Makkah LiveSurah Al-A‘la (The Most High) — Full Text in Clear Arabic Script
19 ayahs · Meccan· Hafs ‘an ‘Asim · reading time ~2 minutes · the tenth surah of Juz ‘Amma
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By Saad Al-Ghamdi
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بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ
About Surah Al-A‘la
Surah Al-A‘la is the 87th surah in the order of the mushaf, and one of the Meccan surahs — revealed to the Prophet ﷺ before the migration to Madinah. It contains 19 ayahs, and it is the tenth surah of Juz ‘Amma, the final part of the Quran that most Muslims begin their memorisation with. It was also one of the surahs the Prophet ﷺ recited most often in congregational prayer.
The surah takes its name from its opening command — «sabbih isma rabbika al-a‘la» (“Glorify the name of your Lord, the Most High”). It then moves through its message in a few short, luminous lines: the Lord who created and proportioned, who destined and guided; His promise to His Prophet ﷺ — «sanuqri’uka fala tansa» (“We will make you recite, and you will not forget”); the command to remind, for the one who fears Allah will take heed; the success of the one who purifies himself, remembers the name of his Lord and prays; and the closing truth that the Hereafter is better and more lasting — a truth found already in the scriptures of Ibrahim and Musa.
The text shown on this page is the narration of Hafs ‘an ‘Asim, the reading used in most of the Muslim world, in the Uthmani script that follows the Madinah mushaf. The audio recitation is by Sheikh Saad Al-Ghamdi.
Virtues and place of Surah Al-A‘la
1. The surah of Eid, Jumu‘ah and witr
Few surahs held so regular a place in the Prophet’s ﷺ prayer. An-Nu‘man ibn Bashir related that the Prophet ﷺ used to recite Al-A‘la and Al-Ghashiyah in the two Eid prayers and in the Friday prayer — and if Eid and Friday fell on the same day, he recited them in both, as recorded in Sahih Muslim. He also used to recite Al-A‘la, Al-Kafirun and Al-Ikhlas in the three rak‘ahs of the witr prayer, as recorded by Abu Dawud and an-Nasa’i with a sound chain.
2. The Prophet’s ﷺ own recommendation for leading prayer
When the Prophet ﷺ counselled Mu‘adh about leading people in prayer without overburdening them, he said: “Why did you not pray with «sabbih isma rabbika al-a‘la», «wash-shamsi wa duhaha» and «wal-layli idha yaghsha»?” — recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim. Al-A‘la was thus named by the Prophet ﷺ himself as a model recitation for the imam: short enough to be easy on the congregation, complete in its message.
3. An opening command of tasbih
The surah begins by commanding the believer to glorify the name of his Lord, the Most High — to declare Allah far above every imperfection. That tasbih sets the tone for everything that follows: the One who created and proportioned, destined and guided, is exalted beyond compare, and the fitting response of His servant is glorification, remembrance and prayer.
Themes of the Surah
1. Glorify the Name of your Lord Most High (ayahs 1–5)
The surah opens with the command of tasbih — glorify the name of your Lord, the Most High: He who created and proportioned, who destined and guided, and who brought out the pasture, then made it dark stubble.
Read from ayah 1 →2. “We will make you recite” (ayahs 6–8)
Allah’s promise to His Prophet ﷺ: “We will make you recite, and you will not forget, except what Allah wills.” He knows what is declared and what is hidden — and He promises, “We will ease you toward ease.”
Read from ayah 6 →3. Remind, if the reminder benefits (ayahs 9–13)
The Prophet ﷺ is commanded to remind, if the reminder benefits: he who fears Allah will be reminded, while the most wretched will avoid it — he who will burn in the great Fire, then neither die therein nor live.
Read from ayah 9 →4. Success for the one who purifies (ayahs 14–15)
Two short ayahs hold the surah’s promise: he has succeeded who purifies himself, remembers the name of his Lord, and prays.
Read from ayah 14 →5. The Hereafter is better and more lasting (ayahs 16–19)
The closing ayahs turn to mankind: but you prefer the worldly life, while the Hereafter is better and more enduring. Indeed this is in the former scriptures — the scriptures of Ibrahim and Musa.
Read from ayah 16 →Tips for reading and memorising
- It is a short surah of 19 short ayahs — one of the easiest of Juz ‘Amma to commit to memory.
- A simple plan is about four ayahs a day over five days.
- Listen to the recitation above by Sheikh Saad Al-Ghamdi and repeat after him.
- Recite it in your prayers once you have learnt it — the Prophet ﷺ himself recited it regularly in witr.
- Use the “font size” buttons at the top of the page for a comfortable read.
- You can print the surah from your browser (Ctrl+P) for a clean paper copy.
Frequently asked questions
How many ayahs are in Surah Al-A‘la?
Surah Al-A‘la has 19 ayahs. It is the 87th surah in the order of the mushaf, and it is a Meccan surah.
