87. Al-‘A`la
87.1 Narrated Samurah ibn Jundub (رضي الله عنه)
The Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) used to recite in the Friday prayer: “Glorify the name of your most high Lord” (Surah 87) and Has the story of the overwhelming event reached you? (Surah 88).
87.2 It was narrated from Ibn ‘Abbas (رضي الله عنه)
That the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) used to recite in the ‘Eid prayer “Glorify the Name of your Lord, the Most High.” [Al-A’la (87)] and “Has there come to you the narration of the overwhelming?” [Al-Ghashiyah (88)]
Sunan Ibn Majah Vol. 1, Book 5, Hadith 1283
87.3 It was narrated that Ubayy bin Ka’b (رضي الله عنه) said
“The Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) used to perform Witr and recite: ‘Glorify the Name of your Lord the Most High.’, [Al-A’la (87)] ‘Say: O you disbelievers!” [Al-Kafirun (109)] and ‘Say: Allah is One.”. [Al-Ikhlas (112)]
Sunan Ibn Majah Vol. 1, Book 5, Hadith 1171
87.4 It was narrated from Jabir (رضي الله عنه)
that Mu’adh bin Jabal led his companions for the ‘Isha’ and he made the prayer too long for them. The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) said:
“Recite ‘By the sun and its brightness,’[Al-Shams (91)] ‘Glorify the Name of your Lord, the Most High,’ [Al-A’la (87)] ‘By the night as it envelops,’ [Al-Lail (92)] or, ‘Read! In the Name of your Lord Who has created.’” [Al-‘Alaq (96)]
Sunan Ibn Majah Vol. 1, Book 5, Hadith 836
87.5 ‘Uqbah bin ‘Amir Al-Juhani (رضي الله عنه) said:
“When the following was revealed: ‘So glorify the Name of your Lord, the Most Great’,[69:52] the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) said to us: ‘Say this in your Ruku’.’ And when the following was revealed: ‘Glorify the Name of your Lord, the Most High.’[87:1] the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) said to us: ‘Say this in your prostrations.’”
Sunan Ibn Majah Vol. 1, Book 5, Hadith 887
87.6 Ibn ‘Abbas (رضي الله عنه) reported
When the prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) recited: “Glorify the name of thy Lord, the Most High.” He would say:”Glory be to Allah, the most High”.
87.7 Khalid (رضي الله عنه) said
“Shu’bah narrated to us, he said: Salamah and Zubaid informed me, from Dharr, from Ibn ‘Abdur-Rahman bn Abza from Abdur-Rahman (رضي الله عنهم), that the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) used to recite in Witr: “Glorify the Name of your Lord, the Most High;” and “Say: O you disbelievers!;’ and ‘Say: He is Allah, (the) One.’ And when he said the taslim, he would say: Subhanal-Malikil-Quddus (Glory be to the Sovereign, the Most Holy) three times, raising his voice with Subhanal-Malikil-Quddus the third time.”
87.8 Narrated Al-Bara bin Azib (رضي الله عنه)
The first people who came to us (in Medina) were Mus`ab bin `Umar and Ibn Um Maktum who were teaching Qur’an to the people. Then their came Bilal. Sa`d and `Ammar bin Yasir. After that `Umar bin Al-Khattab came along with twenty other companions of the Prophet. Later on the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) himself (to Medina) and I had never seen the people of Medina so joyful as they were on the arrival of Allah’s Apostle, for even the slave girls were saying, “Allah’s Messenger (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) has arrived!” And before his arrival I had read the Sura starting with:– “Glorify the Name of your Lord, the Most High” (87.1) together with other Suras of Al-Mufassal.
87.9 It is reported by Abu Sa’id (رضي الله عنه) that the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) said
The (permanent) inhabitants of the Fire are those who are doomed to it, and verily they would neither die nor live in it (al-Qur’an, xx. 47; lxxxvii. 13). But the people whom the Fire would afflict (temporarily) on account of their sins, or so said (the narrator)” on account of their misdeeds,” He would cause them to die till they would be turned into charcoal. Then they would be granted intercession and would be brought in groups and would be spread on the rivers of Paradise and then it would be said: O inhabitants of Paradise, pour water over them; then they would sprout forth like the sprouting of seed in the silt carried by flood. A man among the people said: (It appears) as if the Messenger of Allah lived in the steppe.
87.10 Ibn Kathir (رحمه الله) related about
قد أفلح من تزكى
He has certainly succeeded who purifies himself
وذكر اسم ربه فصلى
And mentions the name of his Lord and prays (87:14-15)
The Commander of the believers, Umar bin Abdul-Aziz used to command the people to give the Sadaqat Al-Fitr, and he would recite these Aayat.
Abu Al-Ahwas said,”If someone comes to any of you begging, and you want to pray, then you should give charity (Zakah) before you pray. For verily, Allah the Exalted says, “Indeed whosoever purifies himself shall achieve success. And remembers the Name of his Lord, and performs Salah (87:14-15).”
