Al Ma'arij

1 In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. A questioner questioned concerning the doom about to fall

1 A supplicant asked for a punishment bound to happen

1 A questioner asked about a Penalty to befall -

2 Upon the disbelievers, which none can repel,

2 To the disbelievers; of it there is no preventer.

2 The Unbelievers, the which there is none to ward off, -

3 From Allah, Lord of the Ascending Stairways

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

3 (A Penalty) from Allah, Lord of the Ways of Ascent.

4 (Whereby) the angels and the Spirit ascend unto Him in a Day whereof the span is fifty thousand years.

4 The angels and the Spirit will ascend to Him during a Day the extent of which is fifty thousand years.

4 The angels and the spirit ascend unto him in a Day the measure whereof is (as) fifty thousand years:

5 But be patient (O Muhammad) with a patience fair to see.

5 So be patient with gracious patience.

5 Therefore do thou hold Patience, - a Patience of beautiful (contentment).

6 Lo! they behold it afar off

6 Indeed, they see it [as] distant,

6 They see the (Day) indeed as a far - off (event):

7 While we behold it nigh:

7 But We see it [as] near.

7 But We see it (quite) near.

8 The day when the sky will become as molten copper,

8 On the Day the sky will be like murky oil,

8 The Day that the sky will be like molten brass,

9 And the hills become as flakes of wool,

9 And the mountains will be like wool,

9 And the mountains will be like wool,

10 And no familiar friend will ask a question of his friend

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

10 And no friend will ask after a friend,

11 Though they will be given sight of them. The guilty man will long to be able to ransom himself from the punishment of that day at the price of his children

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

11 Though they will be put in sight of each other, - the sinner's desire will be: Would that he could redeem himself from the Penalty of that Day by (sacrificing) his children,

12 And his spouse and his brother

12 And his wife and his brother

12 His wife and his brother,

13 And his kin that harboured him

13 And his nearest kindred who shelter him

13 His kindred who sheltered him,

14 And all that are in the earth, if then it might deliver him.

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

14 And all, all that is on earth, - so it could deliver him:

15 But nay! for lo! it is the fire of hell

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

15 By no means! for it would be the Fire of Hell! -

16 Eager to roast;

16 A remover of exteriors.

16 Plucking out (his being) right to the skull! -

17 It calleth him who turned and fled (from truth),

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

17 Inviting (all) such as turn their backs and turn away their faces (from the Right).

18 And hoarded (wealth) and withheld it.

18 And collected [wealth] and hoarded.

18 And collect (wealth) and hide it (from use)!

19 Lo! man was created anxious,

19 Indeed, mankind was created anxious:

19 Truly man was created very impatient; -

20 Fretful when evil befalleth him

20 When evil touches him, impatient,

20 Fretful when evil touches him;

21 And, when good befalleth him, grudging;

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

21 And niggardly when good reaches him; -

22 Save worshippers.

22 Except the observers of prayer -

22 Not so those devoted to Prayer; -

23 Who are constant at their worship

23 Those who are constant in their prayer

23 Those who remain steadfast to their prayer;

24 And in whose wealth there is a right acknowledged

24 And those within whose wealth is a known right

24 And those in whose wealth is a recognised right.

25 For the beggar and the destitute;

25 For the petitioner and the deprived -

25 For the (needy) who asks and him who is prevented (for some reason from asking);

26 And those who believe in the Day of Judgment,

26 And those who believe in the Day of Recompense

26 And those who hold to the truth of the Day of Judgment;

27 And those who are fearful of their Lord's doom -

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

27 And those who fear the displeasure of their Lord, -

28 Lo! the doom of their Lord is that before which none can feel secure -

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

28 For their Lord's displeasure is the opposite of Peace and Tranquillity; -

29 And those who preserve their chastity

29 And those who guard their private parts

29 And those who guard their chastity,

30 Save with their wives and those whom their right hands possess, for thus they are not blameworthy;

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

30 Except with their wives and the (captives) whom their right hands possess, - for (then) they are not to be blamed,

31 But whoso seeketh more than that, those are they who are transgressors;

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

31 But those who trespass beyond this are transgressors; -

32 And those who keep their pledges and their covenant,

32 And those who are to their trusts and promises attentive

32 And those who respect their trusts and covenants;

33 And those who stand by their testimony

33 And those who are in their testimonies upright

33 And those who stand firm in their testimonies;

34 And those who are attentive at their worship.

34 And those who [carefully] maintain their prayer:

34 And those who guard (the sacredness) of their worship; -

35 These will dwell in Gardens, honoured.

35 They will be in gardens, honored.

35 Such will be the honoured ones in the Gardens (of Bliss).

36 What aileth those who disbelieve, that they keep staring toward thee (O Muhammad), open - eyed,

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

36 Now what is the matter with the Unbelievers that they rush madly before thee -

37 On the right and on the left, in groups ?

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

37 From the right and from the left, in crowds?

38 Doth every man among them hope to enter the Garden of Delight ?

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

38 Does every man of them long to enter the Garden of Bliss?

39 Nay, verily. Lo! We created them from what they know.

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

39 By no means! For We have created them out of the (base matter) they know!

40 But nay! I swear by the Lord of the rising - places and the setting - places of the planets that We verily are Able

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

40 Now I do call to witness the Lord of all points in the East and the West that We can certainly -

41 To replace them by (others) better than them. And we are not to be outrun.

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

41 Substitute for them better (men) than they; And We are not to be defeated (in Our Plan).

42 So let them chat and play until they meet their Day which they are promised,

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

42 So leave them to plunge in vain talk and play about, until they encounter that Day of theirs which they have been promised! -

43 The day when they come forth from the graves in haste, as racing to a goal,

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

43 The Day whereon they will issue from their sepulchres in sudden haste as if they were rushing to a goal - post (fixed for them), -

44 With eyes aghast, abasement stupefying them: Such is the Day which they are promised.

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

44 Their eyes lowered in dejection, - ignominy covering them (all over)! such is the Day the which they are promised!