Al A'la

1 Glorify the name of your Lord, the Most High,

1 In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Glorify the Name of your Lord, the Most High,

2 Who creates, then makes complete,

2 Who has created (everything), and then proportioned it.

3 And Who makes (things) according to a measure, then guides (them to their goal),

3 And Who has measured (preordainments for everything even to be blessed or wretched); and then guided (i.e. showed mankind the right as well as the wrong paths, and guided the animals to pasture).

4 And Who brings forth herbage,

4 And Who brings out the pasturage,

5 Then makes it dried up, dust - colored.

5 And then makes it dark stubble.

6 We will make you recite so you shall not forget,

6 We shall make you to recite (the Qur'an), so you (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) shall not forget (it),

7 Except what Allah pleases, surely He knows the manifest, and what is hidden.

7 Except what Allah may will. He knows what is apparent and what is hidden.

8 And We will make your way smooth to a state of ease.

8 And We shall make easy for you (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) the easy way (i.e. the doing of righteous deeds).

9 Therefore do remind, surely reminding does profit.

9 Therefore remind (men) in case the reminder profits (them).

10 He who fears will mind,

10 The reminder will be received by him who fears (Allah),

11 And the most unfortunate one will avoid it,

11 But it will be avoided by the wretched,

12 Who shall enter the great fire;

12 Who will enter the great Fire (and will be made to taste its burning).

13 Then therein he shall neither live nor die.

13 There he will neither die (to be in rest) nor live (a good living).

14 He indeed shall be successful who purifies himself,

14 Indeed whosoever purifies himself (by avoiding polytheism and accepting Islamic Monotheism) shall achieve success,

15 And magnifies the name of his Lord and prays.

15 And remembers (glorifies) the Name of his Lord (worships none but Allah), and prays (five compulsory prayers and Nawafil - additional prayers).

16 Nay! you prefer the life of this world,

16 Nay, you prefer the life of this world,

17 While the hereafter is better and more lasting.

17 Although the Hereafter is better and more lasting.

18 Most surely this is in the earlier scriptures,

18 Verily, this is in the former Scriptures -

19 The scriptures of Ibrahim and Musa.

19 The Scriptures of Ibrahim (Abraham) and Musa (Moses) (عليهما السلام).