The surah that proclaims God to be the Lord of the heavenly ascents, Lofty Stations, the points of rising from which the angels ascend to God. It takes is named after the phrase “of lofty stations” (dhi al-maʿārij) in verse 3. The surah describes the Day of Judgement (verse 8 .). One of the opponents of the Prophet challenged him to hasten the punishment they had been threatened with (verse 1), so the foolishness of the disbelievers in denying the Resurrection (verse 6) is exposed (verse 36 .). The people who will be granted the Garden are described (verse 22 .).The surah is also known as: Elevations, Staircases Upward, The Ascending Steps, The Heavenly Ascents, The Ladders, The Stairways, The Steps, The Ways of Ascent.
1
سَأَلَ سائِلٌ بِعَذابٍ واقِعٍ
saʾala sāʾilun bi-ʿadhābin wāqiʿin
An asker asked for a punishment bound to befall
2
لِلكافِرينَ لَيسَ لَهُ دافِعٌ
li-l-kāfirīna laysa lahū dāfiʿun
—which none can avert from the faithless—1Or ‘bound to befall the faithless—which none can avert—from Allah…’
3
مِنَ اللَّهِ ذِي المَعارِجِ
mina llāhi dhī l-maʿāriji
from Allah, Lord of the lofty stations.
4
تَعرُجُ المَلائِكَةُ وَالرّوحُ إِلَيهِ في يَومٍ كانَ مِقدارُهُ خَمسينَ أَلفَ سَنَةٍ
taʿruju l-malāʾikatu wa-r-rūḥu ʾilayhi fī yawmin kāna miqdāruhū khamsīna ʾalfa sanatin
The angels and the Spirit ascend to Himin a day whose span isfifty thousand years.
5
فَاصبِر صَبرًا جَميلًا
fa-ṣbir ṣabran jamīlan
So be patient, with a patience that is graceful.
6
إِنَّهُم يَرَونَهُ بَعيدًا
ʾinnahum yarawnahū baʿīdan
Indeed they see it to be far off,
7
وَنَراهُ قَريبًا
wa-narāhu qarīban
and We see it to be near.
8
يَومَ تَكونُ السَّماءُ كَالمُهلِ
yawma takūnu s-samāʾu ka-l-muhli
The day when the sky will be like molten copper,
9
وَتَكونُ الجِبالُ كَالعِهنِ
wa-takūnu l-jibālu ka-l-ʿihni
and the mountains like [tufts of] dyed wool,
10
وَلا يَسأَلُ حَميمٌ حَميمًا
wa-lā yasʾalu ḥamīmun ḥamīman
and no friend will inquireabout [the welfare of his] friend,
11
يُبَصَّرونَهُم ۚ يَوَدُّ المُجرِمُ لَو يَفتَدي مِن عَذابِ يَومِئِذٍ بِبَنيهِ
yubaṣṣarūnahum yawaddu l-mujrimu law yaftadī min ʿadhābi yawmiʾidhin bi-banīhi
[though] they will be placed within each other’s sight.The guilty one will wish he could ransom himselffrom the punishment of that dayat the price of his children,
12
وَصاحِبَتِهِ وَأَخيهِ
wa-ṣāḥibatihī wa-ʾakhīhi
his spouse and his brother,
13
وَفَصيلَتِهِ الَّتي تُؤويهِ
wa-faṣīlatihi llatī tuʾwīhi
his kin which had sheltered him
14
وَمَن فِي الأَرضِ جَميعًا ثُمَّ يُنجيهِ
wa-man fī l-ʾarḍi jamīʿan thumma yunjīhi
and all those who are upon the earth,if that might deliver him.
15
كَلّا ۖ إِنَّها لَظىٰ
kallā ʾinnahā laẓā
Never! Indeed it is a blazing fire,
16
نَزّاعَةً لِلشَّوىٰ
nazzāʿatan li-sh-shawā
which strips away the scalp.
17
تَدعو مَن أَدبَرَ وَتَوَلّىٰ
tadʿū man ʾadbara wa-tawallā
It invites him who has turned back [from the truth]and forsaken [it],
18
وَجَمَعَ فَأَوعىٰ
wa-jamaʿa fa-ʾawʿā
amassing [wealth] and hoarding [it].
