Meaning

Ayah

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

THE EXPLANATION

1.  {سَبِّحِ اسْمَ رَبِّكَ الأعْلَى}       

            Ibn al-Jawziyy said:  Most of the scholars (the jumhur) said it means:  ‘Say sabbih-isma rabbikal-a^la (سَبِّحِ اسْمَ رَبِّكَ الأَعْلَى) i.e., Say, ‘I clear my Lord highest in status, from all non-befitting attributes.  Some said it means ‘clear your Lord from what is non-befitting to Him,’ and al-a^la (الأعْلَى) –the highest in status- is an attribute of rabbika (رَبِّكَ)–your Lord.

            ^Abul Qasim az-Zajjaji said about the derivative al-^ala’ (العلاء) of the names of Allah that it means ‘glory, high status, or exalted.’  Al-Khalil Ibn Ahmad said:  Allah the Exalted is dhul-^ala’ wal^uluww (ذو العلاء والعلو).  Al-^ala’ (العلاء) means ‘the highness of the status’ and al-^uluww (العلو) is ‘the glorification.’  Az-Zajjaji said:  Al-^aliyy (العلى) and Al-^ali (العالى) also mean ‘the subjugator of all things.’ And al-a^la (الاعلى) does not mean a high place for Allah.

            The Hafidh Ibn Hajar said in his book Al-Fath:  'It is established that Allah is not a body, so He does not need a place in which to dwell.  Allah existed eternally without a place.'  Know may Allah guide you and us that the merit lays in the highness of status and not in the highness of place.  The prophets lived and were buried on the Earth, save ^Isa, the son of Mary, for he is alive, and the prophets are better (have a higher status) than the angels who reside in the heavens, and better than the angels who carry the ^Arsh.

2.  { الَّذِي خَلَقَ فَسَوَّى}            

            Allah created everything and made His creations have proportionate and orderly parts. 

3.  {وَالَّذِي قَدَّرَ فَهَدَى}             

            Mujahid said:  Allah pre-destined for man whether to die as a believer or as a blasphemer, and Allah guides the livestock to their pastures.

Al-Kisa'iyy, alone, recited qadara (قدر) with a single dal (د).

4.  {وَالَّذِي أَخْرَجَ الْمَرْعَى}        

            Allah made the vegetation which the animals use for food, grow.

5.  {فَجَعَلَهُ غُثَاءً أَحْوَى}             

            Al-Farra’ said:  Plants which become dry are called ghutha’ (غُثَاء).  Al-ahwa (الاحوى) means ‘the plants which turn black in color due to aging.’ 

6.  {سَنُقْرِئُكَ فَلا تَنْسَى}            

            Allah guarantees for you, O Muhammad, to memorize the Qur’an and to not forget it.

7.  {إِلا مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ إِنَّهُ يَعْلَمُ الْجَهْرَ وَمَا يَخْفَى}       

            Al-Hasan and Qatadah said:  “The meaning of Surah Hud, 107: {إِلا مَا شَاءَ رَبُّكَ} is ‘except for that (of the Qur’an) which Allah pre-destined to abrogate both its judgment and recitation.’  The saying of Allah (إِنَّهُ يَعْلَمُ الْجَهْرَ وَمَا يَخْفَى) means ‘Allah knows the doings and sayings that are manifested and concealed.’  Hence, the meaning of the verse is:  [Except for that which Allah willed in eternity to abrogate its judgment and recitation; Allah knows the doings and sayings that are manifested and concealed. 

8.  {وَنُيَسِّرُكَ لِلْيُسْرَى}               

            Allah facilitates for you the sayings and doings of goodness and reveals easy, just, and straight rules to follow.

9.  {فَذَكِّرْ إِنْ نَفَعَتِ الذِّكْرَى}    

            Admonish the people of Makkah by what is in the Qur’an, if the admonition is accepted by them.  Al-Baydawiyy said:  Perhaps this conditional article (if, إِنْ) is to denote that the admonition is obligatory if accompanied with the conviction that it will benefit.

10.  {سَيَذَّكَّرُ مَنْ يَخْشَى}          

            The one who fears Allah shall be admonished by what is in the Qur’an.

11.  {وَيَتَجَنَّبُهَا الأشْقَى}             

            The one who will die as a blasphemer shall avoid the admonition and stay away from it. 

12.  {الَّذِي يَصْلَى النَّارَ الْكُبْرَى}

            The blasphemer will enter the great, fervid fire of the Hereafter which is much stronger than the fire of this world.  This ayah describes the ending of the blasphemer in the Hereafter.  The fire of this world is the small fire. 

13.  {ثُمَّ لا يَمُوتُ فِيهَا وَلا يَحْيَا}

            In this fire, the blasphemer shall not die and thus be relieved of the torture, nor shall he live a good and comfortable life.

14.  {قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَنْ تَزَكَّى}           

            Ibn ^Abbas said:  The one who purifies himself from blasphemy by adhering to the belief shall be triumphant.  ^Abdur-Razzaq narrated from the route of Sa^id Ibn al-Musayyab that he said:  The one who pays the Zakah of Fitr shall triumph.

15.  {وَذَكَرَ اسْمَ رَبِّهِ فَصَلَّى}      

            That is, he remembered the Oneness[1] of Allah and prayed the five (5) prayers. It was said, 'and prayed the two ^Id prayers’ or 'the supererogatory prayers'. The first saying preponderates.

16.  {بَلْ تُؤْثِرُونَ الْحَيَاةَ الدُّنْيَا}    

Abu ^Amr and Zayd from Ya^qub recited bal yu'thiruna (يُؤْثِرُونَ) which explains the intended meaning of the recitation with the ta' (ت). Al-Farra' and Az-Zajjaj preffered the ta' (ت), because it is narrated from the route of 'Ubayy Ibn Ka^b. Thus, the intended meaning is that the blasphemers prefer this life over the Hereafter because they disbelieve in Allah.

17.  {وَالآخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ وَأَبْقَى}         

            Paradise for the believers is better and more enduring than this life is for its seekers.

18.  {إِنَّ هَذَا لَفِي الصُّحُفِ الأُولَى}                     

            This triumph-- of the one who pays the Zakah and remembers the Oneness of Allah and prays the five (5) prayers--was mentioned in the earlier revelations as well as the Qur’an.  Al-Qushayriyy said:  This admonition is also mentioned in the earlier revelations because tawhid (clearing Allah from resembling the creation), the promise of reward, and threat of punishment by Allah do not differ with the different rules revealed to the Prophets.

19.  {صُحُفِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَمُوسَى}    

            The books (Journals) revealed to Ibrahim were ten (10) as narrated by Ibn Hibban.  However, the chain of narration is subject to debate.  In this narration the journals contain the following:  'The mindful needs to use his time wisely, look after his personal wellbeing, protect his tongue,  and the one who considers his speech part of his actions will speak less except whenever he is involved and needs to speak.'  And Allah knows best.