Al-Ma’arij

سَأَلَ سَآئِلٌۢ بِعَذَابٍۢ وَاقِعٍۢ

A questioner asked concerning a torment about to befall

لِّلۡكَـٰفِرِينَ لَيۡسَ لَهُۥ دَافِعٌۭ

Upon the disbelievers, which none can avert,

مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ ذِى ٱلۡمَعَارِجِ

From Allâh, the Lord of the ways of ascent.

تَعۡرُجُ ٱلۡمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ وَٱلرُّوحُ إِلَيۡهِ فِى يَوۡمٍۢ كَانَ مِقۡدَارُهُۥ خَمۡسِينَ أَلۡفَ سَنَةٍۢ

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

فَٱصۡبِرۡ صَبۡرًۭا جَمِيلًا

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

إِنَّهُمۡ يَرَوۡنَهُۥ بَعِيدًۭا

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

وَنَرَىٰهُ قَرِيبًۭا

But We see it (quite) near.

يَوۡمَ تَكُونُ ٱلسَّمَآءُ كَٱلۡمُهۡلِ

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

وَتَكُونُ ٱلۡجِبَالُ كَٱلۡعِهۡنِ

And the mountains will be like flakes of wool.

وَلَا يَسۡـَٔلُ حَمِيمٌ حَمِيمًۭا

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

يُبَصَّرُونَهُمۡ ۚ يَوَدُّ ٱلۡمُجۡرِمُ لَوۡ يَفۡتَدِى مِنۡ عَذَابِ يَوۡمِئِذٍۭ بِبَنِيهِ

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

And his wife and his brother,

وَفَصِيلَتِهِ ٱلَّتِى تُـٔۡوِيهِ

And his kindred who sheltered him,

وَمَن فِى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ جَمِيعًۭا ثُمَّ يُنجِيهِ

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

كَلَّآ ۖ إِنَّهَا لَظَىٰ

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

نَزَّاعَةًۭ لِّلشَّوَىٰ

Taking away (burning completely) the head skin!

تَدۡعُوا۟ مَنۡ أَدۡبَرَ وَتَوَلَّىٰ

Calling[2] (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 فَأَوۡعَىٰٓ

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

۞ إِنَّ ٱلۡإِنسَـٰنَ خُلِقَ هَلُوعًا

Verily, man (disbeliever) was created very impatient;

إِذَا مَسَّهُ ٱلشَّرُّ جَزُوعًۭا

Irritable (discontented) when evil touches him;

وَإِذَا مَسَّهُ ٱلۡخَيۡرُ مَنُوعًا

And niggardly when good touches him.

إِلَّا ٱلۡمُصَلِّينَ

Except those who are devoted to Salât (prayers).[3]

ٱلَّذِينَ هُمۡ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمۡ دَآئِمُونَ

Those who remain constant in their Salât (prayers);

وَٱلَّذِينَ فِىٓ أَمۡوَٰلِهِمۡ حَقٌّۭ مَّعۡلُومٌۭ

And those in whose wealth there is a recognised right

لِّلسَّآئِلِ وَٱلۡمَحۡرُومِ

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 بِيَوۡمِ ٱلدِّينِ

And those who believe in the Day of Recompense.

وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم مِّنۡ عَذَابِ رَبِّهِم مُّشۡفِقُونَ

And those who fear the torment of their Lord.

إِنَّ عَذَابَ رَبِّهِمۡ غَيۡرُ مَأۡمُونٍۢ

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

وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمۡ لِفُرُوجِهِمۡ حَـٰفِظُونَ

And those who guard their chastity (i.e. private parts from illegal sexual acts).[4]

إِلَّا عَلَىٰٓ أَزۡوَٰجِهِمۡ أَوۡ مَا مَلَكَتۡ أَيۡمَـٰنُهُمۡ فَإِنَّهُمۡ غَيۡرُ مَلُومِينَ

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

فَمَنِ ٱبۡتَغَىٰ وَرَآءَ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلۡعَادُونَ

But whosoever seeks beyond that, then it is those who are trespassers.[5]

وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمۡ لِأَمَـٰنَـٰتِهِمۡ وَعَهۡدِهِمۡ رَٰعُونَ

And those who keep their trusts and covenants.

وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم بِشَهَـٰدَٰتِهِمۡ قَآئِمُونَ

And those who stand firm in their testimonies.

وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمۡ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمۡ يُحَافِظُونَ

And those who guard their Salât (prayers) well.[6]

أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ فِى جَنَّـٰتٍۢ مُّكۡرَمُونَ

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

فَمَالِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ قِبَلَكَ مُهۡطِعِينَ

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 ٱلۡيَمِينِ وَعَنِ ٱلشِّمَالِ عِزِينَ

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

أَيَطۡمَعُ كُلُّ ٱمۡرِئٍۢ مِّنۡهُمۡ أَن يُدۡخَلَ جَنَّةَ نَعِيمٍۢ

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

كَلَّآ ۖ إِنَّا خَلَقۡنَـٰهُم مِّمَّا يَعۡلَمُونَ

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

فَلَآ أُقۡسِمُ بِرَبِّ ٱلۡمَشَـٰرِقِ وَٱلۡمَغَـٰرِبِ إِنَّا لَقَـٰدِرُونَ

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 خَيۡرًۭا مِّنۡهُمۡ وَمَا نَحۡنُ بِمَسۡبُوقِينَ

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

فَذَرۡهُمۡ يَخُوضُوا۟ وَيَلۡعَبُوا۟ حَتَّىٰ يُلَـٰقُوا۟ يَوۡمَهُمُ ٱلَّذِى يُوعَدُونَ

So leave them to plunge in vain talk[7] and play about, until they meet their Day which they are promised -

يَوۡمَ يَخۡرُجُونَ مِنَ ٱلۡأَجۡدَاثِ سِرَاعًۭا كَأَنَّهُمۡ إِلَىٰ نُصُبٍۢ يُوفِضُونَ

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

خَـٰشِعَةً أَبۡصَـٰرُهُمۡ تَرۡهَقُهُمۡ ذِلَّةٌۭ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ ٱلۡيَوۡمُ ٱلَّذِى كَانُوا۟ يُوعَدُونَ

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