70. Sūrat Al-Ma'arij · The Ascending Stairways

A challenger has demanded a punishment bound to come

A questioner questioned concerning the doom about to fall

ONE who is minded to ask might ask about the suffering which [in the hereafter] is bound to befall

A questioner asks for the torment to befall.

A questioner asked for the torment which is sure to come about

for the disbelievers—to be averted by none—

Upon the disbelievers, which none can repel,

those who deny the truth. [Know, then, that] nothing can ward it off,

Upon the infidels, which there is none to repel.

Upon the disbelievers, which no one can repel

from Allah, Lord of pathways of ˹heavenly˺ ascent,

From Allah, Lord of the Ascending Stairways

[since it will come] from God, unto whom there are many ways of ascent:

It will be from Allah the Master of Ascending heights.

(That will befall) from Allah, Who is the Lord of the Ascending Steps to Heaven (and of the higher ranks and grades of spiritual hierarchy)

˹through which˺ the angels and the ˹holy˺ spirit will ascend to Him on a Day fifty thousand years in length.

(Whereby) the angels and the Spirit ascend unto Him in a Day whereof the span is fifty thousand years.

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…

The angels and Jibrael ascend towards Him. That chastisement will fall on a day the measure of which is fifty thousand years.

The angels and al-Ruh al-Amin (the Spirit) rise towards His (Throne) in a Day which measures fifty thousand years (according to the worldly scale).

So endure ˹this denial, O Prophet,˺ with beautiful patience.

But be patient (O Muhammad) with a patience fair to see.

Therefore, [O believer,] endure all adversity with goodly patience:

So be you patient with a goodly patience.

So, (O Beloved,) observe patience (on the assertions of the disbelievers) without regrets

They truly see this ˹Day˺ as impossible,

Lo! they behold it afar off

behold, men look upon that [reckoning] as something far away –

They are thinking it to be far off.

Surely, they imagine that (Day) to be far off

but We see it as inevitable.

While we behold it nigh:

but, We see it as near!

And We are seeing it to be near.

But We see it very near

On that Day the sky will be like molten brass

The day when the sky will become as molten copper,

[It will take place] on a Day when the sky will be like molten lead,

The day when the heaven will become like molten silver.

On that Day the sky will become like molten copper

and the mountains like ˹tufts of˺ wool.

And the hills become as flakes of wool,

and the mountains will be like tufts of wool,

And the mountains will become so light as wool.

And the mountains like (flakes of) coloured wool

And no close friend will ask ˹about˺ their friends,

And no familiar friend will ask a question of his friend

and [when] no friend will ask about his friend,

And no friend will ask any friend.

And no friend will enquire after his friend

˹although˺ they will be made to see each other. The wicked will wish to ransom themselves from the punishment of that Day by their children,

Though 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

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,

They will be seeing them. The culprit will long that he might ransom himself from the torment of that day by his sons,

(Though) they will be shown (to one another). The sinner would desire to ransom himself from the torment of that Day by his children

their spouses, their siblings,

And his spouse and his brother

and of his spouse, and of his brother,

And his wife and his brother,

And (by giving) his wife and his brother

their clan that sheltered them,

And his kin that harboured him

and of all the kinsfolk who ever sheltered him,

And his clan in which there is place for him.

And (all) his family who used to provide him shelter

and everyone on earth altogether, just to save themselves.

And all that are in the earth, if then it might deliver him.

and of whoever [else] lives on earth, all of them - so that he could but save himself.

And all those who are on the earth, then this ransom might save him.

And all the people on earth (as recompense for himself), so that this (atonement) may save him from (Allah’s torment)

But no! There will certainly be a raging Flame

But nay! for lo! it is the fire of hell

But nay! Verily, all [that awaits him] is a raging flame,

Never, it is indeed a raging fire.

But no! By no means! Surely, that is a Flaming Fire

ripping off scalps.

Eager to roast;

tearing away his skin!

Putting off the skin.

Stripping off the skin of all the limbs and the scalp

It will summon whoever turned their backs ˹on Allah˺ and turned away ˹from the truth˺,

It calleth him who turned and fled (from truth),

It will claim all such as turn their backs [on what is right], and turn away [from the truth],

It is calling him who turned his back and turned his face.

It is calling him who turned his back (on the truth) and turned away

and gathered and hoarded ˹wealth˺.

And hoarded (wealth) and withheld it.

and amass [wealth] and thereupon withhold [it from their fellow-men].

And hoarded wealth and withheld it.

And (he who) accumulated wealth and then held it (from distribution)

Indeed, humankind was created impatient:

Lo! man was created anxious,

VERILY, man is born with a restless disposition.

Undoubtedly, man has been made impatient greedy.

Surely, man has been created impatient and greedy

distressed when touched with evil,

Fretful when evil befalleth him

[As a rule,] whenever misfortune touches him, he is filled with self-pity;

When evil touches him, he is badly perplexed,

He gets upset and worried when some hardship (or financial loss) afflicts him

and withholding when touched with good—

And, when good befalleth him, grudging;

and whenever good fortune comes to him, he selfishly withholds it [from others].

And when good reaches him, he withheld,

But becomes miserly when he receives good fortune (or affluence)

except those who pray,

Save worshippers.

Not so, however, those who consciously turn towards God in prayer.

But those who pray,

Except for those who offer Prayer

consistently performing their prayers;

Who are constant at their worship

[and] who incessantly persevere in their prayer

Those who are constant in their prayer.

And are constant in their Prayer

and who give the rightful share of their wealth

And in whose wealth there is a right acknowledged

and in whose possessions there is a due share, acknowledged [by them],

And those in whose wealth there are a known right.

