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Text: Chapter 70: Al-Ma'arij (Pathways of 'Heavenly' Ascent)

70:1

سَأَلَ سَائِلٌ بِعَذَابٍ وَاقِعٍ

A challenger¹ has demanded a punishment bound to come

70:2

لِّلْكَافِرِينَ لَيْسَ لَهُ دَافِعٌ

for the disbelievers—to be averted by none—

70:3

مِّنَ اللَّهِ ذِي الْمَعَارِجِ

from Allah, Lord of pathways of ˹heavenly˺ ascent,

70:4

تَعْرُجُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ وَالرُّوحُ إِلَيْهِ فِي يَوْمٍ كَانَ مِقْدَارُهُ خَمْسِينَ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍ

˹through which˺ the angels and the ˹holy˺ spirit¹ will ascend to Him on a Day fifty thousand years in length.²

70:5

فَاصْبِرْ صَبْرًا جَمِيلًا

So endure ˹this denial, O Prophet,˺ with beautiful patience.

70:6

إِنَّهُمْ يَرَوْنَهُ بَعِيدًا

They truly see this ˹Day˺ as impossible,

70:7

وَنَرَاهُ قَرِيبًا

but We see it as inevitable.

70:8

يَوْمَ تَكُونُ السَّمَاءُ كَالْمُهْلِ

On that Day the sky will be like molten brass

70:9

وَتَكُونُ الْجِبَالُ كَالْعِهْنِ

and the mountains like ˹tufts of˺ wool.

70:10

وَلَا يَسْأَلُ حَمِيمٌ حَمِيمًا

And no close friend will ask ˹about˺ their friends,

70:11

يُبَصَّرُونَهُمْ ۚ يَوَدُّ الْمُجْرِمُ لَوْ يَفْتَدِي مِنْ عَذَابِ يَوْمِئِذٍ بِبَنِيهِ

˹although˺ they will be made to see each other. The wicked will wish to ransom themselves from the punishment of that Day by their children,

70:12

وَصَاحِبَتِهِ وَأَخِيهِ

their spouses, their siblings,

70:13

وَفَصِيلَتِهِ الَّتِي تُؤْوِيهِ

their clan that sheltered them,

70:14

وَمَن فِي الْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًا ثُمَّ يُنجِيهِ

and everyone on earth altogether, just to save themselves.

70:15

كَلَّا ۖ إِنَّهَا لَظَىٰ

But no! There will certainly be a raging Flame

70:16

نَزَّاعَةً لِّلشَّوَىٰ

ripping off scalps.

70:17

تَدْعُو مَنْ أَدْبَرَ وَتَوَلَّىٰ

It will summon whoever turned their backs ˹on Allah˺ and turned away ˹from the truth˺,

70:18

وَجَمَعَ فَأَوْعَىٰ

and gathered and hoarded ˹wealth˺.

70:19

إِنَّ الْإِنسَانَ خُلِقَ هَلُوعًا

Indeed, humankind was created impatient:

70:20

إِذَا مَسَّهُ الشَّرُّ جَزُوعًا

distressed when touched with evil,

70:21

وَإِذَا مَسَّهُ الْخَيْرُ مَنُوعًا

and withholding when touched with good—

70:22

إِلَّا الْمُصَلِّينَ

except those who pray,

70:23

الَّذِينَ هُمْ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمْ دَائِمُونَ

consistently performing their prayers;

70:24

وَالَّذِينَ فِي أَمْوَالِهِمْ حَقٌّ مَّعْلُومٌ

and who give the rightful share of their wealth

70:25

لِّلسَّائِلِ وَالْمَحْرُومِ

to the beggar and the poor;

70:26

وَالَّذِينَ يُصَدِّقُونَ بِيَوْمِ الدِّينِ

and who ˹firmly˺ believe in the Day of Judgment;

70:27

وَالَّذِينَ هُم مِّنْ عَذَابِ رَبِّهِم مُّشْفِقُونَ

and those who fear the punishment of their Lord—

70:28

إِنَّ عَذَابَ رَبِّهِمْ غَيْرُ مَأْمُونٍ

˹knowing that˺ none should feel secure from their Lord’s punishment—

70:29

وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ لِفُرُوجِهِمْ حَافِظُونَ

and those who guard their chastity¹

70:30

إِلَّا عَلَىٰ أَزْوَاجِهِمْ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ غَيْرُ مَلُومِينَ

except with their wives or those ˹bondwomen˺ in their possession,¹ for then they are free from blame,

70:31

فَمَنِ ابْتَغَىٰ وَرَاءَ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْعَادُونَ

but whoever seeks beyond that are the transgressors.

70:32

وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ لِأَمَانَاتِهِمْ وَعَهْدِهِمْ رَاعُونَ

˹The faithful are˺ also those who are true to their trusts and covenants;

70:33

وَالَّذِينَ هُم بِشَهَادَاتِهِمْ قَائِمُونَ

and who are honest in their testimony;

70:34

وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمْ يُحَافِظُونَ

and who are ˹properly˺ observant of their prayers.

70:35

أُولَٰئِكَ فِي جَنَّاتٍ مُّكْرَمُونَ

These will be in Gardens, held in honour.

70:36

فَمَالِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا قِبَلَكَ مُهْطِعِينَ

So what is the matter with the disbelievers that they rush ˹head-long˺ towards you ˹O Prophet˺,

70:37

عَنِ الْيَمِينِ وَعَنِ الشِّمَالِ عِزِينَ

from the right and the left, in groups ˹to mock you˺?¹

70:38

أَيَطْمَعُ كُلُّ امْرِئٍ مِّنْهُمْ أَن يُدْخَلَ جَنَّةَ نَعِيمٍ

Does every one of them expect to be admitted into a Garden of Bliss?

70:39

كَلَّا ۖ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَاهُم مِّمَّا يَعْلَمُونَ

But no! Indeed, they ˹already˺ know what We created them from.¹

70:40

فَلَا أُقْسِمُ بِرَبِّ الْمَشَارِقِ وَالْمَغَارِبِ إِنَّا لَقَادِرُونَ

So, I do swear by the Lord of ˹all˺ the points of sunrise and sunset¹ that We are truly capable

70:41

عَلَىٰ أَن نُّبَدِّلَ خَيْرًا مِّنْهُمْ وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمَسْبُوقِينَ

of replacing them with ˹others˺ better than them, and We cannot be prevented ˹from doing so˺.

70:42

فَذَرْهُمْ يَخُوضُوا وَيَلْعَبُوا حَتَّىٰ يُلَاقُوا يَوْمَهُمُ الَّذِي يُوعَدُونَ

So let them indulge ˹in falsehood˺ and amuse ˹themselves˺ until they face their Day, which they have been threatened with—

70:43

يَوْمَ يَخْرُجُونَ مِنَ الْأَجْدَاثِ سِرَاعًا كَأَنَّهُمْ إِلَىٰ نُصُبٍ يُوفِضُونَ

the Day they will come forth from the graves swiftly, as if racing to an idol ˹for a blessing˺,¹

70:44

خَاشِعَةً أَبْصَارُهُمْ تَرْهَقُهُمْ ذِلَّةٌ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ الْيَوْمُ الَّذِي كَانُوا يُوعَدُونَ

with eyes downcast, utterly covered with disgrace. That is the Day they have ˹always˺ been warned of.