70. Surah Al-Ma'arij The Ascending Stairways

بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّح۪يمِ

Bismi Allahi arrahmani arraheem

In the name of Allah, All-Merciful, Most Merciful

سَاَلَ سَٓائِلٌ بِعَذَابٍ وَاقِعٍۙ

Saala sa-ilun biAAathabin waqiAA

An inquirer asked about an impending punishment.

لِلْـكَافِر۪ينَ لَيْسَ لَهُ دَافِعٌۙ

Lilkafireena laysa lahu dafiAA

It is for the kafirun and cannot be averted

مِنَ اللّٰهِ ذِي الْمَعَارِجِۜ

Mina Allahi thee almaAAarij

from Allah – the Lord of the Ascending Steps.

تَعْرُجُ الْمَلٰٓئِكَةُ وَالرُّوحُ اِلَيْهِ ف۪ي يَوْمٍ كَانَ مِقْدَارُهُ خَمْس۪ينَ اَلْفَ سَنَةٍۚ

TaAAruju almala-ikatu warroohuilayhi fee yawmin kana miqdaruhu khamseena alfasana

The angels and the Spirit ascend to Him in a day whose length is fifty thousand years.

فَاصْبِرْ صَبْراً جَم۪يلاً

Fasbir sabran jameela

Therefore be patient with a patience which is beautiful.

اِنَّهُمْ يَرَوْنَهُ بَع۪يداًۙ

Innahum yarawnahu baAAeeda

They see it as something distant,

وَنَرٰيهُ قَر۪يباًۜ

Wanarahu qareeba

but We see it as very close.

يَوْمَ تَكُونُ السَّمَٓاءُ كَالْمُهْلِۙ

Yawma takoonu assamao kalmuhl

On the Day the sky is like molten brass

وَتَكُونُ الْجِبَالُ كَالْعِهْنِۙ

Watakoonu aljibalu kalAAihn

and the mountains like tufts of coloured wool.

وَلَا يَسْـَٔلُ حَم۪يمٌ حَم۪يماًۚ

Wala yas-alu hameemun hameema

no good friend will ask about his friend

يُبَصَّرُونَهُمْۜ يَوَدُّ الْمُجْرِمُ لَوْ يَفْتَد۪ي مِنْ عَذَابِ يَوْمِئِذٍ بِبَن۪يهِۙ

Yubassaroonahum yawaddu almujrimu lawyaftadee min AAathabi yawmi-ithin bibaneeh

even though they can see each other. An evildoer will wish he could ransom himself from the punishment of that Day, by means of his sons,

وَصَاحِبَتِه۪ وَاَخ۪يهِۙ

Wasahibatihi waakheeh

or his wife or his brother

وَفَص۪يلَتِهِ الَّت۪ي تُـْٔو۪يهِۙ

Wafaseelatihi allatee tu/weeh

or his family who sheltered him

وَمَنْ فِي الْاَرْضِ جَم۪يعاًۙ ثُمَّ يُنْج۪يهِۙ

Waman fee al-ardi jameeAAan thummayunjeeh

or everyone else on earth, if that only meant that he could save himself.

كَلَّاۜ اِنَّهَا لَظٰىۙ

Kalla innaha latha

But no! It is a Raging Blaze

نَزَّاعَةً لِلشَّوٰىۚ

NazzaAAatan lishshawa

stripping away the limbs and scalp,

تَدْعُوا مَنْ اَدْبَرَ وَتَوَلّٰىۙ

TadAAoo man adbara watawalla

which calls for all who drew back and turned away,

وَجَمَعَ فَاَوْعٰى

WajamaAAa faawAAa

and amassed and hoarded up.

اِنَّ الْاِنْسَانَ خُلِقَ هَلُوعاًۙ

Inna al-insana khuliqa halooAAa

Truly man was created headstrong –

اِذَا مَسَّهُ الشَّرُّ جَزُوعاًۙ

Itha massahu ashsharrujazooAAa

desperate when bad things happen,

وَاِذَا مَسَّهُ الْخَيْرُ مَنُوعاًۙ

Wa-itha massahu alkhayru manooAAa

begrudging when good things come –

اِلَّا الْمُصَلّ۪ينَۙ

Illa almusalleen

except for those who do salat

اَلَّذ۪ينَ هُمْ عَلٰى صَلَاتِهِمْ دَٓائِمُونَۖ

Allatheena hum AAala salatihimda-imoon

and are constant in it;

وَالَّذ۪ينَ ف۪ٓي اَمْوَالِهِمْ حَقٌّ مَعْلُومٌۙ

Wallatheena fee amwalihimhaqqun maAAloom

those in whose wealth there is a known share

لِلسَّٓائِلِ وَالْمَحْرُومِۖ

Lissa-ili walmahroom

for beggars and the destitute;

