87. Al-A'la

Exalt the name of your Lord, the Most High,

Glorify the name of your Lord, the Most High

Strive to raise the Name of your Lord, the Most High. (Establish His Glory on earth)

Who created and proportioned

who created all things and gave them due proportions

Who creates and proportions. (So that all things might become what they are meant to be)

And who destined and [then] guided

who determines the nature [of all that exists], and guided it accordingly

And Who appoints due measure and then shows the way (to all things as to their functions)

And who brings out the pasture

who brings forth green pasture

And Who brings forth the lush pasture

And [then] makes it black stubble.

then turns it into black stubble

And then turns it into rust-brown residue

We will make you recite, [O Muḥammad], and you will not forget,

[O Prophet!] We shall make you recite the Quran so that you will not forget any of it

(O Messenger) We shall teach you thus that you will never forget. (Mankind need Guidance like all things in the Universe do)

Except what Allāh should will. Indeed, He knows what is declared and what is hidden.

except whatever God wills; He knows both what is manifest and what is hidden

Allah never Wills you to forget (17:86). Behold, He knows the manifest and what is hidden

And We will ease you toward ease.1

We shall facilitate for you the Easy Way

And thus We shall ease your way to the ultimate ease. (To the end that you will establish the Qur'an in the society)

So remind, if the reminder should benefit;1

Remind, if the reminder can be of benefit

Therefore, keep reminding, for, the Reminder does benefit

He who fears [Allāh] will be reminded.

He who fears [God] will heed the reminder

(Behold), he will heed who fears (the consequences of pre-emptive rejection)

But the wretched one will avoid it

but it will be ignored by the most unfortunate

And only the unfortunate will stay on the side-lines

[He] who will [enter and] burn in the greatest Fire,

who will enter the Great Fire

He who will be cast into the great Fire

Neither dying therein nor living.

where he will neither die nor live

Wherein he neither dies nor lives. Mere survival

He has certainly succeeded who purifies himself

He who purifies himself

Successful, indeed, is he who primes his 'Self' for development. (Living upright, helping others)

And mentions the name of his Lord and prays.

who remembers the name of his Lord and prays, shall indeed be successful

And keeps foremost in mind the Name and the Attributes of his Lord and then follows through

But you prefer the worldly life,

But you prefer the life of this world

But nay, you prefer the life of this world. (Given to instant gains instead of living upright that ensures success in both lives (2:201), (3:147), (4:134), (7:156), (10:64), (17:72), (28)

While the Hereafter is better and more enduring.

although the Hereafter is better and more lasting

Although the Hereafter is better and more enduring

Indeed, this is in the former scriptures,

This indeed is what is taught in the former scriptures

Behold, this has been said in the former Revelations as well. ('Suhuf' = Scrolls = Revelations)

The scriptures of Abraham and Moses.

the scriptures of Abraham and Moses

The Revelations of Abraham and Moses