المعارج
Surah Al-Ma’arij
The Ascending Stairways · Surah 70 · Meccan · 44 verses
1سَأَلَ سَآئِلُۢ بِعَذَابࣲ وَاقِعࣲ ١A questioner questioned concerning the doom about to fall.InsightAccording to Elmalılı, “sa’ala” means asked, begged, prayed and inquired; the first sense can cover them all.2لِّلۡكَٰفِرِينَ لَيۡسَ لَهُۥ دَافِعࣱ ٢Upon the disbelievers, which none can repel.3مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ ذِي ٱلۡمَعَارِجِ ٣From Allah, Lord of the Ascending Stairways.InsightElmalılı explains “ma‘arij” as places of ascent, like a ladder: the degrees by which angels and deeds rise.4تَعۡرُجُ ٱلۡمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ وَٱلرُّوحُ إِلَيۡهِ فِي يَوۡمࣲ كَانَ مِقۡدَارُهُۥ خَمۡسِينَ أَلۡفَ سَنَةࣲ ٤(Whereby) the angels and the Spirit ascend unto Him in a Day whereof the span is fifty thousand years.InsightAccording to Elmalılı, on that day all ascend by His command, stand in rows before Him, and every intermediary is removed.5فَٱصۡبِرۡ صَبۡرࣰا جَمِيلًا ٥But be patient (O Muhammad) with a patience fair to see.InsightAccording to Elmalılı, the disbelievers’ punishment will surely come; its command is given. The Prophet should bear their denial and demands with beautiful patience.6إِنَّهُمۡ يَرَوۡنَهُۥ بَعِيدࣰا ٦Lo! they behold it afar off.7وَنَرَىٰهُ قَرِيبࣰا ٧While we behold it nigh.8يَوۡمَ تَكُونُ ٱلسَّمَآءُ كَٱلۡمُهۡلِ ٨The day when the sky will become as molten copper.InsightElmalılı explains “muhl” as oil dregs or metal melted in a crucible; from Ibn Mas‘ud it is reported to be multicoloured like molten silver.9وَتَكُونُ ٱلۡجِبَالُ كَٱلۡعِهۡنِ ٩And the hills become as flakes of wool.10وَلَا يَسۡـَٔلُ حَمِيمٌ حَمِيمࣰا ١٠And no familiar friend will ask a question of his friend.11يُبَصَّرُونَهُمۡۚ يَوَدُّ ٱلۡمُجۡرِمُ لَوۡ يَفۡتَدِي مِنۡ عَذَابِ يَوۡمِئِذِۭ بِبَنِيهِ ١١Though they will be given sight of them. The guilty man will long to be able to ransom himself from the punishment of that day at the price of his children.12وَصَٰحِبَتِهِۦ وَأَخِيهِ ١٢And his spouse and his brother.13وَفَصِيلَتِهِ ٱلَّتِي تُـٔۡوِيهِ ١٣And his kin that harboured him.14وَمَن فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ جَمِيعࣰا ثُمَّ يُنجِيهِ ١٤And all that are in the earth, if then it might deliver him.15كَلَّآۖ إِنَّهَا لَظَىٰ ١٥But nay! for lo! it is the fire of hell.16نَزَّاعَةࣰ لِّلشَّوَىٰ ١٦Eager to roast.InsightElmalılı explains “shawa” as the extremities like hands and feet, or the scalp; “nazza‘ah” means tearing away and stripping.17تَدۡعُواْ مَنۡ أَدۡبَرَ وَتَوَلَّىٰ ١٧It calleth him who turned and fled (from truth).18وَجَمَعَ فَأَوۡعَىٰٓ ١٨And hoarded (wealth) and withheld it.19۞إِنَّ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنَ خُلِقَ هَلُوعًا ١٩Lo! man was created anxious.InsightElmalılı explains “halu‘” as an impatience containing haste, lying between intolerance on one side and fierceness and greed on the other.20إِذَا مَسَّهُ ٱلشَّرُّ جَزُوعࣰا ٢٠Fretful when evil befalleth him.InsightAccording to Elmalılı, when pain, hardship, poverty or illness touches him he writhes, complains, cries out, cannot bear it and looks to others for help.21وَإِذَا مَسَّهُ ٱلۡخَيۡرُ مَنُوعًا ٢١And, when good befalleth him, grudging.InsightAccording to Elmalılı, when he gains wealth, health or position, his greed and envy make him unwilling to give anyone anything; he quickly forgets the day he wept.22إِلَّا ٱلۡمُصَلِّينَ ٢٢Save worshippers.InsightAccording to Elmalılı, the believers who pray are exempt from that temperament, that bad character and that evil end; the verses that follow list their fine traits.23ٱلَّذِينَ هُمۡ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمۡ دَآئِمُونَ ٢٣Who are constant at their worship.InsightAccording to Elmalılı, they do not stop at believing prayer is obligatory, but keep praying without fail, as Allah commanded and the Prophet taught.24وَٱلَّذِينَ فِيٓ أَمۡوَٰلِهِمۡ حَقࣱّ مَّعۡلُومࣱ ٢٤And in whose wealth there is a right acknowledged.InsightAccording to Elmalılı, this is not optional charity left to whim, but a set proportion of wealth, an obligatory debt to Allah.25لِّلسَّآئِلِ وَٱلۡمَحۡرُومِ ٢٥For the beggar and the destitute.InsightAccording to Elmalılı, this right is for both the needy