Surah Al-Ma'arij (The Ascending Stairways)

سَأَلَ سَآئِلٌۢ بِعَذَابٍ وَاقِعٍ

70:1 Someone asked for a punishment bound to happen,

لِّلْكَـٰفِرِينَ لَيْسَ لَهُۥ دَافِعٌ

70:2 for the disbelievers; no one can ward it off,

مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ ذِى ٱلْمَعَارِجِ

70:3 from Allah [God], Lord of the ways of ascent.

تَعْرُجُ ٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ وَٱلرُّوحُ إِلَيْهِ فِى يَوْمٍ كَانَ مِقْدَارُهُۥ خَمْسِينَ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍ

70:4 The angels and the Spirit ascend to Him on a Day whose measure is fifty thousand years.

فَٱصْبِرْ صَبْرًا جَمِيلًا

70:5 So be patient, with patience that is gracious.

إِنَّهُمْ يَرَوْنَهُۥ بَعِيدًا

70:6 They see that punishment as far away,

وَنَرَىٰهُ قَرِيبًا

70:7 but We see it as near.

يَوْمَ تَكُونُ ٱلسَّمَآءُ كَٱلْمُهْلِ

70:8 On the Day the sky will be like molten metal,

وَتَكُونُ ٱلْجِبَالُ كَٱلْعِهْنِ

70:9 and the mountains will be like tufts of wool,

وَلَا يَسْـَٔلُ حَمِيمٌ حَمِيمًا

70:10 and no close friend will ask about a close friend,

يُبَصَّرُونَهُمْ ۚ يَوَدُّ ٱلْمُجْرِمُ لَوْ يَفْتَدِى مِنْ عَذَابِ يَوْمِئِذٍۭ بِبَنِيهِ

70:11 though they will be made to see each other. The guilty person will wish he could ransom himself from the punishment of that Day with his children,

وَصَـٰحِبَتِهِۦ وَأَخِيهِ

70:12 his wife, and his brother,

وَفَصِيلَتِهِ ٱلَّتِى تُـْٔوِيهِ

70:13 and his nearest kin who sheltered him,

وَمَن فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًا ثُمَّ يُنجِيهِ

70:14 and everyone on earth, all together, if only that would save him.

كَلَّآ ۖ إِنَّهَا لَظَىٰ

70:15 No. It is a blazing Fire,

نَزَّاعَةً لِّلشَّوَىٰ

70:16 stripping away the scalp,

تَدْعُوا۟ مَنْ أَدْبَرَ وَتَوَلَّىٰ

70:17 calling whoever turned his back and withdrew,

وَجَمَعَ فَأَوْعَىٰٓ

70:18 and gathered wealth, then hoarded it.

۞ إِنَّ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ خُلِقَ هَلُوعًا

70:19 The human being was created restless:

إِذَا مَسَّهُ ٱلشَّرُّ جَزُوعًا

70:20 when harm touches him, panicked,

وَإِذَا مَسَّهُ ٱلْخَيْرُ مَنُوعًا

70:21 and when good touches him, withholding,

إِلَّا ٱلْمُصَلِّينَ

70:22 except those who pray,

ٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمْ دَآئِمُونَ

70:23 those who are constant in their prayer,

وَٱلَّذِينَ فِىٓ أَمْوَٰلِهِمْ حَقٌّ مَّعْلُومٌ

70:24 and those in whose wealth there is a known right.

لِّلسَّآئِلِ وَٱلْمَحْرُومِ

70:25 for the one who asks and the one deprived,

وَٱلَّذِينَ يُصَدِّقُونَ بِيَوْمِ ٱلدِّينِ

70:26 and those who believe the Day of Judgment is true,

وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم مِّنْ عَذَابِ رَبِّهِم مُّشْفِقُونَ

70:27 and those who fear their Lord’s punishment,

إِنَّ عَذَابَ رَبِّهِمْ غَيْرُ مَأْمُونٍ

70:28 for no one can feel safe from their Lord’s punishment,

وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ لِفُرُوجِهِمْ حَـٰفِظُونَ

70:29 who guard their chastity,

إِلَّا عَلَىٰٓ أَزْوَٰجِهِمْ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَـٰنُهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ غَيْرُ مَلُومِينَ

70:30 except with their spouses or enslaved women they possess; then they are not to be blamed.

فَمَنِ ٱبْتَغَىٰ وَرَآءَ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْعَادُونَ

70:31 But whoever seeks anything beyond that, those are the transgressors.

وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ لِأَمَـٰنَـٰتِهِمْ وَعَهْدِهِمْ رَٰعُونَ

70:32 who honor their trusts and their pledges,

وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم بِشَهَـٰدَٰتِهِمْ قَآئِمُونَ

70:33 and those who stand firm in their testimony,

وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمْ يُحَافِظُونَ

70:34 and those who carefully maintain their prayer,

أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ فِى جَنَّـٰتٍ مُّكْرَمُونَ

70:35 they will be honored in Gardens.

فَمَالِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ قِبَلَكَ مُهْطِعِينَ

70:36 So what is the matter with those who disbelieve, rushing toward you [Prophet],

عَنِ ٱلْيَمِينِ وَعَنِ ٱلشِّمَالِ عِزِينَ

70:37 from the right and from the left, in separate groups?

أَيَطْمَعُ كُلُّ ٱمْرِئٍ مِّنْهُمْ أَن يُدْخَلَ جَنَّةَ نَعِيمٍ

70:38 Does every one of them hope to be admitted into a Garden of Delight?

كَلَّآ ۖ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَـٰهُم مِّمَّا يَعْلَمُونَ

70:39 No indeed. We created them from what they know.

فَلَآ أُقْسِمُ بِرَبِّ ٱلْمَشَـٰرِقِ وَٱلْمَغَـٰرِبِ إِنَّا لَقَـٰدِرُونَ

70:40 So no, I swear by the Lord of all risings and settings: We are surely able

عَلَىٰٓ أَن نُّبَدِّلَ خَيْرًا مِّنْهُمْ وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمَسْبُوقِينَ

70:41 to replace them with better than them, and We cannot be outrun.

فَذَرْهُمْ يَخُوضُوا۟ وَيَلْعَبُوا۟ حَتَّىٰ يُلَـٰقُوا۟ يَوْمَهُمُ ٱلَّذِى يُوعَدُونَ

70:42 So leave them to plunge in and play until they meet their Day, which they are promised.

يَوْمَ يَخْرُجُونَ مِنَ ٱلْأَجْدَاثِ سِرَاعًا كَأَنَّهُمْ إِلَىٰ نُصُبٍ يُوفِضُونَ

70:43 the Day they come out of the graves in a rush, as if they were hurrying toward a raised marker.

خَـٰشِعَةً أَبْصَـٰرُهُمْ تَرْهَقُهُمْ ذِلَّةٌ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ ٱلْيَوْمُ ٱلَّذِى كَانُوا۟ يُوعَدُونَ

70:44 Their eyes humbled, humiliation covering them. That is the Day they were promised.