بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ
الأعلى
Al-A'la
The Most High • 19 Ayahs
Meccanسَبِّحِ ٱسۡمَ رَبِّكَ ٱلۡأَعۡلَى
اپنے رب کے نام کی پاکی بولو جب سے بلند ہے
ٱلَّذِي خَلَقَ فَسَوَّىٰ
جس نے بناکر ٹھیک کیا
وَٱلَّذِي قَدَّرَ فَهَدَىٰ
اور جس نے اندازہ پر رکھ کر راہ دی
وَٱلَّذِيٓ أَخۡرَجَ ٱلۡمَرۡعَىٰ
اور جس نے چارہ نکالا،
فَجَعَلَهُۥ غُثَآءً أَحۡوَىٰ
پھر اسے خشک سیاہ کردیا،
سَنُقۡرِئُكَ فَلَا تَنسَىٰٓ
اب ہم تمہیں پڑھائیں گے کہ تم نہ بھولو گے
إِلَّا مَا شَآءَ ٱللَّهُۚ إِنَّهُۥ يَعۡلَمُ ٱلۡجَهۡرَ وَمَا يَخۡفَىٰ
مگر جو اللہ چاہے بیشک وہ جانتا ہے ہر کھلے اور چھپے کو،
وَنُيَسِّرُكَ لِلۡيُسۡرَىٰ
اور ہم تمہارے لیے آسانی کا سامان کردیں گے
فَذَكِّرۡ إِن نَّفَعَتِ ٱلذِّكۡرَىٰ
تو تم نصیحت فرماؤ اگر نصیحت کام دے
سَيَذَّكَّرُ مَن يَخۡشَىٰ
عنقریب نصیحت مانے گا جو ڈرتا ہے
وَيَتَجَنَّبُهَا ٱلۡأَشۡقَى
اور اس سے وہ بڑا بدبخت دور رہے گا،
ٱلَّذِي يَصۡلَى ٱلنَّارَ ٱلۡكُبۡرَىٰ
جو سب سے بڑی آگ میں جائے گا
ثُمَّ لَا يَمُوتُ فِيهَا وَلَا يَحۡيَىٰ
پھر نہ اس میں مرے اور نہ جیے
قَدۡ أَفۡلَحَ مَن تَزَكَّىٰ
بیشک مراد کو پہنچا جو ستھرا ہوا
وَذَكَرَ ٱسۡمَ رَبِّهِۦ فَصَلَّىٰ
اور اپنے رب کا نام لے کر نماز پڑھی
بَلۡ تُؤۡثِرُونَ ٱلۡحَيَوٰةَ ٱلدُّنۡيَا
بلکہ تم جیتی دنیا کو ترجیح دیتے ہو
وَٱلۡأٓخِرَةُ خَيۡرٞ وَأَبۡقَىٰٓ
اور آخرت بہتر اور باقی رہنے والی،
إِنَّ هَٰذَا لَفِي ٱلصُّحُفِ ٱلۡأُولَىٰ
بیشک یہ اگلے صحیفوں میں ہے
صُحُفِ إِبۡرَٰهِيمَ وَمُوسَىٰ
ابراہیم اور موسیٰ کے صحیفوں میں،
About Surah Al-A'la
Surah Al-A'la (الأعلى) is the 87th chapter of the Holy Quran. It contains 19 verses and is a Meccan Surah.
Read with Urdu translation (Kanz ul Iman) and English translation (Sahih International). Listen to audio recitation by multiple world-renowned reciters including Mishary Alafasy, Sudais, Shuraim, Husary, and more.
About Surah Al-A'la
Al-A'la is a Meccan surah of 19 verses opening with the command to glorify the name of the Lord Most High, reflecting on creation and guidance, and concluding that success belongs to the one who purifies himself — while the Hereafter is better and more lasting than this life.
Number
87th surah
Verses
19
Revelation
Meccan
Meaning
The Most High
Why read it
Recited by the Prophet ﷺ in Eid and Friday prayers (Sahih Muslim).
Key point
87:14-15 — "He has certainly succeeded who purifies himself, and mentions the name of his Lord and prays."
Historical Context
A short Meccan surah that begins with a command to glorify "the name of your Lord, the Most High" — one of the more famous openings in the Quran and the reason the surah is often called Sabbih ("glorify"). It moves from Allah's creation and guidance to a promise to the Prophet ﷺ that he would be enabled to retain the revelation, then to a statement on success and on the Hereafter being better and more lasting than this world.
Main Themes
Glorifying the Most High
Opens with the instruction to glorify Allah's name and then describes Him as the One who created, proportioned, determined, guided, and brought forth the pasture (87:1-5) — grounding the instruction in specific acts of creation and provision.
The Prophet ﷺ will not forget
Verses 6-7 assure the Prophet ﷺ that he will be made to recite and will not forget, except what Allah wills — an assurance during the early period of receiving revelation.
Success and the lasting Hereafter
Verses 14-19 define success as purifying oneself, remembering Allah, and praying — then contrast people who prefer worldly life with the Hereafter, "better and more enduring," a message said to be found also in the earlier scriptures of Ibrahim and Musa.
Important Verses
87:1
The opening command
"Exalt the name of your Lord, the Most High" — the verse behind the surah's alternate name and a phrase widely used in prostration.
87:14-15
A definition of success
"He has certainly succeeded who purifies himself, and mentions the name of his Lord and prays" — a three-part description tying inner purification, remembrance, and prayer together.
87:16-17
Preferring this world
"But you prefer the worldly life, while the Hereafter is better and more enduring" — a direct address to the tendency to prioritize what is immediate over what lasts.
Hadith & Popular Descriptions
We include authenticity grading for each narration below — not every widely-repeated description of a surah comes from an equally strong source.
Recited in Eid and Friday prayers
An-Nu'man ibn Bashir (RA) reported that the Prophet ﷺ would recite Surah Al-A'la and Surah Al-Ghashiyah in the Eid prayers and in the Friday prayer, and that when Eid and Friday coincided on the same day, he would recite both surahs in both prayers.
Sahih Muslim.
Frequently Asked Questions about Surah Al-A'la
What is Surah Al-A'la about?
Al-A'la is a Meccan surah of 19 verses opening with the command to glorify the name of the Lord Most High, reflecting on creation and guidance, and concluding that success belongs to the one who purifies himself — while the Hereafter is better and more lasting than this life.
How many verses are in Surah Al-A'la?
Surah Al-A'la contains 19 verses (The Most High). It is the 87th surah of the Holy Quran.
Is Surah Al-A'la Makki or Madani?
Surah Al-A'la is a Makki surah — it was revealed in Makkah before the Hijrah.
What are the benefits of reading Surah Al-A'la?
Recited by the Prophet ﷺ in Eid and Friday prayers (Sahih Muslim).
Where can I read Surah Al-A'la with Urdu translation?
You can read Surah Al-A'la above with the full Arabic text, Urdu translation (Kanz ul Iman), and English translation (Sahih International), plus audio recitation.
Why is this surah often called "Sabbih"?
Because its first word — sabbih — is the command "exalt" or "glorify" the name of your Lord; surahs were commonly referred to by distinctive opening words as well as by their formal names.
What does "the earlier scriptures" at the end refer to?
Verses 18-19 state that the message of preferring the Hereafter is found in the earlier scrolls — "the scriptures of Ibrahim and Moses" — presenting it as a consistent teaching across revelations, not something new to the Quran.