Surah 70. Al-Maarij Ways of Ascent - English Translation

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Verses : 44
المعارج
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In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

bookmark 1. A questioner questioned the imminent torment.

1. سَأَلَ سَآئِلٌۢ بِعَذَابٍۢ وَاقِعٍۢ

bookmark 2. For the disbelievers; none can repel it.

2. لِّلْكَٰفِرِينَ لَيْسَ لَهُۥ دَافِعٌۭ

bookmark 3. From God, Lord of the Ways of Ascent.

3. مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ ذِى ٱلْمَعَارِجِ

bookmark 4. Unto Him the angels and the Spirit ascend on a Day the duration of which is fifty thousand years.

4. تَعْرُجُ ٱلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةُ وَٱلرُّوحُ إِلَيْهِ فِى يَوْمٍۢ كَانَ مِقْدَارُهُۥ خَمْسِينَ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍۢ

bookmark 5. So be patient, with sweet patience.

5. فَٱصْبِرْ صَبْرًۭا جَمِيلًا

bookmark 6. They see it distant.

6. إِنَّهُمْ يَرَوْنَهُۥ بَعِيدًۭا

bookmark 7. But We see it near.

7. وَنَرَىٰهُ قَرِيبًۭا

bookmark 8. On the Day when the sky will be like molten brass.

8. يَوْمَ تَكُونُ ٱلسَّمَآءُ كَٱلْمُهْلِ

bookmark 9. And the mountains will be like tufted wool.

9. وَتَكُونُ ٱلْجِبَالُ كَٱلْعِهْنِ

bookmark 10. No friend will care about his friend.

10. وَلَا يَسْـَٔلُ حَمِيمٌ حَمِيمًۭا

bookmark 11. They will be shown each other. The criminal wishes he would be redeemed from the punishment of that Day by his children.

11. يُبَصَّرُونَهُمْ ۚ يَوَدُّ ٱلْمُجْرِمُ لَوْ يَفْتَدِى مِنْ عَذَابِ يَوْمِئِذٍۭ بِبَنِيهِ

bookmark 12. And his spouse, and his brother.

12. وَصَٰحِبَتِهِۦ وَأَخِيهِ

bookmark 13. And his family that sheltered him.

13. وَفَصِيلَتِهِ ٱلَّتِى تُـْٔوِيهِ

bookmark 14. And everyone on earth, in order to save him.

14. وَمَن فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًۭا ثُمَّ يُنجِيهِ

bookmark 15. By no means! It is a Raging Fire.

15. كَلَّآ ۖ إِنَّهَا لَظَىٰ

bookmark 16. It strips away the scalps.

16. نَزَّاعَةًۭ لِّلشَّوَىٰ

bookmark 17. It invites him who once turned his back and fled.

17. تَدْعُوا۟ مَنْ أَدْبَرَ وَتَوَلَّىٰ

bookmark 18. And accumulated and hoarded.

18. وَجَمَعَ فَأَوْعَىٰٓ

bookmark 19. Man was created restless.

19. ۞ إِنَّ ٱلْإِنسَٰنَ خُلِقَ هَلُوعًا

bookmark 20. Touched by adversity, he is fretful.

20. إِذَا مَسَّهُ ٱلشَّرُّ جَزُوعًۭا

bookmark 21. Touched by good, he is ungenerous.

21. وَإِذَا مَسَّهُ ٱلْخَيْرُ مَنُوعًا

bookmark 22. Except the prayerful.

22. إِلَّا ٱلْمُصَلِّينَ

bookmark 23. Those who are constant at their prayers.

23. ٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمْ دَآئِمُونَ

bookmark 24. And those in whose wealth is a rightful share.

24. وَٱلَّذِينَ فِىٓ أَمْوَٰلِهِمْ حَقٌّۭ مَّعْلُومٌۭ

bookmark 25. For the beggar and the deprived.

25. لِّلسَّآئِلِ وَٱلْمَحْرُومِ

bookmark 26. And those who affirm the Day of Judgment.

26. وَٱلَّذِينَ يُصَدِّقُونَ بِيَوْمِ ٱلدِّينِ

bookmark 27. And those who fear the punishment of their Lord.

27. وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم مِّنْ عَذَابِ رَبِّهِم مُّشْفِقُونَ

bookmark 28. Their Lord’s punishment is not to be taken for granted.

28. إِنَّ عَذَابَ رَبِّهِمْ غَيْرُ مَأْمُونٍۢ

bookmark 29. And those who guard their chastity.

29. وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ لِفُرُوجِهِمْ حَٰفِظُونَ

bookmark 30. Except from their spouses or those living under their control, for then they are free of blame.

30. إِلَّا عَلَىٰٓ أَزْوَٰجِهِمْ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَٰنُهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ غَيْرُ مَلُومِينَ

bookmark 31. But whoever seeks to go beyond that—these are the transgressors.

31. فَمَنِ ٱبْتَغَىٰ وَرَآءَ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْعَادُونَ

bookmark 32. And those who honor their trusts and their pledges.

32. وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ لِأَمَٰنَٰتِهِمْ وَعَهْدِهِمْ رَٰعُونَ

bookmark 33. And those who stand by their testimonies.

33. وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم بِشَهَٰدَٰتِهِمْ قَآئِمُونَ

bookmark 34. And those who are dedicated to their prayers.

34. وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمْ يُحَافِظُونَ

bookmark 35. These will be honored in Gardens.

35. أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ فِى جَنَّٰتٍۢ مُّكْرَمُونَ

bookmark 36. What is with those who disbelieve, stretching their necks towards you.

36. فَمَالِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ قِبَلَكَ مُهْطِعِينَ

bookmark 37. From the right, and from the left, banding together?

37. عَنِ ٱلْيَمِينِ وَعَنِ ٱلشِّمَالِ عِزِينَ

bookmark 38. Is every one of them aspiring to be admitted into a Garden of Bliss?

38. أَيَطْمَعُ كُلُّ ٱمْرِئٍۢ مِّنْهُمْ أَن يُدْخَلَ جَنَّةَ نَعِيمٍۢ

bookmark 39. No indeed! We created them from what they know.

39. كَلَّآ ۖ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَٰهُم مِّمَّا يَعْلَمُونَ

bookmark 40. I swear by the Lord of the Easts and the Wests, that We are Able.

40. فَلَآ أُقْسِمُ بِرَبِّ ٱلْمَشَٰرِقِ وَٱلْمَغَٰرِبِ إِنَّا لَقَٰدِرُونَ

bookmark 41. To replace them with better than they, and We are not to be outdone.

41. عَلَىٰٓ أَن نُّبَدِّلَ خَيْرًۭا مِّنْهُمْ وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمَسْبُوقِينَ

bookmark 42. So leave them to blunder and play, until they meet their Day which they are promised.

42. فَذَرْهُمْ يَخُوضُوا۟ وَيَلْعَبُوا۟ حَتَّىٰ يُلَٰقُوا۟ يَوْمَهُمُ ٱلَّذِى يُوعَدُونَ

bookmark 43. The Day when they will emerge from the tombs in a rush, as though they were hurrying towards a target.

43. يَوْمَ يَخْرُجُونَ مِنَ ٱلْأَجْدَاثِ سِرَاعًۭا كَأَنَّهُمْ إِلَىٰ نُصُبٍۢ يُوفِضُونَ

bookmark 44. Their eyes cast down; overwhelmed by humiliation. This is the Day which they were promised.

44. خَٰشِعَةً أَبْصَٰرُهُمْ تَرْهَقُهُمْ ذِلَّةٌۭ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ ٱلْيَوْمُ ٱلَّذِى كَانُوا۟ يُوعَدُونَ

Context of Revelation

Surah Al-Maʿārij (The Ascending Stairways) is a Meccan surah consisting of 44 verses. It was revealed after Surah Al-Ḥāqqah, during a time when the Quraysh mocked the message of the Hereafter and sarcastically demanded the punishment promised by the Prophet ﷺ. Its name comes from verse 3, where God is described as the “Lord of the Ascending Paths” (dhī al-maʿārij), referring to the stages through which angels ascend to Him.

According to Tafsīr Ibn Kathīr and Al-Qurtubī, one of the Meccan leaders, Al-Naḍr ibn al-Ḥārith, mockingly challenged the Prophet ﷺ, saying: “If what you say is true, bring down upon us the punishment of God!” The surah was revealed in response, affirming the certainty of the Day of Judgment and the inevitability of divine retribution.

Main Teachings and Key Insights

Surah Al-Maʿārij addresses the reality of the Last Day, the moral condition of humanity, and the virtues of true believers. Its central lessons include:

  • The warning of an imminent punishment: none can prevent or hasten it. (vv. 1–7)
  • The description of the angels’ ascent and the Spirit’s journey to God, in a day equal to fifty thousand years. (v. 4)
  • The portrayal of human weakness: man is anxious in hardship and stingy in ease. (vv. 19–21)
  • The qualities of the righteous: steadfast in prayer, generous toward the poor, believing in the Day of Judgment, pure and faithful. (vv. 22–35)
  • The inevitability of the Final Judgment: the guilty will be separated from the righteous, and none will escape divine justice. (vv. 36–44)

The surah condemns arrogance and attachment to worldly gain, presenting patience, prayer, and charity as the spiritual ascent toward divine closeness.

Structure and Main Themes

  • Introduction (vv. 1–7): declaration of the coming punishment and its certainty.
  • The Ascending Paths (vv. 8–18): description of the Day of Judgment and the state of the disbelievers.
  • Human nature and faith (vv. 19–21): exposure of man’s impatience and selfishness.
  • The character of the believers (vv. 22–35): moral and spiritual traits of the faithful.
  • Conclusion (vv. 36–44): the final separation between believers and deniers on the Day of Judgment.

The tone of the surah is vivid, reflective, and moral: it contrasts human fragility with the spiritual strength of sincere believers.

Key Verse

The pivotal verse of the surah is verse 19:

إِنَّ الْإِنسَانَ خُلِقَ هَلُوعًا

Indeed, man was created anxious and impatient.

Why this verse is key:

  • It encapsulates the Qur’anic view of human nature: man is inherently restless and fragile, except when strengthened by faith and discipline.
  • It highlights the dual nature of humanity: torn between selfishness and belief, fear and patience.
  • This verse acts as a moral pivot, introducing the traits of true believers who overcome weakness through prayer and generosity.

In summary, Surah Al-Maʿārij depicts the spiritual ascent of humanity — from weakness and impatience to steadfast faith. It calls believers to patience, prayer, and charity as the means to moral elevation and ultimate salvation.

Surah Al-Maarij
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