Exegesis of Al-Alaq (Q. 96)

In the Name of Allah the Most Merciful the Most Gracious...
I asked my father about the exegesis of the statement: {Recite in the Name of thy Lord who created. He created human beings from a clinging thing...}
{Recite} means that he should recite it. {...in the Name of thy Lord} means:
He is commanded to recite by it, which is saying: Bismillah ar-Rahmān ar-Rahīm.
He is to begin with it as a means of instruction for every sūrah when he recites.
{...thy Lord} is: Allah, the Creator who created from a clinging thing, humankind.
{...clinging thing...} refers to a clinging red blood clot that shines with red.
Allah, Glorified be He, mentions it as a blood clot that hangs from overhead.
He created all humankind this way, with the exception of Adam and Eve.
Eve was created from Adam, and Adam—from the dust, he was conceived.
Adam and Eve were not extracted from an ancestry line or human lineage
Like those other than them who were extracted from ancestry or heritage.
However, both of their beginnings were by Allah and without human source.
It was without father or mother and between variation and difference of course
In manufacturing, nature, and creation. When He created Adam from earth
And creates his offspring {from a clinging thing}, it is of amazing worth!
It‟s a proof of the Creator‟s Power, for He creates what He wills from creation
And that His Power in what He creates is one, not sporadic or with differentiation.
As He, glorified be He, says: {Verily, when We desire something, We only say to a thing "Be" and it becomes} (Q. 16:40).
The Glorified informs that an existent cannot differ with Him in His Ability.
In all of such, His Power does not alter, but creation alters in changeability.
Then, the Exalted commands His Messenger to recite in His Name.
This is twice. All of such is, in its meaning and intention, the same.
It is a repetition, not individuation in increasing orders and attention;
An increase in mercy, blessings, knowledge, orders, and comprehension.
All of Allah‟s words increase and decrease, which is plain to see.
In the statements of Allah, there are neither curiosities nor invalidity.
There‟s no similarity to Allah‟s statements in wisdom and clarity.
{Recite! Thy Lord is Most Generous who taught by the Pen that which humans didn‟t know}
All of that which He taught is by sight, hearing, and the inner mind
What earns Allah‟s pleasure, wrath, guidance and deviance in kind.
As He, glorified be He, says: {Allah extracted thee from the bellies of thy mothers and thou didst not know a thing. He made for thee sight, hearing, and inner minds so that thou can be grateful} (Q. 16:78).
By what Allah has made for you of inner mind, you know and have intellect.
By what He made for you of sight and hearing, you see and hear in that respect.
Blessed be Allah, the best of creators and the provider of intellect and other things.
He is the Teacher by {the Pen} and other than that from what knowledge brings.
It is not that by which one writes or transcribes. The learned one is taught,
As well as other than them; whether one has the ability to write or not.
He teaches by creation, letters, or transactions. Allah makes one understand.
Had it not been for a word from Allah, one would not accrue any knowledge at hand.
Similar is the case with the bestowal of inspiration to a child, beast, or bird
To feed oneself, to protect oneself from attack, or stay away from that which injures.
Allah inspires them with gnosis to be wary and take precaution from detriment.
The meaning of {Thy Lord is Most Generous} is: Allah is Kind and Munificent.
That which is a blessing is connected to Him and generosity of knowledge sought.
From Allah to His Messenger, the knowledge of religion and Divine Law was taught.
Though he did not write with a pen, nor did he transcribe with his right hand a thing;
Allah made him the leader of all imams. Those with him in life and death, engaged in writing.
He was a leader and teacher for them out of Allah‟s goodwill, and gathered in them
The knowledge and wisdom of old and made it clear. Allah says in His Criterion:
{Thou hast not recited to them any book before this, nor didst thou transcribe with thy right hand lest the invalidators have reason for doubt} (Q. 29:48).
This is sufficient. All praise is due to Allah for making things appear correct;
As well as for making the evidence manifest for the people of right intellect!
{Indeed} has an explanation
Which means: Yes and an affirmation.
{Verily, Humankind oversteps bounds when they see themselves as being completely independent}
The meaning of {oversteps bounds} is: becomes presumptuous and exceeds.
The meaning of {see themselves as completely independent} is when one sees
Oneself as rich due to accumulation of knowledge and riches. One doesn‟t deem
That one is in need of anything else or acts haughtily in every situation one perceives.
{Verily to thy Lord is thy return}
This means: to Allah by the rising from the dead and Day of Resurrection.
