Sabeel

Surah 70 · Makkan · 44 ayahs

Al-Ma'arij

المعارج

The Ascending Stairways

Arabic in the Uthmani script. English translation by Saheeh International. Every ayah below carries its own reference.

What is this surah about?

Scholarly explanation

Name The Surah takes its name from the word dhil Ma'arij in verse 3. Period of Revelation The subject matter bears evidence that this Surah too was sent down in conditions closely resembling those under which Surah Al Haaqqah was sent down. Theme and Subject Matter It admonishes and gives warning to the disbelievers who made fun of the news about Resurrection and the Hereafter, and Hell and Heaven, and challenged the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) to cause Resurrection with which he threatened them to take place if what he said was true and they had become worthy of the punishment in Hell by denying it. The whole Surah is meant to answer this denial.

Reference · Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi, Tafhim al-Qur'an — The Meaning of the Quran

بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

70:1

سَأَلَ سَآئِلٌۢ بِعَذَابٍ وَاقِعٍ

A supplicant asked for a punishment bound to happen

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70:2

لِّلْكَـٰفِرِينَ لَيْسَ لَهُۥ دَافِعٌ

To the disbelievers; of it there is no preventer.

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70:3

مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ ذِى ٱلْمَعَارِجِ

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

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70:4

تَعْرُجُ ٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ وَٱلرُّوحُ إِلَيْهِ فِى يَوْمٍ كَانَ مِقْدَارُهُۥ خَمْسِينَ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍ

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

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70:5

فَٱصْبِرْ صَبْرًا جَمِيلًا

So be patient with gracious patience.

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70:6

إِنَّهُمْ يَرَوْنَهُۥ بَعِيدًا

Indeed, they see it [as] distant,

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70:7

وَنَرَىٰهُ قَرِيبًا

But We see it [as] near.

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70:8

يَوْمَ تَكُونُ ٱلسَّمَآءُ كَٱلْمُهْلِ

On the Day the sky will be like murky oil,

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70:9

وَتَكُونُ ٱلْجِبَالُ كَٱلْعِهْنِ

And the mountains will be like wool,

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70:10

وَلَا يَسْـَٔلُ حَمِيمٌ حَمِيمًا

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

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70:11

يُبَصَّرُونَهُمْ ۚ يَوَدُّ ٱلْمُجْرِمُ لَوْ يَفْتَدِى مِنْ عَذَابِ يَوْمِئِذٍۭ بِبَنِيهِ

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

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70:12

وَصَـٰحِبَتِهِۦ وَأَخِيهِ

And his wife and his brother

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70:13

وَفَصِيلَتِهِ ٱلَّتِى تُـْٔوِيهِ

And his nearest kindred who shelter him.

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70:14

وَمَن فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًا ثُمَّ يُنجِيهِ

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

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70:15

كَلَّآ ۖ إِنَّهَا لَظَىٰ

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

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70:16

نَزَّاعَةً لِّلشَّوَىٰ

A remover of exteriors.

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70:17

تَدْعُوا۟ مَنْ أَدْبَرَ وَتَوَلَّىٰ

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

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70:18

وَجَمَعَ فَأَوْعَىٰٓ

And collected [wealth] and hoarded.

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70:19

۞ إِنَّ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ خُلِقَ هَلُوعًا

Indeed, mankind was created anxious:

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70:20

إِذَا مَسَّهُ ٱلشَّرُّ جَزُوعًا

When evil touches him, impatient,

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70:21

وَإِذَا مَسَّهُ ٱلْخَيْرُ مَنُوعًا

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

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70:22

إِلَّا ٱلْمُصَلِّينَ

Except the observers of prayer -

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70:23

ٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمْ دَآئِمُونَ

Those who are constant in their prayer

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70:24

وَٱلَّذِينَ فِىٓ أَمْوَٰلِهِمْ حَقٌّ مَّعْلُومٌ

And those within whose wealth is a known right

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70:25

لِّلسَّآئِلِ وَٱلْمَحْرُومِ

For the petitioner and the deprived -

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70:26

وَٱلَّذِينَ يُصَدِّقُونَ بِيَوْمِ ٱلدِّينِ

And those who believe in the Day of Recompense

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70:27

وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم مِّنْ عَذَابِ رَبِّهِم مُّشْفِقُونَ

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

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70:28

إِنَّ عَذَابَ رَبِّهِمْ غَيْرُ مَأْمُونٍ

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

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70:29

وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ لِفُرُوجِهِمْ حَـٰفِظُونَ

And those who guard their private parts

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70:30

إِلَّا عَلَىٰٓ أَزْوَٰجِهِمْ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَـٰنُهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ غَيْرُ مَلُومِينَ

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

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70:31

فَمَنِ ٱبْتَغَىٰ وَرَآءَ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْعَادُونَ

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

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70:32

وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ لِأَمَـٰنَـٰتِهِمْ وَعَهْدِهِمْ رَٰعُونَ

And those who are to their trusts and promises attentive.

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70:33

وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم بِشَهَـٰدَٰتِهِمْ قَآئِمُونَ

And those who are in their testimonies upright

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70:34

وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمْ يُحَافِظُونَ

And those who [carefully] maintain their prayer:

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70:35

أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ فِى جَنَّـٰتٍ مُّكْرَمُونَ

They will be in gardens, honored.

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70:36

فَمَالِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ قِبَلَكَ مُهْطِعِينَ

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

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70:37

عَنِ ٱلْيَمِينِ وَعَنِ ٱلشِّمَالِ عِزِينَ

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

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70:38

أَيَطْمَعُ كُلُّ ٱمْرِئٍ مِّنْهُمْ أَن يُدْخَلَ جَنَّةَ نَعِيمٍ

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

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70:39

كَلَّآ ۖ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَـٰهُم مِّمَّا يَعْلَمُونَ

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

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70:40

فَلَآ أُقْسِمُ بِرَبِّ ٱلْمَشَـٰرِقِ وَٱلْمَغَـٰرِبِ إِنَّا لَقَـٰدِرُونَ

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

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70:41

عَلَىٰٓ أَن نُّبَدِّلَ خَيْرًا مِّنْهُمْ وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمَسْبُوقِينَ

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

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70:42

فَذَرْهُمْ يَخُوضُوا۟ وَيَلْعَبُوا۟ حَتَّىٰ يُلَـٰقُوا۟ يَوْمَهُمُ ٱلَّذِى يُوعَدُونَ

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

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70:43

يَوْمَ يَخْرُجُونَ مِنَ ٱلْأَجْدَاثِ سِرَاعًا كَأَنَّهُمْ إِلَىٰ نُصُبٍ يُوفِضُونَ

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

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70:44

خَـٰشِعَةً أَبْصَـٰرُهُمْ تَرْهَقُهُمْ ذِلَّةٌ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ ٱلْيَوْمُ ٱلَّذِى كَانُوا۟ يُوعَدُونَ

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

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Ayah 1 of 44

Recited by Mishari Rashid al-Afasy