Listen Live‘The Most High’ – A Tafsir of Surat al A’la Part 3
‘The Most High’: A Tafsīr of Sūrat al-Aʿlā Part 3 of 5
Delivered by Shaykh Riyadh ul Haq on Friday 8th October 2021 at Al Kawthar Academy, Leicester
The talk provides an in-depth tafsīr (exegesis) of Sūrat al-Aʿlā, focusing on the divine assurance given to the Prophet ﷺ regarding the preservation of the Quran. It begins with a recap of previously discussed verses and transitions into the meaning of, “We will make you recite, so you shall not forget” (87:6). The talk explains how the Prophet ﷺ initially feared forgetting the revelation and would hasten to recite alongside Jibril (a.s.). Allāh reassured him that the Quran’s memorization, recitation, and explanation were divinely protected. Several aḥadīth, including narrations from Abdullah ibn Abbas (r.a.), illustrate how the Prophet ﷺ received revelation and how the method of Quranic recitation remains unchanged since its revelation. The miraculous preservation of the Quran, both in wording and recitation, is highlighted as a divine phenomenon, contrasting it with the natural evolution of human languages over time.
The lecture further explores human forgetfulness, divine will, and the Prophet’s human experience in receiving revelation. Instances where the Prophet ﷺ temporarily forgot verses are discussed, emphasizing that such moments were part of human nature and divine wisdom rather than flaws. The talk draws parallels between the Prophet’s recitation and contemporary Quranic memorization techniques, explaining how mutual revision (mudārasah) during Ramaḍān between the Prophet ﷺ and Jibril (a.s.) set the precedent for modern-day Quranic revision.
The session concludes by reaffirming Allāh’s perfect knowledge of the seen and unseen, explaining the ease provided by divine guidance, and stressing that religious obligations, though seemingly challenging, become natural when embraced with sincerity and understanding.
Below are some of the timecodes and topics for this talk:
0:00 – Intro: Recap of verses 1-5
2:00 – Verse 6
9:56 – Revision of the Quran by the Prophet ﷺ
16:33 – Musalsal ḥadīth on receiving revelation
23:04 – The Quran coming from Allāh
30:54 – Verse 7
37:05 – Recitation of the Quran despite difficulties
41:32 – Shaykh Anwar Shāh al-Kashmīrī
1:01:34 – The infinite knowledge of Allāh
1:10:10 – Verse 8
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