Event: (74) So glorify the Name of your Lord...

There are several issues concerning this verse:

Issue 1: Connection to the Preceding Text

When God Almighty mentioned the deniers of the Resurrection and Oneness, He presented evidence for both through Creation and Sustenance. Since this did not lead them to faith, He instructed His Prophet (peace be upon him) that his duty is to perfect himself in two things: knowledge of his Lord and action for his Lord: {So glorify the Name of your Lord}. We have previously discussed this in His saying: {So glorify the praise of your Lord before the rising of the sun} (Tā-Hā: 130) and in other places.

Issue 2: The Significance of Mentioning the Name (Ism)

Glorification (Tasbīh) means declaring Him free from what is unsuitable for Him. So, what is the benefit of mentioning the Name if He had not said: "So glorify your Great Lord"?

We offer two answers:

1. The Common View (The Name is an addition/redundancy): If we accept this, the benefit is the increase in glorification. When one glorifies a great being and exaggerates in honoring him, one does not mention his name except with reverence. His name is not mentioned in a lowly place or casually. This is because one might honor a person in their presence but mention them casually in their absence, perhaps using a known name. If they are in his presence, one would not speak that way; rather, when honoring him, one mentions him only with attributes of greatness, both in his presence and absence.
   • If it is argued: On this basis, what is the benefit of the preposition bi- (with/by) in bism (by the Name), and why was it not said: "Glorify the Name of your Great Lord" or "the Great Lord"?
   • We reply: We have stated repeatedly that when the action's connection to the object is overtly clear, it is not connected by a preposition (e.g., darabtu Zaydan - I struck Zayd). When the connection is extremely obscure, it requires a preposition (e.g., dhahabtu bi-Zayd - I went with Zayd). When it is intermediate, both forms are permissible (e.g., shakartuhu and shakartu lahu - I thanked him/I thanked for him).
   • Given this, since glorification is connected to the Name, and the Name is considered an addition, the glorification is truly connected to the Lord Himself. Because the connection is somewhat hidden, the preposition bi- is permissible.
   • If it is argued: If omission and inclusion are both permissible, what is the difference between this verse and His saying: {Glorify the Name of your Most High Lord} (Al-A'lā: 1)?
   • We reply: Here, the evidence for greatness is presented by saying the bi- in {by the Name} is not redundant. This can be explained in two ways:
     • First Explanation: When the pagans were confronted with matters (creation/sustenance) and the choice was posed: "Are We or are you [in control]?", they all admitted that the matters belong to God. When called to Oneness, they claimed: "We do not associate [partners] in meaning; rather, we take idols as gods in name only, and we call them gods, while the One who created them and the heavens is God." Thus, they affirmed His transcendence in reality. God says: {So glorify the Name of your Lord}. Just as you, O rational one, acknowledged their lack of partnership in reality, acknowledge their lack of partnership in name. Do not call anyone else a god, for the name follows the meaning and reality. In this context, the address is not specifically to the Prophet (PBUH), but like a preacher saying: "O wretched one, you have spent your life without rectifying your deeds," meaning, "O wretched listener." The implication is: Acknowledge that the name belongs only to Him.
     • Second Explanation: The intent of mentioning "your Lord" is: When you are told to turn away (from the disbelievers), then glorify your Lord by mentioning His Name among your people and engage in conveying the Message. The meaning is: Mention Him with your tongue and heart, and describe Him to them, even if they do not accept, for you are engaged in your task, which is propagation. If He had said, "So glorify your Lord," it would not have conveyed the meaning of verbal mention, implying only glorification by the heart. By saying {So glorify the Name of your Lord}, and the Name is what is uttered verbally, it indicates that he is commanded to verbal remembrance, and he should not limit himself to the remembrance of the heart.
   • It is also possible that {So glorify} means: Begin your glorification by the Name of your Great Lord, so the bi- is not redundant.

Issue 3: How do we glorify our Lord?

We glorify Him either:

1. In meaning: By believing that He is One, transcendent from having partners, and capable, thus not incapable of Resurrection.
2. In utterance (verbally): By saying, "Glory be to God," "Glory be to God the Great," or "Glory be to Him beyond what they associate [with Him]," or any speech that conveys His transcendence from partnership and inability.

If you glorify Him and believe He is transcendent from everything unsuitable for His reality, it necessitates that He is not a body (as a body involves multiple components, whereas He is truly One without inherent multiplicity), nor an accident, nor located in space, nor dependent on anything, nor within anything, nor from anything. If you affirm that He is Capable, then knowledge, Will, Life, and other attributes are established for Him. We will discuss this further in the exegesis of Surah Al-Ikhlās, God willing.

Issue 4: The Difference Between {The Great (Al-'Aẓīm)} and {The Most High (Al-A'lā)}

Is there a benefit in mentioning {The Great} here instead of {The Most High}, and mentioning {The Most High} in {Glorify the Name of your Most High Lord} (Al-A'lā: 1) instead of {The Great}?

The difference between Al-'Aẓīm and Al-A'lā is that Al-'Aẓīm indicates closeness, while Al-A'lā indicates remoteness.

Explanation: Among perceptible things, that which is great ('aẓīm) is close to everything possible. If it were distant from something, its place would be empty of it. If it had other parts, it would be greater than it is. Thus, the Great, relative to the whole, is that which is close to the whole. A small thing, if close from one direction, is distant from another.

However, the High (Al-'Alī) is distant from everything, because what is high above something is farther from it. The Absolute High, relative to everything, is that which is maximally distant from everything.

Knowing this: Perceptible things glorify God. When we know a negative attribute about God (negation), it is appropriate to say He is Higher than our perception can encompass. When we know a positive attribute (like Knowledge or Power), our glorification increases beyond what our knowledge reaches, so we say He is Greater and Higher than our knowledge can encompass.

• Saying Al-'Aẓam (The Greatest) means: Great, and there is none like Him. This contains both a negative concept (no likeness) and a positive concept (greatness).
• Saying Al-A'lā (The Most High) means: He is High, and there is none like Him who is High. Al-'Alī points to a negative concept, and Al-A'lā is similar due to an additional factor.

Therefore, Al-A'lā is used according to its literal meaning in both word and sense. Al-'Aẓam is used according to its literal meaning, but it carries a negative sense. It seems the origin of Al-'Aẓīm is a positive concept without inherent negation. Thus, Al-A'lā is a better usage than Al-'Aẓam in this context. This is the difference.

Then God Almighty said:

{So I swear by the settings of the stars, And indeed, it is an oath, if you only knew, [to be] magnificent.}