سورة الأعلى

Ibn Abbas (may Allah have mercy on him): رَبِّکَ الْأَعْلَی — it is said that its meaning is: in the name of the Lord, the Most High.

Ibn Abbas (may Allah have mercy on him): Whenever the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) recited the verse سَبِّحِ اسْمَ رَبِّکَ الْأَعْلَی [Glorify the name of your Lord, the Most High], he would say: سُبْحَانَ رَبِّیَ الْأَعْلَی [Glory be to my Lord, the Most High].

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): Whenever you recite the verse سَبِّحِ اسْمَ رَبِّکَ الْأَعْلَی [Glorify the name of your Lord, the Most High], then say: سُبْحَانَ رَبِّیَ الْأَعْلَی [Glory be to my Lord, the Most High]; and if you are in prayer, say it in your heart.

Imam Rida (peace be upon him): Whenever he recited سَبِّحِ اسْمَ رَبِّکَ الْأَعْلَی [Glorify the name of your Lord, the Most High], he would say quietly: سُبْحَانَ رَبِّیَ الْأَعْلَی [Glory be to my Lord, the Most High].

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): When you recite the Musabbihat surahs, say: سُبْحَانَ رَبِّیَ الْأَعْلَی [Glory be to my Lord, the Most High].

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): Whenever you recite سَبِّحِ اسْمَ رَبِّکَ الْأَعْلَی [Glorify the name of your Lord, the Most High], say in your heart: سبحان رَبِّیَ الْأَعْلَی [Glory be to my Lord, the Most High].

The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family): Ibn Mas'ud said: Imam Ali (peace be upon him) said: "O Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family)! What should I say in ruku (bowing)?" Then was revealed: فَسَبِّحْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّکَ الْعَظِیمِ [So glorify the name of your Lord, the Great]. He said: "What should I say in sujud (prostration)?" Then was revealed: سَبِّحِ اسْمَ رَبِّکَ الْأَعْلَی [Glorify the name of your Lord, the Most High]. He was the first person to say it. He prayed with the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) for seven years and some months before the people prayed, and fourteen years with the Muslims, and thirty years after the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family).

Imam Sajjad (peace be upon him): Allah has an angel called "Kharqa'il" who has eighteen thousand wings, and between each two wings is a distance of five hundred years' travel. It occurred to him: is there anything above the Throne? So Allah doubled his wings, and he came to have thirty-six thousand wings, with a distance of five hundred years between each two wings. Allah revealed to him: fly, O angel. He flew for twenty thousand years and did not reach the top of a single pillar of the Throne. Allah then doubled his wings and his strength, and he flew for another thirty thousand years and still did not reach it. So Allah revealed to him: O angel, even if you were to fly with your wings until the blowing of the trumpet, you would not reach the leg of My Throne. The angel said: سَبِّحِ اسْمَ رَبِّکَ الْأَعْلَی [Glorify the name of your Lord, the Most High]. And Allah sent down سَبِّحِ اسْمَ رَبِّکَ الْأَعْلَی, and the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said: "Make it the dhikr of your prostration."

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): It is narrated from Asbagh that he asked the Commander of the Faithful, Ali (peace be upon him), about the words of Allah the Mighty and Majestic: سَبِّحِ اسْمَ رَبِّکَ الْأَعْلَی [Glorify the name of your Lord, the Most High]. His Eminence (peace be upon him) said: "Two thousand years before Allah created the heavens and the earths, it was written on the pillar of the Throne: لا إلهَ إلا اللهُ، وَحدَهُ لاَ شَرِیکَ لَهُ، وَ إنَّ مُحَمَّداً عَبدُهُ وَ رَسُولُهُ، فَاشهَدُوا بِهِمَا، وَ إنَّ عَلِیّاً وَصِیُّ مُحَمَّد [There is no god but Allah, alone, with no partner, and indeed Muhammad is His servant and messenger — so bear witness to these two — and indeed Ali is the successor of Muhammad]."