Surah Al-Ma'arij (The Ascending Stairways)

سَأَلَ سَآئِلٌۢ بِعَذَابٍ وَاقِعٍ

70:1 A challenger has demanded a punishment bound to come

لِّلْكَـٰفِرِينَ لَيْسَ لَهُۥ دَافِعٌ

70:2 for the disbelievers—to be averted by none—

مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ ذِى ٱلْمَعَارِجِ

70:3 from Allah, Lord of pathways of ˹heavenly˺ ascent,

تَعْرُجُ ٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ وَٱلرُّوحُ إِلَيْهِ فِى يَوْمٍ كَانَ مِقْدَارُهُۥ خَمْسِينَ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍ

70:4 ˹through which˺ the angels and the ˹holy˺ spirit will ascend to Him on a Day fifty thousand years in length.

فَٱصْبِرْ صَبْرًا جَمِيلًا

70:5 So endure ˹this denial, O Prophet,˺ with beautiful patience.

إِنَّهُمْ يَرَوْنَهُۥ بَعِيدًا

70:6 They truly see this ˹Day˺ as impossible,

وَنَرَىٰهُ قَرِيبًا

70:7 but We see it as inevitable.

يَوْمَ تَكُونُ ٱلسَّمَآءُ كَٱلْمُهْلِ

70:8 On that Day the sky will be like molten brass

وَتَكُونُ ٱلْجِبَالُ كَٱلْعِهْنِ

70:9 and the mountains like ˹tufts of˺ wool.

وَلَا يَسْـَٔلُ حَمِيمٌ حَمِيمًا

70:10 And no close friend will ask ˹about˺ their friends,

يُبَصَّرُونَهُمْ ۚ يَوَدُّ ٱلْمُجْرِمُ لَوْ يَفْتَدِى مِنْ عَذَابِ يَوْمِئِذٍۭ بِبَنِيهِ

70:11 ˹although˺ they will be made to see each other. The wicked will wish to ransom themselves from the punishment of that Day by their children,

وَصَـٰحِبَتِهِۦ وَأَخِيهِ

70:12 their spouses, their siblings,

وَفَصِيلَتِهِ ٱلَّتِى تُـْٔوِيهِ

70:13 their clan that sheltered them,

وَمَن فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًا ثُمَّ يُنجِيهِ

70:14 and everyone on earth altogether, just to save themselves.

كَلَّآ ۖ إِنَّهَا لَظَىٰ

70:15 But no! There will certainly be a raging Flame

نَزَّاعَةً لِّلشَّوَىٰ

70:16 ripping off scalps.

تَدْعُوا۟ مَنْ أَدْبَرَ وَتَوَلَّىٰ

70:17 It will summon whoever turned their backs ˹on Allah˺ and turned away ˹from the truth˺,

وَجَمَعَ فَأَوْعَىٰٓ

70:18 and gathered and hoarded ˹wealth˺.

۞ إِنَّ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ خُلِقَ هَلُوعًا

70:19 Indeed, humankind was created impatient:

إِذَا مَسَّهُ ٱلشَّرُّ جَزُوعًا

70:20 distressed when touched with evil,

وَإِذَا مَسَّهُ ٱلْخَيْرُ مَنُوعًا

70:21 and withholding when touched with good—

إِلَّا ٱلْمُصَلِّينَ

70:22 except those who pray,

ٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمْ دَآئِمُونَ

70:23 consistently performing their prayers;

وَٱلَّذِينَ فِىٓ أَمْوَٰلِهِمْ حَقٌّ مَّعْلُومٌ

70:24 and who give the rightful share of their wealth

لِّلسَّآئِلِ وَٱلْمَحْرُومِ

70:25 to the beggar and the poor;

وَٱلَّذِينَ يُصَدِّقُونَ بِيَوْمِ ٱلدِّينِ

70:26 and who ˹firmly˺ believe in the Day of Judgment;

وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم مِّنْ عَذَابِ رَبِّهِم مُّشْفِقُونَ

70:27 and those who fear the punishment of their Lord—

إِنَّ عَذَابَ رَبِّهِمْ غَيْرُ مَأْمُونٍ

70:28 ˹knowing that˺ none should feel secure from their Lord’s punishment—

وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ لِفُرُوجِهِمْ حَـٰفِظُونَ

70:29 and those who guard their chastity

إِلَّا عَلَىٰٓ أَزْوَٰجِهِمْ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَـٰنُهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ غَيْرُ مَلُومِينَ

70:30 except with their wives or those ˹bondwomen˺ in their possession, for then they are free from blame,

فَمَنِ ٱبْتَغَىٰ وَرَآءَ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْعَادُونَ

70:31 but whoever seeks beyond that are the transgressors.

وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ لِأَمَـٰنَـٰتِهِمْ وَعَهْدِهِمْ رَٰعُونَ

70:32 ˹The faithful are˺ also those who are true to their trusts and covenants;

وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم بِشَهَـٰدَٰتِهِمْ قَآئِمُونَ

70:33 and who are honest in their testimony;

وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمْ يُحَافِظُونَ

70:34 and who are ˹properly˺ observant of their prayers.

أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ فِى جَنَّـٰتٍ مُّكْرَمُونَ

70:35 These will be in Gardens, held in honour.

فَمَالِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ قِبَلَكَ مُهْطِعِينَ

70:36 So what is the matter with the disbelievers that they rush ˹head-long˺ towards you ˹O Prophet˺,

عَنِ ٱلْيَمِينِ وَعَنِ ٱلشِّمَالِ عِزِينَ

70:37 from the right and the left, in groups ˹to mock you˺?

أَيَطْمَعُ كُلُّ ٱمْرِئٍ مِّنْهُمْ أَن يُدْخَلَ جَنَّةَ نَعِيمٍ

70:38 Does every one of them expect to be admitted into a Garden of Bliss?

كَلَّآ ۖ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَـٰهُم مِّمَّا يَعْلَمُونَ

70:39 But no! Indeed, they ˹already˺ know what We created them from.

فَلَآ أُقْسِمُ بِرَبِّ ٱلْمَشَـٰرِقِ وَٱلْمَغَـٰرِبِ إِنَّا لَقَـٰدِرُونَ

70:40 So, I do swear by the Lord of ˹all˺ the points of sunrise and sunset that We are truly capable

عَلَىٰٓ أَن نُّبَدِّلَ خَيْرًا مِّنْهُمْ وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمَسْبُوقِينَ

70:41 of replacing them with ˹others˺ better than them, and We cannot be prevented ˹from doing so˺.

فَذَرْهُمْ يَخُوضُوا۟ وَيَلْعَبُوا۟ حَتَّىٰ يُلَـٰقُوا۟ يَوْمَهُمُ ٱلَّذِى يُوعَدُونَ

70:42 So let them indulge ˹in falsehood˺ and amuse ˹themselves˺ until they face their Day, which they have been threatened with—

يَوْمَ يَخْرُجُونَ مِنَ ٱلْأَجْدَاثِ سِرَاعًا كَأَنَّهُمْ إِلَىٰ نُصُبٍ يُوفِضُونَ

70:43 the Day they will come forth from the graves swiftly, as if racing to an idol ˹for a blessing˺,

خَـٰشِعَةً أَبْصَـٰرُهُمْ تَرْهَقُهُمْ ذِلَّةٌ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ ٱلْيَوْمُ ٱلَّذِى كَانُوا۟ يُوعَدُونَ

70:44 with eyes downcast, utterly covered with disgrace. That is the Day they have ˹always˺ been warned of.