alAlaq

Al-Alaq, also transliterated Al-‘Alaq and meaning The Clot, is the 96th chapter (surah) of the Qur'an and is composed of 19 verses. The name refers to the opening lines describing the creation of man from a clot of congealed blood. In Islamic tradition, Al-Alaq is regarded as having been the first revealed portion of the Qur'an, delivered by the angel Gabriel to the Prophet Muhammad at the Cave of Hira near Mecca around 610 CE during the early Meccan period.

The surah begins with an imperative to read in the name of the Lord who created, and goes on to describe humanity's creation from a clot and the primacy of knowledge, taught by the pen. The later verses warn against arrogance and forgetting the Creator, emphasizing that God is All-Knowing and All-Powerful and that humans are dependent on divine guidance.

Scholarly and devotional reception: Al-Alaq is among the early Meccan surahs and is frequently cited for its emphasis on revelation, literacy, and humility before God. In the Qur'an's canonical order it appears as the 96th surah, but the order of revelation across chapters differs from the arrangement in print. It remains a standard part of Qur'anic recitation, study, and exegesis, and is used to illustrate the Prophet Muhammad's earliest message regarding creation, knowledge, and accountability before God.