who ask and the poor who do not ask, too ashamed to beg.26وَٱلَّذِينَ يُصَدِّقُونَ بِيَوۡمِ ٱلدِّينِ ٢٦And those who believe in the Day of Judgment.InsightAccording to Elmalılı, they affirm the day of reckoning when good and bad deeds are repaid, and show the sincerity of their faith through their deeds.27وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم مِّنۡ عَذَابِ رَبِّهِم مُّشۡفِقُونَ ٢٧And those who are fearful of their Lord’s doom.InsightAccording to Elmalılı, fearing they may have fallen short in their duties or done something forbidden, they have pity on themselves and guard against punishment.28إِنَّ عَذَابَ رَبِّهِمۡ غَيۡرُ مَأۡمُونࣲ ٢٨Lo! the doom of their Lord is that before which none can feel secure.InsightAccording to Elmalılı, no one in this world can be sure of having settled everything, fulfilled every duty and avoided every forbidden thing.29وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمۡ لِفُرُوجِهِمۡ حَٰفِظُونَ ٢٩And those who preserve their chastity.InsightAccording to Elmalılı, they guard their chastity and open it to no one, except to their lawful spouses.30إِلَّا عَلَىٰٓ أَزۡوَٰجِهِمۡ أَوۡ مَا مَلَكَتۡ أَيۡمَٰنُهُمۡ فَإِنَّهُمۡ غَيۡرُ مَلُومِينَ ٣٠Save with their wives and those whom their right hands possess, for thus they are not blameworthy.31فَمَنِ ٱبۡتَغَىٰ وَرَآءَ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُوْلَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلۡعَادُونَ ٣١But whoso seeketh more than that, those are they who are transgressors.InsightAccording to Elmalılı, whoever seeks pleasure beyond lawful spouses, does not guard their chastity and opens to the forbidden, man or woman, is a transgressor.32وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمۡ لِأَمَٰنَٰتِهِمۡ وَعَهۡدِهِمۡ رَٰعُونَ ٣٢And those who keep their pledges and their covenant.InsightAccording to Elmalılı, this is faithfulness to what is entrusted to them in word, state, deed and wealth, to the rights of Allah and people, and to their promises to family, neighbours and all.33وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم بِشَهَٰدَٰتِهِمۡ قَآئِمُونَ ٣٣And those who stand by their testimony.InsightAccording to Elmalılı, they testify exactly, hiding nothing and twisting nothing; though this is part of trust, it is mentioned separately for its importance.34وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمۡ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمۡ يُحَافِظُونَ ٣٤And those who are attentive at their worship.InsightAccording to Elmalılı, constancy is mentioned at the start and guarding at the end: constancy is never abandoning it, guarding is caring for its conditions, times and manners.35أُوْلَـٰٓئِكَ فِي جَنَّـٰتࣲ مُّكۡرَمُونَ ٣٥These will dwell in Gardens, honoured.36فَمَالِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ قِبَلَكَ مُهۡطِعِينَ ٣٦What aileth those who disbelieve, that they keep staring toward thee (O Muhammad), open-eyed.37عَنِ ٱلۡيَمِينِ وَعَنِ ٱلشِّمَالِ عِزِينَ ٣٧On the right and on the left, in groups.InsightElmalılı explains “‘izin” as scattered, separate groups: the idolaters gathered round the Prophet in circles and mocked.38أَيَطۡمَعُ كُلُّ ٱمۡرِيࣲٕ مِّنۡهُمۡ أَن يُدۡخَلَ جَنَّةَ نَعِيمࣲ ٣٨Doth every man among them hope to enter the Garden of Delight.39كَلَّآۖ إِنَّا خَلَقۡنَٰهُم مِّمَّا يَعۡلَمُونَ ٣٩Nay, verily. Lo! We created them from what they know.40فَلَآ أُقۡسِمُ بِرَبِّ ٱلۡمَشَٰرِقِ وَٱلۡمَغَٰرِبِ إِنَّا لَقَٰدِرُونَ ٤٠But nay! I swear by the Lord of the rising-places and the setting-places of the planets that We verily are Able.41عَلَىٰٓ أَن نُّبَدِّلَ خَيۡرࣰا مِّنۡهُمۡ وَمَا نَحۡنُ بِمَسۡبُوقِينَ ٤١To replace them by (others) better than them. And we are not to be outrun.42فَذَرۡهُمۡ يَخُوضُواْ وَيَلۡعَبُواْ حَتَّىٰ يُلَٰقُواْ يَوۡمَهُمُ ٱلَّذِي يُوعَدُونَ ٤٢So let them chat and play until they meet their Day which they are promised.43يَوۡمَ يَخۡرُجُونَ مِنَ ٱلۡأَجۡدَاثِ سِرَاعࣰا كَأَنَّهُمۡ إِلَىٰ نُصُبࣲ يُوفِضُونَ ٤٣The day when they come forth from the graves in haste, as racing to a goal.44خَٰشِعَةً أَبۡصَٰرُهُمۡ تَرۡهَقُهُمۡ ذِلَّةࣱۚ ذَٰلِكَ ٱلۡيَوۡمُ ٱلَّذِي كَانُواْ يُوعَدُونَ ٤٤With eyes aghast, abasement stupefying them: Such is the Day which they are promised.