070. The Ascending Stairways – Al-Ma’aarij

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بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ ﴿٠﴾
سَأَلَ سَآئِلٌۢ بِعَذَابٍ وَاقِعٍ ﴿١﴾
One demanding, demanded the chastisement which must befall
لِّلْكَٰفِرِينَ لَيْسَ لَهُۥ دَافِعٌ ﴿٢﴾
The unbelievers– there is none to avert it–
مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ ذِى ٱلْمَعَارِجِ ﴿٣﴾
From Allah, the Lord of the ways of Ascent.
تَعْرُجُ ٱلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةُ وَٱلرُّوحُ إِلَيْهِ فِى يَوْمٍ كَانَ مِقْدَارُهُۥ خَمْسِينَ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍ ﴿٤﴾
To Him ascend the angels and the Spirit in a day the measure of which is fifty thousand years.
فَٱصْبِرْ صَبْرًا جَمِيلًا ﴿٥﴾
Therefore endure with a goodly patience.
إِنَّهُمْ يَرَوْنَهُۥ بَعِيدًا ﴿٦﴾
Surely they think it to be far off,
وَنَرَىٰهُ قَرِيبًا ﴿٧﴾
And We see it nigh.
يَوْمَ تَكُونُ ٱلسَّمَآءُ كَٱلْمُهْلِ ﴿٨﴾
On the day when the heaven shall be as molten copper
وَتَكُونُ ٱلْجِبَالُ كَٱلْعِهْنِ ﴿٩﴾
And the mountains shall be as tufts of wool
وَلَا يَسْـَٔلُ حَمِيمٌ حَمِيمًا ﴿١٠﴾
And friend shall not ask of friend
يُبَصَّرُونَهُمْ يَوَدُّ ٱلْمُجْرِمُ لَوْ يَفْتَدِى مِنْ عَذَابِ يَوْمِئِذٍۭ بِبَنِيهِ ﴿١١﴾
(Though) they shall be made to see each other. The guilty one would fain redeem himself from the chastisement of that day by (sacrificing) his children,
وَصَٰحِبَتِهِۦ وَأَخِيهِ ﴿١٢﴾
And his wife and his brother
وَفَصِيلَتِهِ ٱلَّتِى تُـْٔوِيهِ ﴿١٣﴾
And the nearest of his kinsfolk who gave him shelter,
وَمَن فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًا ثُمَّ يُنجِيهِ ﴿١٤﴾
And all those that are in the earth, (wishing) then (that) this might deliver him.
كَلَّآ إِنَّهَا لَظَىٰ ﴿١٥﴾
By no means! Surely it is a flaming fire
نَزَّاعَةً لِّلشَّوَىٰ ﴿١٦﴾
Dragging by the head,
تَدْعُوا۟ مَنْ أَدْبَرَ وَتَوَلَّىٰ ﴿١٧﴾
It shall claim him who turned and fled (from truth),
وَجَمَعَ فَأَوْعَىٰٓ ﴿١٨﴾
And amasses (wealth) then shuts it up.
إِنَّ ٱلْإِنسَٰنَ خُلِقَ هَلُوعًا ﴿١٩﴾
Surely man is created of a hasty temperament
إِذَا مَسَّهُ ٱلشَّرُّ جَزُوعًا ﴿٢٠﴾
Being greatly grieved when evil afflicts him
وَإِذَا مَسَّهُ ٱلْخَيْرُ مَنُوعًا ﴿٢١﴾
And niggardly when good befalls him
إِلَّا ٱلْمُصَلِّينَ ﴿٢٢﴾
Except those who pray,
ٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمْ دَآئِمُونَ ﴿٢٣﴾
Those who are constant at their prayer
وَٱلَّذِينَ فِىٓ أَمْوَٰلِهِمْ حَقٌّ مَّعْلُومٌ ﴿٢٤﴾
And those in whose wealth there is a fixed portion.
