Surah Al-Ma'arij — The Ascending Stairways

سَاَلَ سَاۤىِٕلٌۢ بِعَذَابٍ وَّاقِعٍۙ

Sa'ala sā'ilum bi‘ażābiw wāqi‘(in).

A supplicant asked for a punishment bound to happen

لِّلْكٰفِرِيْنَ لَيْسَ لَهٗ دَافِعٌۙ

Lil-kāfirīna laisa lahū dāfi‘(un).

To the disbelievers; of it there is no preventer.

مِّنَ اللّٰهِ ذِى الْمَعَارِجِۗ

Minallāhi żil-ma‘ārij(i).

[It is] from Allāh, owner of the ways of ascent.

تَعْرُجُ الْمَلٰۤىِٕكَةُ وَالرُّوْحُ اِلَيْهِ فِيْ يَوْمٍ كَانَ مِقْدَارُهٗ خَمْسِيْنَ اَلْفَ سَنَةٍۚ

Ta‘rujul-malā'ikatu war-rūḥu ilaihi fī yaumin kāna miqdāruhū khamsīna alfa sanah(tin).

The angels and the Spirit [i.e., Gabriel] will ascend to Him during a Day the extent of which is fifty thousand years.

فَاصْبِرْ صَبْرًا جَمِيْلًا

Faṣbir ṣabran jamīlā(n).

So be patient with gracious patience.

اِنَّهُمْ يَرَوْنَهٗ بَعِيْدًاۙ

Innahum yaraunahū ba‘īdā(n).

Indeed, they see it [as] distant,

وَّنَرٰىهُ قَرِيْبًاۗ

Wa narāhu qarībā(n).

But We see it [as] near.

يَوْمَ تَكُوْنُ السَّمَاۤءُ كَالْمُهْلِۙ

Yauma takūnus-samā'u kal-muhl(i).

On the Day the sky will be like murky oil,

وَتَكُوْنُ الْجِبَالُ كَالْعِهْنِۙ

Wa takūnul-jibālu kal-‘ihn(i).

And the mountains will be like wool,

وَلَا يَسْـَٔلُ حَمِيْمٌ حَمِيْمًاۚ

Wa lā yas'alu ḥamīmun ḥamīmā(n).

And no friend will ask [anything of] a friend,

يُبَصَّرُوْنَهُمْۗ يَوَدُّ الْمُجْرِمُ لَوْ يَفْتَدِيْ مِنْ عَذَابِ يَوْمِىِٕذٍۢ بِبَنِيْهِۙ

Yubaṣṣarūnahum, yawaddul-mujrimu lau yaftadī min ‘ażābi yaumi'iżim bibanīh(i).

They will be shown each other. The criminal will wish that he could be ransomed from the punishment of that Day by his children.

وَصَاحِبَتِهٖ وَاَخِيْهِۙ

Wa ṣāḥibatihī wa akhīh(i).

And his wife and his brother

وَفَصِيْلَتِهِ الَّتِيْ تُـْٔوِيْهِۙ

Wa faṣīlatihil-latī tu'wīh(i).

And his nearest kindred who shelter him.

وَمَنْ فِى الْاَرْضِ جَمِيْعًاۙ ثُمَّ يُنْجِيْهِۙ

Wa man fil-arḍi jamī‘ā(n), ṡumma yunjīh(i).

And whoever is on earth entirely [so] then it could save him.

كَلَّاۗ اِنَّهَا لَظٰىۙ

Kallā, innahā laẓā.

No! Indeed, it is the Flame [of Hell],

نَزَّاعَةً لِّلشَّوٰىۚ

Nazzā‘atal lisy-syawā.

A remover of exteriors.

تَدْعُوْا مَنْ اَدْبَرَ وَتَوَلّٰىۙ

Tad‘ū man adbara wa tawallā.

It invites he who turned his back [on truth] and went away [from obedience]

وَجَمَعَ فَاَوْعٰى

Wa jama‘a fa'au‘ā.

And collected [wealth] and hoarded.

۞ اِنَّ الْاِنْسَانَ خُلِقَ هَلُوْعًاۙ

Innal-insāna khuliqa halu‘ā(n).

Indeed, mankind was created anxious:

اِذَا مَسَّهُ الشَّرُّ جَزُوْعًاۙ

Iżā massahusy-syarru jazū‘ā(n).

When evil touches him, impatient,

وَّاِذَا مَسَّهُ الْخَيْرُ مَنُوْعًاۙ

Wa iżā massahul-khairu manū‘ā(n).

And when good touches him, withholding [of it],

اِلَّا الْمُصَلِّيْنَۙ

Illal-muṣallīn(a).

Except the observers of prayer -

الَّذِيْنَ هُمْ عَلٰى صَلَاتِهِمْ دَاۤىِٕمُوْنَۖ

Allażīna hum ‘alā ṣalātihim dā'imūn(a).

Those who are constant in their prayer

وَالَّذِيْنَ فِيْٓ اَمْوَالِهِمْ حَقٌّ مَّعْلُوْمٌۖ

Wal-lażīna fī amwālihim ḥaqqum ma‘lūm(un).

And those within whose wealth is a known right

لِّلسَّاۤىِٕلِ وَالْمَحْرُوْمِۖ

Lis-sā'ili wal-maḥrūm(i).

For the petitioner and the deprived -

وَالَّذِيْنَ يُصَدِّقُوْنَ بِيَوْمِ الدِّيْنِۖ

Wal-lażīna yuṣaddiqūna biyaumid-dīn(i).

