الأَعۡلَىٰ
- Meccan
- 19 verses
- Surah 87 of 114
Introduction to Surah Al-A’la
Nineteen verses, Meccan, eighty-seventh in the written order, and among the earlier revelations. It is short, calm, and it is the surah most commonly recited in the two festival prayers and on Friday.
How it opens
With an instruction to glorify the name of the Lord Most High, followed by four relative clauses that read as a compressed account of how things work: who created and gave order and proportion; who ordained laws and gave guidance; who brings out the green pasture; and who then makes it dark stubble.
The last of the four is the one people skip. The withering is placed in the same list as the creating, with the same grammar, as another thing done rather than a failure of the first three.
The promise about memory
By degrees shall We teach thee to declare (the Message), so thou shalt not forget, Except as Allah wills: For He knoweth what is manifest and what is hidden. (87:6–7)
The reassurance is given and then immediately qualified in the next breath. Commentators have read the exception in different ways — as covering verses whose ruling was withdrawn, or simply as a refusal to let the promise become a possession. The surah does not explain it.
It then tells the Prophet to remind, if the reminder is of use; that whoever fears will take heed, and whoever is most wretched will avoid it; and that his task is the reminding.
The last verses
Nay (behold), ye prefer the life of this world; But the Hereafter is better and more enduring. (87:16–17)
What makes the closing unusual is what comes after it. The surah says that this — meaning what it has just said — is in the earlier scriptures, the scriptures of Abraham and Moses. It is a short chapter that ends by pointing away from itself.
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيم
سَبِّحِ ٱسْمَ رَبِّكَ ٱلْأَعْلَى
Sabbihisma Rabbikal A’laa
Glorify the name of thy Guardian-Lord Most High,
Praise the name of thy Lord the Most High,
ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ فَسَوَّىٰ
Allazee khalaqa fasawwaa
Who hath created, and further, given order and proportion;
Who createth, then disposeth;
وَٱلَّذِى قَدَّرَ فَهَدَىٰ
Wallazee qaddara fahadaa
Who hath ordained laws. And granted guidance;
Who measureth, then guideth;
وَٱلَّذِىٓ أَخْرَجَ ٱلْمَرْعَىٰ
Wallazeee akhrajal mar’aa
And Who bringeth out the (green and luscious) pasture,
Who bringeth forth the pasturage,
فَجَعَلَهُۥ غُثَآءً أَحْوَىٰ
Faja’alahoo ghusaaa’an ahwaa
And then doth make it (but) swarthy stubble.
Then turneth it to russet stubble.
سَنُقْرِئُكَ فَلَا تَنسَىٰٓ
Sanuqri’uka falaa tansaaa
By degrees shall We teach thee to declare (the Message), so thou shalt not forget,
We shall make thee read (O Muhammad) so that thou shalt not forget
إِلَّا مَا شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ يَعْلَمُ ٱلْجَهْرَ وَمَا يَخْفَىٰ
Illaa maa shaaa’al laah; innahoo ya’lamul jahra wa maa yakhfaa
Except as Allah wills: For He knoweth what is manifest and what is hidden.
Save that which Allah willeth. Lo! He knoweth the disclosed and that which still is hidden;
وَنُيَسِّرُكَ لِلْيُسْرَىٰ
Wa nu-yassiruka lilyusraa
And We will make it easy for thee (to follow) the simple (Path).
And We shall ease thy way unto the state of ease.
فَذَكِّرْ إِن نَّفَعَتِ ٱلذِّكْرَىٰ
Fazakkir in nafa’atizzikraa
Therefore give admonition in case the admonition profits (the hearer).
Therefor remind (men), for of use is the reminder.
سَيَذَّكَّرُ مَن يَخْشَىٰ
Sa yazzakkaru maiyakhshaa
The admonition will be received by those who fear (Allah):
He will heed who feareth,
وَيَتَجَنَّبُهَا ٱلْأَشْقَى
Wa yatajannabuhal ashqaa
But it will be avoided by those most unfortunate ones,
But the most hapless will flout it,
ٱلَّذِى يَصْلَى ٱلنَّارَ ٱلْكُبْرَىٰ
Allazee yaslan Naaral kubraa
Who will enter the Great Fire,
He who will be flung to the great Fire
ثُمَّ لَا يَمُوتُ فِيهَا وَلَا يَحْيَىٰ
Summa laa yamootu feehaa wa laa yahyaa
In which they will then neither die nor live.
Wherein he will neither die nor live.
قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَن تَزَكَّىٰ
Qad aflaha man tazakkaa
But those will prosper who purify themselves,
He is successful who groweth,
وَذَكَرَ ٱسْمَ رَبِّهِۦ فَصَلَّىٰ
Wa zakaras ma Rabbihee fasallaa
And glorify the name of their Guardian-Lord, and (lift their hearts) in prayer.
And remembereth the name of his Lord, so prayeth,
بَلْ تُؤْثِرُونَ ٱلْحَيَوٰةَ ٱلدُّنْيَا
Bal tu’siroonal hayaatad dunyaa
Nay (behold), ye prefer the life of this world;
But ye prefer the life of the world
وَٱلْءَاخِرَةُ خَيْرٌۭ وَأَبْقَىٰٓ
Wal Aakhiratu khairunw wa abqaa
But the Hereafter is better and more enduring.
Although the Hereafter is better and more lasting.
إِنَّ هَٰذَا لَفِى ٱلصُّحُفِ ٱلْأُولَىٰ
Inna haazaa lafis suhu fil oolaa
And this is in the Books of the earliest (Revelation),-
Lo! This is in the former scrolls.
صُحُفِ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ وَمُوسَىٰ
Suhufi Ibraaheema wa Moosaa
The Books of Abraham and Moses.
The Books of Abraham and Moses.
Sources. Arabic text: Tanzil Uthmani edition. Translations: Abdullah Yusuf Ali (original edition, 1934–1938) and Marmaduke Pickthall (1930), both in the public domain. Any introduction above is original writing and is not part of any translation.