لِّلسَّآئِلِ وَٱلْمَحْرُومِ ﴿٢٥﴾
For him who begs and for him who is denied (good)
وَٱلَّذِينَ يُصَدِّقُونَ بِيَوْمِ ٱلدِّينِ ﴿٢٦﴾
And those who accept the truth of the judgment day
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم مِّنْ عَذَابِ رَبِّهِم مُّشْفِقُونَ ﴿٢٧﴾
And those who are fearful of the chastisement of their Lord–
إِنَّ عَذَابَ رَبِّهِمْ غَيْرُ مَأْمُونٍ ﴿٢٨﴾
Surely the chastisement of their Lord is (a thing) not to be felt secure of–
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ لِفُرُوجِهِمْ حَٰفِظُونَ ﴿٢٩﴾
And those who guard their private parts,
إِلَّا عَلَىٰٓ أَزْوَٰجِهِمْ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَٰنُهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ غَيْرُ مَلُومِينَ ﴿٣٠﴾
Except in the case of their wives or those whom their right hands possess– for these surely are not to be blamed,
فَمَنِ ٱبْتَغَىٰ وَرَآءَ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْعَادُونَ ﴿٣١﴾
But he who seeks to go beyond this, these it is that go beyond the limits–
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ لِأَمَٰنَٰتِهِمْ وَعَهْدِهِمْ رَٰعُونَ ﴿٣٢﴾
And those who are faithful to their trusts and their covenant
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم بِشَهَٰدَٰتِهِمْ قَآئِمُونَ ﴿٣٣﴾
And those who are upright in their testimonies,
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمْ يُحَافِظُونَ ﴿٣٤﴾
And those who keep a guard on their prayer,
أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ فِى جَنَّٰتٍ مُّكْرَمُونَ ﴿٣٥﴾
Those shall be in gardens, honored.
فَمَالِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ قِبَلَكَ مُهْطِعِينَ ﴿٣٦﴾
But what is the matter with those who disbelieve that they hasten on around you,
عَنِ ٱلْيَمِينِ وَعَنِ ٱلشِّمَالِ عِزِينَ ﴿٣٧﴾
On the right hand and on the left, in sundry parties?
أَيَطْمَعُ كُلُّ ٱمْرِئٍ مِّنْهُمْ أَن يُدْخَلَ جَنَّةَ نَعِيمٍ ﴿٣٨﴾
Does every man of them desire that he should be made to enter the garden of bliss?
كَلَّآ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَٰهُم مِّمَّا يَعْلَمُونَ ﴿٣٩﴾
By no means! Surely We have created them of what they know.
فَلَآ أُقْسِمُ بِرَبِّ ٱلْمَشَٰرِقِ وَٱلْمَغَٰرِبِ إِنَّا لَقَٰدِرُونَ ﴿٤٠﴾
But nay! I swear by the Lord of the Easts and the Wests that We are certainly able
عَلَىٰٓ أَن نُّبَدِّلَ خَيْرًا مِّنْهُمْ وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمَسْبُوقِينَ ﴿٤١﴾
To bring instead (others) better than them, and We shall not be overcome.
فَذَرْهُمْ يَخُوضُوا۟ وَيَلْعَبُوا۟ حَتَّىٰ يُلَٰقُوا۟ يَوْمَهُمُ ٱلَّذِى يُوعَدُونَ ﴿٤٢﴾
Therefore leave them alone to go on with the false discourses and to sport until they come face to face with that day of theirs with which they are threatened;
يَوْمَ يَخْرُجُونَ مِنَ ٱلْأَجْدَاثِ سِرَاعًا كَأَنَّهُمْ إِلَىٰ نُصُبٍ يُوفِضُونَ ﴿٤٣﴾
The day on which they shall come forth from their graves in haste, as if they were hastening on to a goal,
خَٰشِعَةً أَبْصَٰرُهُمْ تَرْهَقُهُمْ ذِلَّةٌ ذَٰلِكَ ٱلْيَوْمُ ٱلَّذِى كَانُوا۟ يُوعَدُونَ ﴿٤٤﴾
Their eyes cast down; disgrace shall overtake them; that is the day which they were threatened with.