Al-Maarij (المعارج)
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ سَأَلَ سَائِلٌ بِعَذَابٍ وَاقِعٍ
Sa ala saaa'ilum bi'azaa binw-waaqi'
ONE who is minded to ask might ask about the suffering which [in the hereafter] is bound to befall
لِلْكَافِرِينَ لَيْسَ لَهُ دَافِعٌ
Lilkaafireen laisa lahoo daafi'
those who deny the truth. [Know, then, that] nothing can ward it off,
مِنَ اللَّهِ ذِي الْمَعَارِجِ
Minal laahi zil ma'aarij
[since it will come] from God, unto whom there are many ways of ascent:
تَعْرُجُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ وَالرُّوحُ إِلَيْهِ فِي يَوْمٍ كَانَ مِقْدَارُهُ خَمْسِينَ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍ
Ta'rujul malaaa'ikatu war Roohu ilaihi fee yawmin kaana miqdaaruhoo khamseena alfa sanah
all the angels and all the inspiration [ever granted to man] ascend unto Him [daily,] in a day the length whereof is [like] fifty thousand years…
فَاصْبِرْ صَبْرًا جَمِيلًا
Fasbir ssabran jameelaa
Therefore, [O believer,] endure all adversity with goodly patience:
إِنَّهُمْ يَرَوْنَهُ بَعِيدًا
Inaahum yarawnahoo ba'eedaa
behold, men look upon that [reckoning] as something far away –
وَنَرَاهُ قَرِيبًا
Wa naraahu qareebaa
but, We see it as near!
يَوْمَ تَكُونُ السَّمَاءُ كَالْمُهْلِ
Yawma takoonus samaaa'u kalmuhl
[It will take place] on a Day when the sky will be like molten lead,
وَتَكُونُ الْجِبَالُ كَالْعِهْنِ
Wa takoonul jibaalu kal'ihn
and the mountains will be like tufts of wool,
وَلَا يَسْأَلُ حَمِيمٌ حَمِيمًا
Wa laa yas'alu hameemun hameemaa
and [when] no friend will ask about his friend,
يُبَصَّرُونَهُمْ ۚ يَوَدُّ الْمُجْرِمُ لَوْ يَفْتَدِي مِنْ عَذَابِ يَوْمِئِذٍ بِبَنِيهِ
Yubassaroonahum; ya waddul mujrimu law yaftadee min 'azaabi yawma'izim bibaneeh
though they may be in one another's sight: [for,] everyone who was lost in sin will on that Day but desire to ransom himself from suffering at the price of his own children,
وَصَاحِبَتِهِ وَأَخِيهِ
Wa saahibatihee wa akheeh
and of his spouse, and of his brother,
وَفَصِيلَتِهِ الَّتِي تُؤْوِيهِ
Wa faseelathil latee tu'weeh
and of all the kinsfolk who ever sheltered him,
وَمَنْ فِي الْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًا ثُمَّ يُنْجِيهِ
Wa man fil ardi jamee'an summa yunjeeh
and of whoever [else] lives on earth, all of them - so that he could but save himself.
كَلَّا ۖ إِنَّهَا لَظَىٰ
Kallaa innahaa lazaa
But nay! Verily, all [that awaits him] is a raging flame,
نَزَّاعَةً لِلشَّوَىٰ
Nazzaa'atal lishshawaa
tearing away his skin!
تَدْعُو مَنْ أَدْبَرَ وَتَوَلَّىٰ
Tad'oo man adbara wa tawallaa
It will claim all such as turn their backs [on what is right], and turn away [from the truth],
وَجَمَعَ فَأَوْعَىٰ
W jama'a fa aw'aa
and amass [wealth] and thereupon withhold [it from their fellow-men].
۞ إِنَّ الْإِنْسَانَ خُلِقَ هَلُوعًا
Innal insaana khuliqa haloo'aa
VERILY, man is born with a restless disposition.
