70. Al-Ma'arij

سَأَلَ سَآئِلُۢ بِعَذَابࣲ وَاقِعࣲ‏

A beseecher besought the visitation of chastisement

لِّلۡكَٰفِرِينَ لَيۡسَ لَهُۥ دَافِعࣱ‏

(a chastisement meant) for the unbelievers, one which none can avert

مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ ذِي ٱلۡمَعَارِجِ

a chastisement from Allah, the Lord of the ascending steps

تَعۡرُجُ ٱلۡمَلَٰٓئِكَةُ وَٱلرُّوحُ إِلَيۡهِ فِي يَوۡمࣲ كَانَ مِقۡدَارُهُۥ خَمۡسِينَ أَلۡفَ سَنَةࣲ‏

by which the angels and the Spirit ascend to Him in one Day the duration of which is fifty thousand years

فَٱصۡبِرۡ صَبۡرࣰ ا جَمِيلًا

So, (O Prophet), persevere with gracious perseverance

إِنَّهُمۡ يَرَوۡنَهُۥ بَعِيدࣰ ا

Verily they think that the chastisement is far off

وَنَرَىٰهُ قَرِيبࣰ ا

while We think that it is near at hand

يَوۡمَ تَكُونُ ٱلسَّمَآءُ كَٱلۡمُهۡلِ

It shall befall on a Day whereon the sky will become like molten brass

وَتَكُونُ ٱلۡجِبَالُ كَٱلۡعِهۡنِ

and the mountains will become like dyed tufts of wool

وَلَا يَسۡـَٔلُ حَمِيمٌ حَمِيمࣰ ا

and no bosom friend will enquire about any of his bosom friends

يُبَصَّرُونَهُمۡۚ يَوَدُّ ٱلۡمُجۡرِمُ لَوۡ يَفۡتَدِي مِنۡ عَذَابِ يَوۡمِئِذِۭ بِبَنِيهِ

although they shall be within sight of one another. The guilty one would fain ransom himself from the torment of that Day by offering his children

وَصَٰحِبَتِهِۦ وَأَخِيهِ

and his spouse and his brother

وَفَصِيلَتِهِ ٱلَّتِي تُـٔۡوِيهِ

and his kinsfolk who had stood by him

وَمَن فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ جَمِيعࣰ ا ثُمَّ يُنجِيهِ

and all persons of the earth, if only he could thus save himself

كَلَّآۖ إِنَّهَا لَظَىٰ

By no means! It will be the fierce flame

نَزَّاعَةࣰ لِّلشَّوَىٰ

that will strip off the scalp

تَدۡعُواْ مَنۡ أَدۡبَرَ وَتَوَلَّىٰ

It shall insistently summon him who turned his back and retreated

وَجَمَعَ فَأَوۡعَىٰٓ

and amassed wealth and covetously hoarded it

۞إِنَّ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنَ خُلِقَ هَلُوعًا

Verily man is impatient by nature

إِذَا مَسَّهُ ٱلشَّرُّ جَزُوعࣰ ا

bewailing when evil befalls him

وَإِذَا مَسَّهُ ٱلۡخَيۡرُ مَنُوعًا

and tight-fisted when good fortune visits him

إِلَّا ٱلۡمُصَلِّينَ

except those that pray

ٱلَّذِينَ هُمۡ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمۡ دَآئِمُونَ

and are constant in their Prayer

وَٱلَّذِينَ فِيٓ أَمۡوَٰلِهِمۡ حَقࣱّ مَّعۡلُومࣱ‏

and those in whose wealth there is a known right

لِّلسَّآئِلِ وَٱلۡمَحۡرُومِ

for those that ask and those that are dispossessed

وَٱلَّذِينَ يُصَدِّقُونَ بِيَوۡمِ ٱلدِّينِ

those who firmly believe in the Day of Recompense

وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم مِّنۡ عَذَابِ رَبِّهِم مُّشۡفِقُونَ

and fear the chastisement of their Lord –

إِنَّ عَذَابَ رَبِّهِمۡ غَيۡرُ مَأۡمُونࣲ‏

surely the chastisement of their Lord is a thing none can feel secure from –

وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمۡ لِفُرُوجِهِمۡ حَٰفِظُونَ

and those who guard their private parts

إِلَّا عَلَىٰٓ أَزۡوَٰجِهِمۡ أَوۡ مَا مَلَكَتۡ أَيۡمَٰنُهُمۡ فَإِنَّهُمۡ غَيۡرُ مَلُومِينَ

except in regard to their spouses and those whom their right hands possess, for in regard to them they are not reproachable

فَمَنِ ٱبۡتَغَىٰ وَرَآءَ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُوْلَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلۡعَادُونَ

but any who seeks to go beyond that, it is indeed they who are the transgressors

وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمۡ لِأَمَٰنَٰتِهِمۡ وَعَهۡدِهِمۡ رَٰعُونَ

and those who fulfil their trusts and their covenants

وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم بِشَهَٰدَٰتِهِمۡ قَآئِمُونَ

and those who are upright in their testimonies

وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمۡ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمۡ يُحَافِظُونَ

and who take due care of their Prayer

أُوْلَٰٓئِكَ فِي جَنَّٰتࣲ مُّكۡرَمُونَ

all these shall live honourably in the Gardens

فَمَالِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ قِبَلَكَ مُهۡطِعِينَ

But what is the matter with the unbelievers who are hurrying towards you

عَنِ ٱلۡيَمِينِ وَعَنِ ٱلشِّمَالِ عِزِينَ

in crowds, both on the right and on the left

أَيَطۡمَعُ كُلُّ ٱمۡرِيࣲٕ مِّنۡهُمۡ أَن يُدۡخَلَ جَنَّةَ نَعِيمࣲ‏

Does everyone of them wish to enter the Garden of Bliss

كَلَّآۖ إِنَّا خَلَقۡنَٰهُم مِّمَّا يَعۡلَمُونَ

By no means! They know that which We have created them from

فَلَآ أُقۡسِمُ بِرَبِّ ٱلۡمَشَٰرِقِ وَٱلۡمَغَٰرِبِ إِنَّا لَقَٰدِرُونَ

I swear by the Lord of the easts and the wests that We have the power

عَلَىٰٓ أَن نُّبَدِّلَ خَيۡرࣰ ا مِّنۡهُمۡ وَمَا نَحۡنُ بِمَسۡبُوقِينَ

to replace them by others who would be better than they; and We shall certainly not be overpowered

فَذَرۡهُمۡ يَخُوضُواْ وَيَلۡعَبُواْ حَتَّىٰ يُلَٰقُواْ يَوۡمَهُمُ ٱلَّذِي يُوعَدُونَ

So leave them to engage in vain talk and to amuse themselves until they come face to face with the Day which they are promised

يَوۡمَ يَخۡرُجُونَ مِنَ ٱلۡأَجۡدَاثِ سِرَاعࣰ ا كَأَنَّهُمۡ إِلَىٰ نُصُبࣲ يُوفِضُونَ

the Day on which they will hastily come forth from their graves, as though they were hurrying on to the altars of their deities

خَٰشِعَةً أَبۡصَٰرُهُمۡ تَرۡهَقُهُمۡ ذِلَّةࣱۚ ذَٰلِكَ ٱلۡيَوۡمُ ٱلَّذِي كَانُواْ يُوعَدُونَ

Their eyes will be downcast and disgrace will overwhelm them. Such is the Day that they were promised