Sūrat al-Aʿlā

Meccan. Its verses are 19 (revealed after al-Takwīr).

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

{Glorify the name of your Lord, the Most High} Exalt the name of your Lord, the Most High, above every deficiency and every attribute that does not befit His majesty.

{Who created, then proportioned} He created all things, then perfected their creation and balanced them.

{And who determined, then guided} He decreed the measures of all things and guided every creature to what is necessary for its existence and survival.

{And who brought forth the pasture * Then made it dark stubble} He brought forth the green vegetation from the earth, then turned it into dry, black, and withered debris.

Glorifying His Name (Exalted and High): It means to declare Him free from meanings that are improper for Him—those which constitute heresy (ilḥād) regarding His names, such as al-jabr (compulsion) or al-tashbīh (anthropomorphism). An example of this is interpreting "The Most High" (al-Aʿlā) as meaning "high in terms of dominance and power," rather than "high in place and truly established upon the Throne." It also means to protect His name from being mentioned trivially or without reverence and awe.

It is permissible for "The Most High" (al-Aʿlā) to be an adjective for "the Lord" or for "the Name." Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) recited: "Glory be to my Lord, the Most High."

In the Hadith: When "Glorify the name of your Lord, the Great" was revealed, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "Place it in your bowing (rukūʿ)." When "Glorify the name of your Lord, the Most High" was revealed, he said: "Place it in your prostration (sujūd)." Previously, they used to say in bowing: "O Allah, to You I have bowed," and in prostration: "O Allah, to You I have prostrated."

"Who created and proportioned" Meaning: He created everything and proportioned its creation perfectly. He did not bring it forth uneven or disjointed, but rather with precision and harmony, as a sign that it proceeds from an All-Knowing One and is the craftsmanship of a Wise One.

"Who determined and guided" He determined for every living creature what is suitable for it, then guided it toward that and taught it how to benefit from it. It is narrated that when a snake reaches a thousand years of age, it goes blind. Allah has inspired it that rubbing its eyes with the fresh leaves of fennel (rāziyānaj) restores its sight. Sometimes it is in a wilderness, days of travel away from cultivated land, yet it traverses that distance despite its length and blindness until it arrives at a garden and finds the fennel tree without fail. It rubs its eyes against it and regains its sight by the permission of Allah.

The guidance Allah provides to humans regarding their countless interests and needs—in their food, medicine, and the affairs of their worldly and religious lives—as well as the inspirations given to beasts, birds, and the creatures of the earth, is a vast subject and a long course that no describer can encompass. Glory be to my Lord, the Most High. (It is also read as qaddara with a light dāl).

"And who brought forth the pasture, then made it dark stubble" Aḥwā is an adjective for ghuthāʾ (stubble/scum). Meaning: He brought forth the pasture, caused it to grow, then—after its greenness and freshness—made it into ghuthāʾ aḥwā (dark, blackish stubble). It is also possible that aḥwā is a state (ḥāl) of the pasture, meaning: He brought it forth aḥwā (blackish from the intensity of its greenness and hydration), then made it into stubble after it had been lush.

"We will make you recite, [O Muhammad], and you will not forget, except what Allah should will. Indeed, He knows what is declared and what is hidden."