Tafsir Surah Al-A'la ayah 1 | Learn Quran Tafsir

Tafsir of Surah Al-A'la

The Command to pronounce Tasbih and its Response

Imam Ahmad recorded from Ibn `Abbas that whenever the Messenger of Allah would recite

سَبِّحِ اسۡمَ رَبِّكَ الاَۡعۡلَى

Glorify the Name of your Lord, the Most High.

he would say,

سُبۡحَانَ رَبِّيَ الاَۡعۡلَى

Glory to my Lord, the Most High.

Ibn Jarir recorded from Ibn Ishaq Al-Hamdani that whenever Ibn `Abbas would recite

سَبِّحِ اسۡمَ رَبِّكَ الاّعۡلَى

(Glorify the Name of your Lord, the Most High.) he would say,

Glory to my Lord, the Most High,

and whenever he would recite

لَا أُقۡسِمُ بِيَوۡمِ الۡقِيَـمَةِ

(I swear by the Day of Resurrection.) and then reach the end of it

أَلَيۡسَ ذَلِكَ بِقَـدِرٍ عَلَى أَن يُحۡيِىَ الۡمَوۡتَى

(Is not He able to give life to the dead) (75:1,40) he would say,

Glory to You, of course.

Qatadah said,

It has been mentioned to us that whenever the Prophet of Allah used to recite

سَبِّحِ اسۡمَ رَبِّكَ الاّعۡلَى

(Glorify the Name of your Lord, the Most High), he would say,

سُبۡحَانَ رَبِّيَ الاَۡعۡلَى

Glory to my Lord, the Most High.

The Creation, the Decree, and the Bringing Forth of Vegetation

Allah says,

الَّذِي خَلَقَ فَسَوَّى

Who has created, and then proportioned it.

meaning, He created that which has been created, and He fashioned every creation in the best of forms.

Then Allah says,

وَالَّذِي قَدَّرَ فَهَدَى

And Who has measured; and then guided.

Mujahid said,

He guided man to distress and happiness, and he guided the cattle to their pastures.

This Ayah is similar to what Allah has said about Musa's statement to Fir`awn,

رَبُّنَا الَّذِى أَعۡطَى كُلَّ شَىءٍ خَلۡقَهُ ثُمَّ هَدَى

Our Lord is He Who gave to each thing its form and nature, then guided it aright. (20:50)

meaning, He decreed a set measure and guided the creation to it.

This is just as is confirmed in Sahih Muslim on the authority of Abdullah bin `Amr that the Messenger of Allah said,

إِنَّ اللهَ قَدَّرَ مَقَادِيرَ الۡخَلَيِقِ قَبۡلَ أَنۡ يَخۡلُقَ السَّمَواتِ وَالاَۡرۡضَ بِخَمۡسِينَ أَلۡفَ سَنَةٍ وَكَانَ عَرۡشُهُ عَلَى الۡمَاء

Verily, Allah ordained the measure of all creation fifty thousand years before He created the heavens and the earth, and His Throne was over the water.

Concerning Allah's statement,

وَالَّذِي أَخۡرَجَ الۡمَرۡعَى

And Who brings out the pasturage,

meaning, all types of vegetation and crops.

فَجَعَلَهُ غُثَاء أَحۡوَى

And then makes it dark stubble.

Ibn `Abbas said, Dried up and altered.

It has been narrated that Mujahid, Qatadah and Ibn Zayd, all made similar statements.

The Prophet does not forget the Revelation

Allah says,

سَنُقۡرِوُكَ

We shall make you to recite,

meaning, `O Muhammad.'

فَلَ تَنسَى

so you shall not forget (it),

This is Allah informing and promising him (the Prophet) that He will teach him a recitation that he will not forget

إِلاَّ مَا شَاء اللَّهُ

Except what Allah may will.

Qatadah said,

The Prophet did not forget anything except what Allah willed.

It has been said that the meaning of Allah's statement,

فَلَ تَنسَى

(so you shall not forget,) is,

do not forget

and that which would be abrogated, is merely an exception to this.

Meaning, `do not forget what We teach you to recite, except what Allah wills, which He removes and there is no sin on your leaving it off (not retaining it).'

Concerning Allah's statement,

إِنَّهُ يَعۡلَمُ الۡجَهۡرَ وَمَا يَخۡفَى

He knows what is apparent and what is hidden.

meaning, He knows what the creatures do openly and what they hide, whether it be statements or deeds. None of that is hidden from Him.

Then Allah says,

وَنُيَسِّرُكَ لِلۡيُسۡرَى

And We shall make easy for you the easy.

meaning, `We will make good deeds and statements easy for you, and We will legislate such Law for you that is easy, tolerant, straight and just, with no crookedness, difficulty or hardship in it.'

Al-A'la: 1

Ayah

Translation

Tafsir

Al-A'la: 1