إِذَا مَسَّهُ الشَّرُّ جَزُوعًا
Izaa massahush sharru jazoo'aa
[As a rule,] whenever misfortune touches him, he is filled with self-pity;
وَإِذَا مَسَّهُ الْخَيْرُ مَنُوعًا
Wa izaa massahul khairu manoo'aa
and whenever good fortune comes to him, he selfishly withholds it [from others].
إِلَّا الْمُصَلِّينَ
Illal musalleen
Not so, however, those who consciously turn towards God in prayer.
الَّذِينَ هُمْ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمْ دَائِمُونَ
Allazeena hum 'alaa Salaatihim daaa'imoon
[and] who incessantly persevere in their prayer
وَالَّذِينَ فِي أَمْوَالِهِمْ حَقٌّ مَعْلُومٌ
Wallazeena feee amwaalihim haqqum ma'loom
and in whose possessions there is a due share, acknowledged [by them],
لِلسَّائِلِ وَالْمَحْرُومِ
Lissaaa 'ili walmahroom
for such as ask [for help] and such as are deprived [of what is good in life];
وَالَّذِينَ يُصَدِّقُونَ بِيَوْمِ الدِّينِ
Wallazeena yusaddiqoona bi yawmid Deen
and who accept as true the [coming of the] Day of Judgment;
وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ مِنْ عَذَابِ رَبِّهِمْ مُشْفِقُونَ
Wallazeena hum min 'azaabi Rabbihim mushfiqoon
and who stand in dread of their Sustainer's chastisement –
إِنَّ عَذَابَ رَبِّهِمْ غَيْرُ مَأْمُونٍ
Inna 'azaaba Rabbihim ghairu maamoon
for, behold, of their Sustainer's chastisement none may ever feel [wholly] secure;
وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ لِفُرُوجِهِمْ حَافِظُونَ
Wallazeena hum lifuroo jihim haafizoon
and who are mindful of their chastity,
إِلَّا عَلَىٰ أَزْوَاجِهِمْ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ غَيْرُ مَلُومِينَ
Illaa 'alaaa azwaajihim aw maa malakat aymaanuhum fainnahum ghairu maloomeen
[not giving way to their desires] with any but their spouses - that is, those whom they rightfully possess [through wedlock] -: for then, behold, they are free of all blame,
فَمَنِ ابْتَغَىٰ وَرَاءَ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْعَادُونَ
Famanib taghaa waraaa'a zaalika fa ulaaa'ika humul 'aadoon
whereas such as seek to go beyond that [limit] are truly transgressors;
وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ لِأَمَانَاتِهِمْ وَعَهْدِهِمْ رَاعُونَ
Wallazeena hum li amaa naatihim wa 'ahdihim raa'oon
and who are faithful to their trusts and to their pledges:
وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ بِشَهَادَاتِهِمْ قَائِمُونَ
Wallazeena hum bishahaadaatihim qaaa'imoon
and who stand firm whenever they bear witness;
وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمْ يُحَافِظُونَ
Wallazeena hum 'alaa salaatihim yuhaafizoon
and who guard their prayers [from all worldly intent].
أُولَٰئِكَ فِي جَنَّاتٍ مُكْرَمُونَ
Ulaaa'ika fee jannaatim mukramoon
These it is who in the gardens [of paradise] shall be honoured!
فَمَالِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا قِبَلَكَ مُهْطِعِينَ
Famaa lil lazeena kafaroo qibalaka muhti'een
WHAT, THEN, is amiss with such as are bent on denying the truth, that they run about confusedly to and fro before thee,
عَنِ الْيَمِينِ وَعَنِ الشِّمَالِ عِزِينَ
'Anil yameeni wa 'anish shimaali 'izeen
[coming upon thee] from the right and from the left, in crowds?
أَيَطْمَعُ كُلُّ امْرِئٍ مِنْهُمْ أَنْ يُدْخَلَ جَنَّةَ نَعِيمٍ
Ayatma'u kullum ri'im minhum anyyudkhala jannata Na'eem
Does every one of them hope to enter [by this means] a garden of bliss?
