Sūrat al-ʿAlaq

Observations on the organization and structure of the first sūrah revealed, Sūrat al-ʿAlaq

﷽

Sūrat al-ʿAlaq (The Clot) is most famous for containing the first five āyāt revealed to the Messenger ﷺ. In what is probably one of the most interesting observations shared on this blog, the first revelation has been shown to be a ring structure in terms of its rhythmic symmetry (i.e., its syllable count).¹

This will be fully appreciated in Arabic, but I will try and show it through the transliteration. Syllables with vowels (shown with a long line over the letter in the transliteration) get a two count, and all else gets a one count.

As for the sūrah in totality, it appears to form a mirror structure²:

CONNECTIONS

[A']/[A’] - The sūrah, and the Messenger’s mission, began with the five āyāt in [A]. The revelation commenced with an enjoinment to form a connection with the Quran and develop a relationship with it for our benefit. The sūrah concludes as the Messenger ﷺ is told to perform sajdah (bow down) and consequently draw closer to Allah ﷻ. Thus, the ending gives the goal of reciting the Quran; to develop a relationship with Allah ﷻ, our Creator, especially through our daily ritual prayers.

[B]/[B’] - The center focuses on the behavior and attitude of the criminals and disbelievers. They are arrogant, boastful, and believe that they have no need for Allah ﷻ or His revelation. In response, the Messenger ﷺ is given a simple solution: Ignore them. Allah ﷻ will take care of them, so the Messenger ﷺ need not bother with their antics.

And Allah ﷻ knows best.

1. Robinson, Neal. Discovering the Qur'an: A Contemporary Approach to a Veiled Text, Georgetown University Press, Washington, D.C., 2004, p. 10.

2. Ali Khan, Nouman. “02. Al-'Alaq (Ayah 1-19) - A Concise Commentary” Bayyinah TV, https://bayyinahtv.com/topics/1/categories/9/series/191/videos/1984