المعارج

سَأَلَ سَآئِلُۢ بِعَذَابٖ وَاقِعٖ 1

A supplicant asked for a punishment bound to happen[1748]

Translation notes

[1748] In the Hereafter. Disbelievers had challenged the Prophet (ﷺ) by invoking Allāh to bring on His punishment. See 8:32.

لِّلۡكَٰفِرِينَ لَيۡسَ لَهُۥ دَافِعٞ 2

To the disbelievers; of it there is no preventer.

مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ ذِي ٱلۡمَعَارِجِ 3

[It is] from Allāh, owner of the ways of ascent.

تَعۡرُجُ ٱلۡمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ وَٱلرُّوحُ إِلَيۡهِ فِي يَوۡمٖ كَانَ مِقۡدَارُهُۥ خَمۡسِينَ أَلۡفَ سَنَةٖ 4

The angels and the Spirit [i.e., Gabriel] will ascend to Him during a Day the extent of which is fifty thousand years.

فَٱصۡبِرۡ صَبۡرٗا جَمِيلًا 5

So be patient with gracious patience.

إِنَّهُمۡ يَرَوۡنَهُۥ بَعِيدٗا 6

Indeed, they see it [as] distant,

وَنَرَىٰهُ قَرِيبٗا 7

But We see it [as] near.

يَوۡمَ تَكُونُ ٱلسَّمَآءُ كَٱلۡمُهۡلِ 8

On the Day the sky will be like murky oil,[1749]

Translation notes

[1749] Or "molten metal."

وَتَكُونُ ٱلۡجِبَالُ كَٱلۡعِهۡنِ 9

And the mountains will be like wool,[1750]

Translation notes

[1750] i.e., in the process of disintegration.

وَلَا يَسۡـَٔلُ حَمِيمٌ حَمِيمٗا 10

And no friend will ask [anything of] a friend,

يُبَصَّرُونَهُمۡۚ يَوَدُّ ٱلۡمُجۡرِمُ لَوۡ يَفۡتَدِي مِنۡ عَذَابِ يَوۡمِئِذِۭ بِبَنِيهِ 11

They will be shown each other. The criminal will wish that he could be ransomed from the punishment of that Day by his children

وَصَٰحِبَتِهِۦ وَأَخِيهِ 12

And his wife and his brother

وَفَصِيلَتِهِ ٱلَّتِي تُـٔۡوِيهِ 13

And his nearest kindred who shelter him

وَمَن فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ جَمِيعٗا ثُمَّ يُنجِيهِ 14

And whoever is on earth entirely [so] then it could save him.

كَلَّآۖ إِنَّهَا لَظَىٰ 15

No![1751] Indeed, it is the Flame [of Hell],

Translation notes

[1751] An emphatic refusal meaning "It is not to be."

نَزَّاعَةٗ لِّلشَّوَىٰ 16

A remover of exteriors.[1752]

Translation notes

[1752] This refers to the skin of the head or of the body or to the body extremities - which will be burned away.

تَدۡعُواْ مَنۡ أَدۡبَرَ وَتَوَلَّىٰ 17

It invites he who turned his back [on truth] and went away [from obedience]

وَجَمَعَ فَأَوۡعَىٰٓ 18

And collected [wealth] and hoarded.

۞إِنَّ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنَ خُلِقَ هَلُوعًا 19

Indeed, mankind was created anxious:

إِذَا مَسَّهُ ٱلشَّرُّ جَزُوعٗا 20

When evil touches him, impatient,

وَإِذَا مَسَّهُ ٱلۡخَيۡرُ مَنُوعًا 21

And when good touches him, withholding [of it],

إِلَّا ٱلۡمُصَلِّينَ 22

Except the observers of prayer -

ٱلَّذِينَ هُمۡ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمۡ دَآئِمُونَ 23

Those who are constant in their prayer

وَٱلَّذِينَ فِيٓ أَمۡوَٰلِهِمۡ حَقّٞ مَّعۡلُومٞ 24

And those within whose wealth is a known right[1753]

Translation notes

[1753] i.e., a specified share, meaning the obligatory zakāh.