Why is it called Surah Al-A‘la?
It is called Surah Al-A‘la (“The Most High”) after its opening command — «sabbih isma rabbika al-a‘la» — “glorify the name of your Lord, the Most High”, with which the surah begins.
Where does Surah Al-A‘la come in the Quran?
It is the 87th surah of the mushaf and the tenth surah of Juz ‘Amma — the 30th and final juz of the Quran, which is the part most Muslims begin their memorisation with.
When did the Prophet ﷺ recite Surah Al-A‘la?
Very often. An-Nu‘man ibn Bashir related that the Prophet ﷺ used to recite Al-A‘la and Al-Ghashiyah in the two Eid prayers and in the Friday prayer — and if Eid and Friday fell on the same day, he recited them in both (recorded in Sahih Muslim). He also used to recite Al-A‘la, Al-Kafirun and Al-Ikhlas in the three rak‘ahs of the witr prayer (recorded by Abu Dawud and an-Nasa’i with a sound chain).
What does “you will not forget” mean in Surah Al-A‘la?
In ayahs 6–7 Allah promises His Prophet ﷺ: “We will make you recite, and you will not forget, except what Allah wills.” It is a guarantee from Allah that He would preserve the revelation in His Prophet’s ﷺ heart.
What are the “scriptures of Ibrahim and Musa” at the end of the surah?
The closing ayahs declare that “this is in the former scriptures — the scriptures of Ibrahim and Musa”: the Quran’s core message of purifying oneself and preferring the Hereafter over the worldly life was also found in the earlier revelations.
What is Surah Al-A‘la about?
It opens with the command to glorify the name of your Lord, the Most High — He who created and proportioned, who destined and guided. It then carries Allah’s promise to His Prophet ﷺ that he will not forget the revelation, commands him to remind if the reminder benefits, declares the success of the one who purifies himself, remembers the name of his Lord and prays, and closes with the truth that the Hereafter is better and more lasting — a message already found in the scriptures of Ibrahim and Musa.
How long does it take to read the full surah?
A complete recitation of Surah Al-A‘la takes about 2 minutes at a moderate pace. Its 19 ayahs are short, which makes it well suited to daily reading and to recitation in prayer.
Which recitation is the text on this page based on?
The text shown on this page is the narration of Hafs ‘an ‘Asim — the most widely used reading in the Muslim world — written in the Uthmani script that follows the Madinah mushaf. The audio recitation on this page is by Sheikh Saad Al-Ghamdi.
More surahs to read
- Surah Al-Fatihah — full text — Mother of the Book — recited in every rakah of every prayer
- Surah Al-Kahf — full text — recommended to read on Fridays
- Surah As-Sajdah — full text — recited in the Fajr prayer on Fridays and every night before sleep
- Surah Yasin — full text — the Heart of the Quran
- Surah Ar-Rahman — full text — the Bride of the Quran
- Surah Al-Waqi‘ah — full text — the terrors of the Day of Judgment and the three groups of people
- Surah Al-Mulk — full text — recommended every night before sleep
- Surah Al-Insan — full text — recited with As-Sajdah in the Fajr prayer on Fridays
- Surah An-Naba — full text — the first surah of Juz ‘Amma — a powerful proof of the Resurrection
- Surah An-Nazi‘at — full text — the angels who pull out souls, the story of Musa and Pharaoh, and the Great Calamity
- Surah ‘Abasa — full text — the blind man who came seeking, and the Day a man flees from his own brother
- Surah At-Takwir — full text — “when the sun is wrapped up” — as if witnessing the Day of Resurrection
- Surah Al-Infitar — full text — “O man, what has deceived you concerning your Generous Lord?”
- Surah Al-Mutaffifin — full text — woe to those who give short measure — honesty as a matter of faith
- Surah Al-Inshiqaq — full text — contains a verse of prostration — “you will surely ride stage upon stage”
- Surah Al-Buruj — full text — the People of the Ditch — steadfastness of the believers tested by fire
- Surah At-Tariq — full text — the piercing star — every soul has a keeper over it
- Surah Al-Ghashiyah — full text — recited with Al-A‘la in the Eid and Friday prayers — the two kinds of faces on the Last Day
- Surah Al-Fajr — full text — “O reassured soul, return to your Lord well-pleased”
- Surah Al-Balad — full text — the steep path — freeing the enslaved and feeding the hungry
- Surah Ash-Shams — full text — “he has succeeded who purifies the soul”
- Surah Al-Layl — full text — your striving is diverse — the path of ease and the path of hardship
Selected verses
- Ayat al-Kursi — the greatest verse of the Holy Quran
- Khawatim Surah Al-Baqarah — “whoever recites them at night, they will suffice him”
- Allah does not burden a soul — the closing verse of Surah Al-Baqarah
Listen and watch
- Saudi Quran Radio — listen to recitations of the Holy Quran
- Live broadcast of Masjid al-Haram