سَأَلَ سَائِلٌ بِعَذَابٍ وَاقِعٍ
A questioner asked about a punishment bound to fall.
Ways of Ascent · al-Ma'arij · سورة المعارج · 44 ayahs
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ
In the name of God, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful.
لِلْكَافِرِينَ لَيْسَ لَهُ دَافِعٌ
Upon the disbelievers — none can repel it.
مِنَ اللَّهِ ذِي الْمَعَارِجِ
From God, Possessor of the Stairways of Ascent.
تَعْرُجُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ وَالرُّوحُ إِلَيْهِ فِي يَوْمٍ كَانَ مِقْدَارُهُ خَمْسِينَ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍ
The angels and the Spirit ascend to Him in a Day whose span is fifty thousand years.
فَاصْبِرْ صَبْرًا جَمِيلًا
So be patient with a gracious patience.
إِنَّهُمْ يَرَوْنَهُ بَعِيدًا
They see it as distant.
وَنَرَاهُ قَرِيبًا
But We see it as near.
يَوْمَ تَكُونُ السَّمَاءُ كَالْمُهْلِ
The Day the sky will be like molten metal.
وَتَكُونُ الْجِبَالُ كَالْعِهْنِ
And the mountains will be like tufts of wool.
وَلَا يَسْأَلُ حَمِيمٌ حَمِيمًا
And no close friend will ask about a close friend.
يُبَصَّرُونَهُمْ ۚ يَوَدُّ الْمُجْرِمُ لَوْ يَفْتَدِي مِنْ عَذَابِ يَوْمِئِذٍ بِبَنِيهِ
They will be shown to each other. The criminal will wish he could ransom himself from that Day’s punishment with his children.
وَصَاحِبَتِهِ وَأَخِيهِ
And his wife and his brother.
وَفَصِيلَتِهِ الَّتِي تُؤْوِيهِ
And his clan that sheltered him.
وَمَنْ فِي الْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًا ثُمَّ يُنْجِيهِ
And everyone on earth — if only it would save him.
كَلَّا ۖ إِنَّهَا لَظَىٰ
No! It is the Raging Blaze.
نَزَّاعَةً لِلشَّوَىٰ
A stripper of scalps.
تَدْعُو مَنْ أَدْبَرَ وَتَوَلَّىٰ
Calling whoever turned his back and walked away.
وَجَمَعَ فَأَوْعَىٰ
And gathered and hoarded.
إِنَّ الْإِنْسَانَ خُلِقَ هَلُوعًا
Truly, man was created anxious.
إِذَا مَسَّهُ الشَّرُّ جَزُوعًا
When evil touches him, distressed.
وَإِذَا مَسَّهُ الْخَيْرُ مَنُوعًا
And when good touches him, withholding.
إِلَّا الْمُصَلِّينَ
Except those who pray.
الَّذِينَ هُمْ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمْ دَائِمُونَ
Who are constant in their prayer.
وَالَّذِينَ فِي أَمْوَالِهِمْ حَقٌّ مَعْلُومٌ
And those in whose wealth is a recognized right.
لِلسَّائِلِ وَالْمَحْرُومِ
For the beggar and the deprived.
وَالَّذِينَ يُصَدِّقُونَ بِيَوْمِ الدِّينِ
And those who affirm the Day of Judgment.
وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ مِنْ عَذَابِ رَبِّهِمْ مُشْفِقُونَ
And those who are fearful of their Lord’s punishment.
إِنَّ عَذَابَ رَبِّهِمْ غَيْرُ مَأْمُونٍ
Surely their Lord’s punishment is not to be felt safe from.
وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ لِفُرُوجِهِمْ حَافِظُونَ
And those who guard their chastity.
إِلَّا عَلَىٰ أَزْوَاجِهِمْ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ غَيْرُ مَلُومِينَ
Except with their spouses or what their right hands possess, for then they are without blame.
فَمَنِ ابْتَغَىٰ وَرَاءَ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْعَادُونَ
But whoever seeks beyond that — those are the transgressors.
وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ لِأَمَانَاتِهِمْ وَعَهْدِهِمْ رَاعُونَ
And those who are faithful to their trusts and their pledges.
وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ بِشَهَادَاتِهِمْ قَائِمُونَ
And those who stand firm in their testimonies.
وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمْ يُحَافِظُونَ
And those who safeguard their prayer.
أُولَٰئِكَ فِي جَنَّاتٍ مُكْرَمُونَ
Those will be honored in gardens.
فَمَالِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا قِبَلَكَ مُهْطِعِينَ
So what is wrong with those who disbelieve, rushing toward you.
عَنِ الْيَمِينِ وَعَنِ الشِّمَالِ عِزِينَ
From the right and from the left, in clusters?
أَيَطْمَعُ كُلُّ امْرِئٍ مِنْهُمْ أَنْ يُدْخَلَ جَنَّةَ نَعِيمٍ
Does every one of them expect to be admitted into a Garden of Bliss?
كَلَّا ۖ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَاهُمْ مِمَّا يَعْلَمُونَ
No! We created them from what they know.
فَلَا أُقْسِمُ بِرَبِّ الْمَشَارِقِ وَالْمَغَارِبِ إِنَّا لَقَادِرُونَ
I swear by the Lord of the Easts and the Wests, We are certainly Able.
عَلَىٰ أَنْ نُبَدِّلَ خَيْرًا مِنْهُمْ وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمَسْبُوقِينَ
To replace them with better than them, and We cannot be outdone.
فَذَرْهُمْ يَخُوضُوا وَيَلْعَبُوا حَتَّىٰ يُلَاقُوا يَوْمَهُمُ الَّذِي يُوعَدُونَ
So leave them to wade in idle talk and play until they meet their Day which they are promised.
يَوْمَ يَخْرُجُونَ مِنَ الْأَجْدَاثِ سِرَاعًا كَأَنَّهُمْ إِلَىٰ نُصُبٍ يُوفِضُونَ
The Day they will emerge from the graves in haste, as though racing toward markers.
خَاشِعَةً أَبْصَارُهُمْ تَرْهَقُهُمْ ذِلَّةٌ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ الْيَوْمُ الَّذِي كَانُوا يُوعَدُونَ
Their eyes humbled, humiliation covering them. That is the Day they were promised.