Surah Al-A'la (Arabic: الأعلى) is the 87th chapter of the Qur'an, revealed in Mecca, and comprises 19 verses. It belongs to the Meccan Surahs, which were primarily revealed in the early period of the Prophet Muhammad’s ﷺ mission. These surahs often focus on the foundations of Islamic belief, including monotheism (Tawheed), the afterlife, and the power and majesty of Allah ﷻ. Al-A'la translates to "The Most High" and centers on the glorification of Allah’s ﷻ exalted status, His creation, and the guidance provided to humanity. This surah also stresses the importance of the Hereafter and contrasts the fates of the righteous and the disobedient.
Revelation:
There is no known incident related to the revelation of Surah Al A'laa, however, there is a book titled Al-Isti'ab fi Bayan Al-Asbab by Salim Al-Hilali that includes a verified hadith related to that matter. The hadith is as follows:
"The first companions of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ to arrive were Mus'ab bin 'Umair and Ibn Umm Maktum. Following them, 'Ammar, Sa'd, and Bilal came, and then 'Uthman arrived with twenty men. Lastly, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ came, and the people of Madinah had never shown such joy as they did upon his arrival. The Messenger ﷺ did not come until 'Sabbih isma Rabbika al-A'la' and a surah from the Mufassal were revealed."
Al-Hilali affirms the authenticity of this hadith. However, a similar hadith recorded in Sahih Al-Bukhari uses slightly different wording, stating:
"...Then the Prophet ﷺ arrived, and I had never seen the people of Madinah happier than they were about the arrival of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. The women even said, 'The Messenger of Allah ﷺ has arrived.' He did not arrive until I had read: Sabbih isma Rabbika al-A'la in some of the Mufassal surahs."
Note: Al-Mufassal refers to the short surahs of the Quran which have many breaks between them.
Significance:
1. Several hadiths highlight the virtues of Surah Al-A'la, noting its recitation in specific prayers by the Prophet ﷺ, such as Friday prayers, Eid prayers, the Dhuhr prayer, and in one unit of Witr.
- Narrated by Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him): "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to perform Witr with three rak'ahs. In the first rak'ah, he would recite 'Glorify the name of your Lord, the Most High' (Surah Al-A'la), in the second 'Say, O disbelievers' (Surah Al-Kafirun), and in the third 'Say, He is Allah, [Who is] One' (Surah Al-Ikhlas)."
2. Surah Al-A'la is classified as one of the Musabbihat (Surahs that begin with the glorification of Allah ﷻ). Al-'Irbad bin Sariyah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: "The Prophet ﷺ would not sleep until he recited the Musabbihat, saying: 'In them is a verse better than a thousand verses.'"
- It is recommended to say tasbeeh (glorification) when reciting the first verse of a Surah. When the Prophet ﷺ recited 'Glorify the name of your Lord, the Most High,' he would say: 'Glory is to my Lord, the Most High.'
3. Uqbah bin Amir (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: "When the verse 'So glorify the name of your Lord, the Most Great' was revealed, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ instructed: 'Include it in your bowing.' And when 'Glorify the name of your Lord, the Most High' was revealed, he said: 'Include it in your prostrations.'"
- During rukoo (bowing) in prayer, Muslims recite "Subhana Rabbiyal Azim" (سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الْعَظِيمِ) - "Glory is to my Lord, the Most Great."
- While prostrating (sujood) in prayer, Muslims commonly recite "Subhana Rabbiyal A'la" (سُبْحَانَ رَبِّيَ الْأَعْلَى) - "Glory is to my Lord, the Most High."
4. Imran bin Husain (may Allah be pleased with him) recounted: "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ prayed Dhuhr, and someone recited 'Glorify the name of your Lord, the Most High' behind him (loudly). After finishing, the Prophet ﷺ asked: 'Who recited it?' When told it was the person behind him, the Prophet ﷺ said: 'I thought it was one of you disputing with me.'"
5. Jabir bin Abdullah narrated that Mu'adh bin Jabal led his companions in a prolonged Isha prayer, causing one person to leave and pray alone. When this was reported to Mu'adh, he labeled the man a hypocrite. Upon hearing this, the man went to the Prophet ﷺ, who advised Mu'adh to recite shorter Surahs, including 'By the sun and its brightness,' (Surah Al Shams) 'Glorify the name of your Lord, the Most High,' (Surah Al A'laa) 'Recite in the name of your Lord,' (Surah Al Alaq) and 'By the night as it envelops,' (Surah Al Layl).
