Except what Allāh should will. Indeed, He knows what is declared and what is hidden.
8
٨
wanuyassiruka lil'yus'rā
And We will ease you toward ease.
9
٩
fadhakkir in nafaʿati l-dhik'rā
So remind, if the reminder should benefit;
10
١٠
sayadhakkaru man yakhshā
He who fears [Allāh] will be reminded.
11
١١
wayatajannabuhā l-ashqā
But the wretched one will avoid it
12
١٢
alladhī yaṣlā l-nāra l-kub'rā
[He] who will [enter and] burn in the greatest Fire,
13
١٣
thumma lā yamūtu fīhā walā yaḥyā
Neither dying therein nor living.
14
١٤
qad aflaḥa man tazakkā
He has certainly succeeded who purifies himself
15
١٥
wadhakara is'ma rabbihi faṣallā
And mentions the name of his Lord and prays.
16
١٦
bal tu'thirūna l-ḥayata l-dun'yā
But you prefer the worldly life,
17
١٧
wal-ākhiratu khayrun wa-abqā
While the Hereafter is better and more enduring.
18
١٨
inna hādhā lafī l-ṣuḥufi l-ūlā
Indeed, this is in the former scriptures,
19
١٩
ṣuḥufi ib'rāhīma wamūsā
The scriptures of Abraham and Moses.
Surah Al-A'la (The Most High) — Full Text
Ayah 1
سَبِّحِ ٱسْمَ رَبِّكَ ٱلْأَعْلَى
Exalt the name of your Lord, the Most High,
The surah opens with a powerful command: glorify the name of your Lord, the Most High. The word "sabbih" means to declare Allah's perfection and purity, and "Al-A'la" means the Most High above everything. When you hear or recite this verse, the Prophet and his companions would actually respond by saying "Glory to my Lord, the Most High" -- the same words we say in sujud (prostration). It sets the tone for the entire surah: before anything else, recognize who your Lord is and honor His name with the respect it deserves.
Ayah 2
ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ فَسَوَّىٰ
Who created and proportioned
This verse describes Allah as the One who created everything and then perfected it. The word "sawwa" means He didn't just throw things together -- He proportioned and balanced every single creation with precision. Think about the human body alone: the joints in your fingers, the way your eyes work, the balance of your organs. Nothing is random or haphazard. Every detail of creation reflects a deliberate, masterful design that points back to the Creator.
Ayah 3
وَٱلَّذِى قَدَّرَ فَهَدَىٰ
And who destined and [then] guided
Building on the previous verse, Allah says He determined a precise measure for everything and then guided it. This means nothing in the universe exists without purpose -- every creature, every element has been assigned a specific role and given the natural instinct to fulfill it. Birds know how to migrate, bees know how to build hives, plants know how to grow toward sunlight. None of them went to school for this. Allah programmed guidance into every part of His creation, from the planets orbiting in space to the tiniest insect finding its food.
Ayah 4
وَٱلَّذِىٓ أَخْرَجَ ٱلْمَرْعَىٰ
And who brings out the pasture
Allah is the One who brings out green pasture and vegetation from the earth. This is another sign of His creative power -- He causes lush, vibrant plant life to sprout from dry ground, providing sustenance for animals and humans alike. The imagery here is deeply connected to the desert context where any greenery was a clear sign of divine mercy and provision.
Ayah 5
فَجَعَلَهُۥ غُثَآءً أَحْوَىٰ
And [then] makes it black stubble.
Then He turns that same green vegetation into dark, withered stubble. The lush pasture dries up, turns black, and becomes debris. This isn't just a nature lesson -- it's a metaphor for the life cycle of everything, including us. Your youth, your health, your beauty -- all of it is vibrant now but temporary. Just like the green grass eventually darkens and crumbles, everything in this world has an expiration date. It should make you think about what's truly permanent.
Ayah 6
سَنُقْرِئُكَ فَلَا تَنسَىٰٓ
We will make you recite, [O Muḥammad], and you will not forget,
Now Allah turns to the Prophet with a reassuring promise: We will make you recite the Quran, and you will not forget it. Early on, when the angel Jibril would bring revelation, the Prophet would rush to repeat the words out of fear he might lose them. Allah is telling him to relax -- the preservation of the Quran is a divine guarantee, not a human responsibility. The exception "except what Allah wills" refers to verses that Allah Himself chose to abrogate or replace as part of His wisdom.
Except what Allāh should will. Indeed, He knows what is declared and what is hidden.
Allah knows what is spoken openly and what is hidden. This verse follows the promise of Quranic preservation to remind us that nothing escapes Allah's knowledge -- not the public declarations and not the private thoughts. It also reassures the Prophet that Allah is fully aware of his sincerity and his anxious effort to memorize every word. Whether something is manifest or concealed, Allah has complete knowledge of it all.
Ayah 8
وَنُيَسِّرُكَ لِلْيُسْرَىٰ
And We will ease you toward ease.1
And We will ease your way to the path of ease. This is such a comforting verse -- Allah is promising to make the straight path feel natural for the Prophet and, by extension, for anyone who sincerely seeks guidance. Islam's sacred laws aren't meant to be burdensome; they're designed to align with our nature. Allah doesn't just show you the right path -- He makes it easy for you to walk on it, turning righteousness into something that feels like second nature.
