Al-Qur'an Surah Al-'Alaq Verse 5

Mufti Taqi Usmani

He taught man what he did not know.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

taught humanity what they knew not.[[ Verses 1-5 are known to be the first ever revealed of the Quran. The Prophet (ﷺ) was retreating at a cave in the outskirts of Mecca when the angel Gabriel appeared to him, squeezing him tightly and ordering him to read. Since the Prophet (ﷺ) was unlettered, he responded, “I cannot read.” Ultimately, Gabriel taught him: “Read in the Name of your Lord …” Some scholars believe that this encounter is the fulfilment of Isaiah {29:12}, which states, “Then the book will be given to the one who is illiterate, saying, ‘Read this.’ And he will say, ‘I cannot read.’”]] 

Ruwwad Translation Center

taught man what he did not know.

A. J. Arberry

taught Man that he knew not.

Abdul Haleem

who taught man what he did not know.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

Hath taught man that which he knew not.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Taught man that which he knew not.

Abul Ala Maududi

taught man what he did not know.

Ahmed Ali

Taught man what he did not know.

Ahmed Raza Khan

The One Who taught man all what he did not know.

Ali Quli Qarai

taught man what he did not know.

Ali Ünal

Taught human what he did not know.

Amatul Rahman Omar

He taught human being what he did not know.

English Literal

He taught/instructed the human/mankind what he did not know.

Faridul Haque

The One Who taught man all what he did not know.

Hamid S. Aziz

Taught man what he did not know!

Hilali & Khan

Has taught man that which he knew not.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

Nay, man is surely inordinate,

Mohammad Habib Shakir

Taught man what he knew not.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

Teacheth man that which he knew not.

Muhammad Sarwar

He taught the human being what he did not know.

Qaribullah & Darwish

taught the human what he did not know.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

He has taught man that which he knew not.

Wahiduddin Khan

taught man what he did not know.

Talal Itani

Taught man what he never knew.

Tafsir jalalayn

taught man (al-insn; the generic) what he did not know, before he was taught, in the way of guidance, [the art of] writing, crafts and so on.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

Read! And your Lord is the Most Generous. Who has taught by the pen.

He has taught man that which he knew not.

There is a narration that states,

"Record knowledge by writing."

There is also a saying which states,

"Whoever acts according to what he knows, Allah will make him inherit knowledge that he did not know.