the aforementioned narration from Jabir, becomes apparent to one who studies it—as we have already mentioned at the beginning of Surat al-Muddaththir—due to his statement "while he was speaking about the period of the cessation of revelation," his statement "the angel who had come to me at Hira’," and his statement "the revelation resumed and continued" (i.e., after its cessation).

In sum, the correct view, as some have said—and it is the one chosen—is that the beginning of this noble Surah is the absolute first of the Qur'an to be revealed. How could it be otherwise, when the hadith of the Bad’ al-Wahy narrated from ‘A’ishah is among the most authentic of hadiths, and it says: "The angel came to him and said: 'Recite.' I said: 'I am not a reciter.' Then he seized me and squeezed me until I reached the point of exhaustion," etc. The apparent meaning is that the "not" (in "I am not a reciter") is a negation of ability. Al-Nawawi said: "This is the correct view," for this state is only conceivable at the very beginning; otherwise, the refusal would be among the gravest of sins. This aligns with what the Imams mentioned in the chapter on the delay of clarification, and we shall point to it, God willing.

In al-Kashf, the view is held that Jabir’s statement refers to a complete Surah. In Sharh Sahih Muslim, it states: "The truth is that the first revealed was Iqra’—meaning absolutely—and the first revealed after the cessation of revelation was al-Muddaththir. As for the claim of those commentators who said the first revealed was al-Fatihah, its falsehood is more apparent than to be mentioned." The complete discussion on this matter is to be sought in its proper place, and Allah the Exalted knows best.

When He, the Exalted, mentioned in Surat al-Tin the creation of man in the best of stature, He, Mighty and Majestic is He, clarified here that He created man from a clinging substance (‘alaq). Thus, what preceded acts as an explanation of the formal cause (al-‘illah al-suriyyah), and this acts as an explanation of the material cause (al-‘illah al-maddiyyah). He, the Exalted, also mentioned here regarding his states in the Hereafter what is more detailed than what He, Mighty and Majestic is He, mentioned there. He, the Exalted, said:

Al-ʿAlaq: (1) Read in the name of your Lord...

"Read": that is, read what is revealed to you of the Qur’an. The object is implied due to the context of the situation, as has been stated. It is not the case that the verb is treated as if it were intransitive, nor is its object the statement of the Almighty "in the name of your Lord" (bi-smi Rabbika) on the basis that the ba is redundant, as Abu Ubaidah claimed—asserting that the meaning is "mention your Lord." Rather, it is original, and its meaning is that of accompaniment (mulabasa). It is connected to the verb itself, or to an implied term that functions as a state (hal), as has been narrated from Qatada. The meaning is: Read, starting or commencing with the name of your Lord; that is, say "In the name of Allah," then read. This is clear evidence that if he were to commence with other than His name—Exalted and Majestic is He—he would not be fulfilling the command.

From this, it has been argued that the Basmala (the phrase Bismillah) is part of every surah. There is academic dispute regarding this, as there is regarding the argument that it is not part of the Qur’an based on the principle of opposition; for a proponent could say that it specifies the Qur’an (whose object is implied) by something other than itself. Some have argued that it is not part of the Qur’an at the beginning of the surahs because it is not mentioned in the authentic traditions of the beginning of the revelation which recount the manner in which these verses descended. This is what al-Nawawi—may mercy be upon him—conveyed. He then stated: The response of those who affirm it is that it did not descend first, but rather descended at another time, just as the rest of the surah descended. This, however, contradicts what al-Wahidi transmitted from Ikrimah and al-Hasan, both of whom said: "The first of the Qur’an to descend was In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful, and the first surah was 'Read'." It also contradicts what Ibn Jarir and others transmitted via the chain of al-Dahhak from Ibn Abbas, who said: "When Gabriel—peace be upon him—first descended upon the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—he said: 'O Muhammad, seek refuge, then say: In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful'." The opinion that it is the first to descend is counted as one of the opinions regarding the identification of what was first revealed of the Qur’an. Jalal al-Suyuti said: "This opinion is not considered, in my view, as a distinct opinion in itself, for it is a necessity of the revelation of the surah that the Basmala descends with it; thus, it is the first verse to descend absolutely." There is a manifest refutation of this, as is not hidden.

It is permissible that the ba denotes seeking aid (isti'ana), connected to the verb or to an implied term functioning as a state. The interpretation of accompaniment (mulabasa) is preferred because it is free from the implication that His name—Exalted is He—is an instrument for something else. What relates to this has preceded at the beginning of the book.

Furthermore, there is no burdening with the impossible in the aforementioned command, whether the command implies immediacy or not, because he—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—knew that what was revealed to him was the Qur’an; thus, he is the one tasked with reciting it. There is no obstacle in the fact that "Read..." etc., is something he is commanded to recite, for the command to recite it is truthfully applied to him. This is just as you would say to a person: "Listen to what I say to you," for he is also commanded to listen to this very utterance.

A group of jurists (the Usulis) have mentioned that this is an elucidation of what was commanded in the statement of Gabriel—peace be upon him—"Read," as mentioned in the agreed-upon tradition of the beginning of the revelation. Al-Amidi, when mentioning the evidences for the permissibility of delaying the elucidation beyond the time of the address—a position held by a group of the Hanafis and others—said: Among the evidences is what has been narrated: that Gabriel—peace be upon him—said to the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—"Read." He replied: "What shall I read?" He repeated it to him three times, then said to him: "Read in the name of your Lord who created." This is the elucidation of what he was commanded to do initially, despite its brevity, until after three times of Gabriel's command and the Prophet's questioning, despite the possibility of its elucidation initially. This is evidence for the permissibility of delay—up to the end of what he said. The questions and answers therein do not concern our objective.

It is not hidden that the fact that this is an elucidation of the intent in the manner we have mentioned is clear. However, that it is such by making "Read in the name of your Lord" to the end of the revelation, or "In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful" (as al-Jalal claimed), serve as the object of the "Read" repeated in the speech of Gabriel—this is something I do not think any Usuli would say. Similar is the view that it is such by interpreting the verse according to what you heard from Abu Ubaidah. As for basing the argument on some of the reports that Gabriel—peace be upon him—came to the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—while he was at Hira with a piece of brocade on which was written "Read in the name of your Lord up to what he did not know," and said to him, "Read," and he replied, "I am not a reader," then he said "Read in the name of your Lord"—whereby "Read..." etc., serves as an elucidation and a recitation by Gabriel of what was on the descended brocade, due to the lack of knowledge of what was in it—even if it were witnessed, it would be in the position of the ambiguous (mujmal) that is not known. Its state is not hidden, so contemplate it. Furthermore, there is what there is in the speech of al-Amidi regarding the transmission of the report, so do not be heedless.

The invocation of the title of Lordship (Rububiyya)—which signifies cultivation and guidance to the appropriate perfection little by little—along with its attribution to his pronoun—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—is to signal his reaching the ultimate limit of human perfection through the sending down of the successive revelation. The description of the Lord by the words of the Almighty "who created" is to remind him—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—of the first of the bounties overflowing upon him from Him—Glory be to Him—along with the notification of His power—Exalted is He—to teach reading in the most subtle way. It has been said it is to emphasize that no one other than Him—Exalted is He—is intended by the title "Lord," for the Arabs used to call idols lords, but they did not attribute creation to them. The verb is either treated as if it were intransitive (i.e., He who possesses creation) or its object is implied as general (i.e., He who created everything). The first also implies generality. Thus, according to both views, there is a reason for specifically mentioning man in the words of the Almighty...