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Tafseer Surah Al Ala
Post On. In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Tafseer Surah Al Ala - 87
Bismi Allah Al Rahman Al Raheem
1 Glorify the Name of thy Lord, the Highest, 2 Who created, then fashioned, 3 Who measured out, then guided, 4 and Who brought forth pasture, 5 then made it as blackened stubble. 6 We shall teach thee to recite, that thou wilt not forget, 7 save what God wills. Truly He knows that which is open and that which is hidden. 8 And We shall ease thy way unto ease. 9 So remind, should the reminder benefit: 10 he who fears will remember, 11 while the most wretched shall avoid it– 12 he who enters into the greatest Fire, 13 then neither dies therein nor lives. 14 He indeed prospers who is purified, 15 remembers the Name of his Lord and prays. 16 Nay, but you prefer the life of this world, 17 while the Hereafter is better and more enduring. 18 Truly this is in the scriptures of old, 19 the scriptures of Abraham and Moses.
Saqa Allahu Al Adheem.
Surah Al Ala is one of the seven Musabihat. The Musabihat are the Sarah that start with the Lord's glorification. These seven Surah are:
17 - Al Isra: Glory be to Him who carried his servant by night from the Sacred Mosque to the Farthest Mosque, whose precincts We have blessed, that We might show him some of Our signs. Truly He is the Hearer, the Seer (1).
17 - Al Hadid: Whatsoever is in the heavens and the earth glorifies God, and He is the Mighty, the Wise (1).
57 - Al Hadid: Whatsoever is in the heavens and the earth glorifies God, and He is the Mighty, the Wise (1).
59 - Al Hashr: Whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is on the earth glorifies God, and He is the Mighty, the Wise (1).
61 - As Saff: Whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is on the earth glorifies God, and He is the Mighty, the Wise (1).
62 - Al Jumaa: Whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is on the earth glorifies God, the Sovereign, the Holy, the Mighty, the Wise (1).
64 - Al Tagabun: Whatsoever is in heaven and whatsoever is on the earth glorifies God. His is the Sovereignty and His is the praise, and He is Powerful over all things (1).
87 - Al Ala: Glorify the Name of thy Lord, the Highest (1).
Surah Al Ala was one of the Prophet Mohammed peace be upon him favourite Surah. The prophet used to recite it in the evening prayer and during the Eid prayer.
The sūrah begins with glorification of God (vv. 1–5) and encouragement for the Prophet (vv. 6–9) followed by a contrast between those who heed the Quran and those who avoid it (vv. 10–15). It concludes with a sharp rebuke of those who prefer this world (vv. 16–17) and an affirmation of the connection between the Quran and previous revelations (vv. 18–19).
The Surah starts with God Glorification By the Highest. He is the one who deserves it from all that being created. We cannot glorify Kings, Sultan’s nor Presidents.
The first three ayat of the Surah is just beautiful, if we cannot see the Lord we can see it in his wording, in the Quran, which is the Holy Book.
The praise to the Lord here is by his Nameings (Asma Allah Al Husna), by praising his deeds, by helping the needed, by the small things like just getting lost while reading the words from him. It is not only by reading blindly, every letter, every word, every sentence was there for a reason. If the universe was created for a reason, what about the humans, and what about the Quran.
We Muslims are deeply in need of the Quran more than any time in the age of unlimited and useless information. The verse is simply an injunction to glorify God.
We Muslims are deeply in need of the Quran more than any time in the age of unlimited and useless information. The verse is simply an injunction to glorify God.
Notice the repetition of the word: Al Ladhi, Wa Ladhi, Wa Ladhi: Who And Who And Who. It beautifully rhymes and it glorifies the Lord, very simply and very adequately.
“Truly We have sent down the Quran upon thee as a revelation” Al Insaan, 23.
“Who created, then fashioned” Al Ala, 2.
“Who measured out, then guided” Al Ala, 3.
The creation refers to the human beings, animals and all God's creation. Then fashioned, and he made us perfectly. The nose is at the right place, so are the two eyes and front, back is placed rightly and so are our hands and small things that we usually don’t pay attention to or we usually take for granted.
Created - Measured
Then Fashioned - Then Guided
When we read the Quran Muslims need to pay attention not just to tajweed but also to the beautiful sequence and the pronunciation. English translations don’t do the ayat justice. It needs to be read in Arabic or you can listen to all the top Quran recitation readers on YouTube.
