Surah 87. Al-Ala

EXTOL the limitless glory of thy Sustainer's name: [the glory of] the All-Highest,

  - Mohammad Asad

Glorify the name of your Rabb, the Most High,

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Glorify the Name of your Lord, the Most High,

  - Mustafa Khattab

Praise the name of thy Lord the Most High,

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Glorify the name of thy Guardian-Lord Most High ⁶⁰⁸⁰

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The word "Lord" by itself is an inadequate rendering here for Rabb. For it implies cherishing, guarding from harm, sustaining, granting all the means and opportunities of development. See n. 20 to i. 2. For shortness, perhaps "Guardian-Lord" will be sufficient in the Text.

who creates [every thing], and thereupon forms it in accordance with what it is meant to be,¹

  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., He endows it with inner coherence and with qualities consistent with the functions which it is meant to perform, and thus adapts it a priori to the exigencies of its existence.

Who has created all things and perfected them.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Who created and 'perfectly' fashioned 'all',

  - Mustafa Khattab

Who createth, then disposeth;

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Who hath created and further given order and proportion; ⁶⁰⁸¹

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The story of Creation is wonderful and continuous. There are several processes which we contemplate in glorifying Allah's name. First, He brings us into being. Secondly, He endows us with forms and faculties exactly suited to what is expected of us, and to the environments in which our life will be cast, giving to everything due order and proportion.

and who determines the nature [of all that exists],² and thereupon guides it [towards its fulfilment],

  - Mohammad Asad

Cf. the last sentence of 25:2 and the corresponding note [3]; also 20:50 and note [31].

Who has set their destinies and guided them.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

and Who ordained precisely and inspired accordingly,

  - Mustafa Khattab

Who measureth, then guideth;

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Who hath ordained laws. And granted guidance; ⁶⁰⁸²

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Thirdly, He has ordained laws and decrees, by which we can develop ourselves and fit ourselves into His whole scheme of evolution for all His Creation. He has measured exactly the needs of all, and given us instincts and physical predispositions which fit into His decrees. Fourthly, He gives us guidance, so that we are not the sport of mechanical laws. Our reason and our will are exercised, that we may reach the higher destiny of man.

and who brings forth herbage,

  - Mohammad Asad

Who brings forth green pasture,

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

and Who brings forth 'green' pasture,

  - Mustafa Khattab

Who bringeth forth the pasturage,

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And Who bringeth out the (green and luscious) pasture. ⁶⁰⁸³

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Fifthly, after maturity comes decay. But even in that decay, as when green pasture tums to stubble, we subserve other ends. In so far as we are animals, we share these processes with other forms of material Creation, animal, vegetable, and even mineral, which all have their appointed laws of growth and decay. But man's higher destiny is referred to in subsequent verses.

and thereupon causes it to decay into rust-brown stubble!³

  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., metonymically, "who brings forth life and deals death".

then reduces it to black rubbish.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

then reduces it to withered chaff.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Then turneth it to russet stubble.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And then doth make it (but) swarthy stubble.

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

WE SHALL teach thee, and thou wilt not forget [aught of what thou art taught],

  - Mohammad Asad

Soon We shall make you recite Our revelations so you shall forget none of them

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

We will have you recite 'the Quran, O Prophet,' so you will not forget 'any of it',

  - Mustafa Khattab

We shall make thee read (O Muhammad) so that thou shalt not forget

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

By degrees shall We teach thee to declare (the Message) so thou shalt not forget ^{6084 6085}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The soul, as it reaches the Light of Allah, makes gradual progress, like a man going from darkness into light. So the Qur-an was revealed by stages. So all revelation from Allah comes by stages. As usual, there are two parallel meanings: (1) that connected with the occasion of direct inspiration to the holy Prophet; and (2) the more general Message to mankind for all time. Everyone who understands the Message must declare it, in words, and still more, in his conduct.

