In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
A summary of the Tafsir of al-Tabari.
Abridged by Dr. 'Aqil Ibn Salim al-Shammari.
Surah al-A'la.
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
“Praise the name of thy Lord the Most High,” (87:1)
He who created and fashioned [all things].
And He who determined [their destinies] and guided [them].
And He who brought forth the pasture.
And then made it dark stubble.
Exalt the name of your Lord, the Most High.
Do not invoke idols or false deities by His name.
He who created all things.
He fashioned their creation and balanced them.
And He who determined their nature.
And guided them to the paths of good and evil.
And He who brought forth from the earth.
The pasture for livestock.
Of various types of plants and grasses.
Then He turned that pasture into dry, brittle stubble.
Changed to a dark color due to extreme dryness.
We will make you recite, so you shall not forget.
Except what Allah wills.
“Save that which Allah willeth. Lo! He knoweth the disclosed and that which still is hidden;” (87:7)
And We will facilitate for you the path of ease.
We will make you recite this Qur'an, O Muhammad.
And you shall not forget it.
Except for what We will.
That We cause you to forget by abrogating it or lifting it.
Indeed, Allah knows what is manifest of your deeds, O Muhammad.
And what you have revealed and made public.
And what you conceal of it.
So beware that He might see you.
While you are acting in any of your states.
Contrary to what you have been permitted to do.
And We will make easy for you, O Muhammad, the performance of good deeds.
“Therefor remind (men), for of use is the reminder.” (87:9)
He who fears [Allah] will be reminded.
But the most wretched will avoid it.
He who will enter the Great Fire.
Then he will neither die therein nor live.
So remind, O Muhammad, the servants of Allah of His greatness.
Admonish them and warn them of His punishment.
If the reminder benefits those whose faith you have despaired of.
Then the reminder will not benefit them.
He who fears Allah and dreads His punishment will be reminded, O Muhammad.
And the most wretched of the two groups will avoid the reminder.
He who will enter the Great Fire.
In the intensity of its heat and pain.
Then he will neither die in the Great Fire nor live.
This is because the soul of one of them will reach his throat.
It will not exit so that he may die.
Nor will it return to its place in the body so that he may live.
“He is successful who groweth,” (87:14)
“And remembereth the name of his Lord, so prayeth,” (87:15)
He has succeeded and attained his goal who has purified himself from disbelief and disobedience to Allah.
And acted according to what Allah has commanded him.
He performed his obligatory duties, remembered Allah, and declared His oneness.
He called upon Him, sought Him, and performed the prayers.
And remembered Allah therein through praise, glorification, and supplication.
“But ye prefer the life of the world” (87:16)
While the Hereafter is better and more enduring.
“Lo! This is in the former scrolls.” (87:18)
The scriptures of Ibrahim and Musa.
The Almighty says, mentioning to the people:
Rather, you prefer, O people, the adornment of the worldly life over the Hereafter.
And the adornment of the Hereafter is better for you, O people, and more lasting in duration.
Because the worldly life is fleeting.
And the Hereafter is everlasting, neither ending nor perishing.
And His saying: "He has succeeded who purifies himself, and remembers the name of his Lord and prays."
Rather, you prefer the worldly life, while the Hereafter is better and more enduring.
Indeed, this statement is in the former scriptures.
The scriptures of Ibrahim, the Friend of the Most Merciful.
And the scriptures of Musa Ibn 'Imran.