أَعْلَى

30:28.

Commentary:

The verse sets forth clearly the main purport of the chapter, i.e. those who do not believe in the life after death can have no faith in the possibility of Divine revelation. They seek to arrogate to themselves the framing of laws for their guidance. But such attempts have always ended in failure while the "word" which comes from God, being free from all defects and imperfections and being possessed of all conceivable excellences, is a safe guide. This shows the need for Divinerevelation.

The two attributes of "Mighty" and "Wise" point to the fact that true guidance can only come from God, for One possessed of might alone can implement all His promises and only the Wise One can find out what man really needs and only He can satisfy that need.

These attributes also point to the fact that there must be a life after death. Since God is Wise, all His acts must be based upon wisdom and if there be no life after death, this life ceases to possess any purpose or object, and this should cast a reflection on the wisdom of God. Similarly, complete manifestation of God’s might can take place only in the life after death, for in the event of such a manifestation taking place in this life, faith and virtue would cease to have weight or value.

Commentary:

In this verse God comforts Moses that the magicians would not succeed in leading people astray and that he will have the upper hand.

10:35; 27:65; 29:20.

Commentary:

In the preceding few verses reference has been made to five heavenly signs: (a) Man’s own origin; (b) relation between man and his wife which leads to the procreation and expansion of mankind and marks the beginning of human social life; (c) creation of heavens and earth and the diversity of men’s colours and tongues which has given rise to different civilizations and cultures; (d) phenomenon of the alternation of day and night; and (e) the coming down of rain from heaven which gives new life to a dead land. All these signs have been mentioned to show that God has full power to give new life to a dead people and that He can raise a people as good as dead morally and spiritually to the heights of glory and grandeur. This seemingly impossible change constitutes proof positive of the fact that in the next world, too, God will raise the dead to a new life. This seems to be the purport of the verse under comment.

26:212-213.

Commentary:

The verse means to say that all the tall claims of astrologers and soothsayers that they have access to the secrets of the unknown are false and unfounded. They do not and cannot have access to well-guarded divine secrets (15:10). It further appears from the Quran that none can know the Word of God until it is revealed to a Prophet (72:27-28). If it were possible for "satans" to have access to things that are under the special protection of God such as His Word, etc. then its very sanctity and inviolability would have become subject to serious doubts. In fact, divine secrets are God’s specially guarded preserve to which satans can have no access (26:213) and which are made known only to God’s chosen servants and His Elect.

Commentary:

It appears from 2:30 and from the Hadith that when God decrees to raise a Prophet in the world, He discloses His intention to those angels who are nearest to Him. They discuss this affair of the highest import among themselves. These angels are referred to as "the exalted assembly" in the verse under comment. The Holy Prophet is represented as saying that he had no knowledge of what was being discussed and debated in heavens about his being entrusted with a great divine mission.

81:24.

Commentary:

The verse purports to say that the Holy Prophet had attained to the highest point in his spiritual ascension when God revealed Himself to him in full glory and majesty. Or "the Prophet’s being on the uppermost horizon" may signify that the light of Islam was set on a very high place from where it could illumine the whole world.

The word ھو may also refer to God. See also verse 10.

26:30; 28:39.

56:75; 69:53.

Important Words:

For سبح (glorify) see 61:2.

Commentary:

The verse may be interpreted as: (a) glorify the name of thy Lord, the most High; and (b) glorify the most high name of thy Lord. The words ربک الاعلٰی (the most High Lord) signify that as God has created man for unlimited progress, therefore, He has endowed him with great natural powers and faculties that he may fulfil his high destiny; only his development is to be progressive and in stages. Incidentally, the Divine attribute رب (The Lord Who makes things grow and develop by stages) disposes of the objection, viz. why the perfect Law was not revealed in the beginning of creation? The word implies that perfect Law could only have been revealed after man’s intellect and reason had attained their highest development which happened after a long and gradual process of evolution.

Commentary:

The righteous believer does good to others not in return for any good received from them but actuated by a desire to be of use to God’s creatures and to win the pleasure of his heavenly Lord and Master.