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الأعلى

Surah Al-Ala (الأعلى) - Transliteration, Translation and Audio

Chapter 87 of the Quran, 19 verses, "The Most High"

بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

Surah Al-Ala Transliteration and English Translation

  1. 1

    سَبِّحِ ٱسْمَ رَبِّكَ ٱلْأَعْلَى

    Sabbihisma Rabbikal A'laa

    Exalt the name of your Lord, the Most High,

  2. 2

    ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ فَسَوَّىٰ

    Allazee khalaqa fasawwaa

    Who created and proportioned

  3. 3

    وَٱلَّذِى قَدَّرَ فَهَدَىٰ

    Wallazee qaddara fahadaa

    And who destined and [then] guided

  4. 4

    وَٱلَّذِىٓ أَخْرَجَ ٱلْمَرْعَىٰ

    Wallazeee akhrajal mar'aa

    And who brings out the pasture

  5. 5

    فَجَعَلَهُۥ غُثَآءً أَحْوَىٰ

    Faja'alahoo ghusaaa'an ahwaa

    And [then] makes it black stubble.

  6. 6

    سَنُقْرِئُكَ فَلَا تَنسَىٰٓ

    Sanuqri'uka falaa tansaaa

    We will make you recite, [O Muhammad], and you will not forget,

  7. 7

    إِلَّا مَا شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ يَعْلَمُ ٱلْجَهْرَ وَمَا يَخْفَىٰ

    Illaa maa shaaa'al laah; innahoo ya'lamul jahra wa maa yakhfaa

    Except what Allah should will. Indeed, He knows what is declared and what is hidden.

  8. 8

    وَنُيَسِّرُكَ لِلْيُسْرَىٰ

    Wa nu-yassiruka lilyusraa

    And We will ease you toward ease.

  9. 9

    فَذَكِّرْ إِن نَّفَعَتِ ٱلذِّكْرَىٰ

    Fazakkir in nafa'atizzikraa

    So remind, if the reminder should benefit;

  10. 10

    سَيَذَّكَّرُ مَن يَخْشَىٰ

    Sa yazzakkaru maiyakhshaa

    He who fears [Allah] will be reminded.

  11. 11

    وَيَتَجَنَّبُهَا ٱلْأَشْقَى

    Wa yatajannabuhal ashqaa

    But the wretched one will avoid it -

  12. 12

    ٱلَّذِى يَصْلَى ٱلنَّارَ ٱلْكُبْرَىٰ

    Allazee yaslan Naaral kubraa

    [He] who will [enter and] burn in the greatest Fire,

  13. 13

    ثُمَّ لَا يَمُوتُ فِيهَا وَلَا يَحْيَىٰ

    Summa laa yamootu feehaa wa laa yahyaa

    Neither dying therein nor living.

  14. 14

    قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَن تَزَكَّىٰ

    Qad aflaha man tazakkaa

    He has certainly succeeded who purifies himself

  15. 15

    وَذَكَرَ ٱسْمَ رَبِّهِۦ فَصَلَّىٰ

    Wa zakaras ma Rabbihee fasallaa

    And mentions the name of his Lord and prays.

  16. 16

    بَلْ تُؤْثِرُونَ ٱلْحَيَوٰةَ ٱلدُّنْيَا

    Bal tu'siroonal hayaatad dunyaa

    But you prefer the worldly life,

  17. 17

    وَٱلْءَاخِرَةُ خَيْرٌۭ وَأَبْقَىٰٓ

    Wal Aakhiratu khairunw wa abqaa

    While the Hereafter is better and more enduring.

  18. 18

    إِنَّ هَٰذَا لَفِى ٱلصُّحُفِ ٱلْأُولَىٰ

    Inna haazaa lafis suhu fil oolaa

    Indeed, this is in the former scriptures,

  19. 19

    صُحُفِ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ وَمُوسَىٰ

    Suhufi Ibraaheema wa Moosaa

    The scriptures of Abraham and Moses.

About Surah Al-Ala

Surah Al-Ala (Arabic: الأعلى), meaning "The Most High", is the 87th chapter of the Quran and has 19 verses. It was revealed in Makkah in the early years of the mission of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). It calls the believer to glorify Allah, the Most High, and to prefer the lasting Hereafter over the passing life of this world.

It opens with the command to glorify the name of your Lord, the Most High, who created and proportioned, measured out and guided, and brought out the green pasture before turning it into dark stubble. Allah then promises the Prophet that He will make him recite so that he will not forget, except what Allah wills, and that He will ease his way toward ease. The surah declares that whoever purifies himself, remembers the name of his Lord and prays has succeeded, yet people prefer this world although the Hereafter is better and more lasting. It closes by noting that this same message is found in the earlier scriptures of Ibrahim and Musa. Sahih Muslim reports that the Prophet recited it, together with Al-Ghashiyah, in the Friday prayer and the two Eid prayers, and it is still heard there in many mosques today.

Main Themes of Surah Al-Ala

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Frequently Asked Questions About Surah Al-Ala

In which prayers is Surah Al-Ala recited?
Sahih Muslim reports that the Prophet (peace be upon him) recited Al-Ala and Al-Ghashiyah in the Friday prayer and in the prayers of the two Eids. It is also among the surahs he named when he told Mu'adh ibn Jabal not to lengthen the prayer he led, a report found in Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim.
What is the meaning of "sabbih isma rabbika al-a'la"?
It means "Exalt the name of your Lord, the Most High", that is, declare Allah free of every flaw and every likeness to His creation. The same name is echoed in "Subhana rabbiyal a'la" (Glory be to my Lord, the Most High), which Muslims say in prostration.
What does Surah Al-Ala say about the earlier scriptures?
Its final verses state that the message of success through purification, and of the Hereafter being better and more lasting, is also found in the former scriptures of Ibrahim and Musa. This shows that the core call of the Quran continues the guidance given to earlier prophets.

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