صُحُفِ إِبۡرَٰهِيمَ وَمُوسَىٰ
The scriptures of Abraham and Moses.
The scriptures of Ibrahim and Musa. Allah specifically mentions these two prophets.
Now, we don’t have detailed knowledge of specific scriptures given to Ibrahim (peace be upon him), though we do know about the Torah given to Musa (peace be upon him). So what does this phrase mean?
The most convincing understanding is that this refers to the Bible itself, specifically the Hebrew Bible. Why Ibrahim and Musa? Because these are the two most prominent figures in the biblical tradition.
The vast majority of biblical content either discusses Ibrahim (peace be upon him) and his legacy, or focuses on Musa (peace be upon him) and the Children of Israel. In Jewish tradition, the Torah is even called “Torat Moshe,” the Torah of Moses, because four of its five books center on his story.
So “scriptures of Ibrahim and Musa” is a way of referring to the Bible as a whole, with its primary narratives about these two great prophets.
But what specifically from these scriptures is being referenced? Allah gives us a summary in Surah An-Najm:
أَمۡ لَمۡ يُنَبَّأۡ بِمَا فِى صُحُفِ مُوسَىٰ وَإِبۡرَٰهِيمَ ٱلَّذِى وَفَّىٰٓ
“Or has he not been informed of what was in the scriptures of Moses and [of] Abraham, who fulfilled [his obligations]?”
53/36-37
The summary follows:
أَلَّا تَزِرُ وَازِرَةٌ وِزۡرَ أُخۡرَىٰ
“That no bearer of burdens will bear the burden of another”
53/38
وَأَن لَّيۡسَ لِلۡإِنسَٰنِ إِلَّا مَا سَعَىٰ
“And that there is not for man except that [good] for which he strives”
53/39
وَأَنَّ سَعۡيَهُۥ سَوۡفَ يُرَىٰ
“And that his effort is going to be seen”
53/40
ثُمَّ يُجۡزَىٰهُ ٱلۡجَزَآءَ ٱلۡأَوۡفَىٰ
“Then he will be recompensed for it with the fullest recompense”
53/41
وَأَنَّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ ٱلۡمُنتَهَىٰ
“And that to your Lord is the finality”
53/42
This is the core message found in the scriptures of Ibrahim and Musa (peace be upon them both): individual accountability, the value of one’s own efforts, complete justice from Allah, and the reality that everything returns to Him.
Even in the Bible as it exists today, we find echoes of what was revealed in Surah Al-A‘la. The Psalms contain ayahs like:
“Praise the Lord from the heavens, praise Him in the heights.”
Psalm 148:1
This echoes سَبِّحِ ٱسۡمَ رَبِّكَ ٱلۡأَعۡلَى.
“Let them praise the name of the Lord, for He commanded and they were created, and He established them forever and ever.”
Psalm 148:5-6
This echoes the themes of Allah’s creative power and His eternal decree.
The closest Hebrew equivalent to تَسۡبِيح (glorification) is “Hallelujah,” which in Hebrew means “Praise Yah (the Lord).”
These expressions of praising Allah, the Most High, appear throughout the biblical tradition, particularly in contexts where believers face opposition, just as the Prophet (peace be upon him) faced opposition from the Quraysh.
The surah ends by connecting its message to this long prophetic tradition. What you’re hearing isn’t foreign or invented; it’s the same truth that Ibrahim (peace be upon him) taught, that Musa (peace be upon him) conveyed, that runs through all of divine revelation.
The call to glorify Allah, to purify oneself, to remember Him and establish prayer, to choose the eternal over the temporary: this has always been the message.