Read! For, your Lord is the Most Generous. (He has placed a tremendous blessing in learning and teaching).
الَّذِي عَلَّمَ بِالْقَلَمِ ( 4 )
Who has taught the use of the pen.
عَلَّمَ الْإِنسَانَ مَا لَمْ يَعْلَمْ ( 5 )
Taught man what he knew not.
كَلَّا إِنَّ الْإِنسَانَ لَيَطْغَىٰ ( 6 )
Nay, verily, man tries to play God! ('Tagha' = Being a false god, 'Taghut' = Grossly overweening = Arrogance beyond limits = Creating rebellion = Trespassing Divine Values).
أَن رَّآهُ اسْتَغْنَىٰ ( 7 )
(And) in that he looks upon himself as self-sufficient. (Forgetting how indebted he is to the Creator and the society for all his mental and physical possessions).
إِنَّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ الرُّجْعَىٰ ( 8 )
Behold, unto your Lord is the return. (Everything that exists goes back to the Creator as its Source and is bound by His Law. All people will be returned to Him for Judgment. Mankind will eventually return to the Divine System of life).
أَرَأَيْتَ الَّذِي يَنْهَىٰ ( 9 )
Have you seen the kind of man who forbids -
عَبْدًا إِذَا صَلَّىٰ ( 10 )
Another servant when he follows the Divine Messages?
أَرَأَيْتَ إِن كَانَ عَلَى الْهُدَىٰ ( 11 )
Have you seen that if such a person were on the right road,
أَوْ أَمَرَ بِالتَّقْوَىٰ ( 12 )
Or his affairs were to lead him to Blissful security,
أَرَأَيْتَ إِن كَذَّبَ وَتَوَلَّىٰ ( 13 )
Mark out that he, then, would have known that, by thus practically denying the Truth, he is turning away from all that is good?
أَلَمْ يَعْلَم بِأَنَّ اللَّهَ يَرَىٰ ( 14 )
Does he not know that Allah sees to it that His Laws are enforced without exception?
Nay, if such a person desists not, We (Our Law of Requital) will seize him by the forelock (to a state of humiliation (11:56)).
نَاصِيَةٍ كَاذِبَةٍ خَاطِئَةٍ ( 16 )
A forelock that is given to denial and committing fault upon fault.
فَلْيَدْعُ نَادِيَهُ ( 17 )
Let him, then, call upon his advisory council.
سَنَدْعُ الزَّبَانِيَةَ ( 18 )
We shall summon the apprehending forces.
كَلَّا لَا تُطِعْهُ وَاسْجُدْ وَاقْتَرِب ۩ ( 19 )
Nay, never be intimidated by a man like this! But submit completely in adoration to Divine Commands, and let every step of yours bring you nearer to your noble Goal.