Order of Revelation:
Surah Al-A'la comprises nineteen verses, which emphasize the glorification and sanctification of Allah’s ﷻ names. Nineteen happens to be the number of letters present in the Basmalah "بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم".
It follows Surah At-Tariq in the Qur'an, where At-Tariq discusses the creation of mankind with the verse "So let man observe from what he was created" (86:5), as well as the creation of plants with the verse "And the earth which cracks open" (86:12). This indicates the existence of the Supreme Creator, making it relevant to the themes and beginning of Surah Al-A'la.
Jabir bin Zaid mentioned that Surah Al-A'la was revealed after Surah At-Takwir and before Surah Al-Lail. Ibn Abbas, Ikrimah, and Al-Hasan (may Allah be pleased with them all) narrated that it was the seventh, saying: "The first revelation of the Qur'an was 'Recite in the name of your Lord,' followed by 'Indeed We sent,' then Al-Muzzammil, then Al-Muddathir, then Tabat, then 'When the sun is folded up,' and then 'Glorify the name of your Lord, the Most High.'” Jabir bin Zaid, however, listed Al-Fatiha after Al-Muddathir, making Surah Al-A'la the eighth in his view. Scholars agree that Surah Al-A'la is one of the early revelations.
Translation:
- Verse 1: سَبِّحِ اسْمَ رَبِّكَ الْأَعْلَى - Glorify the name of your Lord, the Most High.
- Verse 2: الَّذِي خَلَقَ فَسَوَّى - Who created, then 'perfectly' proportioned 'all'.
- Verse 3: وَالَّذِي قَدَّرَ فَهَدَى - Who destined and [then] guided accordingly,
- Verse 4: وَالَّذِي أَخْرَجَ الْمَرْعَى - And Who brings forth ˹green˺ pasture,
- Verse 5: فَجَعَلَهُ غُثَاءً أَحْوَى - And then reduces it back into withered chaff.
- Verse 6: سَنُقْرِئُكَ فَلَا تَنسَى - We will have you recite ˹the Quran, O Prophet,˺ so you will not forget ˹any of it˺,
- Verse 7: إِلَّا مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ ۚ إِنَّهُ يَعْلَمُ الْجَهْرَ وَمَا يَخْفَى - Unless Allah wills otherwise. He surely knows what is declared and what is hidden.
- Verse 8: وَنُيَسِّرُكَ لِلْيُسْرَى - And We will facilitate for you the Way of Ease.
- Verse 9: فَذَكِّرْ إِن نَّفَعَتِ الذِّكْرَى - So ˹always˺ remind ˹with the Quran˺—˹even˺ if the reminder is beneficial ˹only to some˺.
- Verse 10: سَيَذَّكَّرُ مَن يَخْشَى - Those in awe ˹of Allah˺ will be mindful ˹of it˺.
- Verse 11: وَيَتَجَنَّبُهَا الْأَشْقَى - But it will be shunned by the most wretched,
- Verse 12: الَّذِي يَصْلَى النَّارَ الْكُبْرَى - who will [enter and] burn in the greatest Fire,
- Verse 13: ثُمَّ لَا يَمُوتُ فِيهَا وَلَا يَحْيَى - Neither dying therein nor living.
- Verse 14: قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَن تَزَكَّى - Successful indeed he who purifies himself,
- Verse 15: وَذَكَرَ اسْمَ رَبِّهِ فَصَلَّى - And mentions the name of his Lord, then prays.
- Verse 16: بَلْ تُؤْثِرُونَ الْحَيَاةَ الدُّنْيَا - But you prefer the worldly life,
- Verse 17: وَالْآخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ وَأَبْقَى - While the Hereafter is better and everlasting.
- Verse 18: إِنَّ هَذَا لَفِي الصُّحُفِ الْأُولَى - This is certainly ˹mentioned˺ in the earlier Scriptures—
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Verse 19: صُحُفِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَمُوسَى - The scriptures of Abraham and Moses.
In Depth:
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Verse 1 - Glorification of Allah ﷻ: The chapter opens with a command to glorify the name of Allah, "The Most High." This reflects the concept of Tasbeeh (glorifying Allah ﷻ), where the believer acknowledges Allah’s ﷻ greatness and perfection. The title "Al-A'la" reflects His exalted position above all creation.
