سُورَةُ المَعَارِجِ
The Pathways of Ascent
70:1
سَأَلَ سَآئِلُۢ بِعَذَابٖ وَاقِعٖ ١
A enquirer asked about a Punishment to befall1
70:2
لِّلۡكَٰفِرِينَ لَيۡسَ لَهُۥ دَافِعٞ ٢
the Rejecters, that which there is none to ward off,
70:3
مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ ذِي ٱلۡمَعَارِجِ ٣
[a Punishment] from Allāh, Lord of the Pathways of Ascent.1
70:4
تَعۡرُجُ ٱلۡمَلَٰٓئِكَةُ وَٱلرُّوحُ إِلَيۡهِ فِي يَوۡمٖ كَانَ مِقۡدَارُهُۥ خَمۡسِينَ أَلۡفَ سَنَةٖ ٤
The angels and the Spirit1ascend unto Him in a Day the measure whereof is [as] fifty thousand years [of humans on the earth].2
70:5
فَٱصۡبِرۡ صَبۡرٗا جَمِيلًا ٥
Therefore, endure patiently, a beautiful patience.
70:6
إِنَّهُمۡ يَرَوۡنَهُۥ بَعِيدٗا ٦
They [Rejecters] see it [the Day1] as a far-off [event]:
70:7
وَنَرَىٰهُ قَرِيبٗا ٧
But We see it [quite] near.
70:8
يَوۡمَ تَكُونُ ٱلسَّمَآءُ كَٱلۡمُهۡلِ ٨
The Day that the sky will be like molten tar,
70:9
وَتَكُونُ ٱلۡجِبَالُ كَٱلۡعِهۡنِ ٩
and the mountains will be like coloured wool,
70:10
وَلَا يَسۡـَٔلُ حَمِيمٌ حَمِيمٗا ١٠
and no close friend will ask after a close friend,
70:11
يُبَصَّرُونَهُمۡۚ يَوَدُّ ٱلۡمُجۡرِمُ لَوۡ يَفۡتَدِي مِنۡ عَذَابِ يَوۡمِئِذِۭ بِبَنِيهِ ١١
though they will be looking at each other. The sinner’s desire will be: would that he could redeem himself from the Punishment of that Day by [offering as ransom] his children,
70:12
وَصَٰحِبَتِهِۦ وَأَخِيهِ ١٢
and his wife and his brother,
70:13
وَفَصِيلَتِهِ ٱلَّتِي تُـٔۡوِيهِ ١٣
and his kindred who sheltered him.
70:14
وَمَن فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ جَمِيعٗا ثُمَّ يُنجِيهِ ١٤
and all that is on earth, so it could save him.
70:15
كـَلَّآۖ إِنَّهَا لَظَىٰ ١٥
By no means!1For it would be the Blazing Fire,
70:16
نَزَّاعَةٗ لِّلشَّوَىٰ ١٦
stripping the skin,
70:17
تَدۡعُواْ مَنۡ أَدۡبَرَ وَتَوَلَّىٰ ١٧
inviting [all] such as those who turned their backs and those who turned away [their faces from the Message],
70:18
وَجَمَعَ فَأَوۡعَىٰٓ ١٨
who amassed [wealth] and hid it [from use and charity]!
