بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ ٱقْرَأْ بِٱسْمِ رَبِّكَ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ

READ in the name of thy Sustainer, who has-

خَلَقَ ٱلْإِنسَٰنَ مِنْ عَلَقٍ

created man out of a germ-cell

ٱقْرَأْ وَرَبُّكَ ٱلْأَكْرَمُ

Read - for thy Sustainer is the Most Bountiful One

ٱلَّذِى عَلَّمَ بِٱلْقَلَمِ

who has taught [man] the use of the pen –

عَلَّمَ ٱلْإِنسَٰنَ مَا لَمْ يَعْلَمْ

taught man what he did not know!

كَلَّآ إِنَّ ٱلْإِنسَٰنَ لَيَطْغَىٰٓ

Nay, verily, man becomes grossly overweening

أَن رَّءَاهُ ٱسْتَغْنَىٰٓ

whenever he believes himself to be self-sufficient:

إِنَّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ ٱلرُّجْعَىٰٓ

for, behold, unto thy Sustainer all must return.

أَرَءَيْتَ ٱلَّذِى يَنْهَىٰ

HAST THOU ever considered him who tries to prevent

عَبْدًا إِذَا صَلَّىٰٓ

a servant [of God] from praying?

أَرَءَيْتَ إِن كَانَ عَلَى ٱلْهُدَىٰٓ

Hast thou considered whether he is on the right way,

أَوْ أَمَرَ بِٱلتَّقْوَىٰٓ

or is concerned with God-consciousness?

أَرَءَيْتَ إِن كَذَّبَ وَتَوَلَّىٰٓ

Hast thou considered whether he may [not] be giving the lie to the truth and turning his back [upon it]?

أَلَمْ يَعْلَم بِأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَرَىٰ

Does he, then, not know that God sees [all]?

كَلَّا لَئِن لَّمْ يَنتَهِ لَنَسْفَعًۢا بِٱلنَّاصِيَةِ

Nay, if he desist not, We shall most surely drag him down upon his forehead

نَاصِيَةٍۢ كَٰذِبَةٍ خَاطِئَةٍۢ

the lying, rebellious forehead! –

فَلْيَدْعُ نَادِيَهُۥ

and then let him summon [to his aid] the counsels of his own [spurious] wisdom,

سَنَدْعُ ٱلزَّبَانِيَةَ

[the while] We shall summon the forces of heavenly chastisement!

كَلَّا لَا تُطِعْهُ وَٱسْجُدْ وَٱقْتَرِب ۩

Nay, pay thou no heed to him, but prostrate thyself [before God] and draw close [unto Him]!