And those who believe in the Day of Recompense

وَالَّذِيْنَ هُمْ مِّنْ عَذَابِ رَبِّهِمْ مُّشْفِقُوْنَۚ

Wal-lażīna hum min ‘ażābi rabbihim musyfiqūn(a).

And those who are fearful of the punishment of their Lord -

اِنَّ عَذَابَ رَبِّهِمْ غَيْرُ مَأْمُوْنٍۖ

Inna ‘ażāba rabbihim gairu ma'mūn(in).

Indeed, the punishment of their Lord is not that from which one is safe -

وَّالَّذِيْنَ هُمْ لِفُرُوْجِهِمْ حٰفِظُوْنَۙ

Wal-lażīna hum lifurūjihim ḥāfiẓūn(a).

And those who guard their private parts

اِلَّا عَلٰٓى اَزْوَاجِهِمْ اَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ اَيْمَانُهُمْ فَاِنَّهُمْ غَيْرُ مَلُوْمِيْنَۚ

Illā ‘alā azwājihim au mā malakat aimānuhum fa innahum gairu malūmīn(a).

Except from their wives or those their right hands possess, for indeed, they are not to be blamed -

فَمَنِ ابْتَغٰى وَرَاۤءَ ذٰلِكَ فَاُولٰۤىِٕكَ هُمُ الْعَادُوْنَۚ

Fa manibtagā warā'a żālika fa ulā'ika humul-‘ādūn(a).

But whoever seeks beyond that, then they are the transgressors -

وَالَّذِيْنَ هُمْ لِاَمٰنٰتِهِمْ وَعَهْدِهِمْ رٰعُوْنَۖ

Wal-lażīna hum li'amānātihim wa ‘ahdihim rā'ūn(a).

And those who are to their trusts and promises attentive.

وَالَّذِيْنَ هُمْ بِشَهٰدٰتِهِمْ قَاۤىِٕمُوْنَۖ

Wal-lażīna hum bisyahādātihim qā'imūn(a).

And those who are in their testimonies upright

وَالَّذِيْنَ هُمْ عَلٰى صَلَاتِهِمْ يُحَافِظُوْنَۖ

Wal-lażīna hum ‘alā ṣalātihim yuḥāfiẓūn(a).

And those who [carefully] maintain their prayer:

اُولٰۤىِٕكَ فِيْ جَنّٰتٍ مُّكْرَمُوْنَ ۗ ࣖ

Ulā'ika fī jannātim mukramūn(a).

They will be in gardens, honored.

فَمَالِ الَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوْا قِبَلَكَ مُهْطِعِيْنَۙ

Famālil-lażīna kafarū qibalaka muhṭi‘īn(a).

So what is [the matter] with those who disbelieve, hastening [from] before you, [O Muḥammad],

عَنِ الْيَمِيْنِ وَعَنِ الشِّمَالِ عِزِيْنَ

‘Anil-yamīni wa ‘anisy-syimāli ‘izīn(a).

[To sit] on [your] right and [your] left in separate groups?

اَيَطْمَعُ كُلُّ امْرِئٍ مِّنْهُمْ اَنْ يُّدْخَلَ جَنَّةَ نَعِيْمٍۙ

Ayaṭma‘u kullumri'im minhum ay yudkhala jannata na‘īm(in).

Does every person among them aspire to enter a garden of pleasure?

كَلَّاۗ اِنَّا خَلَقْنٰهُمْ مِّمَّا يَعْلَمُوْنَ

Kallā, innā khalaqnāhum mimmā ya‘malūn(a).

No! Indeed, We have created them from that which they know.

فَلَآ اُقْسِمُ بِرَبِّ الْمَشٰرِقِ وَالْمَغٰرِبِ اِنَّا لَقٰدِرُوْنَۙ

Falā uqsimu birabbil-masyāriqi wal-magāribi innā laqādirūn(a).

So I swear by the Lord of [all] risings and settings that indeed We are able

عَلٰٓى اَنْ نُّبَدِّلَ خَيْرًا مِّنْهُمْۙ وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمَسْبُوْقِيْنَ

‘Alā an nubaddila khairam minhum, wa mā naḥnu bimasbūqīn(a).

To replace them with better than them; and We are not to be outdone.

فَذَرْهُمْ يَخُوْضُوْا وَيَلْعَبُوْا حَتّٰى يُلٰقُوْا يَوْمَهُمُ الَّذِيْ يُوْعَدُوْنَۙ

Fa żarhum yakhūḍū wa yal‘abū ḥattā yulāqū yaumahumul-lażī yū‘adūn(a)

So leave them to converse vainly and amuse themselves until they meet their Day which they are promised -

يَوْمَ يَخْرُجُوْنَ مِنَ الْاَجْدَاثِ سِرَاعًا كَاَنَّهُمْ اِلٰى نُصُبٍ يُّوْفِضُوْنَۙ

Yauma yakhrujūna minal-ajdāṡi sirā‘an ka'annahum ilā nuṣubiy yūfiḍūn(a).

The Day they will emerge from the graves rapidly as if they were, toward an erected idol, hastening.

خَاشِعَةً اَبْصَارُهُمْ تَرْهَقُهُمْ ذِلَّةٌ ۗذٰلِكَ الْيَوْمُ الَّذِيْ كَانُوْا يُوْعَدُوْنَ ࣖ

Khāsyi‘atan abṣāruhum tarhaquhum żillah(tun), żālikal-yaumul-lażī kānū yū‘adūn(a).

Their eyes humbled, humiliation will cover them. That is the Day which they had been promised.