70:19
إِنَّ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنَ خُلِقَ هَلُوعًا ١٩
Truly Man was created very impatient;1
70:20
إِذَا مَسَّهُ ٱلشَّرُّ جَزُوعٗا ٢٠
fretful when evil touches him;
70:21
وَإِذَا مَسَّهُ ٱلۡخَيۡرُ مَنُوعًا ٢١
and miserly when bounty reaches him;
70:22
إِلَّا ٱلۡمُصَلِّينَ ٢٢
not so are those devoted to prayer,
70:23
ٱلَّذِينَ هُمۡ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمۡ دَآئِمُونَ ٢٣
those who remain steadfast in their prayer;
70:24
وَٱلَّذِينَ فِيٓ أَمۡوَٰلِهِمۡ حَقّٞ مَّعۡلُومٞ ٢٤
and those in whose wealth is a recognised right
70:25
لِّلسَّآئِلِ وَٱلۡمَحۡرُومِ ٢٥
for the [needy] who asks and him who is deprived [but does not ask];1
70:26
وَٱلَّذِينَ يُصَدِّقُونَ بِيَوۡمِ ٱلدِّينِ ٢٦
and those who testify to the truth of the Day of Judgement;
70:27
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم مِّنۡ عَذَابِ رَبِّهِم مُّشۡفِقُونَ ٢٧
and those who fear the punishment of their Lord,
70:28
إِنَّ عَذَابَ رَبِّهِمۡ غَيۡرُ مَأۡمُونٖ ٢٨
for their Lord’s punishment is not a thing to feel secure from;
70:29
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمۡ لِفُرُوجِهِمۡ حَٰفِظُونَ ٢٩
and those who guard their chastity,
70:30
إِلَّا عَلَىٰٓ أَزۡوَٰجِهِمۡ أَوۡ مَا مَلَكَتۡ أَيۡمَٰنُهُمۡ فَإِنَّهُمۡ غَيۡرُ مَلُومِينَ ٣٠
except with their wives and those their right hands possess,1for [then] they are not to be blamed,
70:31
فَمَنِ ٱبۡتَغَىٰ وَرَآءَ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُوْلَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلۡعَادُونَ ٣١
but those who seek beyond this are the violators;
70:32
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمۡ لِأَمَٰنَٰتِهِمۡ وَعَهۡدِهِمۡ رَٰعُونَ ٣٢
and those who keep their trusts and covenants;
70:33
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم بِشَهَٰدَٰتِهِمۡ قَآئِمُونَ ٣٣
and those who stand firm in their testimonies;
70:34
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمۡ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمۡ يُحَافِظُونَ ٣٤
and those who [strictly] guard their [regular] prayer;1
70:35
أُوْلَٰٓئِكَ فِي جَنَّٰتٖ مُّكۡرَمُونَ ٣٥
such will be the honoured ones in the Gardens [of Bliss].
70:36
فَمَالِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ قِبَلَكَ مُهۡطِعِينَ ٣٦
What is the matter with the Rejecters1that they rush madly before you,2
70:37
عَنِ ٱلۡيَمِينِ وَعَنِ ٱلشِّمَالِ عِزِينَ ٣٧
from the right and from the left, in scattered parties?
70:38
أَيَطۡمَعُ كُلُّ ٱمۡرِيٕٖ مِّنۡهُمۡ أَن يُدۡخَلَ جَنَّةَ نَعِيمٖ ٣٨
Does every Man of them long to enter Garden of Bliss?
70:39
كـَلَّآۖ إِنَّا خَلَقۡنَٰهُم مِّمَّا يَعۡلَمُونَ ٣٩
By no means! We have created them out of the [base matter] they know!
70:40
فَلَآ أُقۡسِمُ بِرَبِّ ٱلۡمَشَٰرِقِ وَٱلۡمَغَٰرِبِ إِنَّا لَقَٰدِرُونَ ٤٠
I do swear in [the name of] the Lord of [all points in] the East and the West: that We can certainly
70:41
عَلَىٰٓ أَن نُّبَدِّلَ خَيۡرٗا مِّنۡهُمۡ وَمَا نَحۡنُ بِمَسۡبُوقِينَ ٤١
substitute them with [people] better than them; and We are not to be frustrated [in Our Plan].
70:42
فَذَرۡهُمۡ يَخُوضُواْ وَيَلۡعَبُواْ حَتَّىٰ يُلَٰقُواْ يَوۡمَهُمُ ٱلَّذِي يُوعَدُونَ ٤٢
So leave them to plunge in vain talk and play about until they encounter that Day1of theirs which they have been warned about!,
70:43
يَوۡمَ يَخۡرُجُونَ مِنَ ٱلۡأَجۡدَاثِ سِرَاعٗا كَأَنَّهُمۡ إِلَىٰ نُصُبٖ يُوفِضُونَ ٤٣
the Day whereon they will rush out from their graves in haste as if they were rushing to a stone set up for worship [of others than Allāh],
70:44
خَٰشِعَةً أَبۡصَٰرُهُمۡ تَرۡهَقُهُمۡ ذِلَّةٞۚ ذَٰلِكَ ٱلۡيَوۡمُ ٱلَّذِي كَانُواْ يُوعَدُونَ ٤٤
their eyes lowered [in dejection], ignominy covering them [all over]! That is the Day which they were promised!