Surah Al-Ala (الأعلى) is a Meccan surah of the Quran with 19 verses. Read, listen and memorize this surah with our interactive tools.
Updated on 07 March 2026 at 4:16 PM
📖 1 min readHe is led astray by it, as one who blocks the path: '{Indeed, he has succeeded}' - that is, he has attained all his desires - '{who purifies himself}' - meaning, he who works to purify his soul from corrupt beliefs, morals, words, deeds, and wealth, and cultivates its spiritual and physical actions, and gives charity with his wealth. This is the glorification that was commanded at the beginning of the surah and what follows from it. Whoever does this is the most fortunate. Since the greatest of purifying actions is remembrance and prayer, Allah says: '{And remembers}' - that is, with the heart and tongue, remembrance and remembrance - with a kasrah and a dammah '{the name of his Lord}' - meaning, the attributes of the One who is benevolent towards him. For when he remembers the attribute, his inner self overflows with the mention of it, and when he mentions the word, which is the name that signifies it, the remembrance of what is named becomes ingrained in his heart. '{And prays}' - meaning, the obligatory prayer, because it is the greatest form of remembrance. It is the greatest bodily worship, just as zakat is the greatest financial worship. Whoever does this finds rest from the disease of self-admiration and the ensuing deficiencies that lead to a bad end. He is characterized by the attributes of Allah mentioned at the beginning of the surah, by abandoning deficiencies through purification and acquiring perfections through remembrance and prayer. This is because, due to His greatness, only one who consistently remembers His name is worthy of it, and thus he will not be wretched, and the Great Fire will not be prayed against him, as promised, without any breach of promise.
Read the full surah text
سَبِّحِ ٱسْمَ رَبِّكَ ٱلْأَعْلَى ﴿١﴾
Exalt the name of your Lord, the Most High,
ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ فَسَوَّىٰ ﴿٢﴾
Who created and proportioned
وَٱلَّذِى قَدَّرَ فَهَدَىٰ ﴿٣﴾
And who destined and [then] guided
وَٱلَّذِىٓ أَخْرَجَ ٱلْمَرْعَىٰ ﴿٤﴾
And who brings out the pasture
فَجَعَلَهُۥ غُثَآءً أَحْوَىٰ ﴿٥﴾
And [then] makes it black stubble.
سَنُقْرِئُكَ فَلَا تَنسَىٰٓ ﴿٦﴾
We will make you recite, [O Muhammad], and you will not forget,
إِلَّا مَا شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ يَعْلَمُ ٱلْجَهْرَ وَمَا يَخْفَىٰ ﴿٧﴾
Except what Allah should will. Indeed, He knows what is declared and what is hidden.
وَنُيَسِّرُكَ لِلْيُسْرَىٰ ﴿٨﴾
And We will ease you toward ease.
فَذَكِّرْ إِن نَّفَعَتِ ٱلذِّكْرَىٰ ﴿٩﴾
So remind, if the reminder should benefit;
سَيَذَّكَّرُ مَن يَخْشَىٰ ﴿١٠﴾
He who fears [Allah] will be reminded.
وَيَتَجَنَّبُهَا ٱلْأَشْقَى ﴿١١﴾
But the wretched one will avoid it -
ٱلَّذِى يَصْلَى ٱلنَّارَ ٱلْكُبْرَىٰ ﴿١٢﴾
[He] who will [enter and] burn in the greatest Fire,
ثُمَّ لَا يَمُوتُ فِيهَا وَلَا يَحْيَىٰ ﴿١٣﴾
Neither dying therein nor living.
قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَن تَزَكَّىٰ ﴿١٤﴾
He has certainly succeeded who purifies himself
وَذَكَرَ ٱسْمَ رَبِّهِۦ فَصَلَّىٰ ﴿١٥﴾
And mentions the name of his Lord and prays.
بَلْ تُؤْثِرُونَ ٱلْحَيَوٰةَ ٱلدُّنْيَا ﴿١٦﴾
But you prefer the worldly life,
وَٱلْـَٔاخِرَةُ خَيْرٌۭ وَأَبْقَىٰٓ ﴿١٧﴾
While the Hereafter is better and more enduring.
إِنَّ هَـٰذَا لَفِى ٱلصُّحُفِ ٱلْأُولَىٰ ﴿١٨﴾
Indeed, this is in the former scriptures,
صُحُفِ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ وَمُوسَىٰ ﴿١٩﴾
The scriptures of Abraham and Moses.