وَالَّذ۪ينَ يُصَدِّقُونَ بِيَوْمِ الدّ۪ينِۖ

Wallatheena yusaddiqoonabiyawmi addeen

those who affirm the Day of Judgement,

وَالَّذ۪ينَ هُمْ مِنْ عَذَابِ رَبِّهِمْ مُشْفِقُونَۚ

Wallatheena hum min AAathabirabbihim mushfiqoon

those who are fearful of the punishment of their Lord

اِنَّ عَذَابَ رَبِّهِمْ غَيْرُ مَأْمُونٍۚ

Inna AAathaba rabbihim ghayru ma/moon

(no one is safe from the punishment of his Lord);

وَالَّذ۪ينَ هُمْ لِفُرُوجِهِمْ حَافِظُونَۙ

Wallatheena hum lifuroojihim hafithoon

those who guard their private parts

اِلَّا عَلٰٓى اَزْوَاجِهِمْ اَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ اَيْمَانُهُمْ فَاِنَّهُمْ غَيْرُ مَلُوم۪ينَۚ

Illa AAala azwajihim awma malakat aymanuhum fa-innahum ghayru maloomeen

except from their wives and any slaves they own, in which case they incur no blame,

فَمَنِ ابْتَغٰى وَرَٓاءَ ذٰلِكَ فَاُو۬لٰٓئِكَ هُمُ الْعَادُونَۚ

Famani ibtagha waraa thalikafaola-ika humu alAAadoon

but if anyone desires any more than that, they have overstepped the limits;

وَالَّذ۪ينَ هُمْ لِاَمَانَاتِهِمْ وَعَهْدِهِمْ رَاعُونَۖ

Wallatheena hum li-amanatihimwaAAahdihim raAAoon

those who honour their trusts and contracts;

وَالَّذ۪ينَ هُمْ بِشَهَادَاتِهِمْ قَٓائِمُونَۖ

Wallatheena hum bishahadatihimqa-imoon

those who stand by their testimony;

وَالَّذ۪ينَ هُمْ عَلٰى صَلَاتِهِمْ يُحَافِظُونَۜ

Wallatheena hum AAala salatihimyuhafithoon

those who safeguard their salat;

اُو۬لٰٓئِكَ ف۪ي جَنَّاتٍ مُكْرَمُونَۜ ۟

Ola-ika fee jannatin mukramoon

such people will be in Gardens, highly honoured.

فَمَالِ الَّذ۪ينَ كَفَرُوا قِبَلَكَ مُهْطِع۪ينَۙ

Famali allatheena kafarooqibalaka muhtiAAeen

What is the matter with those who are kafir? They run about in front of you, with outstretched necks and staring eyes,

عَنِ الْيَم۪ينِۙ وَعَنِ الشِّمَالِ عِز۪ينَ

AAani alyameeni waAAani ashshimaliAAizeen

on the right and on the left in scattered groups!

اَيَطْمَعُ كُلُّ امْرِئٍ مِنْهُمْ اَنْ يُدْخَلَ جَنَّةَ نَع۪يمٍۙ

AyatmaAAu kullu imri-in minhum anyudkhala jannata naAAeem

Does each one of them aspire to be admitted into a Garden of Delight?

كَلَّاۜ اِنَّا خَلَقْنَاهُمْ مِمَّا يَعْلَمُونَ

Kalla inna khalaqnahummimma yaAAlamoon

Certainly not! We created them from what they know full well.

فَلَٓا اُقْسِمُ بِرَبِّ الْمَشَارِقِ وَالْمَغَارِبِ اِنَّا لَقَادِرُونَۙ

Fala oqsimu birabbi almashariqiwalmagharibi inna laqadiroon

No! I swear by the Lord of the Easts and Wests that We have the power

عَلٰٓى اَنْ نُبَدِّلَ خَيْراً مِنْهُمْۙ وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمَسْبُوق۪ينَ

AAala an nubaddila khayran minhum wamanahnu bimasbooqeen

to replace them with something better than them. We will not be outstripped.

فَذَرْهُمْ يَخُوضُوا وَيَلْعَبُوا حَتّٰى يُلَاقُوا يَوْمَهُمُ الَّذ۪ي يُوعَدُونَۙ

Fatharhum yakhoodoowayalAAaboo hatta yulaqoo yawmahumu allatheeyooAAadoon

So leave them to plunge and play around until they meet their Day which they are promised.

يَوْمَ يَخْرُجُونَ مِنَ الْاَجْدَاثِ سِرَاعاً كَاَنَّهُمْ اِلٰى نُصُبٍ يُوفِضُونَۙ

Yawma yakhrujoona mina al-ajdathi siraAAankaannahum ila nusubin yoofidoon

The Day they will emerge swiftly from their graves as if rushing to rally to the flag,

خَاشِعَةً اَبْصَارُهُمْ تَرْهَقُهُمْ ذِلَّةٌۜ ذٰلِكَ الْيَوْمُ الَّذ۪ي كَانُوا يُوعَدُونَ

KhashiAAatan absaruhumtarhaquhum thillatun thalika alyawmu allatheekanoo yooAAadoon

eyes downcast, darkened by debasement, that will be the Day which they were promised.