The particular occasion was an assurance to the Prophet, that though he was unleftered, the Message given to him would be preserved in his heart and in the hearts of men. The more general sense is that mankind, having once seized great spiritual truths, will hold fast to them, except as qualified in the following verse.

save what God may will [thee to forget]⁴ - for, verily, He [alone] knows all that is open to [man's] perception as well as all that is hidden [from it]⁵ -:

  - Mohammad Asad

The classical commentators assume that the above words are addressed specifically to the Prophet, and that, therefore, they relate to his being taught the Qur'an and being promised that he would not forget anything thereof, "save what God may will [thee to forget]". This last clause has ever since given much trouble to the commentators, inasmuch as it is not very plausible that He who has revealed the Qur'an to the Prophet should cause him to forget anything of it. Hence, many unconvincing explanations have been advanced from very early times down to our own days, the least convincing being that last refuge of every perplexed Quran-commentator, the "doctrine of abrogation" (refuted in my note [87] on 2:106 ). However, the supposed difficulty of interpretation disappears as soon as we allow ourselves to realize that the above passage, though ostensibly addressed to the Prophet, is directed at man in general, and that it is closely related to an earlier Quranic revelation - namely, the first five verses of surah {96} ("The Germ-Cell") and, in particular, verses {3-5}, which speak of God's having "taught man what he did not know". In note [3] on those verses I have expressed the opinion that they allude to mankind's cumulative acquisition of empirical and rational knowledge, handed down from generation to generation and from one civilization to another: and it is to this very phenomenon that the present passage, too, refers. We are told here that God, who has formed man in accordance with what he is meant to be and has promised to guide him, will enable him to acquire (and thus, as it were, "impart" to him) elements of knowledge which mankind will accumulate, record and collectively "remember" - except what God may cause man to "forget" (in another word, to abandon) as having become redundant by virtue of his new experiences and his acquisition of wider, more differentiated elements of knowledge, empirical as well as deductive or speculative, including more advanced, empirically acquired skills. However, the very next sentence makes it clear that all knowledge arrived at through our observation of the external world and through speculation, though necessary and most valuable, is definitely limited in scope and does not, therefore, in itself suffice to give us an insight into ultimate truths.

I.e., all that is intrinsically beyond the reach of human perception (al-ghayb): the implication being that, since human knowledge must forever remain imperfect, man cannot really find his way through life without the aid of divine revelation.

except what Allah wills. Surely He knows what is open and what is hidden.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

unless Allah wills otherwise.¹ He surely knows what is open and what is hidden.

  - Mustafa Khattab

 Meaning, We will have you memorize the revelations and apply the rulings contained in them, unless one ruling is replaced by another.

Save that which Allah willeth. Lo! He knoweth the disclosed and that which still is hidden;

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Except as Allah wills: For He knoweth what is manifest and what is hidden. ⁶⁰⁸⁶

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

There can be no question of this having any reference to the abrogation of any verses of the Qur-an. For this Sura is one of the earliest revealed, being placed about eighth according to the most accepted chronological order. While the basic principles of Allah's Law remain the same, its form, expression, and application have varied from time to time, e.g., from Moses to Jesus, and from Jesus to Muhammad. It is one of the beneficent mercies of Allah that we should forget some things of the past, lest our minds become confused and our development is retarded. Besides, Allah knows what is manifest and what is hidden, and His Will and Plan work with supreme wisdom and goodness.

and [thus] shall We make easy for thee the path towards [ultimate] ease.⁶

  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., towards an ease of the mind and peace of the spirit.

We shall make it easy for you to follow the easy way.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

We will facilitate for you the Way of Ease.¹

  - Mustafa Khattab

 The Islamic way of life which brings about ease in this life and salvation in the next.

And We shall ease thy way unto the state of ease.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And We will make it easy for thee (to follow) the simple (Path). ⁶⁰⁸⁷

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The Path of Islam is simple and easy. It depends on no abstruse mysteries or self-mortifications, but on straight and manly conduct in accordance with the laws of man's nature as implanted in him by Allah (xxx. 30). On the other hand, spiritual perfection may be most difficult, for it involves complete surrender on our part to Allah in all our affairs, thoughts, and desires: but after that surrender Allah's Grace will make our path easy.

