Surah Al-Ma'arij

سَأَلَ سَآئِلٌۢ بِعَذَابٍ وَاقِعٍ

Saala sa-ilun biAAathabin waqiAA

A questioner asked concerning a torment about to befall

لِّلْكَـٰفِرِينَ لَيْسَ لَهُۥ دَافِعٌ

Lilkafireena laysa lahu dafiAA

Upon the disbelievers, which none can avert,

مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ ذِى ٱلْمَعَارِجِ

Mina Allahi thee almaAAarij

From Allâh, the Lord of the ways of ascent.

تَعْرُجُ ٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ وَٱلرُّوحُ إِلَيْهِ فِى يَوْمٍ كَانَ مِقْدَارُهُۥ خَمْسِينَ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍ

TaAAruju almala-ikatu warroohuilayhi fee yawmin kana miqdaruhu khamseena alfasana

The angels and the Rûh [Jibrîl (Gabriel)] ascend to Him in a Day the measure whereof is fifty thousand years.

فَٱصْبِرْ صَبْرًا جَمِيلًا

Fasbir sabran jameela

So be patient (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم), with a good patience.

إِنَّهُمْ يَرَوْنَهُۥ بَعِيدًا

Innahum yarawnahu baAAeeda

Verily, they see it (the torment) afar off.

وَنَرَىٰهُ قَرِيبًا

Wanarahu qareeba

But We see it (quite) near.

يَوْمَ تَكُونُ ٱلسَّمَآءُ كَٱلْمُهْلِ

Yawma takoonu assamao kalmuhl

The Day that the sky will be like the boiling filth of oil, (or molten copper or silver or lead).

وَتَكُونُ ٱلْجِبَالُ كَٱلْعِهْنِ

Watakoonu aljibalu kalAAihn

And the mountains will be like flakes of wool.

وَلَا يَسْـَٔلُ حَمِيمٌ حَمِيمًا

Wala yas-alu hameemun hameema

And no friend will ask a friend (about his condition),

يُبَصَّرُونَهُمْ ۚ يَوَدُّ ٱلْمُجْرِمُ لَوْ يَفْتَدِى مِنْ عَذَابِ يَوْمِئِذٍۭ بِبَنِيهِ

Yubassaroonahum yawaddu almujrimu lawyaftadee min AAathabi yawmi-ithin bibaneeh

Though they shall be made to see one another [(i.e. on the Day of Resurrection), there will be none but see his father, children and relatives, but he will neither speak to them nor will ask them for any help]. The Mujrim, (criminal, sinner, disbeliever) would desire to ransom himself from the punishment of that Day by his children,

وَصَـٰحِبَتِهِۦ وَأَخِيهِ

Wasahibatihi waakheeh

And his wife and his brother,

وَفَصِيلَتِهِ ٱلَّتِى تُـْٔوِيهِ

Wafaseelatihi allatee tu/weeh

And his kindred who sheltered him,

وَمَن فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًا ثُمَّ يُنجِيهِ

Waman fee al-ardi jameeAAan thummayunjeeh

And all that are in the earth, so that it might save him.1

كَلَّآ ۖ إِنَّهَا لَظَىٰ

Kalla innaha latha

By no means! Verily, it will be the Fire of Hell,

نَزَّاعَةً لِّلشَّوَىٰ

NazzaAAatan lishshawa

Taking away (burning completely) the head skin!

تَدْعُوا۟ مَنْ أَدْبَرَ وَتَوَلَّىٰ

TadAAoo man adbara watawalla

Calling1 (all) such as turn their backs and turn away their faces (from Faith) [picking and swallowing them up from that great gathering of mankind on the Day of Resurrection just as a bird picks up a food-grain from the earth with its beak and swallows it up] (Tafsir Al-Qurtubî)

وَجَمَعَ فَأَوْعَىٰٓ

WajamaAAa faawAAa

And collect (wealth) and hide it (from spending it in the Cause of Allâh).

۞ إِنَّ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ خُلِقَ هَلُوعًا

Inna al-insana khuliqa halooAAa

Verily, man (disbeliever) was created very impatient;

إِذَا مَسَّهُ ٱلشَّرُّ جَزُوعًا

Itha massahu ashsharrujazooAAa

Irritable (discontented) when evil touches him;

وَإِذَا مَسَّهُ ٱلْخَيْرُ مَنُوعًا

Wa-itha massahu alkhayru manooAAa

And niggardly when good touches him.

إِلَّا ٱلْمُصَلِّينَ

Illa almusalleen

Except those who are devoted to Salât (prayers).1

ٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمْ دَآئِمُونَ

Allatheena hum AAala salatihimda-imoon

Those who remain constant in their Salât (prayers);

وَٱلَّذِينَ فِىٓ أَمْوَٰلِهِمْ حَقٌّ مَّعْلُومٌ

Wallatheena fee amwalihimhaqqun maAAloom

And those in whose wealth there is a recognised right

لِّلسَّآئِلِ وَٱلْمَحْرُومِ

Lissa-ili walmahroom

For the beggar who asks, and for the unlucky who has lost his property and wealth, (and his means of living has been straitened).

