Surah Al-Ma'arij (The Ways of Ascent )

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English - Wahiduddin Khan

Surah Al-Ma'arij (The Ways of Ascent ) - Aya count 44

سَأَلَ سَآئِلٌۢ بِعَذَابٍۢ وَاقِعٍۢ ﴿١﴾

A doubter once demanded that punishment be immediately meted out,

لِّلْكَٰفِرِينَ لَيْسَ لَهُۥ دَافِعٌۭ ﴿٢﴾

to those who deny the truth. No power can hinder God

مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ ذِى ٱلْمَعَارِجِ ﴿٣﴾

from punishing them. He is the Lord of the Ascending Stairways,

تَعْرُجُ ٱلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةُ وَٱلرُّوحُ إِلَيْهِ فِى يَوْمٍۢ كَانَ مِقْدَارُهُۥ خَمْسِينَ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍۢ ﴿٤﴾

by which the angels and the Spirit will ascend to Him in one Day which will last for fifty thousand years.

فَٱصْبِرْ صَبْرًۭا جَمِيلًا ﴿٥﴾

Therefore, [O believers] behave with seemly patience.

إِنَّهُمْ يَرَوْنَهُۥ بَعِيدًۭا ﴿٦﴾

They see it [the Day of Judgement] to be far off,

وَنَرَىٰهُ قَرِيبًۭا ﴿٧﴾

but We see it near at hand.

يَوْمَ تَكُونُ ٱلسَّمَآءُ كَٱلْمُهْلِ ﴿٨﴾

On that Day the heavens shall become like molten brass,

وَتَكُونُ ٱلْجِبَالُ كَٱلْعِهْنِ ﴿٩﴾

and the mountains will become like tufts of wool,

وَلَا يَسْـَٔلُ حَمِيمٌ حَمِيمًۭا ﴿١٠﴾

and no friend will ask about his friend,

يُبَصَّرُونَهُمْ ۚ يَوَدُّ ٱلْمُجْرِمُ لَوْ يَفْتَدِى مِنْ عَذَابِ يَوْمِئِذٍۭ بِبَنِيهِ ﴿١١﴾

though they shall be within sight of each other. The guilty one will gladly ransom himself from the torment of that Day by sacrificing his own children,

وَصَٰحِبَتِهِۦ وَأَخِيهِ ﴿١٢﴾

his wife, his brother,

وَفَصِيلَتِهِ ٱلَّتِى تُـْٔوِيهِ ﴿١٣﴾

and his kinsfolk who gave him shelter,

وَمَن فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًۭا ثُمَّ يُنجِيهِ ﴿١٤﴾

and all the people of the earth, if that could deliver him.

كَلَّآ ۖ إِنَّهَا لَظَىٰ ﴿١٥﴾

But no! There is a raging blaze

نَزَّاعَةًۭ لِّلشَّوَىٰ ﴿١٦﴾

stripping away his skin,

تَدْعُواْ مَنْ أَدْبَرَ وَتَوَلَّىٰ ﴿١٧﴾

and it will claim all those who turned their backs [on the true faith] and turned away [from the truth],

وَجَمَعَ فَأَوْعَىٰٓ ﴿١٨﴾

and amassed wealth and hoarded it.

۞ إِنَّ ٱلْإِنسَٰنَ خُلِقَ هَلُوعًا ﴿١٩﴾

Indeed, man is born impatient:

إِذَا مَسَّهُ ٱلشَّرُّ جَزُوعًۭا ﴿٢٠﴾

when misfortune touches him he starts lamenting,

وَإِذَا مَسَّهُ ٱلْخَيْرُ مَنُوعًا ﴿٢١﴾

and whenever good fortune comes to him, he grows niggardly.