19
۞ إِنَّ الإِنسانَ خُلِقَ هَلوعًا
ʾinna l-ʾinsāna khuliqa halūʿan
Indeed man has been created covetous:
20
إِذا مَسَّهُ الشَّرُّ جَزوعًا
ʾidhā massahu sh-sharru jazūʿan
anxious when an ill befalls him
21
وَإِذا مَسَّهُ الخَيرُ مَنوعًا
wa-ʾidhā massahu l-khayru manūʿan
and grudging when good comes his way
22
إِلَّا المُصَلّينَ
ʾillā l-muṣallīna
—[all are such] except the prayerful,
23
الَّذينَ هُم عَلىٰ صَلاتِهِم دائِمونَ
alladhīna hum ʿalā ṣalātihim dāʾimūna
those who are persevering in their prayers
24
وَالَّذينَ في أَموالِهِم حَقٌّ مَعلومٌ
wa-lladhīna fī ʾamwālihim ḥaqqun maʿlūmun
and in whose wealth there is a known right
25
لِلسّائِلِ وَالمَحرومِ
li-s-sāʾili wa-l-maḥrūmi
for the beggar and the deprived,
26
وَالَّذينَ يُصَدِّقونَ بِيَومِ الدّينِ
wa-lladhīna yuṣaddiqūna bi-yawmi d-dīni
and who affirm the Day of Retribution,
27
وَالَّذينَ هُم مِن عَذابِ رَبِّهِم مُشفِقونَ
wa-lladhīna hum min ʿadhābi rabbihim mushfiqūna
and those who areapprehensive of the punishment of their Lord
28
إِنَّ عَذابَ رَبِّهِم غَيرُ مَأمونٍ
ʾinna ʿadhāba rabbihim ghayru maʾmūnin
(there is indeedno security from the punishment of their Lord)
29
وَالَّذينَ هُم لِفُروجِهِم حافِظونَ
wa-lladhīna hum li-furūjihim ḥāfiẓūna
and those who guard their private parts
30
إِلّا عَلىٰ أَزواجِهِم أَو ما مَلَكَت أَيمانُهُم فَإِنَّهُم غَيرُ مَلومينَ
illā ʿalā ʾazwājihim ʾaw mā malakat ʾaymānuhum fa-ʾinnahum ghayru malūmīna
(except from their spouses and their slave women,for then they are not blameworthy;
31
فَمَنِ ابتَغىٰ وَراءَ ذٰلِكَ فَأُولٰئِكَ هُمُ العادونَ
fa-mani btaghā warāʾa dhālika fa-ʾulāʾika humu l-ʿādūna
but whoever seeks beyond that—it is they who are the transgressors)
32
وَالَّذينَ هُم لِأَماناتِهِم وَعَهدِهِم راعونَ
wa-lladhīna hum li-ʾamānātihim wa-ʿahdihim rāʿūna
and those who keep their trusts and covenants,
33
وَالَّذينَ هُم بِشَهاداتِهِم قائِمونَ
wa-lladhīna hum bi-shahādātihim qāʾimūna
and those who are observant of their testimonies,
34
وَالَّذينَ هُم عَلىٰ صَلاتِهِم يُحافِظونَ
wa-lladhīna hum ʿalā ṣalātihim yuḥāfiẓūna
and those who are watchful of their prayers.
35
أُولٰئِكَ في جَنّاتٍ مُكرَمونَ
ʾulāʾika fī jannātin mukramūna
They will be in gardens, held in honour.
36
فَمالِ الَّذينَ كَفَروا قِبَلَكَ مُهطِعينَ
fa-mā-li lladhīna kafarū qibalaka muhṭiʿīna
What is the matter with the faithlessthat they scramble toward you
37
عَنِ اليَمينِ وَعَنِ الشِّمالِ عِزينَ
ʿani l-yamīni wa-ʿani sh-shimāli ʿizīna
from the left and the right in batches?
38
أَيَطمَعُ كُلُّ امرِئٍ مِنهُم أَن يُدخَلَ جَنَّةَ نَعيمٍ
ʾa-yaṭmaʿu kullu mriʾin minhum ʾan yudkhala jannata naʿīmin
Does each man among them hopeto enter the garden of bliss?
39
كَلّا ۖ إِنّا خَلَقناهُم مِمّا يَعلَمونَ
kallā ʾinnā khalaqnāhum mimmā yaʿlamūna
Never!Indeed We created them from what they know.1That is, from a drop of sperm.
40
فَلا أُقسِمُ بِرَبِّ المَشارِقِ وَالمَغارِبِ إِنّا لَقادِرونَ
fa-lā ʾuqsimu bi-rabbi l-mashāriqi wa-l-maghāribi ʾinnā la-qādirūna
So I swear by the Lord of the easts and the weststhat We are able
41
عَلىٰ أَن نُبَدِّلَ خَيرًا مِنهُم وَما نَحنُ بِمَسبوقينَ
ʿalā ʾan nubaddila khayran minhum wa-mā naḥnu bi-masbūqīna
to replace them by [others] better than themand We are not to be outmaneuvered.
42
فَذَرهُم يَخوضوا وَيَلعَبوا حَتّىٰ يُلاقوا يَومَهُمُ الَّذي يوعَدونَ
fa-dharhum yakhūḍū wa-yalʿabū ḥattā yulāqū yawmahumu lladhī yūʿadūna
So leave them to gossip and playuntil they encounter their day,which they are promised:
43
يَومَ يَخرُجونَ مِنَ الأَجداثِ سِراعًا كَأَنَّهُم إِلىٰ نُصُبٍ يوفِضونَ
yawma yakhrujūna mina l-ʾajdāthi sirāʿan ka-ʾannahum ʾilā nuṣubin yūfiḍūna
the day when they emerge from the graves,hastening,as if racing toward a target,
44
خاشِعَةً أَبصارُهُم تَرهَقُهُم ذِلَّةٌ ۚ ذٰلِكَ اليَومُ الَّذي كانوا يوعَدونَ
khāshiʿatan ʾabṣāruhum tarhaquhum dhillatun dhālika l-yawmu lladhī kānū yūʿadūna
with a humbled look [in their eyes],overcast by abasement.That is the day they had been promised.