Brief Info
Sūrat al-A‘lā, No. 87. Revealed in Makkah, 19 verses. Special emphasis has been laid on the recitation of this sūra. It is reported that the Prophet (s) loved this sūra and the Ma’sūmīn (a) recited it often in their prayers after al-Fātiha. They would respond to the command to glorify Allah in the first verse and recite Subhāna rabbiyal a‘lā after it.
Merits of reciting the Sūra.
Many hadith talk about the importance of reciting this sūra.
Imam al-Sādiq (a): Whoever recites sūra al-A‘lā in the obligatory or recommended prayers will be told on the Day of Judgment to enter Heaven form any door that he wishes, Inshallah.
Of course, the reward would be for those who lived according to the teachings of the sūra.
Synopsis of contents
1) Glorification of Allah (verses 1-5)
2) Address to the Prophet sallal-lāhu ‘alayhi wa-ālihi wasallam about his mission (verses 6-9)
3) Different response to the mission of the Prophet (s) and their recompense (verses 10-17)
4) The truths of Quran are also found in previous scriptures (verses 18-19)
Some Lessons from the Sūra
1) The person who fears Allah will be affected by admonition of the Quran.
2) The truly successful person is one who purifies himself through the remembrance of Allah ‘azza wajall.
3) All Prophets brought similar messages from Allah, found in the scriptures.
Suggested verses for memorization in Arabic and English
1) 87:9 – So admonish, for admonition is indeed beneficial.
2) 87:14-15 – Successful is he who purifies himself, and celebrates the Name of his Lord, and prays.
Activities for self-study
1) Memorize the sūra and recite it in your prayers.
2) How many different qualities of Almighty Allah are there in this sūra?
Sources
Āyatullāh Nāsir Makārim Shirazi (Ed.) Tafsīr Namūne; M. H. Shakir, Holy Qur’an Translation; Ali Quli Qarai, The Qur’an With a Phrase-by-Phrase English Translation.
Past lessons of Sūra Familiarization available at:
www.academyofislam.com/
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