Al Ma'arij

1 A supplicant asked for a punishment bound to happen

1 In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. A questioner asked concerning a torment about to befall

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

2 Upon the disbelievers, which none can avert,

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

3 From Allah, the Lord of the ways of ascent.

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 Ruh [Jibril (Gabriel)] ascend to Him in a Day the measure whereof is fifty thousand years.

5 So be patient with gracious patience.

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

6 Indeed, they see it [as] distant,

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

7 But We see it [as] near.

7 But We see it (quite) near.

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

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

9 And the mountains will be like wool,

9 And the mountains will be like flakes of wool.

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

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

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 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,

12 And his wife and his brother

12 And his wife and his brother,

13 And his nearest kindred who shelter him

13 And his kindred who sheltered him,

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

14 And all that are in the earth, so that it might save him.

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

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

16 A remover of exteriors.

16 Taking away (burning completely) the head skin!

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

17 Calling (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-Qurtubi)

18 And collected [wealth] and hoarded.

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

19 Indeed, mankind was created anxious:

19 Verily, man (disbeliever) was created very impatient;

20 When evil touches him, impatient,

20 Irritable (discontented) when evil touches him;

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

21 And niggardly when good touches him.

22 Except the observers of prayer -

22 Except those who are devoted to Salat (prayers).

23 Those who are constant in their prayer

23 Those who remain constant in their Salat (prayers);

24 And those within whose wealth is a known right

24 And those in whose wealth there is a recognised right

25 For the petitioner and the deprived -

25 For the beggar who asks, and for the unlucky who has lost his property and wealth, (and his means of living has been straitened).

26 And those who believe in the Day of Recompense

26 And those who believe in the Day of Recompense.

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

27 And those who fear the torment of their Lord.

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

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

29 And those who guard their private parts

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

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

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

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

31 But whosoever seeks beyond that, then it is those who are trespassers.

32 And those who are to their trusts and promises attentive

32 And those who keep their trusts and covenants.

33 And those who are in their testimonies upright

33 And those who stand firm in their testimonies.

34 And those who [carefully] maintain their prayer:

34 And those who guard their Salat (prayers) well.

35 They will be in gardens, honored.

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

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

36 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 Allah's Book (this Qur'an)].

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

40 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

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

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

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 meet their Day which they are promised -

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

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

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

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