Surah Al-Ma'arij

سَأَلَ سَآئِلٌۢ بِعَذَابٍ وَاقِعٍ ۝١

A doubter once demanded that punishment be immediately meted out,

لِّلْكَٰفِرِينَ لَيْسَ لَهُۥ دَافِعٌ ۝٢

to those who deny the truth. No power can hinder God

مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ ذِى ٱلْمَعَارِجِ ۝٣

from punishing them. He is the Lord of the Ascending Stairways,

تَعْرُجُ ٱلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةُ وَٱلرُّوحُ إِلَيْهِ فِى يَوْمٍ كَانَ مِقْدَارُهُۥ خَمْسِينَ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍ ۝٤

by which the angels and the Spirit will ascend to Him in one Day which will last for fifty thousand years.

فَٱصْبِرْ صَبْرًا جَمِيلًا ۝٥

Therefore, [O believers] behave with seemly patience.

إِنَّهُمْ يَرَوْنَهُۥ بَعِيدًا ۝٦

They see it [the Day of Judgement] to be far off,

وَنَرَىٰهُ قَرِيبًا ۝٧

but We see it near at hand.

يَوْمَ تَكُونُ ٱلسَّمَآءُ كَٱلْمُهْلِ ۝٨

On that Day the heavens shall become like molten brass,

وَتَكُونُ ٱلْجِبَالُ كَٱلْعِهْنِ ۝٩

and the mountains will become like tufts of wool,

وَلَا يَسْـَٔلُ حَمِيمٌ حَمِيمًا ۝١٠

and no friend will ask about his friend,

يُبَصَّرُونَهُمْ ۚ يَوَدُّ ٱلْمُجْرِمُ لَوْ يَفْتَدِى مِنْ عَذَابِ يَوْمِئِذٍۭ بِبَنِيهِ ۝١١

though they shall be within sight of each other. The guilty one will gladly ransom himself from the torment of that Day by sacrificing his own children,

وَصَٰحِبَتِهِۦ وَأَخِيهِ ۝١٢

his wife, his brother,

وَفَصِيلَتِهِ ٱلَّتِى تُـْٔوِيهِ ۝١٣

and his kinsfolk who gave him shelter,

وَمَن فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًا ثُمَّ يُنجِيهِ ۝١٤

and all the people of the earth, if that could deliver him.

كَلَّآ ۖ إِنَّهَا لَظَىٰ ۝١٥

But no! There is a raging blaze

نَزَّاعَةً لِّلشَّوَىٰ ۝١٦

stripping away his skin,

تَدْعُوا۟ مَنْ أَدْبَرَ وَتَوَلَّىٰ ۝١٧

and it will claim all those who turned their backs [on the true faith] and turned away [from the truth],

وَجَمَعَ فَأَوْعَىٰٓ ۝١٨

and amassed wealth and hoarded it.

۞ إِنَّ ٱلْإِنسَٰنَ خُلِقَ هَلُوعًا ۝١٩

Indeed, man is born impatient:

إِذَا مَسَّهُ ٱلشَّرُّ جَزُوعًا ۝٢٠

when misfortune touches him he starts lamenting,

وَإِذَا مَسَّهُ ٱلْخَيْرُ مَنُوعًا ۝٢١

and whenever good fortune comes to him, he grows niggardly.

إِلَّا ٱلْمُصَلِّينَ ۝٢٢

But not so the worshippers

ٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمْ دَآئِمُونَ ۝٢٣

who are steadfast in prayer;

وَٱلَّذِينَ فِىٓ أَمْوَٰلِهِمْ حَقٌّ مَّعْلُومٌ ۝٢٤

those who give a due share of their wealth

لِّلسَّآئِلِ وَٱلْمَحْرُومِ ۝٢٥

to those who ask [for help] and to the destitute;

وَٱلَّذِينَ يُصَدِّقُونَ بِيَوْمِ ٱلدِّينِ ۝٢٦

and those who believe in the Day of Judgement

وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم مِّنْ عَذَابِ رَبِّهِم مُّشْفِقُونَ ۝٢٧

and are fearful of the punishment of their Lord;

إِنَّ عَذَابَ رَبِّهِمْ غَيْرُ مَأْمُونٍ ۝٢٨

for none may ever feel secure from the punishment of their Lord;

وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ لِفُرُوجِهِمْ حَٰفِظُونَ ۝٢٩

those who preserve their chastity

إِلَّا عَلَىٰٓ أَزْوَٰجِهِمْ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَٰنُهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ غَيْرُ مَلُومِينَ ۝٣٠

except from their spouses and those whom they rightfully possess [through wedlock], for which they incur no blame --

فَمَنِ ٱبْتَغَىٰ وَرَآءَ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْعَادُونَ ۝٣١

but those who go beyond that limit are transgressors;

وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ لِأَمَٰنَٰتِهِمْ وَعَهْدِهِمْ رَٰعُونَ ۝٣٢

and those who are faithful to their trusts and to their pledges;

وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم بِشَهَٰدَٰتِهِمْ قَآئِمُونَ ۝٣٣

and those who stand by their testimony

وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمْ يُحَافِظُونَ ۝٣٤

and are steadfast in their prayers.

أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ فِى جَنَّٰتٍ مُّكْرَمُونَ ۝٣٥

They will be honoured in the Gardens of Bliss.

فَمَالِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ قِبَلَكَ مُهْطِعِينَ ۝٣٦

But what is the matter with those who deny the truth, that they come hastening towards you

عَنِ ٱلْيَمِينِ وَعَنِ ٱلشِّمَالِ عِزِينَ ۝٣٧

from the right and from the left, in crowds?

أَيَطْمَعُ كُلُّ ٱمْرِئٍ مِّنْهُمْ أَن يُدْخَلَ جَنَّةَ نَعِيمٍ ۝٣٨

Does every one of them aspire to be admitted into a Garden of Delight?

كَلَّآ ۖ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَٰهُم مِّمَّا يَعْلَمُونَ ۝٣٩

Certainly not! They know quite well out of what We created them.

فَلَآ أُقْسِمُ بِرَبِّ ٱلْمَشَٰرِقِ وَٱلْمَغَٰرِبِ إِنَّا لَقَٰدِرُونَ ۝٤٠

But nay! I call to witness the Lord of the Easts and the Wests, that We have the power

عَلَىٰٓ أَن نُّبَدِّلَ خَيْرًا مِّنْهُمْ وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمَسْبُوقِينَ ۝٤١

to replace them with others better than them: nothing can prevent Us from doing this,

فَذَرْهُمْ يَخُوضُوا۟ وَيَلْعَبُوا۟ حَتَّىٰ يُلَٰقُوا۟ يَوْمَهُمُ ٱلَّذِى يُوعَدُونَ ۝٤٢

so leave them to indulge in vain idle talk and amuse themselves, until they face the Day which they have been promised,

يَوْمَ يَخْرُجُونَ مِنَ ٱلْأَجْدَاثِ سِرَاعًا كَأَنَّهُمْ إِلَىٰ نُصُبٍ يُوفِضُونَ ۝٤٣

the Day when they shall come out of their graves in haste, as if they were racing to a goal,

خَٰشِعَةً أَبْصَٰرُهُمْ تَرْهَقُهُمْ ذِلَّةٌ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ ٱلْيَوْمُ ٱلَّذِى كَانُوا۟ يُوعَدُونَ ۝٤٤

with downcast eyes and faces distorted in shame; such is the Day which they are promised.