وَٱلَّذِينَ يُصَدِّقُونَ بِيَوْمِ ٱلدِّينِ

Wallatheena yusaddiqoonabiyawmi addeen

And those who believe in the Day of Recompense.

وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم مِّنْ عَذَابِ رَبِّهِم مُّشْفِقُونَ

Wallatheena hum min AAathabirabbihim mushfiqoon

And those who fear the torment of their Lord.

إِنَّ عَذَابَ رَبِّهِمْ غَيْرُ مَأْمُونٍ

Inna AAathaba rabbihim ghayru ma/moon

Verily, the torment of their Lord is that before which none can feel secure. -

وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ لِفُرُوجِهِمْ حَـٰفِظُونَ

Wallatheena hum lifuroojihim hafithoon

And those who guard their chastity (i.e. private parts from illegal sexual acts).1

إِلَّا عَلَىٰٓ أَزْوَٰجِهِمْ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَـٰنُهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ غَيْرُ مَلُومِينَ

Illa AAala azwajihim awma malakat aymanuhum fa-innahum ghayru maloomeen

Except from their wives or the (women slaves) whom their right hands possess - for (then) they are not blameworthy.

فَمَنِ ٱبْتَغَىٰ وَرَآءَ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْعَادُونَ

Famani ibtagha waraa thalikafaola-ika humu alAAadoon

But whosoever seeks beyond that, then it is those who are trespassers.1

وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ لِأَمَـٰنَـٰتِهِمْ وَعَهْدِهِمْ رَٰعُونَ

Wallatheena hum li-amanatihimwaAAahdihim raAAoon

And those who keep their trusts and covenants.

وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم بِشَهَـٰدَٰتِهِمْ قَآئِمُونَ

Wallatheena hum bishahadatihimqa-imoon

And those who stand firm in their testimonies.

وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمْ يُحَافِظُونَ

Wallatheena hum AAala salatihimyuhafithoon

And those who guard their Salât (prayers) well.1

أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ فِى جَنَّـٰتٍ مُّكْرَمُونَ

Ola-ika fee jannatin mukramoon

Such shall dwell in the Gardens (i.e. Paradise), honoured.

فَمَالِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ قِبَلَكَ مُهْطِعِينَ

Famali allatheena kafarooqibalaka muhtiAAeen

So what is the matter with those who disbelieve that they hasten to listen from you [O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم), in order to belie you and to mock at you, and at Allâh’s Book (this Qur’ân)].

عَنِ ٱلْيَمِينِ وَعَنِ ٱلشِّمَالِ عِزِينَ

AAani alyameeni waAAani ashshimaliAAizeen

(Sitting) in groups on the right and on the left (of you, O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم)?

أَيَطْمَعُ كُلُّ ٱمْرِئٍ مِّنْهُمْ أَن يُدْخَلَ جَنَّةَ نَعِيمٍ

AyatmaAAu kullu imri-in minhum anyudkhala jannata naAAeem

Does every man of them hope to enter the Paradise of Delight?

كَلَّآ ۖ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَـٰهُم مِّمَّا يَعْلَمُونَ

Kalla inna khalaqnahummimma yaAAlamoon

No, that is not like that! Verily, We have created them out of that which they know!

فَلَآ أُقْسِمُ بِرَبِّ ٱلْمَشَـٰرِقِ وَٱلْمَغَـٰرِبِ إِنَّا لَقَـٰدِرُونَ

Fala oqsimu birabbi almashariqiwalmagharibi inna laqadiroon

So I swear by the Lord of all the [three hundred and sixty-five (365)] points of sunrise and sunset in the east and the west that surely We are Able

عَلَىٰٓ أَن نُّبَدِّلَ خَيْرًا مِّنْهُمْ وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمَسْبُوقِينَ

AAala an nubaddila khayran minhum wamanahnu bimasbooqeen

To replace them by (others) better than them; and We are not to be outrun.

فَذَرْهُمْ يَخُوضُوا۟ وَيَلْعَبُوا۟ حَتَّىٰ يُلَـٰقُوا۟ يَوْمَهُمُ ٱلَّذِى يُوعَدُونَ

Fatharhum yakhoodoowayalAAaboo hatta yulaqoo yawmahumu allatheeyooAAadoon

So leave them to plunge in vain talk1 and play about, until they meet their Day which they are promised -

يَوْمَ يَخْرُجُونَ مِنَ ٱلْأَجْدَاثِ سِرَاعًا كَأَنَّهُمْ إِلَىٰ نُصُبٍ يُوفِضُونَ

Yawma yakhrujoona mina al-ajdathi siraAAankaannahum ila nusubin yoofidoon

The Day when they will come out of the graves quickly as racing to a goal,

خَـٰشِعَةً أَبْصَـٰرُهُمْ تَرْهَقُهُمْ ذِلَّةٌ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ ٱلْيَوْمُ ٱلَّذِى كَانُوا۟ يُوعَدُونَ

KhashiAAatan absaruhumtarhaquhum thillatun thalika alyawmu allatheekanoo yooAAadoon

With their eyes lowered in fear and humility, ignominy covering them (all over)! That is the Day which they were promised!