The Night of Decree: The Origin of Mankind, Literacy, and Knowledge
In the first five verses of Al-Alaq, the exhortation "اِقْرَأْ" is reiterated twice. Initially, "Read in the name of your Lord who created. He created man from a clot of blood" (Al-Alaq 96:1-2).
According to Abdullah Yusuf Ali in The Holy Qur'an: Text, Translation, and Commentary, it has several meanings: read, recite, and disseminate widely. Sheikh Nawawi states in his commentary that the "Quran" has several meanings: to read, to chant, and to extensively disseminate. The method involves invoking the name of Allah by commencing with the basmalah, "بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ"
These verses contain two essential elements that require reading, articulation, and widespread dissemination. The first directive is to recognize Allah as the supreme creator and then the self-awareness of the creation towards its creator. Both possess significant spiritual, moral, and intellectual gravity.
Humans, who had been formed in their original condition of sanctity, must comprehend their existence before the creator who perpetually preserves their purity. All humans must evolve into a "tranquil soul," destined to return to Allah and gain entry into His paradise.
Humans possess the moral obligation to assist others in understanding themselves and His divinity. After the Quran was revealed in Hira Cave, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) began this duty. Then, he emerged to declare Islam—the true religion, virtuous worship, and exemplary ethics—in the middle of the pagan, polytheistic, and hypocritical Arab civilization.
Humans are intellectually compelled to study, comprehend, and investigate their god and themselves through the numerous methodologies: philosophy, humanities, and empirical sciences. These methodologies extend to specific fields such as health and medical disciplines. Indeed, with their intellectual prowess, humans are able to dominate the seas, the skies, and the lands.
The subsequent reiteration of the second command of "اِقْرَأْ" is expressed both poetically and aesthetically: "Read, and your Lord is the Most Generous. He who taught by the pen. He instructs humanity in that which they do not know." (Al-Alaq 96: 3-5). These three verses provide practical counsel for embodying the first mandate of iqra.
The evidence of Allah's boundless generosity is His instruction to humanity via the medium of the pen, which then became the origin of the civilization propelled by the literary advancement. The Tafsir Jalalain by Imam Ghazali states that the first human to use a pen was Prophet Idris (PBUH), the second prophet after Prophet Adam (PBUH). Meanwhile, literacy established the prophets' teachings, ensuring the perpetual transmission of God's words between generations.
Morphologically, the word "اِقْرَأْ" is interconnected, as stated by Abdullah Yusuf Ali, that the Arabic term "'عَلَّمَ" (to teach) is derived from the root "علم". The term signifies the most basic instrument for imparting information—the pen. It is why, in every pedagogical approach, teachers ask their students to start with reading and writing as fundamental competencies.
Reading and writing are of such significance that even Allah vowed, "Nūn, by the pen and by that which they inscribe" (Al-Qalam 68: 1). This passage, which is then followed by the verse "By the grace of your Lord, you are not insane" (Al-Qalam 68: 2), also unequivocally refutes the baseless allegation that Prophet Muhammad was a fool.
Despite its antiquity, we must continue to articulate and widely disseminate the culture of reading and writing. As the first five Quranic verses were revealed tonight, we are expected to guide humanity in protecting the well-educated generation. Therefore, we must consistently engage in self-reflection and comprehend our deity to evolve into spiritual, moral, and intellectual entities.
Author: Syamsul Yakin, lecturer for the Master of Communication and Islamic Broadcasting (MKPI) at the Faculty of Da'wa and Comnnuncation Sciences (FDIK) UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta
Translator: Muhamad Arifin Ilham