Sūrat al-Aʿlā
سورۃ الاعلیٰ
Sūrat al-Aʿlā was revealed in Makkah and contains nineteen (19) āyāt.
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ
It is evident that in this sūra Allah Most High mentions three categories of people and their goodness and multiplicity. First — those people who become good and righteous through the teaching and influence of the Prophets; such as the Prophets themselves — they are the people of the nature of the Prophets. Second — those who are ordinary people yet through the training and teaching of the Prophets they become righteous; some of them even become so righteous that hundreds of thousands in this world become so. Third — those whose hearts are as black as night. They not only corrupt themselves but corrupt others also. It is these very people that Allah Most High mentions to astonish human beings and presents them with their different characters.
سَبِّحِ اسْمَ رَبِّكَ الْأَعْلَىٰ
sabbiḥi sma rabbika l-aʿlā.
"Exalt the name of your Lord, the Most High." (al-Aʿlā 87:1)
Sabbiḥ — glorify, proclaim purity; glorification and tasbīḥ — the verbal noun. Isma rabbik — the name of your Lord. Al-aʿlā — the Most High, the Exalted.
Translation: (O Prophet ﷺ!) Proclaim the purity and nobility of the name of your Lord (who is free from all defects and impurities and is immaculate).
الَّذِي خَلَقَ فَسَوَّىٰ
alladhī khalaqa fa-sawwā.
"Who created and proportioned." (al-Aʿlā 87:2)
Alladhī — the one who; who created everything. Fa-sawwā — and made it correct and sound; considered everything — all creation in every aspect shows suitability and balance.
Wherever in creation there is a system, it gives and is a Healer of all — whatever has wisdom in it is the nature of the Prophet ﷺ — (Ḥaḍrat Ṣiddīqī)
Translation: Who created and made it correct and right.
وَالَّذِي قَدَّرَ فَهَدَىٰ
wa-lladhī qaddara fa-hadā.
"And who destined and then guided." (al-Aʿlā 87:3)
Wa-lladhī — and the one who. Qaddara — measured out, gave measure to, destined — qaddara, yuqaddiru, taqdiruhu — to set the measure and proportion, to destine. Fa-hadā — then gave guidance; the one to whose task it was, He gave him the ability for it.
A determined fate (assigned since eternity) is the thing for which a person was destined to look —
Translation: And who gave measure and destined (and appointed) then gave guidance.
وَالَّذِي أَخْرَجَ الْمَرْعَىٰ
wa-lladhī akhraja l-marʿā.
"And who brought out the pasture." (al-Aʿlā 87:4)
Wa-lladhī — and the one who. Akhraj — brought out, produced. Al-marʿā — the pasture, the grazing-ground, the meadow.
Translation: And the one who brought out the pasture.
فَجَعَلَهُ غُثَاءً أَحْوَىٰ
fa-jaʿalahu ghuthāʾan aḥwā.
"And then made it black stubble." (al-Aʿlā 87:5)
Fa-jaʿalahu — then made this pasture. Ghuthāʾ — debris, dried up matter, rubbish, trash. Aḥwā — dark, black, siyāh.
Translation: Then He turned it (the pasture) into black, dry stubble.
What has been mentioned so far is the food of animals — the food of the human being is this very thing, as is clear from the science of the learned.
سَنُقْرِئُكَ فَلَا تَنسَىٰ ○ إِلَّا مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ إِنَّهُ يَعْلَمُ الْجَهْرَ وَمَا يَخْفَىٰ
sanuqriʾuka fa-lā tansā, illā mā shāʾa llāhu innahu yaʿlamu l-jahra wa-mā yakhfā.
"We will make you recite, and you will not forget — except what Allah wills. Indeed, He knows what is declared and what is hidden." (al-Aʿlā 87:6–7)
Sanuqriʾuka — We shall make you recite — O Prophet ﷺ, We are addressing you! We are about to make you recite soon. Fa-lā tansā — then you will not forget. But — illā mā shāʾa llāhu — except what Allah wills; innahu — indeed He — Allah — yaʿlamu — knows, is aware. Al-jahra — the open; what is proclaimed aloud. Wa-mā yakhfā — and what is hidden; whatever is kept secret, He knows it.
Translation: (O Prophet ﷺ!) We will soon make you recite so that you will not forget — except what Allah wills, for He knows best (both) what is recited aloud and what is kept hidden.
وَنُيَسِّرُكَ لِلْيُسْرَىٰ
wa-nuyassiruka li-l-yusrā.
"And We will ease you toward ease." (al-Aʿlā 87:8)
Wa-nuyassiruka — and We will make it easy for you. Li-l-yusrā — toward ease, toward facility; yassara — to make easy. Yussira — it became easy.
Translation: And We will make the sharīʿa easy for you (which is truly not difficult).
Friends! Islām has great ease in it — other religions have great difficulties. Each person was giving his life and his wealth as a ransom — acceptance of Islām was conditioned on killing one other person. Islām's fundamental principle is this — that every thing has its due right, which must be rendered. Allah's right is Allah's, the King's right is the King's, father and mother's right is father's and mother's, wife's right is wife's, children's right is children's — in sum, no person is useless in Islām, and not a single organ of his is idle.
فَذَكِّرْ إِن نَّفَعَتِ الذِّكْرَىٰ
fa-dhakkir in nafaʿati l-dhikrā.
"So remind, if the reminder should benefit." (al-Aʿlā 87:9)
Fa-dhakkir — so give admonition, give reminders. Dhakara, yadhkuru, dhikrān — to mention, to remember; the reminder, admonition. In nafaʿat — if it benefits, if it is useful. Al-dhikrā — the reminder, the admonition.
