سُورَةُ الأَعۡلَىٰ

سَبِّحِ ٱسۡمَ رَبِّكَ ٱلۡأَعۡلَى (۱)

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

ٱلَّذِی خَلَقَ فَسَوَّىٰ (۲)

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

وَٱلَّذِی قَدَّرَ فَهَدَىٰ (۳)

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

وَٱلَّذِیۤ أَخۡرَجَ ٱلۡمَرۡعَىٰ (۴)

and who brings forth herbage,

فَجَعَلَهُۥ غُثَاۤءً أَحۡوَىٰ (۵)

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

سَنُقۡرِئُكَ فَلَا تَنسَىٰۤ (۶)

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

إِلَّا مَا شَاۤءَ ٱللَّهُۚ إِنَّهُۥ یَعۡلَمُ ٱلۡجَهۡرَ وَمَا یَخۡفَىٰ (۷)

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

وَنُیَسِّرُكَ لِلۡیُسۡرَىٰ (۸)

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

فَذَكِّرۡ إِن نَّفَعَتِ ٱلذِّكۡرَىٰ (۹)

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

سَیَذَّكَّرُ مَن یَخۡشَىٰ (۱۰)

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

وَیَتَجَنَّبُهَا ٱلۡأَشۡقَى (۱۱)

but aloof from it will remain that most hapless wretch –

ٱلَّذِی یَصۡلَى ٱلنَّارَ ٱلۡكُبۡرَىٰ (۱۲)

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

ثُمَّ لَا یَمُوتُ فِیهَا وَلَا یَحۡیَىٰ (۱۳)

wherein he will neither die nor remain alive.

قَدۡ أَفۡلَحَ مَن تَزَكَّىٰ (۱۴)

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

وَذَكَرَ ٱسۡمَ رَبِّهِۦ فَصَلَّىٰ (۱۵)

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

بَلۡ تُؤۡثِرُونَ ٱلۡحَیَوٰةَ ٱلدُّنۡیَا (۱۶)

But nay, [O men,] you prefer the life of this world,

وَٱلۡـَٔاخِرَةُ خَیۡرࣱ وَأَبۡقَىٰۤ (۱۷)

although the life to come is better and more enduring.

إِنَّ هَـٰذَا لَفِی ٱلصُّحُفِ ٱلۡأُولَىٰ (۱۸)

Verily, [all] this has indeed been [said] in the earlier revelations –

صُحُفِ إِبۡرَ ٰ⁠هِیمَ وَمُوسَىٰ (۱۹)

the revelations of Abraham and Moses.