Al Ma'arij

1 A supplicant asked for a punishment bound to happen

1 One demanding, demanded the chastisement which must befall

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

2 The unbelievers - - there is none to avert it - -

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 To Him ascend the angels and the Spirit in a day the measure of which is fifty thousand years.

5 So be patient with gracious patience.

5 Therefore endure with a goodly patience.

6 Indeed, they see it [as] distant,

6 Surely they think it to be far off,

7 But We see it [as] near.

7 And We see it nigh.

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

8 On the day when the heaven shall be as molten copper

9 And the mountains will be like wool,

9 And the mountains shall be as tufts of wool

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

10 And friend shall not ask of friend

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 each other. The guilty one would fain redeem himself from the chastisement of that day by (sacrificing) 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 the nearest of his kinsfolk who gave him shelter,

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

14 And all those that are in the earth, (wishing) then (that) this might deliver him.

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

15 By no means! Surely it is a flaming fire

16 A remover of exteriors.

16 Dragging by the head,

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

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

18 And collected [wealth] and hoarded.

18 And amasses (wealth) then shuts it up.

19 Indeed, mankind was created anxious:

19 Surely man is created of a hasty temperament

20 When evil touches him, impatient,

20 Being greatly grieved when evil afflicts him

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

21 And niggardly when good befalls him

22 Except the observers of prayer -

22 Except those who pray,

23 Those who are constant in their prayer

23 Those who are constant at their prayer

24 And those within whose wealth is a known right

24 And those in whose wealth there is a fixed portion.

25 For the petitioner and the deprived -

25 For him who begs and for him who is denied (good)

26 And those who believe in the Day of Recompense

26 And those who accept the truth of the judgment day

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

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

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

28 Surely the chastisement of their Lord is (a thing) not to be felt secure of - -

29 And those who guard their private parts

29 And those who guard their private parts,

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

30 Except in the case of their wives or those whom their right hands possess - - for these surely are not to be blamed,

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

31 But he who seeks to go beyond this, these it is that go beyond the limits - -

32 And those who are to their trusts and promises attentive

32 And those who are faithful to their trusts and their covenant

33 And those who are in their testimonies upright

33 And those who are upright in their testimonies,

34 And those who [carefully] maintain their prayer:

34 And those who keep a guard on their prayer,

35 They will be in gardens, honored.

35 Those shall be in gardens, honored.

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

36 But what is the matter with those who disbelieve that they hasten on around you,

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

37 On the right hand and on the left, in sundry parties?

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

38 Does every man of them desire that he should be made to enter the garden of bliss?

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

39 By no means! Surely We have created them of what they know.

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

40 But nay! I swear by the Lord of the Easts and the Wests that We are certainly able

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

41 To bring instead (others) better than them, and We shall not be overcome.

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

42 Therefore leave them alone to go on with the false discourses and to sport until they come face to face with that day of theirs with which they are threatened;

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

43 The day on which they shall come forth from their graves in haste, as if they were hastening on to a goal,

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

44 Their eyes cast down; disgrace shall overtake them; that is the day which they were threatened with.