The Ascending StairwaysAl-Ma'aarijالمعارج

سَأَلَ سَآئِلٌۢ بِعَذَابٍ وَاقِعٍ

A challenger asked for a punishment bound to come¹

لِّلْكَٰفِرِينَ لَيْسَ لَهُۥ دَافِعٌ

upon the disbelievers, which none can avert,

مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ ذِى ٱلْمَعَارِجِ

from Allah, Lord of the pathways of ascent,

تَعْرُجُ ٱلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةُ وَٱلرُّوحُ إِلَيْهِ فِى يَوْمٍ كَانَ مِقْدَارُهُۥ خَمْسِينَ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍ

by which the angels and the Spirit² will ascend to Him on a Day³ the length of which is fifty thousand years.

فَٱصْبِرْ صَبْرًا جَمِيلًا

So be patient [O Prophet] with beautiful patience.

إِنَّهُمْ يَرَوْنَهُۥ بَعِيدًا

Indeed, they see this [punishment] far off,

وَنَرَىٰهُ قَرِيبًا

but We see it to be close at hand.

يَوْمَ تَكُونُ ٱلسَّمَآءُ كَٱلْمُهْلِ

On the Day when the sky will be like molten brass⁴

وَتَكُونُ ٱلْجِبَالُ كَٱلْعِهْنِ

and the mountains will be like dyed wool⁵,

وَلَا يَسْـَٔلُ حَمِيمٌ حَمِيمًا

and no close friend will ask about another,

يُبَصَّرُونَهُمْ يَوَدُّ ٱلْمُجْرِمُ لَوْ يَفْتَدِى مِنْ عَذَابِ يَوْمِئِذٍۭ بِبَنِيهِ

even though they will see one another. The wicked will wish he could ransom himself from the punishment of that Day by offering his children,

وَصَٰحِبَتِهِۦ وَأَخِيهِ

and his wife and his brother,

وَفَصِيلَتِهِ ٱلَّتِى تُـْٔوِيهِ

and his kindred who stood by him,

وَمَن فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًا ثُمَّ يُنجِيهِ

and everyone on earth, just to save himself.

كَلَّآ إِنَّهَا لَظَىٰ

By no means!⁶ It is a raging Flame,

نَزَّاعَةً لِّلشَّوَىٰ

that will strip off the scalps⁷.

تَدْعُوا۟ مَنْ أَدْبَرَ وَتَوَلَّىٰ

It will call everyone who turned their backs and disobeyed,

وَجَمَعَ فَأَوْعَىٰٓ

and amassed and hoarded wealth.

إِنَّ ٱلْإِنسَٰنَ خُلِقَ هَلُوعًا

Indeed, man was created impatient:

إِذَا مَسَّهُ ٱلشَّرُّ جَزُوعًا

when evil befalls him, he bewails,

وَإِذَا مَسَّهُ ٱلْخَيْرُ مَنُوعًا

but when good fortune comes his way, he becomes tight-fisted –

إِلَّا ٱلْمُصَلِّينَ

except those who pray,

ٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمْ دَآئِمُونَ

who are steadfast in their prayers;

وَٱلَّذِينَ فِىٓ أَمْوَٰلِهِمْ حَقٌّ مَّعْلُومٌ

and who give a due share⁸ of their wealth

لِّلسَّآئِلِ وَٱلْمَحْرُومِ

to the beggar and the dispossessed;

وَٱلَّذِينَ يُصَدِّقُونَ بِيَوْمِ ٱلدِّينِ

and who firmly believe in the Day of Judgment;

وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم مِّنْ عَذَابِ رَبِّهِم مُّشْفِقُونَ

and those who fear the punishment of their Lord –

إِنَّ عَذَابَ رَبِّهِمْ غَيْرُ مَأْمُونٍ

for none can feel secure from their Lord’s punishment –

وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ لِفُرُوجِهِمْ حَٰفِظُونَ

and those who guard their private parts⁹,

إِلَّا عَلَىٰٓ أَزْوَٰجِهِمْ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَٰنُهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ غَيْرُ مَلُومِينَ

except from their wives or bondwomen¹⁰ whom they own, for then they are not to be blamed.

فَمَنِ ٱبْتَغَىٰ وَرَآءَ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْعَادُونَ

But whoever seeks beyond that, it is they who are the transgressors.

وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ لِأَمَٰنَٰتِهِمْ وَعَهْدِهِمْ رَٰعُونَ

and those who fulfill their trusts and pledges;

وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم بِشَهَٰدَٰتِهِمْ قَآئِمُونَ

and who are upright in their testimonies;

وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمْ يُحَافِظُونَ

and who take due care of their prayers;

أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ فِى جَنَّٰتٍ مُّكْرَمُونَ

they will be honored in gardens¹¹.

فَمَالِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ قِبَلَكَ مُهْطِعِينَ

What is the matter with the disbelievers that they are rushing towards you [O Prophet]¹²,

عَنِ ٱلْيَمِينِ وَعَنِ ٱلشِّمَالِ عِزِينَ

from the right and from the left, in crowds¹³?

أَيَطْمَعُ كُلُّ ٱمْرِئٍ مِّنْهُمْ أَن يُدْخَلَ جَنَّةَ نَعِيمٍ

Does everyone of them aspire to enter a garden of bliss?

كَلَّآ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَٰهُم مِّمَّا يَعْلَمُونَ

By no means! We have created them from what they know¹⁴.

فَلَآ أُقْسِمُ بِرَبِّ ٱلْمَشَٰرِقِ وَٱلْمَغَٰرِبِ إِنَّا لَقَٰدِرُونَ

I swear by the Lord of the sunrises and sunsets¹⁵ that We are surely Capable

عَلَىٰٓ أَن نُّبَدِّلَ خَيْرًا مِّنْهُمْ وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمَسْبُوقِينَ

to replace them with others better than them, and none can escape Our decree.

فَذَرْهُمْ يَخُوضُوا۟ وَيَلْعَبُوا۟ حَتَّىٰ يُلَٰقُوا۟ يَوْمَهُمُ ٱلَّذِى يُوعَدُونَ

So leave them to engage in their falsehood and amuse themselves until they meet their Day which they are promised;

يَوْمَ يَخْرُجُونَ مِنَ ٱلْأَجْدَاثِ سِرَاعًا كَأَنَّهُمْ إِلَىٰ نُصُبٍ يُوفِضُونَ

the Day when they will rush out of their graves as if they are racing towards an idol¹⁶,