إِلَّا ٱلْمُصَلِّينَ ﴿٢٢﴾

But not so the worshippers

ٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمْ دَآئِمُونَ ﴿٢٣﴾

who are steadfast in prayer;

وَٱلَّذِينَ فِىٓ أَمْوَٰلِهِمْ حَقٌّۭ مَّعْلُومٌۭ ﴿٢٤﴾

those who give a due share of their wealth

لِّلسَّآئِلِ وَٱلْمَحْرُومِ ﴿٢٥﴾

to those who ask [for help] and to the destitute;

وَٱلَّذِينَ يُصَدِّقُونَ بِيَوْمِ ٱلدِّينِ ﴿٢٦﴾

and those who believe in the Day of Judgement

وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم مِّنْ عَذَابِ رَبِّهِم مُّشْفِقُونَ ﴿٢٧﴾

and are fearful of the punishment of their Lord;

إِنَّ عَذَابَ رَبِّهِمْ غَيْرُ مَأْمُونٍۢ ﴿٢٨﴾

for none may ever feel secure from the punishment of their Lord;

وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ لِفُرُوجِهِمْ حَٰفِظُونَ ﴿٢٩﴾

those who preserve their chastity

إِلَّا عَلَىٰٓ أَزْوَٰجِهِمْ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَٰنُهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ غَيْرُ مَلُومِينَ ﴿٣٠﴾

except from their spouses and those whom they rightfully possess [through wedlock], for which they incur no blame --

فَمَنِ ٱبْتَغَىٰ وَرَآءَ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُوْلَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْعَادُونَ ﴿٣١﴾

but those who go beyond that limit are transgressors;

وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ لِأَمَٰنَٰتِهِمْ وَعَهْدِهِمْ رَٰعُونَ ﴿٣٢﴾

and those who are faithful to their trusts and to their pledges;

وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم بِشَهَٰدَٰتِهِمْ قَآئِمُونَ ﴿٣٣﴾

and those who stand by their testimony

وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمْ يُحَافِظُونَ ﴿٣٤﴾

and are steadfast in their prayers.

أُوْلَٰٓئِكَ فِى جَنَّٰتٍۢ مُّكْرَمُونَ ﴿٣٥﴾

They will be honoured in the Gardens of Bliss.

فَمَالِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ قِبَلَكَ مُهْطِعِينَ ﴿٣٦﴾

But what is the matter with those who deny the truth, that they come hastening towards you

عَنِ ٱلْيَمِينِ وَعَنِ ٱلشِّمَالِ عِزِينَ ﴿٣٧﴾

from the right and from the left, in crowds?

أَيَطْمَعُ كُلُّ ٱمْرِئٍۢ مِّنْهُمْ أَن يُدْخَلَ جَنَّةَ نَعِيمٍۢ ﴿٣٨﴾

Does every one of them aspire to be admitted into a Garden of Delight?

كَلَّآ ۖ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَٰهُم مِّمَّا يَعْلَمُونَ ﴿٣٩﴾

Certainly not! They know quite well out of what We created them.

فَلَآ أُقْسِمُ بِرَبِّ ٱلْمَشَٰرِقِ وَٱلْمَغَٰرِبِ إِنَّا لَقَٰدِرُونَ ﴿٤٠﴾

But nay! I call to witness the Lord of the Easts and the Wests, that We have the power

عَلَىٰٓ أَن نُّبَدِّلَ خَيْرًۭا مِّنْهُمْ وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمَسْبُوقِينَ ﴿٤١﴾

to replace them with others better than them: nothing can prevent Us from doing this,

فَذَرْهُمْ يَخُوضُواْ وَيَلْعَبُواْ حَتَّىٰ يُلَٰقُواْ يَوْمَهُمُ ٱلَّذِى يُوعَدُونَ ﴿٤٢﴾

so leave them to indulge in vain idle talk and amuse themselves, until they face the Day which they have been promised,

يَوْمَ يَخْرُجُونَ مِنَ ٱلْأَجْدَاثِ سِرَاعًۭا كَأَنَّهُمْ إِلَىٰ نُصُبٍۢ يُوفِضُونَ ﴿٤٣﴾

the Day when they shall come out of their graves in haste, as if they were racing to a goal,

خَٰشِعَةً أَبْصَٰرُهُمْ تَرْهَقُهُمْ ذِلَّةٌۭ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ ٱلْيَوْمُ ٱلَّذِى كَانُواْ يُوعَدُونَ ﴿٤٤﴾

with downcast eyes and faces distorted in shame; such is the Day which they are promised.

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