Ayah 9
فَذَكِّرْ إِن نَّفَعَتِ ٱلذِّكْرَىٰ
So remind, if the reminder should benefit;1
So remind people, for reminding is always beneficial. After the personal reassurances to the Prophet, Allah now gives him his core mission: be a reminder. The phrasing "if the reminder benefits" isn't actually a condition -- it's an emphatic way of saying that reminding always has value. You never know whose heart is ready to receive the message. Your job is to keep putting the truth out there; the results are in Allah's hands.
Ayah 10
سَيَذَّكَّرُ مَن يَخْشَىٰ
He who fears [Allāh] will be reminded.
The one who fears Allah will take heed. This is the person whose heart is still alive and receptive -- someone who has genuine awe of their Creator and awareness that they'll stand before Him one day. When you carry that consciousness with you, reminders actually land. They penetrate your heart instead of bouncing off. Fear of Allah here isn't about being terrified; it's about having enough respect and awareness to actually listen and change.
Ayah 11
وَيَتَجَنَّبُهَا ٱلْأَشْقَى
But the wretched one will avoid it
But the most wretched person will avoid the reminder. This is someone who hears the truth loud and clear but deliberately turns away from it. Their wretchedness isn't about their social status or wealth -- it's about their spiritual state. They've chosen to ignore every sign, every warning, every opportunity to turn back. The contrast with the previous verse is sharp: same message, two completely different responses based on the condition of the heart.
Ayah 12
ٱلَّذِى يَصْلَى ٱلنَّارَ ٱلْكُبْرَىٰ
[He] who will [enter and] burn in the greatest Fire,
That wretched person will enter the great Fire. The word "kubra" (great) emphasizes that this isn't ordinary punishment -- it's the most severe, most overwhelming fire. This is the consequence reserved for those who knowingly and stubbornly rejected the truth after it was made crystal clear to them. The surah is building a stark contrast between two types of people and two very different outcomes.
Ayah 13
ثُمَّ لَا يَمُوتُ فِيهَا وَلَا يَحْيَىٰ
Neither dying therein nor living.
Then they will neither die in it nor truly live. This is one of the most chilling descriptions of Hellfire in the Quran. Death would be a mercy, an escape from the pain -- but it never comes. And their existence can't be called "living" because there's no comfort, no peace, no relief in it whatsoever. They're stuck in a state that is the absolute worst of both worlds: conscious enough to feel every bit of suffering, but with no way out and no end in sight.
Ayah 14
قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَن تَزَكَّىٰ
He has certainly succeeded who purifies himself
Success truly belongs to the one who purifies themselves. The word "tazakka" comes from the root "zakah" which means purification. It covers everything: purifying your beliefs from false ideas, purifying your character from bad traits, and purifying your wealth by giving in charity. Real success isn't measured by your bank account or your follower count -- it's measured by how clean your heart and actions are before Allah. This is the ultimate win.
Ayah 15
وَذَكَرَ ٱسْمَ رَبِّهِۦ فَصَلَّىٰ
And mentions the name of his Lord and prays.
And the one who remembers the name of their Lord and prays. After purification comes connection -- mentioning Allah's name and establishing prayer. Prayer is the practical expression of that inner purity. It's not just a ritual you go through; it's the act of standing before your Creator with a purified heart and a humble spirit. The combination of internal purification and external worship is the complete formula for real success described in these verses.
Ayah 16
بَلْ تُؤْثِرُونَ ٱلْحَيَوٰةَ ٱلدُّنْيَا
But you prefer the worldly life,
But you all prefer the life of this world. Here's the honest callout: most people choose what's right in front of them over what's promised in the unseen. The worldly life is flashy, tangible, and immediate -- you can see it, touch it, enjoy it right now. The Hereafter requires faith in something you haven't experienced yet. People naturally gravitate toward the instant reward, and that's exactly the trap. Choosing the temporary over the eternal is the definition of a bad deal.
Ayah 17
وَٱلْـَٔاخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ وَأَبْقَىٰٓ
While the Hereafter is better and more enduring.
While the Hereafter is far better and far more lasting. This is the reality check: not only are the blessings of the next life superior in quality to anything this world offers, but they're also permanent. The best things in this life are still mixed with hardship and they all eventually end. A king today can be broke tomorrow, and youth always fades. The Hereafter has none of those flaws -- its blessings are pure, perfect, and they never expire. Even logically, choosing something permanent over something temporary is the smarter move.
Ayah 18
إِنَّ هَـٰذَا لَفِى ٱلصُّحُفِ ٱلْأُولَىٰ
Indeed, this is in the former scriptures,
This message is not new -- it was recorded in the earliest scriptures. The core truths of this surah, especially the superiority of the Hereafter over this world, aren't unique to the Quran. They were part of the divine message from the very beginning. Allah revealed the same fundamental teachings across different times and different prophets, confirming that this isn't a new invention but an eternal truth that every generation of believers was taught.
Ayah 19
صُحُفِ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ وَمُوسَىٰ
The scriptures of Abraham and Moses.
Specifically, the scriptures of Ibrahim and Musa. These two great prophets received divine texts that contained these same essential messages about purifying oneself, remembering Allah, and prioritizing the Hereafter. The scriptures of Ibrahim contained wisdom about how leaders should serve justice and how wise people should divide their time between worship, self-reflection, and earning a livelihood. The Torah of Musa carried similar lessons of wisdom. By ending with this connection, the surah anchors its message in a chain of revelation that stretches back to the very foundations of monotheistic faith.