REMIND, THEN, [others of the truth, regardless of] whether this reminding [would seem to] be of use [or not]:⁷

  - Mohammad Asad

Thus Baghawi, as well as Razi in one of his alternative interpretations of this phrase.

Therefore remind, surely reminder does benefit.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

So 'always' remind 'with the Quran'- 'even' if the reminder is beneficial 'only to some'.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Therefor remind (men), for of use is the reminder.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Therefore give admonition in case the admonition profits (the hearer). ⁶⁰⁸⁸

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

This is not so strong as the Biblical phrase, "Cast not pearls before swine" (Man. vii. 6). The cases where admonition does produce spiritual profit and where it does not, are mentioned below in verses 10 and 11-13 respectively. Allah's Message should be proclaimed to all: but particular and personal admonitions are also due to those who attend and in whose hearts is the fear of Allah; in the case of those who run away from it and dishonour it, such particular and personal admonition is useless. They are the unfortunate ones who prepare their own ruin.

in mind will keep it he who stands in awe [of God],

  - Mohammad Asad

He who fears Allah will heed the reminder,

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Those in awe 'of Allah' will be mindful 'of it'.

  - Mustafa Khattab

He will heed who feareth,

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

The admonition will be received by those who fear (Allah):

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

but aloof from it will remain that most hapless wretch -

  - Mohammad Asad

and he who is unfortunate will avoid it.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

But it will be shunned by the most wretched,

  - Mustafa Khattab

But the most hapless will flout it,

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

But it will be avoided by those most unfortunate ones.

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

he who [in the life to come] shall have to endure the great fire

  - Mohammad Asad

The one who will avoid, shall burn in the gigantic fire,

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

who will burn in the greatest Fire,

  - Mustafa Khattab

He who will be flung to the great fire

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

Who will enter the Great Fire ⁶⁰⁸⁹

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

The Great Fire is the final Penalty or Disaster in the Hereafter, as contrasted with the minor Penalties or Disasters from which all evil suffers from within in this very life.

wherein he will neither die nor remain alive.⁸

  - Mohammad Asad

I.e., in consequence of having remained aloof from the divine reminder. (Cf. {74:2-29}.)

where he shall neither die nor live.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

where they will not 'be able to' live or die.

  - Mustafa Khattab

Wherein he will neither die nor live.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

In which they will then neither die nor live. ⁶⁰⁹⁰

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

A terrible picture of those who ruin their whole future by evil lives here below. They introduce a discord into Creation, while life should be one great universal concord. And their past clings to them as part of their own will. They are not even like the dry swarthy stubble mentioned in verse 5 above, which grew naturally out of the luscious pasture, for they have grown harmful, in defiance of their own nature. "Neither die nor five": Cf. xx. 74.

To happiness [in the life to come] will indeed attain he who attains to purity [in this world],

  - Mohammad Asad

The one who will take admonition and purify himself shall be successful,

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

Successful indeed are those who purify themselves,

  - Mustafa Khattab

He is successful who groweth,

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

But those will prosper who purify themselves. ^{6091 6092}

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Prosper. in the highest sense; attain to Bliss or Salvation; as opposed to "enter the Fire".

The first process in godliness is to cleanse ourselves in body, mind, and soul. Then we shall be in a fit state to see and proclaim the Glory of Allah. That leads us to our actual absorption in Praise and Prayer.

and remembers his Sustainer's name, and prays [unto Him].

  - Mohammad Asad

who remembers the name of his Rabb and prays.

  - Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik

remember the Name of their Lord, and pray.

  - Mustafa Khattab

And remembereth the name of his Lord, so prayeth.

  - Marmaduke Pickthall

And glorify the name of their Guardian-Lord and (lift their hearts) in Prayer.

  - Abdullah Yusuf Ali