Commentary on the Koran: Surah 96 (No. Q096)

Pickthall Translation; Bible Quotes are from the English Standard Version unless otherwise noted.

Introduction

Al-‘Alaq takes its name from a word in verse 2 which refers to the origin of the creation of man.

The first five verses were revealed by the Angel Gabriel to the Prophet at Hira in 611, six months before the Public mission of the Prophet and the council of the church as the Muhammad began with Surah 74. The preparation of the church was over a time, times and half a time from the beginning of the sacred year of 608 which was the Third year of the Fourth Cycle of the Jubilee to the feast of 611 CE. The church under Messiah began with the Holy Spirit given at Pentecost, fifty days after the death and resurrection of the Messiah. The Holy Spirit was granted in the Third year of the First Cycle of the 81^st jubilee.

The rest of the verses from 6-19 were given later.

It is a Very Early Beccan Surah and the first to the Church at Becca. The texts are explained in the Chronology of the Qur’an or Koran (No. Q001B).

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96.1. Read: In the name of thy Lord Who createth,

96.2. Createth man from a clot.

Refer to:

Revelation 4:11 in Commentary on the Koran: Surah 21 (No. Q021) at ayat 20; Psalm 139:13-16 in Commentary on the Koran: Surah 41 (No. Q041) at ayat 54 and Job 10:9-11 in Commentary on the Koran: Surah 52 (No. Q052) at ayat 37.

Job 10:12 You have granted me life and steadfast love, and your care has preserved my spirit.

96.3. Read: And thy Lord is the Most Bounteous,

Refer to Philippians 4:19 in Commentary on the Koran: Surah 28 (No. Q028) at ayat 57.

Proverbs 3:9-10 Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce; ¹⁰then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine.

Psalm 144:13-15 may our granaries be full, providing all kinds of produce; may our sheep bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our fields; ¹⁴may our cattle be heavy with young, suffering no mishap or failure in bearing; may there be no cry of distress in our streets! ¹⁵Blessed are the people to whom such blessings fall! Blessed are the people whose God is the LORD!

James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

96.4. Who teacheth by the pen,

96.5. Teacheth man that which he knew not.

So the revelation was given to the Prophet who had to learn to read and write so that he could understand the word of God from the Scriptures and so that he could also write the revelation down in the Arab tongue. The primary task was to educate them in the Scriptures so they could be understood.

Refer to John 16:13 in Commentary on the Koran: Surah 27 (No. Q027) at ayat 2.

Psalm 94:10 He who disciplines the nations, does he not rebuke? He who teaches man knowledge,

Proverbs 2:6 For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding;

Isaiah 11:2 And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.

Isaiah 28:9-10 “To whom will he teach knowledge, and to whom will he explain the message? Those who are weaned from the milk, those taken from the breast? ¹⁰For it is precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little.”

Isaiah 28:26 For he is rightly instructed; his God teaches him.

Deuteronomy 5:31-33 But you, stand here by me, and I will tell you the whole commandment and the statutes and the rules that you shall teach them, that they may do them in the land that I am giving them to possess.’ ³²You shall be careful therefore to do as the LORD your God has commanded you. You shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. ³³You shall walk in all the way that the LORD your God has commanded you, that you may live, and that it may go well with you, and that you may live long in the land that you shall possess.

The next sequence is revealed and added at a much later day over the rebelliousness of the Arabs.

96.6. Nay, but verily man is rebellious

96.7. That he thinketh himself independent!

Refer to Nehemiah 9:26 in Commentary on the Koran: Surah 35 (No. Q035) at ayat 26.

Jeremiah 5:23 But this people has a stubborn and rebellious heart; they have turned aside and gone away.

Jeremiah 7:24 But they did not obey or incline their ear, but walked in their own counsels and the stubbornness of their evil hearts, and went backward and not forward.

Jeremiah 16:12 and because you have done worse than your fathers, for behold, every one of you follows his stubborn, evil will, refusing to listen to me.

Ecclesiastes 9:3 This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that the same event happens to all. Also, the hearts of the children of man are full of evil, and madness is in their hearts while they live, and after that they go to the dead.

1John 4:6 We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

96.8. Lo! unto thy Lord is the return.

Refer to:

Hebrews 9:27 in Commentary on the Koran: Surah 17 (No. Q017) at ayat 18; Ecclesiastes 12:7 in Commentary on the Koran: Surah 19 (No. Q019) at ayat 40; Daniel 12:2 in Commentary on the Koran: Surah 24 (No. Q024) at ayat 42 and 1Corinthians 15:28 in Commentary on the Koran: Surah 60 (No. Q060) at ayat 4.

96.9. Hast thou seen him who dissuadeth

96.10. A slave when he prayeth?

96.11. Hast thou seen if he relieth on the guidance (of Allah)

96.12. Or enjoineth piety?

96.13. Hast thou seen if he denieth (Allah's guidance) and is froward?

Refer to:

Romans 1:18 in Commentary on the Koran: Surah 18 (No. Q018) at ayat 59; 2Corinthians 4:4 in Commentary on the Koran: Surah 43 (No. Q043) at ayat 39 and Romans 9:18 in Commentary on the Koran: Surah 48 (No. Q048) at ayat 14.

Romans 3:11-12 no one understands; no one seeks for God. ¹²All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.”

Psalm 119:115 Depart from me, you evildoers, that I may keep the commandments of my God.

Proverbs 10:17 Whoever heeds instruction is on the path to life, but he who rejects reproof leads others astray.

Isaiah 3:12 My people—infants are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, your guides mislead you and they have swallowed up the course of your paths.

Isaiah 9:16 for those who guide this people have been leading them astray, and those who are guided by them are swallowed up.

96.14. Is he then unaware that Allah seeth?

Refer to:

Jeremiah 23:24 in Commentary on the Koran: Surah 24 (No. Q024) at ayat 18; Psalm 94:9 in Commentary on the Koran: Surah 27 (No. Q027) at ayat 2 and Job 28:24 in Commentary on the Koran: Surah 29 (No.Q029) at ayat 8.

96.15. Nay, but if he cease not We will seize him by the forelock -

96.16. The lying, sinful forelock –

96.17. Then let him call upon his henchmen!

The lying sinful forelock is the hair that covers the false marks of prostration with which the Arabs mutilate their foreheads so as to appear pious in prayer as though they rub it in prostration on the prayer mats of their houses of worship.

Refer to:

Deuteronomy 32:39 in Commentary on the Koran: Surah 30 (No. Q030) at ayat 40;Jeremiah 9:23 in Commentary on the Koran: Surah 51 (No. Q051) at ayat 40 and Psalm 49:7 in Commentary on the Koran: Surah 57 (No. Q057) at ayat 15.

Isaiah 22:17 Behold, the LORD will hurl you away violently, O you strong man. He will seize firm hold on you,

Isaiah 43:13 Also henceforth I am he; there is none who can deliver from my hand; I work, and who can turn it back?”

96.18. We will call the guards of hell.

96.19. Nay, Obey not thou him. But prostrate thyself, and draw near (unto Allah).

Here 19 is the number of immediate judgment.

Refer to Proverbs 21:30 in Commentary on the Koran: Surah 30 (No. Q030) at ayat 27.

James 4:8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

Psalm 145:18 The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.

1Peter 5:6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you,

Those who rebel are consigned to the grave to await the Second Resurrection.

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