Surah 70 of 114
سُوْرَةُ الْمَعَارِجِ
Al-Ma'aarij
The Ascending Stairways
A challenger has demanded a punishment bound to come
for the disbelievers—to be averted by none—
from Allah, Lord of pathways of ˹heavenly˺ ascent
˹through which˺ the angels and the ˹holy˺ spirit will ascend to Him on a Day fifty thousand years in length
So endure ˹this denial, O Prophet,˺ with beautiful patience
They truly see this ˹Day˺ as impossible
but We see it as inevitable
On that Day the sky will be like molten brass
and the mountains like ˹tufts of˺ wool
And no close friend will ask ˹about˺ their friends
˹although˺ they will be made to see each other. The wicked will wish to ransom themselves from the punishment of that Day by their children
their spouses, their siblings
their clan that sheltered them
and everyone on earth altogether, just to save themselves
But no! There will certainly be a raging Flame
ripping off scalps
It will summon whoever turned their backs ˹on Allah˺ and turned away ˹from the truth˺
and gathered and hoarded ˹wealth˺
Indeed, humankind was created impatient
distressed when touched with evil
and withholding when touched with good—
except those who pray
consistently performing their prayers
and who give the rightful share of their wealth
to the beggar and the poor
and who ˹firmly˺ believe in the Day of Judgment
and those who fear the punishment of their Lord—
˹knowing that˺ none should feel secure from their Lord’s punishment—
and those who guard their chastity
except with their wives or those ˹bondwomen˺ in their possession, for then they are free from blame
but whoever seeks beyond that are the transgressors
˹The faithful are˺ also those who are true to their trusts and covenants
and who are honest in their testimony
and who are ˹properly˺ observant of their prayers
These will be in Gardens, held in honour
So what is the matter with the disbelievers that they rush ˹head-long˺ towards you ˹O Prophet˺
from the right and the left, in groups ˹to mock you˺
Does every one of them expect to be admitted into a Garden of Bliss
But no! Indeed, they ˹already˺ know what We created them from
So, I do swear by the Lord of ˹all˺ the points of sunrise and sunset that We are truly capable
of replacing them with ˹others˺ better than them, and We cannot be prevented ˹from doing so˺
So let them indulge ˹in falsehood˺ and amuse ˹themselves˺ until they face their Day, which they have been threatened with—
the Day they will come forth from the graves swiftly, as if racing to an idol ˹for a blessing˺
with eyes downcast, utterly covered with disgrace. That is the Day they have ˹always˺ been warned of