Also notice the timing: Measured - Fashioned.
We are all created and we are all here for a reason. Creation only is not enough, there is a meaning and a reason behind it.
“Did you suppose, then, that We created you frivolously, and that you would not be returned unto Us?” Al Muminoon, 115
“And brought forth posture, then made it as blackened stubble” (Al Ala 4 -5 ).
God here refers to all the creatures on Earth, the living, such as plants, trees, vegetation, animals and even humans. He created everything from the small unseen microorganism to the complex unknown universe. He made it come alive and he is the one who makes it turn to black when it's dead.
Science has proven recently that plants and microorganisms that used to live on Earth million years ago turn to black matter and hence into petroleum which is used to drive the recent advance in civilization and make some countries rich beyond their expectation. The Quran is still unknown to us and even today we are still discovering its miracle nature which is not yet proven to science. There are also various things still unknown in the Quran that will not be revealed only on the judgment day.
“We shall teach thee to recite, that thou wilt not forget, save what God wills. Truly He knows that which is open and that which is hidden. And We shall ease thy way unto ease. (Al Ala 6 -8).
This ayat was telling the Prophet peace be upon him, that he shouldn't worry about the Quran, or is trying to remember every word. The prophet used to recite the Quan after Gibrel very fast worrying that he might forget, so God told the Prophet not to worry and he will make the Quran easy for him to remember. This also applies to anyone who is willing to learn the Quran, to make the Quran as his guide, or to make the Quran as a source for peace. God will make the Quran easy for him, and he will remember Insha’Allah what God wants him to remember.
“Move not thy tongue there wirth to hasten it. Surely it is for us to gather it and to recite it.” (Al Qiyaama, 16).
“ So remind, should the reminder benefit” Al Ala 9.
The Muslim specialy the Arabs whose first language is Arabic have an obligation to spread the word of God. Some will accept and some will just ignore it. It is not up to us to decide whom we should advise and whom we should not. God guides whom so ever he chooses.
“So remind, by the means of the Quran, those who fear my threat”. (Kaf 45).
“He who hears will remember” Al Ala, 10.
Those who are certain of God's presence, those who are afraid of God, those who fear the after life, those who will remember. In the beginning of the Islam and during the first 10 years of the revelation only a few followed the path. Those included the poor, the slave and the minority. Even today with such an environment of constant bombardment with unlimited information we are hooked with useless things online and we tend not to focus on the importance of the Quran and the teaching of the Prophet peace be upon him.
“While the most wretched shall avoid it, he who enters into the greatest fire, then neither is nor lives” Al Ala 11-13.
Those who avoid the teaching of the Quran, those who ignore it, those who read it only on occasion and those who don't read it at all they are the ones who face the greatest fire. Notice the word ‘the greatest’ which implies that there is also the smallest fire, which is on Earth.
“There is a disgrace in this world and theirs is a great punishment in the Hereafer” The Cow 114.
“And for those who disbelieve I shall punish them with a severe punishment in this world and Hereafter and they should have no helpers” Al Amraan 56.
“He is indeed a prosper who is purified, remembers the Name of his Lord and prays” Al Ala 14 - 15.
Purification of humans is the purification of the soul, it is the wisdom, down to Earth, content on whatever God has given him. Who remembers prayers not only five times a day but praying continuously and not only repeating several surah several times a day without having any implication on his life. Purification comes from the good deeds, taking care of the poor, remembering to give money not only once a year, visiting the needy and just being a good muslim who is loyal to God.
Nay, but you prefer the life of this world, while the Hereafter is better and more enduring” Al Ala 16 - 17.
This is a good example to today's generation whose life is evolving into social media, they constantly check their phone for updates and number of likes. They prefer listening to songs rather than the word of God, and they don't read the Quran at all.
How will their mind grow, be enriched, be open minded if all they do is check their Instagram and Facebook feed. They forget that the first word in the Quran is Read, which was repeated several times to Mohammed even though he was illiterate. What about us? What about you? Who can read, who can write and do nothing, I will be asked, you will be asked, we will be asked.
“Truly this is in the scriptures of old, the scriptures of Abraham and Moses” Al Ala 18-19.
There is a debate about this ayat, whether it refers to the whole Quran, some ayat or only specific to ayat 16 and 17. Most likely it refers to the later, what we are doing, what are we coming, a civilization of ignorance is written, written in ink in God's previous book. So be worn.
