Muslims believe that this sūra was the first recitation of their messenger, Muhammad. The assertion that Allah “sent down” his word to the messenger is the fundamental truth claim of Islam.

96.1–2 – Recite in the name of your Lord who creates, creates the human from a clot

The command to read or “recite” (iqrā) comes from the same verb as qur’ān (“recitation”) and supplies the vocabulary for the task of the messenger. Muslim tradition asserts that verses 1–5 make up the first revelation to Muhammad – a fundamental claim that invites a process of discernment in readers of the Quran today.