Surah 70. Al-Ma'arij

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

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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

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Surah Introduction

This Meccan sûrah, which takes its name from verse 3, condemns the pagans for ridiculing the Day of Judgment (verses 1-2) and the Prophet (verses 36-37). The truth of the Hour is reaffirmed, along with the horrors that will ensue. The qualities of the people of Hell and the people of Paradise are described (verses 16-35). The Prophet ( ﷺ ) is reassured, while the pagans are warned-both themes are embedded in the story of Noah ( ﷺ ) in the next sûrah.

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Translation of Verse 1-351. In the Name of Allah-the Most Compassionate, Most Merciful.

1. A challenger ¹²²⁹ has demanded a punishment bound to come

2. for the disbelievers-to be averted by none-

3. from Allah, Lord of pathways of ˹heavenly˺ ascent,

4. ˹through which˺ the angels and the ˹holy˺ spirit ¹²³⁰ will ascend to Him on a Day fifty thousand years in length. ¹²³¹

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

6. They truly see this ˹Day˺ as impossible,

7. but We see it as inevitable.

8. On that Day the sky will be like molten brass

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

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

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,

12. their spouses, their siblings,

13. their clan that sheltered them,

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

15. But no! There will certainly be a raging Flame

16. ripping off scalps.

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

18. and gathered and hoarded ˹wealth˺.

19. Indeed, humankind was created impatient:

20. distressed when touched with evil,

21. and withholding when touched with good-

22. except those who pray,

23. consistently performing their prayers;

24. and who give the rightful share of their wealth

25. to the beggar and the poor;

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

27. and those who fear the punishment of their Lord-

28. ˹knowing that˺ none should feel secure from their Lord's punishment-

29. and those who guard their chastity ¹²³²

30. except with their wives or those ˹bondwomen˺ in their possession, ¹²³³ for then they are free from blame,

31. but whoever seeks beyond that are the transgressors.

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

33. and who are honest in their testimony;

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

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

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Commentary

1229. According to 8:32, An-Naḍr ibn Al-Ḥârith challenged Allah, saying, "If this is indeed the truth from You, then rain down stones upon us from the sky or overcome us with a painful punishment."

1230. The holy spirit is the angel Gabriel.

1231. Judgment Day will seem like 50 000 years for a disbeliever, but it will seem like a very short period for a believer. The Prophet ( ﷺ ) is reported in a ḥadîth collected by Imâm Aḥmed to have said that, for the believer, this long period will be like the time they took to perform a single prayer in the world.

1232. lit., private parts.

1233. See footnote for 4:3.