And those (who are committed to sacrifice and) in whose wealth there is a fixed share

to the beggar and the poor;

For the beggar and the destitute;

for such as ask [for help] and such as are deprived [of what is good in life];

For one who asks for and for one who could not even ask for and remains deprived.

Of one who begs and of one who is needy but does not beg

and who ˹firmly˺ believe in the Day of Judgment;

And those who believe in the Day of Judgment,

and who accept as true the [coming of the] Day of Judgment;

And those who know the Day of judgement a reality.

And those who affirm the Day of Requital

and those who fear the punishment of their Lord—

And those who are fearful of their Lord's doom -

and who stand in dread of their Sustainer's chastisement –

And those who are afraid of the torment of their Lord.

And those who fear the torment of their Lord

˹knowing that˺ none should feel secure from their Lord’s punishment—

Lo! the doom of their Lord is that before which none can feel secure -

for, behold, of their Sustainer's chastisement none may ever feel [wholly] secure;

Undoubtedly, the torment of their Lord is not a thing to become un-fearful.

Surely, the torment of their Lord is not a thing which should not be feared

and those who guard their chastity

And those who preserve their chastity

and who are mindful of their chastity,

And those who guard their private parts.

And those who safeguard their private parts

except with their wives or those ˹bondwomen˺ in their possession, for then they are free from blame,

Save with their wives and those whom their right hands possess, for thus they are not blameworthy;

[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,

But from their wives and from those whom their hands possess. They are not to be blamed for them.

Except from their wives or the female slaves they possess. So (in this) there is no blame on them

but whoever seeks beyond that are the transgressors.

But whoso seeketh more than that, those are they who are transgressors;

whereas such as seek to go beyond that [limit] are truly transgressors;

And who seeks others save those two then they are the transgressors.

But he who looks for more than that, then it is they who transgress the limits

˹The faithful are˺ also those who are true to their trusts and covenants;

And those who keep their pledges and their covenant,

and who are faithful to their trusts and to their pledges:

And those who safeguard their trusts and their covenant,

And those who safeguard their trusts and promises

and who are honest in their testimony;

And those who stand by their testimony

and who stand firm whenever they bear witness;

And those who are firm on their testimonies,

And those who stand firm on their testimonies

and who are ˹properly˺ observant of their prayers.

And those who are attentive at their worship.

and who guard their prayers [from all worldly intent].

And those who preserve their prayers.

And those who safeguard their Prayers

These will be in Gardens, held in honour.

These will dwell in Gardens, honoured.

These it is who in the gardens [of paradise] shall be honoured!

They are, who shall be honoured in the Gardens.

It is they who will enjoy great honour and respect in the Gardens

So what is the matter with the disbelievers that they rush ˹head-long˺ towards you ˹O Prophet˺,

What aileth those who disbelieve, that they keep staring toward thee (O Muhammad), open-eyed,

WHAT, THEN, is amiss with such as are bent on denying the truth, that they run about confusedly to and fro before thee,

But what happened to those infidels, that they see towards you with sharp eyes.

So what is the matter with the disbelievers that they are coming towards you running

from the right and the left, in groups ˹to mock you˺?

On the right and on the left, in groups?

[coming upon thee] from the right and from the left, in crowds?

On the right and the left, groups after groups.

From the right as well as the left, in groups

Does every one of them expect to be admitted into a Garden of Bliss?

Doth every man among them hope to enter the Garden of Delight?

Does every one of them hope to enter [by this means] a garden of bliss?

Does every man among those covet that he shall enter the Garden of comfort?

Does every one of them hope that he may be admitted to the Garden of Bliss (without faith and deeds)

But no! Indeed, they ˹already˺ know what We created them from.

Nay, verily. Lo! We created them from what they know.

Never! For, behold, We have created them out of something that they know [only too well]!

Never, undoubtedly, We have made them of that which they know.

Certainly not! Surely, We have created them from a substance which they (also) know

So, I do swear by the Lord of ˹all˺ the points of sunrise and sunset that We are truly capable

But nay! I swear by the Lord of the rising-places and the setting-places of the planets that We verily are Able

But nay! I call to witness [Our being] the Sustainer of all the points of sunrise and sunset: verily, well able are We

I swear by the Lord of the easts and wests that We are surely, Authoritative.

So I swear by the Lord of the easts and the wests that surely We have Absolute Power

of replacing them with ˹others˺ better than them, and We cannot be prevented ˹from doing so˺.

To replace them by (others) better than them. And we are not to be outrun.

to replace them with [people] better than they are; for there is nothing to prevent Us [from doing what We will].

That We may exchange better than they are, and no one can go out of Our hands.

To replace them with people better than them and We are not at all incapable (of doing it)

So let them indulge ˹in falsehood˺ and amuse ˹themselves˺ until they face their Day, which they have been threatened with—

So let them chat and play until they meet their Day which they are promised,

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 –

So leave them in their idle talks and play until they meet that day of theirs, which they are promised with.

So leave them occupied with their absurd talk and pastime until they meet that Day of theirs which they have been promised

the Day they will come forth from the graves swiftly, as if racing to an idol ˹for a blessing˺,

The day when they come forth from the graves in haste, as racing to a goal,

the Day when they shall come forth in haste from their graves, as if racing towards a goal-post,

The day when they will come forth from their graves hurrying as if they were hastening towards marks,

The Day when they will come forth from their graves in haste as if they are running towards the temples of their idols

with eyes downcast, utterly covered with disgrace. That is the Day they have ˹always˺ been warned of.

With eyes aghast, abasement stupefying them: Such is the Day which they are promised.

with downcast eyes, with ignominy overwhelming them: that Day which they were promised again and…

With their eyes cast down, covered with disgrace. This is their that day of which they were promised

(Their plight) will be that their eyes will be cast down (with shame and fear) and disgrace enveloping them. It is this Day which they were promised