Then, the Glorified says to His Messenger, upon him and his progeny be blessings:
{Hast thou seen the one who prevents a slave when he prays? Hast thou seen if he is upon guidance or commands towards God-consciousness?}
{Hast thou seen} means: Have you and those with you observed the one
Who prays and commands creation to what pleases Allah in actions done,
Seeks closeness to Allah, and follows the correct in guidance and conformity.
Is it not that the one that prevents from that is cursed by Allah and ignominy?
Similarly, every slave of Allah is called to God-consciousness and the sublime.
Muhammad, upon him be peace, used to pray seeking the pleasure of the Divine,
And he used to command others to fear of Him and to God-consciousness.
All of such is praiseworthy and doing such for Allah is considered righteousness.
The Glorified says to His Messenger, upon him and his family be salutations:
{Hast thou seen if he has belied and turned away?} Regarding its interpretation:
Have you seen the one who has belied after it was established and turned away
From that which he has knowledge of. It is not for one to prevent a slave to pray.
To command one to proper guidance is to command to God-consciousness‟ way.
{Does he not know...}; that is, the one that does such; {...that Allah sees...}.
So, he should fear Allah‟s Threat and Compensation for what he did of deeds.
Allah‟s "seeing" is: Allah‟s knowing the one who prevents the slave from prayer.
This refers to the preventing of Muhammad and his Companions from praying there,
As well as from commanding to God-consciousness the people of virtue, right,
And uprightness. Allah knows the one who prevented him from such is without right
And committing a grave offence by what is realized by knowledge of Allah‟s command.
The Glorified states: {Certainly! If he does not cease...} from acting by oppressive hand,
{...We shall seize him}: We will take him {...by his forelock}.
And {forelock} denotes: the uppermost portion of the head‟s top.
Then He, Glorified be He, says: {...that lying forelock, sinning!}
Preventing him from praying and calling to awareness was forbidden.
It lies in its words by its actions. It errs in ignorance by preventing.
This is the reason why Allah says: {...that lying forelock, sinning!}
It defies Allah in disobedience. Allah says: this {forelock}, He will take.
{So let him call...} if he will be answered that Day; {his group}: his mates,
His helpers, his supporters, his friends; those who associate with him,
As well as those who congregate with him and assist him in his sin.
{We shall call forth the Zabāniya}
The {Zabāniya} refer to the blessed, pure angels that Allah commands
Who carries out the commands of Allah and never disobeys His demands.
They take those who Allah commands to be taken without slack or hesitation.
They take with harshness and severity every unruly soul that acts with insubordination.
As He, Glorified be He, says: {...over it are angels, harsh and severe. They do not disobey Allah in what He commands them; rather, they do what they are commanded} (Q. 66:6)
{Certainly not! Do not obey him!} is the command from Allah to His Apostle,
Peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, that he shouldn‟t obey or follow
The one who prevents him from prayer or guidance, as well as from calling creation
To God-consciousness. Nor, should he obey one who belies by his actions mendacious.
Rather he should {prostrate and seek proximity} by every act of nearness:
From the prayer to right guidance to righteous deeds to God-consciousness.
This is because all of the prayers to Allah, acts of guidance, and consciousness;
Are means of proximity to Allah for the one who does it seeking Allah‟s Countenance.
It is not for anyone to prevent another from doing such, if it is to be this way.
Anyone who does or acts upon that, has only, by what they do, belie what they say.
Without doubt, this leads to ignorance and taking upon that which Allah set.
This is by avoiding that which Allah has established by means of the truth met.
He has borne witness against his own soul by his rejection of Allah in that,
And has established against himself the proof of recognition and admitted fact.
It‟s clear that he has rejected and severed any excuse. He will have no plea for his self.
There shall be no clemency for his rejection, nor will there be for him any latency dealt.
Similarly, whosoever betrays Allah in falsehood, confusion, and suspicion,
Allah establishes a proof against him regarding the truth by his own volition.
He establishes it against him from that regarding what he has acknowledged.
Allah establishes a proof against him in that which he objects to wholehearted.
It‟s also said that {prostrate and seek proximity} mean the same thing.
The prostration refers to the motion which takes place after the bowing;
And the prostration doesn‟t refer to humility and lowliness in heart.
However, both perspectives carry the meaning of prostration‟s part.
The meaning of {prostrate and seek proximity} is: prostrate and pray.
And {...seek proximity}: seek closeness through good deeds that way.
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