كَلَّا ۖ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَاهُمْ مِمَّا يَعْلَمُونَ
Kallaaa innaa khalaq nahum mimmaa ya'lamoon
Never! For, behold, We have created them out of something that they know [only too well]!
فَلَا أُقْسِمُ بِرَبِّ الْمَشَارِقِ وَالْمَغَارِبِ إِنَّا لَقَادِرُونَ
Falaaa uqsimu bi Rabbil mashaariqi wal maghaaribi innaa laqaadiroon
But nay! I call to witness [Our being] the Sustainer of all the points of sunrise and sunset: verily, well able are We
عَلَىٰ أَنْ نُبَدِّلَ خَيْرًا مِنْهُمْ وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمَسْبُوقِينَ
'Alaaa an nubaddila khairam minhum wa maa Nahnu bimasbooqeen
to replace them with [people] better than they are; for there is nothing to prevent Us [from doing what We will].
فَذَرْهُمْ يَخُوضُوا وَيَلْعَبُوا حَتَّىٰ يُلَاقُوا يَوْمَهُمُ الَّذِي يُوعَدُونَ
Fazarhum yakhoodoo wa yal'aboo hattaa yulaaqoo yaw mahumul lazee yoo'adoon
Hence, leave them to indulge in idle talk and play [with words] until they face that [Judgment] Day of theirs which they have been promised –
يَوْمَ يَخْرُجُونَ مِنَ الْأَجْدَاثِ سِرَاعًا كَأَنَّهُمْ إِلَىٰ نُصُبٍ يُوفِضُونَ
Yawma yakhrujoona minal ajdaasi siraa'an ka anna hum ilaa nusubiny yoofidoon
the Day when they shall come forth in haste from their graves, as if racing towards a goal-post,
خَاشِعَةً أَبْصَارُهُمْ تَرْهَقُهُمْ ذِلَّةٌ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ الْيَوْمُ الَّذِي كَانُوا يُوعَدُونَ
Khaashi'atan absaaruhum tarhaquhum zillah; zaalikal yawmul lazee kaanoo yoo'adoon
with downcast eyes, with ignominy overwhelming them: that Day which they were promised again and…
Meaning
The Ascending Stairways
Ayas
44
Revelation
Meccan
Surah No
70
Surah Al-Ma’arij is a Makki Surah that describes the reality of the Day of Judgment, the punishment for disbelievers, and the characteristics of true believers. Key themes include:
The certainty of Judgment Day: It describes the terror and distress of that day for the disbelievers.
The nature of humans: People are impatient, selfish, and anxious unless they develop faith and righteousness.
The attributes of the righteous: It outlines the qualities of true believers, including regular prayer, honesty, and charity.
Punishment for the arrogant: The Surah warns those who deny Allah’s message and live in arrogance and disbelief.
A warning to disbelievers: The Surah was revealed in response to those who mocked the coming of the Day of Judgment, particularly when a disbeliever sarcastically asked when it would happen.
Encouragement for the believers: It reassures the faithful to remain patient and steadfast despite hardships.
A call for self-purification: The Surah highlights the moral and spiritual qualities necessary for success in the Hereafter.
Increases patience and faith by reminding believers of the trials of this world and the rewards of the Hereafter.
Encourages self-improvement by emphasizing the qualities of righteous individuals.
A reminder of Judgment Day, inspiring believers to prepare for it through righteous deeds.
About the nature of people:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: “The best among you are those who have the best character.” (Sahih Bukhari)
Surah Al-Ma’arij reflects this by highlighting human weaknesses and the qualities needed for righteousness.
The importance of Salah (prayer):
The Surah stresses the importance of regular prayer, which aligns with the Prophet’s (ﷺ) words: “The first thing a person will be questioned about on the Day of Judgment is their Salah.” (Sunan Abu Dawood)
“If you find any mistakes in this, please let us know. For a more accurate translation, please refer to the English version. May Allah forgive us for any unintentional mistakes.”
