Surah Al-Ma'aarij (The Ascending Stairways)

سَأَلَ سَآئِلٌۢ بِعَذَابٍۢ وَاقِعٍۢ

A questioner asked about a Penalty to befall-

A questioner questioned concerning the doom about to fall

لِّلْكَٰفِرِينَ لَيْسَ لَهُۥ دَافِعٌۭ

The Unbelievers, the which there is none to ward off,-

Upon the disbelievers, which none can repel,

مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ ذِى ٱلْمَعَارِجِ

(A Penalty) from Allah, Lord of the Ways of Ascent.

From Allah, Lord of the Ascending Stairways

تَعْرُجُ ٱلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةُ وَٱلرُّوحُ إِلَيْهِ فِى يَوْمٍۢ كَانَ مِقْدَارُهُۥ خَمْسِينَ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍۢ

The angels and the spirit ascend unto him in a Day the measure whereof is (as) fifty thousand years:

(Whereby) the angels and the Spirit ascend unto Him in a Day whereof the span is fifty thousand years.

فَٱصْبِرْ صَبْرًۭا جَمِيلًا

Therefore do thou hold Patience,- a Patience of beautiful (contentment).

But be patient (O Muhammad) with a patience fair to see.

إِنَّهُمْ يَرَوْنَهُۥ بَعِيدًۭا

They see the (Day) indeed as a far-off (event):

Lo! they behold it afar off

وَنَرَىٰهُ قَرِيبًۭا

But We see it (quite) near.

While we behold it nigh:

يَوْمَ تَكُونُ ٱلسَّمَآءُ كَٱلْمُهْلِ

The Day that the sky will be like molten brass,

The day when the sky will become as molten copper,

وَتَكُونُ ٱلْجِبَالُ كَٱلْعِهْنِ

And the mountains will be like wool,

And the hills become as flakes of wool,

وَلَا يَسْـَٔلُ حَمِيمٌ حَمِيمًۭا

And no friend will ask after a friend,

And no familiar friend will ask a question of his friend

يُبَصَّرُونَهُمْ ۚ يَوَدُّ ٱلْمُجْرِمُ لَوْ يَفْتَدِى مِنْ عَذَابِ يَوْمِئِذٍۭ بِبَنِيهِ

Though they will be put in sight of each other,- the sinner's desire will be: Would that he could redeem himself from the Penalty of that Day by (sacrificing) his children,

Though they will be given sight of them. The guilty man will long to be able to ransom himself from the punishment of that day at the price of his children

وَصَٰحِبَتِهِۦ وَأَخِيهِ

His wife and his brother,

And his spouse and his brother

وَفَصِيلَتِهِ ٱلَّتِى تُـْٔوِيهِ

His kindred who sheltered him,

And his kin that harboured him

وَمَن فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًۭا ثُمَّ يُنجِيهِ

And all, all that is on earth,- so it could deliver him:

And all that are in the earth, if then it might deliver him.

كَلَّآ ۖ إِنَّهَا لَظَىٰ

By no means! for it would be the Fire of Hell!-

But nay! for lo! it is the fire of hell

نَزَّاعَةًۭ لِّلشَّوَىٰ

Plucking out (his being) right to the skull!-

Eager to roast;

تَدْعُوا۟ مَنْ أَدْبَرَ وَتَوَلَّىٰ

Inviting (all) such as turn their backs and turn away their faces (from the Right).

It calleth him who turned and fled (from truth),

وَجَمَعَ فَأَوْعَىٰٓ

And collect (wealth) and hide it (from use)!

And hoarded (wealth) and withheld it.

۞ إِنَّ ٱلْإِنسَٰنَ خُلِقَ هَلُوعًا

Truly man was created very impatient;-

Lo! man was created anxious,

إِذَا مَسَّهُ ٱلشَّرُّ جَزُوعًۭا

Fretful when evil touches him;

Fretful when evil befalleth him

وَإِذَا مَسَّهُ ٱلْخَيْرُ مَنُوعًا

And niggardly when good reaches him;-

And, when good befalleth him, grudging;

إِلَّا ٱلْمُصَلِّينَ

Not so those devoted to Prayer;-

Save worshippers.

ٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمْ دَآئِمُونَ

Those who remain steadfast to their prayer;

Who are constant at their worship

وَٱلَّذِينَ فِىٓ أَمْوَٰلِهِمْ حَقٌّۭ مَّعْلُومٌۭ

And those in whose wealth is a recognised right.

