What does « To rise / To climb » mean in the Quran?

Discover the meaning of the word To rise / To climb (علا) in the Quran, with 6 verses in which it appears, and a detailed explanation from Al-Raghib al-Asfahani's Mufradat fi gharib al-Qur'an.

علا

To rise / To climb

Root: ع - ل

Quranic language 6 verses

Updated on 29 May 2026 at 7:00 AM

📖 2 min read

Definition of To rise / To climb

Al-'ulw: the opposite of lowness (as-sufl).

Al-'ulwiyy and as-sufliyy: the high and the low.

The Almighty says: 'To Him belongs what is in the heavens and earth' (Al-Baqara 255). 'He is the Most High, the Great' (Al-Baqara 255).

God is al-'Aliyy.

To rise / To climb in the Quran (6)

Meccan: 6 Medinan: 0

Distribution of verses by surah

Al-Isra 2

Al-Mu'minun 1

An-Naml 1

Al-Qasas 1

Ad-Dukhan 1

Surah Al-Isra : 4 Meccan

﴿وَقَضَيْنَآ إِلَىٰ بَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ فِى ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ لَتُفْسِدُنَّ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ مَرَّتَيْنِ وَلَتَعْلُنَّ عُلُوًّۭا كَبِيرًۭا﴾

And We conveyed to the Children of Israel in the Scripture that, "You will surely cause corruption on the earth twice, and you will surely reach [a degree of] great haughtiness.

Surah Al-Isra : 7 Meccan

﴿إِنْ أَحْسَنتُمْ أَحْسَنتُمْ لِأَنفُسِكُمْ ۖ وَإِنْ أَسَأْتُمْ فَلَهَا ۚ فَإِذَا جَآءَ وَعْدُ ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ لِيَسُـۥٓـُٔوا۟ وُجُوهَكُمْ وَلِيَدْخُلُوا۟ ٱلْمَسْجِدَ كَمَا دَخَلُوهُ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍۢ وَلِيُتَبِّرُوا۟ مَا عَلَوْا۟ تَتْبِيرًا﴾

[And said], "If you do good, you do good for yourselves; and if you do evil, [you do it] to yourselves." Then when the final promise came, [We sent your enemies] to sadden your faces and to enter the temple in Jerusalem, as they entered it the first time, and to destroy what they had taken over with [total] destruction.

Surah Al-Mu'minun : 91 Meccan

﴿مَا ٱتَّخَذَ ٱللَّهُ مِن وَلَدٍۢ وَمَا كَانَ مَعَهُۥ مِنْ إِلَـٰهٍ ۚ إِذًۭا لَّذَهَبَ كُلُّ إِلَـٰهٍۭ بِمَا خَلَقَ وَلَعَلَا بَعْضُهُمْ عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍۢ ۚ سُبْحَـٰنَ ٱللَّهِ عَمَّا يَصِفُونَ﴾

Allah has not taken any son, nor has there ever been with Him any deity. [If there had been], then each deity would have taken what it created, and some of them would have sought to overcome others. Exalted is Allah above what they describe [concerning Him].

Surah An-Naml : 31 Meccan

﴿أَلَّا تَعْلُوا۟ عَلَىَّ وَأْتُونِى مُسْلِمِينَ﴾

Be not haughty with me but come to me in submission [as Muslims].' "

Surah Al-Qasas : 4 Meccan

﴿إِنَّ فِرْعَوْنَ عَلَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَجَعَلَ أَهْلَهَا شِيَعًۭا يَسْتَضْعِفُ طَآئِفَةًۭ مِّنْهُمْ يُذَبِّحُ أَبْنَآءَهُمْ وَيَسْتَحْىِۦ نِسَآءَهُمْ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ مِنَ ٱلْمُفْسِدِينَ﴾

Indeed, Pharaoh exalted himself in the land and made its people into factions, oppressing a sector among them, slaughtering their [newborn] sons and keeping their females alive. Indeed, he was of the corrupters.

Surah Ad-Dukhan : 19 Meccan

﴿وَأَن لَّا تَعْلُوا۟ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ ۖ إِنِّىٓ ءَاتِيكُم بِسُلْطَـٰنٍۢ مُّبِينٍۢ﴾

And [saying], "Be not haughty with Allah. Indeed, I have come to you with clear authority.