لِّلسَّآئِلِ وَٱلۡمَحۡرُومِ 25

For the petitioner and the deprived -

وَٱلَّذِينَ يُصَدِّقُونَ بِيَوۡمِ ٱلدِّينِ 26

And those who believe in the Day of Recompense

وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم مِّنۡ عَذَابِ رَبِّهِم مُّشۡفِقُونَ 27

And those who are fearful of the punishment of their Lord -

إِنَّ عَذَابَ رَبِّهِمۡ غَيۡرُ مَأۡمُونٖ 28

Indeed, the punishment of their Lord is not that from which one is safe -

وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمۡ لِفُرُوجِهِمۡ حَٰفِظُونَ 29

And those who guard their private parts

إِلَّا عَلَىٰٓ أَزۡوَٰجِهِمۡ أَوۡ مَا مَلَكَتۡ أَيۡمَٰنُهُمۡ فَإِنَّهُمۡ غَيۡرُ مَلُومِينَ 30

Except from their wives or those their right hands possess,[1754] for indeed, they are not to be blamed -

Translation notes

[1754] i.e., female slaves.

فَمَنِ ٱبۡتَغَىٰ وَرَآءَ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُوْلَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلۡعَادُونَ 31

But whoever seeks beyond that, then they are the transgressors -

وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمۡ لِأَمَٰنَٰتِهِمۡ وَعَهۡدِهِمۡ رَٰعُونَ 32

And those who are to their trusts and promises attentive

وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم بِشَهَٰدَٰتِهِمۡ قَآئِمُونَ 33

And those who are in their testimonies upright

وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمۡ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمۡ يُحَافِظُونَ 34

And those who [carefully] maintain their prayer:

أُوْلَـٰٓئِكَ فِي جَنَّـٰتٖ مُّكۡرَمُونَ 35

They will be in gardens,[1755] honored.

Translation notes

[1755] In Paradise.

فَمَالِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ قِبَلَكَ مُهۡطِعِينَ 36

So what is [the matter] with those who disbelieve, hastening [from] before you, [O Muḥammad],

عَنِ ٱلۡيَمِينِ وَعَنِ ٱلشِّمَالِ عِزِينَ 37

[To sit] on [your] right and [your] left in separate groups?[1756]

Translation notes

[1756] They sat at a distance in order to oppose and mock the Prophet (ﷺ), claiming that they would enter Paradise before the believers.

أَيَطۡمَعُ كُلُّ ٱمۡرِيٕٖ مِّنۡهُمۡ أَن يُدۡخَلَ جَنَّةَ نَعِيمٖ 38

Does every person among them aspire to enter a garden of pleasure?

كَلَّآۖ إِنَّا خَلَقۡنَٰهُم مِّمَّا يَعۡلَمُونَ 39

No! Indeed, We have created them from that which they know.[1757]

Translation notes

[1757] i.e., a liquid disdained. So how can they expect to enter Paradise except by the will of their Creator?

فَلَآ أُقۡسِمُ بِرَبِّ ٱلۡمَشَٰرِقِ وَٱلۡمَغَٰرِبِ إِنَّا لَقَٰدِرُونَ 40

So I swear by the Lord of [all] risings and settings[1758] that indeed We are able

Translation notes

[1758] i.e., Allāh (subḥānahu wa taʿālā), who determines the point at which the sun, moon and stars rise and set according to season and every position of observation.

عَلَىٰٓ أَن نُّبَدِّلَ خَيۡرٗا مِّنۡهُمۡ وَمَا نَحۡنُ بِمَسۡبُوقِينَ 41

To replace them with better than them; and We are not to be outdone.

فَذَرۡهُمۡ يَخُوضُواْ وَيَلۡعَبُواْ حَتَّىٰ يُلَٰقُواْ يَوۡمَهُمُ ٱلَّذِي يُوعَدُونَ 42

So leave them to converse vainly and amuse themselves until they meet their Day which they are promised -

يَوۡمَ يَخۡرُجُونَ مِنَ ٱلۡأَجۡدَاثِ سِرَاعٗا كَأَنَّهُمۡ إِلَىٰ نُصُبٖ يُوفِضُونَ 43

The Day they will emerge from the graves rapidly as if they were, toward an erected idol, hastening.[1759]

Translation notes

[1759] i.e., just as they used to race, whenever an idol was newly appointed, to be the first of its worshippers.

خَٰشِعَةً أَبۡصَٰرُهُمۡ تَرۡهَقُهُمۡ ذِلَّةٞۚ ذَٰلِكَ ٱلۡيَوۡمُ ٱلَّذِي كَانُواْ يُوعَدُونَ 44

Their eyes humbled, humiliation will cover them. That is the Day which they had been promised.