And in whose wealth there is a right acknowledged

لِّلسَّآئِلِ وَٱلْمَحْرُومِ

For the (needy) who asks and him who is prevented (for some reason from asking);

For the beggar and the destitute;

وَٱلَّذِينَ يُصَدِّقُونَ بِيَوْمِ ٱلدِّينِ

And those who hold to the truth of the Day of Judgment;

And those who believe in the Day of Judgment,

وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم مِّنْ عَذَابِ رَبِّهِم مُّشْفِقُونَ

And those who fear the displeasure of their Lord,-

And those who are fearful of their Lord's doom -

إِنَّ عَذَابَ رَبِّهِمْ غَيْرُ مَأْمُونٍۢ

For their Lord's displeasure is the opposite of Peace and Tranquillity;-

Lo! the doom of their Lord is that before which none can feel secure -

وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ لِفُرُوجِهِمْ حَٰفِظُونَ

And those who guard their chastity,

And those who preserve their chastity

إِلَّا عَلَىٰٓ أَزْوَٰجِهِمْ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَٰنُهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ غَيْرُ مَلُومِينَ

Except with their wives and the (captives) whom their right hands possess,- for (then) they are not to be blamed,

Save with their wives and those whom their right hands possess, for thus they are not blameworthy;

فَمَنِ ٱبْتَغَىٰ وَرَآءَ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْعَادُونَ

But those who trespass beyond this are transgressors;-

But whoso seeketh more than that, those are they who are transgressors;

وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ لِأَمَٰنَٰتِهِمْ وَعَهْدِهِمْ رَٰعُونَ

And those who respect their trusts and covenants;

And those who keep their pledges and their covenant,

وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم بِشَهَٰدَٰتِهِمْ قَآئِمُونَ

And those who stand firm in their testimonies;

And those who stand by their testimony

وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمْ يُحَافِظُونَ

And those who guard (the sacredness) of their worship;-

And those who are attentive at their worship.

أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ فِى جَنَّٰتٍۢ مُّكْرَمُونَ

Such will be the honoured ones in the Gardens (of Bliss).

These will dwell in Gardens, honoured.

فَمَالِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ قِبَلَكَ مُهْطِعِينَ

Now what is the matter with the Unbelievers that they rush madly before thee-

What aileth those who disbelieve, that they keep staring toward thee (O Muhammad), open-eyed,

عَنِ ٱلْيَمِينِ وَعَنِ ٱلشِّمَالِ عِزِينَ

From the right and from the left, in crowds?

On the right and on the left, in groups?

أَيَطْمَعُ كُلُّ ٱمْرِئٍۢ مِّنْهُمْ أَن يُدْخَلَ جَنَّةَ نَعِيمٍۢ

Does every man of them long to enter the Garden of Bliss?

Doth every man among them hope to enter the Garden of Delight?

كَلَّآ ۖ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَٰهُم مِّمَّا يَعْلَمُونَ

By no means! For We have created them out of the (base matter) they know!

Nay, verily. Lo! We created them from what they know.

فَلَآ أُقْسِمُ بِرَبِّ ٱلْمَشَٰرِقِ وَٱلْمَغَٰرِبِ إِنَّا لَقَٰدِرُونَ

Now I do call to witness the Lord of all points in the East and the West that We can certainly-

But nay! I swear by the Lord of the rising-places and the setting-places of the planets that We verily are Able

عَلَىٰٓ أَن نُّبَدِّلَ خَيْرًۭا مِّنْهُمْ وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمَسْبُوقِينَ

Substitute for them better (men) than they; And We are not to be defeated (in Our Plan).

To replace them by (others) better than them. And we are not to be outrun.

فَذَرْهُمْ يَخُوضُوا۟ وَيَلْعَبُوا۟ حَتَّىٰ يُلَٰقُوا۟ يَوْمَهُمُ ٱلَّذِى يُوعَدُونَ

So leave them to plunge in vain talk and play about, until they encounter that Day of theirs which they have been promised!-

So let them chat and play until they meet their Day which they are promised,

يَوْمَ يَخْرُجُونَ مِنَ ٱلْأَجْدَاثِ سِرَاعًۭا كَأَنَّهُمْ إِلَىٰ نُصُبٍۢ يُوفِضُونَ

The Day whereon they will issue from their sepulchres in sudden haste as if they were rushing to a goal-post (fixed for them),-

The day when they come forth from the graves in haste, as racing to a goal,

خَٰشِعَةً أَبْصَٰرُهُمْ تَرْهَقُهُمْ ذِلَّةٌۭ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ ٱلْيَوْمُ ٱلَّذِى كَانُوا۟ يُوعَدُونَ

Their eyes lowered in dejection,- ignominy covering them (all over)! such is the Day the which they are promised!

With eyes aghast, abasement stupefying them: Such is the Day which they are promised.