Surah Al-A’la is the 87th surah in the Quran, and one of the most glorious ones because its beauty is derived from the way it glorifies Allah. It’s one of the surahs that are loaded with meaning, and reverence. It’s also the epitome of the beauty of the intricate language of Quranic verses.
In Arabic, Al-A’la means “the highest”, or “the gloriest”. It’s an effective way to showcase superiority and all-knowingness. Surah Al-A’la consists of 19 verses/ayat, that generally revolve around concepts of Allah’s oneness and the Islamic system of existence, what’s rewarded in it, and what’s punished, and finally the great and limitless knowledge of Allah.
Al-A’la is often recited in Jummah and Witr prayers and begins with the glorification of Allah “Glorify the Name of your Lord, the Most High” (87:1)
If you’re here, you’re probably about to fall more in love with this surah and dive deeper into its meaning by looking at its benefits and significance:
1. Spiritual Enlightenment
The surah begins by declaring Allah to be “the greatest” and calls for glorifying him.
Soon, the world of the believer is set to include Allah who is the ‘A’la’ and the one who created the universe in its entirety “Who created and ˹perfectly˺ fashioned ˹all˺” (87:2). The opening verse is a profound statement that calls for spiritual enlightenment. It’s a reminder of Allah’s power that’s second to absolutely nothing. In that very fact, there should be comfort.
2. Reminder of the Judgment Day
Al-A’la is quite a vivid surah, the imagery is focused on the Day of Judgment. For example, it uses imagery to remind people of the inevitability of “accountability” for on this day they will be held accountable for whatever they did in their lifetime.
It proceeds to give a description of the nature of eternal life, either in hell or heaven.
For example, those who are destined to hell will burn there forever “who will burn in the greatest Fire,” (87: 12) “where they will not be able to˺ live or die.” (87: 13)
3. Psychological Peace
The verses of Al-A’la can be argued to have therapeutic effects because they can comfort the mindful listener by listening to its recitation. The tafsir of the surah itself can bring them peace of mind, by knowing that Allah is greater than all, and that evil or innocent doing has consequences.
In fact, the Quran itself has undergone studies in branches like neuroscience and psychology that claim it has soothing effects that could pave the way for it to be a scientifically proven therapy.
If you; ‘re interested in knowing more about the therapeutic powers of the Quran, you can start with a credible source such as Heliyon A review of the holy Quran listening and its neural correlation for its potential as a psycho-spiritual therapy
4. Benefits of Regular Recitation
Regularly reciting and memorizing surah Al-A’la can serve several benefits.
- Reciting Al-A’la is rewarded per every letter, for each letter the reciter is rewarded 10 times.
- It was one of Prophet Muhammad’s favorites, peace be upon him loved reciting Al-A’la in Friday and Eid prayers.
- Aims to guide humans to the path of piety, and warns them against corruption by showcasing the grandeur of torture in hell.
- It also addresses the Prophet. It assures peace be upon him that he shall not worry about memorizing it because Allah will gift him the ability to memorize it without fail.
- The path between piety and wretchedness is made clear without confusion.
- A vivid description of the Hereafter is established.
5. Understanding the Creation
Primarily, the surah begins by tracing an order of things in the universe. It’s a place that Allah created, he’s in control of everything in this universe, and soon enough it will all vanish, according to Allah’s will, and the day of judgment will come.
The surah refers to things in the creation like:
- The earth and the process of life on it, like “vegetation”, like in verse 4.
- Heaven, and Hell.
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What is the meaning of the surah Ala?
We’ve established that surah Al-A’la features the central theme of Allah’s all-knowingness, and oneness, let’s further explore the meanings embedded in the surah.
Meaning of Surah Al-Ala:
- Title Significance: The title “Al-Ala” refers to the attribute of Allah being the Most High, indicating His supreme power and authority over all creation.
- The verses focus on another theme, that of divine revelation.
- Divine Knowledge is an attribute of Allah, who knows the hidden and the unhidden.
- Connection of Prophet Muhammad with previous Prophets: The final verse declares that the stratification between piety and wretchedness, reward and punishment has already been mentioned in previous Abrahamic scriptures, that of Ibrahim, and Musa. “This is certainly ˹mentioned˺ in the earlier Scriptures—”(87: 18) “the Scriptures of Abraham and Moses.” (87: 19)
Reflection on Existence:
The surah provides a superior perspective on existence, in which the universe is governed by the Creator, who is superior and his power is unmatched, and anything else follows, from the vegetation to the human being, everything is governed by Allah.
Therefore, when Muslim believer reads the surah, they realize the existence of Allah in everything around them, and in this way, they can spend time meditating. This cycle of meditation can only increase their reverence for the Supreme Being.
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Why was Surah A’la revealed?
Surah Al-A’la is Meccan, which means it was revealed during the period when Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) was in Mecca, before the Hijrah to Medina.
Meccan surahs share common characteristics together, like the emphasis on Allah’s oneness (Tawhid), what will happen in the afterlife (Akhirah), and urging people to believe in Allah (Iman). These Arabic words are key to understanding Meccan verses.
Reasons for Revelation:
- Call to Tawhid: Like many Meccan Surahs, Surah Al-A’la was revealed to emphasize Tawhid. It does that by showcasing the consequences for those who chose piety and those who spend their life in disbelief.
- Guidance for Humanity: by providing insights into the purpose of life. By demonstrating Allah as the one and only Creator and Supervisor of this universe, people are urged to meditate and reflect on the natural world around them, in which Allah’s power is consistently present.
- Affirmation of Prophethood: not only does the surah address the Prophet and seek to comfort him, but it also validates his message by connecting him to previous prophets like Ibrahim (Abrahman), and Musa (Moses).
- Warning disbelievers: The Surah warns disbelievers of the consequences of rejecting faith, by promising an extreme torment, that is of Hell where they can neither live nor die verse (13).
- Spiritual Enlightenment: The verses of Surah Al-A’la are meant to enlighten the hearts and minds of the believers, and guide the nonbelievers back to the right path, by establishing an order of the world governed by Allah, and works in terms of reward and punishment.
