Tazkirul Quran · Tafsir · in English
الأعلى
Al-A'la
The Most High · Meccan · 19 ayahs
86:4–87:3Page 591
سَبِّحِ ٱسۡمَ رَبِّكَ ٱلۡأَعۡلَى ١
Exalt the name of your Lord, the Most High,
ٱلَّذِي خَلَقَ فَسَوَّىٰ ٢
Who created and proportioned
وَٱلَّذِي قَدَّرَ فَهَدَىٰ ٣
And who destined and [then] guided
It is quite evident that there is planning in the creation of man and the world. This planning strongly implies that there must be some purpose behind this creation. And indeed, this purpose has been revealed to man through divine revelation. However, only that individual learns a lesson from revelation who is of a receptive nature. Such people will be introduced to the eternal bounties of God. But those whose arrogance prevents them from accepting guidance, will be doomed to being cast into the flames of the eternal fire.
87:4–19Page 591
وَٱلَّذِيٓ أَخۡرَجَ ٱلۡمَرۡعَىٰ ٤
And who brings out the pasture
فَجَعَلَهُۥ غُثَآءً أَحۡوَىٰ ٥
And [then] makes it black stubble.
سَنُقۡرِئُكَ فَلَا تَنسَىٰٓ ٦
We will make you recite, [O Muḥammad], and you will not forget,
إِلَّا مَا شَآءَ ٱللَّهُۚ إِنَّهُۥ يَعۡلَمُ ٱلۡجَهۡرَ وَمَا يَخۡفَىٰ ٧
Except what Allāh should will. Indeed, He knows what is declared and what is hidden.
وَنُيَسِّرُكَ لِلۡيُسۡرَىٰ ٨
And We will ease you toward ease.1
فَذَكِّرۡ إِن نَّفَعَتِ ٱلذِّكۡرَىٰ ٩
So remind, if the reminder should benefit;1
سَيَذَّكَّرُ مَن يَخۡشَىٰ ١٠
He who fears [Allāh] will be reminded.
وَيَتَجَنَّبُهَا ٱلۡأَشۡقَى ١١
But the wretched one will avoid it –
ٱلَّذِي يَصۡلَى ٱلنَّارَ ٱلۡكُبۡرَىٰ ١٢
[He] who will [enter and] burn in the greatest Fire,
ثُمَّ لَا يَمُوتُ فِيهَا وَلَا يَحۡيَىٰ ١٣
Neither dying therein nor living.
قَدۡ أَفۡلَحَ مَن تَزَكَّىٰ ١٤
He has certainly succeeded who purifies himself
وَذَكَرَ ٱسۡمَ رَبِّهِۦ فَصَلَّىٰ ١٥
And mentions the name of his Lord and prays.
بَلۡ تُؤۡثِرُونَ ٱلۡحَيَوٰةَ ٱلدُّنۡيَا ١٦
But you prefer the worldly life,
وَٱلۡأٓخِرَةُ خَيۡرٞ وَأَبۡقَىٰٓ ١٧
While the Hereafter is better and more enduring.
إِنَّ هَٰذَا لَفِي ٱلصُّحُفِ ٱلۡأُولَىٰ ١٨
Indeed, this is in the former scriptures,
صُحُفِ إِبۡرَٰهِيمَ وَمُوسَىٰ ١٩
The scriptures of Abraham and Moses.
Man observes that a serviceable animal like the camel is obedient to him. The sky in all its majesty is well disposed towards him. The earth, without any effort on our part, is subservient to our interests. All these phenomena remind a thoughtful man of God and the Hereafter. Those who derive the nourishment of remembrance from these arrangements of the world have established their entitlement to God’s eternal bounties, while those who have remained lost in forgetfulness and neglect, have proved that they deserve to be deprived of every kind of bounty—forever.
Text: through the Quran Foundation. The ayahs: Quran Foundation. Sources and licences