Translation: (O my beloved ﷺ!) So give reminders and admonition (do your part) if this reminder is beneficial (is it useful). And if a wrongdoer does not accept, what can you do?
سَيَذَّكَّرُ مَن يَخْشَىٰ
sa-yadhdhakkaru man yakhshā.
"The one who fears (Allah) will be reminded." (al-Aʿlā 87:10)
Sa-yadhdhakkaru — he will certainly accept the admonition. The original was sa-yatadhakkaru — "tā" has merged in. Man yakhshā — the one who fears Allah, who has the fear of Allah in his nature.
Translation: (Do your work) the one who has the fear of Allah in his nature will certainly accept your admonition.
وَيَتَجَنَّبُهَا الْأَشْقَى
wa-yatajannabu-hā l-ashqā.
"But the most wretched will avoid it." (al-Aʿlā 87:11)
Wa-yatajannabu-hā — and from the admonition he will be turning away, staying aloof, keeping to the side. Jānb — side, direction. Al-ashqā — the most wretched, the most miserable.
Translation: And from it he keeps to the side — the most wretched, the very wretch.
الَّذِي يَصْلَى النَّارَ الْكُبْرَىٰ
alladhī yaṣlā l-nāra l-kubrā.
"Who will enter the Great Fire." (al-Aʿlā 87:12)
Alladhī — the one who. Yaṣlā — will enter, go into. Al-nār — fire, the Hellfire. Al-kubrā — the greatest, the most enormous.
Translation: Who will enter the great fire (the Great Hell).
ثُمَّ لَا يَمُوتُ فِيهَا وَلَا يَحْيَىٰ
thumma lā yamūtu fīhā wa-lā yaḥyā.
"Then he will neither die therein nor live." (al-Aʿlā 87:13)
Thumma — then. Lā yamūtu — he will not die. Fīhā — in it, in this fire. Wa-lā yaḥyā — nor will he live; on the contrary he will be kept alive and burned — so that the punishment is ever fresh.
Translation: Then in it (Hell) he will neither die nor will he live.
Now listen to the account of the righteous.
قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَن تَزَكَّىٰ
qad aflaḥa man tazakkā.
"He has certainly succeeded who purifies himself." (al-Aʿlā 87:14)
Qad aflaḥa — he certainly attained success, he achieved the goal. Man tazakkā — the one who purified himself; who cleansed his soul of wicked temptations, who saved himself from sins and evil thoughts. Tazakkā — to become pure; zakāt — to purify one's wealth from greed.
Translation: He certainly attained the goal (success) who purified his own soul (by refining and purifying it).
Friends! In the Qurʾān sharīf the contrast between Abū Jahal and Abū Bakr Ṣiddīq (may Allah be pleased with him) is always recurring. Abū Jahal never believed in Islām to the very last, always remained doubtful. Abū Bakr Ṣiddīq (may Allah be pleased with him) accepted Islām and was always pure and steadfast.
وَذَكَرَ اسْمَ رَبِّهِ فَصَلَّىٰ
wa-dhakara sma rabbihī fa-ṣallā.
"And mentions the name of his Lord and prays." (al-Aʿlā 87:15)
Wa-dhakara — and he remembered, remained in memory. Isma rabbih — the name of his Lord. Fa-ṣallā — then prayed, offered prayers and performed worship.
Translation: And remained in the remembrance of Allah's pure name — offering prayers and worship.
بَلْ تُؤْثِرُونَ الْحَيَاةَ الدُّنْيَا
bal tuʾthirūna l-ḥayāta l-dunyā.
"But you prefer the worldly life." (al-Aʿlā 87:16)
Bal — rather, alas, you people. Tuʾthirūna — you choose, you prefer, you give priority. Al-ḥayāta l-dunyā — the worldly life.
Translation: Rather, you all prefer the worldly life more.
وَالْآخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ وَأَبْقَىٰ
wa-l-ākhiratu khayrun wa-abqā.
"While the Hereafter is better and more lasting." (al-Aʿlā 87:17)
Wa-l-ākhiratu — and the Hereafter, the life after death. Khayrun — better; the original superlative is akhyar. Wa-abqā — and more lasting, more enduring.
Abqā — more lasting, more permanent and enduring.
Translation: While the Hereafter is much better and more permanent, more lasting and enduring.
إِنَّ هَٰذَا لَفِي الصُّحُفِ الْأُولَىٰ
inna hādhā la-fī l-ṣuḥufi l-ūlā.
"Indeed, this is in the former scriptures." (al-Aʿlā 87:18)
Inna hādhā — indeed this. La-fī l-ṣuḥuf — is certainly in the scriptures, it is mentioned in them. Al-ūlā — the former, the first ones, the scriptures of the past prophets.
Translation: Indeed, this (mentioned above, comprehensively and in principle) is in the former scriptures. But in whose scriptures?
صُحُفِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَمُوسَىٰ
ṣuḥufi ibrāhīma wa-mūsā.
"The scriptures of Ibrāhīm and Mūsā." (al-Aʿlā 87:19)
Ṣuḥufi Ibrāhīm — in the scriptures of Ibrāhīm (upon him be peace). Wa-Mūsā — and in the scriptures of Mūsā (upon him be peace).
Translation: In the scriptures of Ibrāhīm and Mūsā (upon them both be peace).
O people of the Book! Why do you turn away from the teaching of Muḥammad ﷺ, when this very thing is mentioned in the scriptures of Ibrāhīm and Mūsā (upon them both be peace)? — do you accept or not? Islām is one and the same. The fools were accustomed to fabricating interpretations of them — but they are all one and the same God. And it is one thing — to believe in God and not to believe in one of His Prophets is equal to not believing in God.