Surah Al-A'la (The Most High)

About Surah Al-A'la

Al-A’la, “The Most High”, opens with a command to glorify the name of the Lord, the Most High, who created and gave things their proportion, set their measure and guided them. It promises the Prophet that he will be made to recite and not forget, sets out who benefits from a reminder and who turns away, and ends by tracing its message back to the scriptures of Abraham and Moses.

Main themes

• The Creator’s care (87:1–5): creation, proportion, guidance, and pasture that grows green and then turns to dark stubble — a picture of how short worldly life is.
• Reassurance to the Prophet (87:6–8): he will be taught to recite and not forget, except what God wills, and his way will be made easy.
• Reminding (87:9–13): the one who fears God takes heed, while the most wretched avoids it.
• Success (87:14–17): whoever purifies himself, remembers his Lord’s name and prays has succeeded, yet people prefer this life even though the Hereafter is better and lasts.
• An ancient message (87:18–19): this was also in the earlier scriptures, of Abraham and Moses.

When it is recited

Sahih Muslim reports that the Prophet would recite Al-A’la and Al-Ghashiyah in the two Eid prayers and in the Friday prayer. Reports in Abu Dawud, at-Tirmidhi and an-Nasa’i describe him reciting it in the first unit of the witr prayer, followed by Al-Kafirun and Al-Ikhlas. In Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, he also advised Mu’adh, who had prayed too long a prayer as imam, to recite surahs such as this one instead.

The words Muslims repeat in prostration, glorifying “my Lord, the Most High”, echo this surah’s first verse.

Frequently asked questions

Which surahs did the Prophet recite in the Friday and Eid prayers?

Sahih Muslim reports that he recited Al-A'la and Al-Ghashiyah in both.

How many verses are in Surah Al-A'la?

19.

Which earlier scriptures does Surah Al-A'la mention?

The scriptures of Abraham and Moses (verses 18-19).

How many ayahs are in Surah Al-A'la?

Surah Al-A'la has 19 ayahs. It is surah number 87 in the Quran and is Meccan.

Can I read Surah Al-A'la in English or save it as a PDF?

Yes. This page shows the Arabic text of every ayah with the Saheeh International English meaning under it. Use “Print / Save as PDF” for a clean printable copy that you can save as a PDF file from your browser.

Is Surah Al-A'la the same as Surah A'la?

Yes. A'la and Al-A'la are different English spellings of the same surah name, الأعلى.

Summaries describe the surah’s content and commonly cited reports for general readers; they are not a tafsir or a religious ruling.