Surah 70. Al-Ma'arij

---

Verses [Section]: 1-35[1], 36-44 [2]

---

Quran Text of Verse 1-3570. Al-Ma'arijبِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِسَاَلَAskedسَآىِٕلٌۢa questionerبِعَذَابٍfor a punishmentوَّاقِعٍۙbound to happen لِّلْكٰفِرِیْنَTo the disbelieversلَیْسَnotلَهٗof itدَافِعٌۙany preventer مِّنَFromاللّٰهِAllahذِیOwnerالْمَعَارِجِؕ(of) the ways of ascent تَعْرُجُAscendالْمَلٰٓىِٕكَةُthe Angelsوَ الرُّوْحُand the Spiritاِلَیْهِto Himفِیْinیَوْمٍa Dayكَانَ[is]مِقْدَارُهٗits measureخَمْسِیْنَ(is) fiftyاَلْفَthousandسَنَةٍۚyear(s) فَاصْبِرْSo be patientصَبْرًاa patienceجَمِیْلًا good اِنَّهُمْIndeed theyیَرَوْنَهٗsee itبَعِیْدًاۙ(as) far off وَّ نَرٰىهُBut We see itقَرِیْبًاؕnear یَوْمَ(The) Dayتَكُوْنُwill beالسَّمَآءُthe skyكَالْمُهْلِۙlike molten copper وَ تَكُوْنُAnd will beالْجِبَالُthe mountainsكَالْعِهْنِۙlike wool وَ لَاAnd notیَسْـَٔلُwill askحَمِیْمٌa friendحَمِیْمًاۚۖ(of) a friend 70. Al-Ma'arij Page 569یُّبَصَّرُوْنَهُمْ ؕThey will be made to see each otherیَوَدُّWould wishالْمُجْرِمُthe criminalلَوْifیَفْتَدِیْhe (could be) ransomedمِنْfromعَذَابِ(the) punishmentیَوْمِىِٕذٍۭ(of) that Dayبِبَنِیْهِۙby his children وَ صَاحِبَتِهٖAnd his spouseوَ اَخِیْهِۙand his brother وَ فَصِیْلَتِهِAnd his nearest kindredالَّتِیْwhoتُـْٔوِیْهِۙsheltered him وَ مَنْAnd whoeverفِی(is) onالْاَرْضِthe earthجَمِیْعًا ۙallثُمَّthenیُنْجِیْهِۙit (could) save him كَلَّا ؕBy no means!اِنَّهَاIndeed it (is)لَظٰیۙsurely a Flame of Hell نَزَّاعَةًA removerلِّلشَّوٰیۚۖof the skin of the head تَدْعُوْاInvitingمَنْ(him) whoاَدْبَرَturned his backوَ تَوَلّٰیۙand went away وَ جَمَعَAnd collectedفَاَوْعٰی and hoarded اِنَّIndeedالْاِنْسَانَthe manخُلِقَwas createdهَلُوْعًاۙanxious اِذَاWhenمَسَّهُtouches himالشَّرُّthe evilجَزُوْعًاۙdistressed وَّ اِذَاAnd whenمَسَّهُtouches himالْخَیْرُthe goodمَنُوْعًاۙwithholding اِلَّاExceptالْمُصَلِّیْنَۙthose who pray الَّذِیْنَThose whoهُمْ[they]عَلٰیatصَلَاتِهِمْtheir prayerدَآىِٕمُوْنَ۪ۙ(are) constant وَ الَّذِیْنَAnd those whoفِیْۤinاَمْوَالِهِمْtheir wealthحَقٌّ(is) a rightمَّعْلُوْمٌ۪ۙknown لِّلسَّآىِٕلِFor the one who asksوَ الْمَحْرُوْمِ۪ۙand the deprived وَ الَّذِیْنَAnd those whoیُصَدِّقُوْنَaccept (the) truthبِیَوْمِ(of the) Dayالدِّیْنِ۪ۙ(of) the Judgment وَ الَّذِیْنَAnd those whoهُمْ[they]مِّنْofعَذَابِ(the) punishmentرَبِّهِمْ(of) their Lordمُّشْفِقُوْنَۚ(are) fearful اِنَّIndeedعَذَابَ(the) punishmentرَبِّهِمْ(of) your Lordغَیْرُ(is) notمَاْمُوْنٍ to be felt secure (of) وَ الَّذِیْنَAnd those whoهُمْ[they]لِفُرُوْجِهِمْtheir modestyحٰفِظُوْنَۙ(are) guardians اِلَّاExceptعَلٰۤیfromاَزْوَاجِهِمْtheir spousesاَوْorمَاwhatمَلَكَتْthey possessاَیْمَانُهُمْrightfullyفَاِنَّهُمْthen indeed, theyغَیْرُ(are) notمَلُوْمِیْنَۚblameworthy فَمَنِBut whoeverابْتَغٰیseeksوَرَآءَbeyondذٰلِكَthatفَاُولٰٓىِٕكَthen thoseهُمُ[they]الْعٰدُوْنَۚ(are) the transgressors وَ الَّذِیْنَAnd those whoهُمْ[they]لِاَمٰنٰتِهِمْof their trustsوَ عَهْدِهِمْand their promiseرٰعُوْنَ۪ۙ(are) observers وَ الَّذِیْنَAnd those whoهُمْ[they]بِشَهٰدٰتِهِمْin their testimoniesقَآىِٕمُوْنَ۪ۙstand firm وَ الَّذِیْنَAnd those whoهُمْ[they]عَلٰیonصَلَاتِهِمْtheir prayerیُحَافِظُوْنَؕkeep a guard اُولٰٓىِٕكَThoseفِیْ(will be) inجَنّٰتٍGardensمُّكْرَمُوْنَؕ۠honored