(Tafsir Ibn Kathir)
87.11 Ibn Kathir (رحمه الله) related about
بل تؤثرون الحياة الدنيا
But you prefer the worldly life
والآخرة خير وأبقى
While the Hereafter is better and more enduring (87:16-17)
Imam Ahmad recorded from Abu Musa Al-Ash’ari (رضي الله عنه) that the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) said, “Whoever loves his worldly life, will suffer in his Hereafter, and whoever loves his Hereafter, will suffer in his worldly life. Therefore, chose that which is everlasting over that which is temporal.”
(Tafsir Ibn Kathir)
87.12 Mufti Shafi Usmani (رحمه الله) related about
إن هذا لفي الصحف الأولى
Indeed, this is in the former scriptures
صحف إبراهيم وموسى
The scriptures of Abraham and Moses (87:18-19)
Ajurri transmits a narration from Sayyidna Abu Dharr Al-Ghifari (رضي الله عنه) that he inquired from the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) as to the contents of the scripts of Prophet Ibrahim (عليه السلام) and the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) replied that they contained educating parables.
A story is told in it about a tyrant king where he is addressed and told: “You haughty, arrogant and oppressive ruler! I did not give you kingdom so that you may amass wealth, but I had given you power so that you may let the supplication of the oppressed against the oppressor reach Me, because My Law does not reject the supplication of an oppressed, even though it may be uttered by an unbeliever.”
Another parable addresses the general public thus: “A wise person should divide his time into three parts. One part should be reserved for the worship of his Lord and supplication to Him. The second part should be reserved for self-assessment of his deeds, and reflection on the Omnipotence and creation of Allah. The third part should be allocated for acquisition of livelihood and fulfilling the natural needs.”
It further imparts that a wise person should keep himself abreast of the circumstances of his time, and keep himself busy in performing his intended work. He should take care of his tongue. He who takes speech as one of his works, his speech will be confined only to the things of real need.
Sayyidna Abu Dharr Al-Ghifari (رضي الله عنه) says that he then inquired from the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) as to the contents of the scripts of Prophet Musa (عليه السلام) and the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) replied that they contained lessons of wisdom.
Some of them are as follows:
• I am surprised at the person who believes that he will certainly die, and yet he lives happily.
• I am surprised at the person who believes in Divine destiny, and yet he is despondent and aggrieved.
• I am surprised at the person who experiences the vicissitudes of life and rise and fall of nations, and yet he is content with the world.
• I am surprised at the person who believes in the Reckoning of the Hereafter, and yet he abandons [good] deeds.
Sayyidna Abu Dharr Al-Ghifari (رضي الله عنه) says that he asked the Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) whether anything from these scriptures was revealed to him, he replied in the affirmative and asked Sayyidna Abu Dharr Ghifari (رضي الله عنه) to recite verses 14-19 of this Surah. (Qurtubi)
(Ma’ariful Qur’an)
87.13 Imam Ahmad, Bazar and Ibn Mardawih (رحمهم الله) narrated from Hazrat Ali (رضي الله عنه) that
‘Sabbihi Isma Rabbika Al-A’ala’ (Surah 87) is the favorite Surah of the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم).
(Musnad ahmad 1/96)
87.14 Abu Ubayd narrated from Hazrat Tamim (رضي الله عنه) that
The Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) said, “I forgot the Afdhal al-Musabbihat (the best surah among the Musabbihat*).” So Hazrat Ubay ibn Ka’b (رضي الله عنه) said, “Perhaps it is ‘Sabbihi Isma Rabbika Al-A’ala’ (Surah 87).” So the Prophet replied, “Yes.”
| *Quran surahs that start with ‘Subhana’, ‘Sabbaha’, and ‘Yusabbihu’ (the Glorification of Allah). They include Al-Isra (17), Al-Hadid (57), Al-Hashr (59), As-Saff (61), Al-Jumuah (62), At-Taghabun (64) and Al-Ala (87) |
(Dur al-Manthur)
87.15 Imam Bazar (رحمه الله) narrated from Hazrat Anas (رضي الله عنه) that
The Holy Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) used to recite ‘Sabbihi Isma Rabbika Al-A’ala’ (Surah 87) and ‘Hal Ataka Hadeethu Al-Ghashiyah’ (Surah 88) in the Zuhr and Asr prayers.
(Dur al-Manthur)
87.16 Imam Tabrani (رحمه الله) narrated from Hazrat Abdullah bin Harith bin Abdul Muttalib (رضي الله عنه)
That once the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) lead us in the Maghrib prayer and he recited ‘Sabbihi Isma Rabbika Al-A’ala’ (Surah 87) in the first rakah and ‘Qul Ya Ayyuha al-Kafiroon’ (Surah 109) in the second rakah.
(Majama az-Zawaid 2/298, Dur al-Manthur)
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