Sūrah No. 87. Revealed in Makkah, 19 verses. Special emphasis has been laid on the recitation of this sūra. It is reported that the Prophet a loved this Sūrah and the Ma‘sūmīn (a) recited it often in their prayers after al-Fatiha. They would respond to the command to glorify Allah in the first verse and recite “Subhāna rabbiyal a‘lā” after it.
Sūrat al-A‘lā
Merits of reciting the Sūrah
Many hadith talk about the importance of reciting this sūra.
Imam Ja‘far al-Sādiq (a) has said: Whoever recites Sūrat 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, InshāAllah.
Note: Of course, the reward would be for those who lived according to the teachings of the sūra.
General synopsis of contents
1) Glorification of Allah (vv. 1-5)
2) Address to the Prophet a about his mission (vv. 6-9)
3) Different response to the mission of the Prophet a and their recompense (vv. 10-17)
4) The truths of Quran are also found in previous scriptures (vv. 18-19)
Selected Lessons
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.
3) All Prophets brought similar messages from Allah, found in the scriptures.
Suggested verses for reflection and memorization.
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 Sūrah and recite it in your prayers.
2) How many different qualities of Allah are there in this sūra?