---

Translation of Verse 1-35In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

1. An asker asked for the chastisement which is to fall. ¹

2. On the disbelievers. None can ward it off. ²

3. That (chastisement) will be from Allah, Lord of the heights. ³

4. The angels and the spirit (Jibraeel) ascend toward HIM in a day the measure of which is fifty thousand years. ⁴

5. So have a graceful patience. ⁵

6. They think it is far off.

7. But WE see it near. ⁶

8. The Day when the sky will become like molten metal. ⁷

9. And the mountains like (carded) wool ⁸

10. And no friend will ask a friend.

11. Though they will be shown to them. ⁹ the guilty will want, to free himself from the chastisement of that Day, by giving as ransom his sons.

12. His wife and his brother.

13. And his family which used to shelter him.

14. And all people on earth and save himself. ¹⁰

15. Never¹¹ it will be blazing fire.

16. that will strip off the skin.

17. It will call unto it everyone who had turned away (from truth) and refrained.

18. had collected wealth and hoarded. ¹²

19. Man is created impatient. ¹³

20. He becomes fretful when he gets a trouble.

21. and niggardly when at ease.

22. But those who pray are exception to it¹⁴

23. who are constant at their Salat (prayer). ¹⁵

24. in whose wealth there is a fixed right ¹⁶

25. of the beggar and the deprived. ¹⁷

26. who believe the Day of Requital to be true.

27. who fear their LORD’s chastisement.

28. as the chastisement of their LORD is not a thing to be fearless of. ¹⁸

29. and those who guard their chastity.

30. except in regard to their wives and their owned women (slave girls) ¹⁹ for these they are not blameworthy.

31. But who seek beyond this are the transgressors. ²⁰

32. who keep their trusts and covenant. ²¹

33. and who stand by their testimony. ²²

34. and who guard their prayers (Salat). ²³

35. Those shall be in Gardens, honored. ²⁴

---

Commentary

1. The deniers were telling the holy prophet (peace be upon him) to bring the torment about which he was warning them. This asking of theirs was by way of a joke only. In response they are being told that the torment asked by you is sure to fall; that you have been informed of a sure and certain thing. Now if you want to make a fun of it you may do so but you will definitely see its consequence.

2. That is. Qiyamat will definitely occur and the Divine torment will invariably fall on the deniers. This is an unavoidable thing which can never be warded off by any means.

3. The decision regarding the Divine Wrath has already been taken in the Court of Almighty Whose Highness is such that heights upon heights have to be climbed to reach His Court. Had you any idea of His Grandeur you would have surely feared Him and would have prayed for protection from His Wrath.

4. This ayah is one of the Mutashabihat the real meaning of which is known only to Allah. It is dangerous(about going astray) to endeavour deeply to find out its real meaning. The way of the Faithful is to believe in them and not to go after their interpretation. When people asked Ibne Abbas about the meaning of this ayah he plainly replied that he did not know.

(Tafseer Tabari. Vol.29.P. 45)

So far as the aim of this ayah is concerned, it is to present an idea of Allah’s Majesty and to make it clear to the deniers of Resurrection that the Day’s torment will be from the One Who is very very High and to reach His Court even the angels have to pass through many stages and climb several heights. Even a thought of the severity of His wrath must make man tremble with fear but these kafirs are cutting jokes about it and are asking to hasten it.