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Verses 2-5 - Creation and Control: These verses speak about Allah’s ﷻ role in creating and perfectly proportioning everything in the universe. It mentions how Allah ﷻ created everything with precision and then guided each creation towards its purpose. He is the One who brings forth green pastures and sustains life on Earth. Eventually, even the lush greenery withers and dies, reflecting the temporal nature of this world.
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Verses 6-7 - Reassurance to the Prophet ﷺ: Allah ﷻ reassures Prophet Muhammad ﷺ that He will help him remember the Qur’an and its recitation, as in, they are committed to memory in such a way that they are not forgotten. The phrase "you will not forget" highlights Allah’s ﷻ divine assistance to the Prophet ﷺ in delivering the message. This verse also emphasizes Allah's ﷻ omniscience, knowing both the visible and hidden aspects of all things.
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Verse 8 - Ease and Guidance: Allah ﷻ promises to make the path of Islam and its teachings easy for the Prophet ﷺ and believers. This reflects the general principle in Islam that Allah ﷻ does not place a burden beyond one's capacity and always facilitates ease for the believers in fulfilling their obligations.
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Verses 9-10 - The Call to Remind: The Prophet ﷺ is commanded to continue his duty of reminding others about the message of Islam, for it will benefit those who have reverence (fear) for Allah ﷻ. This underlines the responsibility of spreading the truth, as some hearts will be receptive to it.
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Verses 11-13 - Consequences of Disobedience: The Surah contrasts the fates of the believers and the disobedient. Those who are “wretched” and reject the truth will face the torment of Hell, a state where they neither truly live nor die, signifying the eternal suffering of the Hereafter.
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Verses 14-15 - Success of the Righteous: The ones who purify themselves, remember their Lord, and engage in prayer will be successful. This implies both inner purification (from sins and spiritual diseases) and outer acts of worship like prayer.
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Verses 16-17 - Temporary vs. Eternal Life: These verses highlight the misguided preference of many people for worldly life over the eternal Hereafter. The Surah reminds believers that the life of the Hereafter is far better and everlasting.
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Verses 18-19 - The Consistency of the Message: The chapter closes by affirming that the core messages in the Qur'an are not new; they were already conveyed in the earlier scriptures, such as those given to Prophets Ibrahim (Abraham) and Musa (Moses) (Peace be upon them). This emphasizes the continuity of divine revelation.
Al-A'la (الأعلى), meaning "The Most High" or "The Exalted," is one of the 99 names of Allah ﷻ mentioned in the Qur'an. This name appears in Surah Al-A'la (87:1), where Allah ﷻ commands, "Glorify the name of your Lord, the Most High." Al-A'la signifies Allah’s ﷻ supreme authority, transcendence, and exaltedness above all of creation. It reflects His absolute perfection and that nothing in the heavens or on Earth can compare to Him.
Meaning of Al-A'la:
- The Exalted and Supreme: Al-A'la conveys Allah's ﷻ supreme position above all creation. He is exalted above any imperfection, weakness, or limitation that might be found in creation. This name reflects His incomparable and transcendent nature.
- Absolute Perfection: As the Most High, Allah’s ﷻ knowledge, wisdom, and power are perfect and beyond human comprehension. He is the one who creates, sustains, and controls all that exists in the universe.
- The Source of All Authority: Al-A'la indicates that all authority belongs to Allah ﷻ alone. His commands are final, and nothing occurs without His will.
Reflections:
- The Name in the Qur'an: The name Al-A'la is significant because it emphasizes the act of Tasbeeh (glorification of Allah ﷻ), as in Surah Al-A'la, which opens with the command to glorify the Most High. This reminds believers to constantly reflect on Allah’s greatness and His superiority over all creation.
- A Reminder of Humility: The name reminds humans to remain humble in the presence of Allah’s ﷻ grandeur and to recognize their place as His creation. It emphasizes Allah’s majesty and sovereignty over all things, guiding believers to submit to His will.
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Spiritual Elevation: The believer who reflects on the name Al-A'la becomes more aware of the vastness of Allah’s ﷻ control, wisdom, and mercy. This recognition strengthens one's faith, encourages submission, and reminds one to rely on Allah for guidance and sustenance.
Translation and Pronunciation:
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