Here it is necessary to refer to note 84 of Surah Hajj and note 8 of Surah Sajdah.

5. This is a guidance for the Holy Prophet that he should be patient at the words and talks of the deniers and that the patience should be so nice which would indicate that you are not affected by their talks at all.

6. About Resurrection they think that firstly it would not occur and in case it occurs it is a far cry. Whereas in Allah’s view it is to occur invariably and that too very soon. The respite given to man is very short.

7. The substance (matter) of the sky, after becoming hot. will begin to boil like metal.

8.For explanation please see Surah Qariah, note 5.

9. That is on the Day of Resurrection a friend will see another friend but will not be able to pay any attention to him. He will be worrying only about himself.

10. On that Day the guilty offender would like to get himself released (from Divine Wrath) by giving away his own near and dear one, rather the whole world, but he will neither have anything to give as ransom nor any ransom will ever be accepted from him.

God has made man aware of his (man’s) helplessness before God on the Day of Resurrection in advance so that those who are ignoring the Hereafter because of their relatives, family and nation may see wisdom.

11. That is, the thinking of the disbelievers that they will not be confronted by anything like Resurrection is totally incorrect and false.

12. This is the pasteurization of his niggardliness that he was always worrying about amassing and increasing his wealth but he remained quite careless about the right which Almighty Allah had kept in it for the needy and the poor. This wealth was given to him by Allah not for storing it in treasures or safes deposit vaults but it was meant for meeting the needs of men including the poor and the destitute.

13. It is a common weakness that man loses his courage very soon. Following verses explain this drawback. But this defect is not such that it cannot be removed. It can certainly be removed by training. As explained afterwards, this training can be obtained through prayers (Salat). For taking a test of man it was necessary to put some such drawbacks in man which could be cured by his own deeds. These weaknesses are not such that they can render a man helpless and that man cannot overcome them. Had there been, in the nature of man such weaknesses which could never be cured then those who adhere to prayers cannot be exempted whereas the ayah 22 has exempted them.

14. That is, those who offer regular prayers can get control over this natural weakness. They neither raise a hue and cry while in difficulty nor do they become niggardly when rich. They give the poor their dues. It should be borne in mind that this influence of Salat can be seen only in the lives of those who offer their prayer with understanding, that is, if they know the meaning of what they recite.

15. That is, they never miss their Namaz (Salat) but offer it regularly.

16. Means Zakat. Though details of Zakat were revealed afterwards, its abstract requirements were known to all since olden days. There is the command to pay DAH YEKI (Ushr or 1/10th) in the Bible (Torah). Prophet Ismail (Alaihis Salam) had also ordered the payment of Zakat. Hence it was in vogue in his progeny. Moreover, the portion (right) of the poor in a rich person’s wealth is a very wellknown thing of common conscience which is known to all naturally, and also by way of reason. Of course the way of knowing its details is only Shariat. So until the details were not revealed abstract of this religious command was there in existence. Feeding the poor and helping the needy is a well known thing to human nature since eternity.

17. This has been explained in Surah Zariyat, note: 20.

18. Man should not think that he is safe from Divine wrath in every way. He must always remain afraid that anytime he may make some mistake and God may become angry. Such a constant fear of Divine wrath makes man careful.

19. This has been clarified in Surah Muminoon, note.6

20. This has been explained in Surah Muminoon, note.7

21. For explanation please see notes 7 and 8 in Surah Muminoon.

22. They give witness with truth and justice. The witness (testimony) to truth about Allah’s oneness and Muhammad’s (Peace Be Upon Him) prophethood is the foremost among all testimonies. So also the witnesses which are being given about transactions between men.

23. The preservation of Salat includes offering it in its time, not missing any Namaz, to perform ablution correctly, to perform all acts of salat satisfactorily and with peace of mind to concentrate on Allah, to pay attention to the recitation of the holy Quran, to restrain thoughts from wavering elsewhere, to remain humble and fearful (of Allah) etc. One of the necessities of Salat for men is to perform it in congregation (with Jamaat).

As the description of the virtues of the believers began with the Salat so also it ends with the mention of Salat. This gives a hint that these virtues are the fruits of Salat and that Salat alone is their security.

24. The paradise is not a cheap thing to obtain. It will be given only to those who adorn themselves with good virtues and make themselves worthy of it.

Only he plucks the fruit who plants a tree with labor. Mere wishing neither grows a tree nor produces a fruit. The Jannat (paradise) too is a fruit of good deeds and hence labor is a must.