Al-Ma'arij المعارج
The Ascending Stairways
Al-Ma'arij opens with a specific historical detail: someone demanded a punishment be hastened upon the disbelievers, an event commentators generally connect to a Meccan opponent's taunting challenge, before God responds by describing Himself as Lord of the Ascending Stairways (al-Ma'arij) — a title for the routes by which angels and the Spirit ascend to Him on a Day whose length is fifty thousand years by human reckoning. From there the surah moves to man's default disposition — created anxious, distressed when touched by harm, withholding when granted good — except those who maintain prayer, recognize a due right for the needy and deprived in their wealth, believe in the Day of Judgement, guard their private parts, keep trusts and covenants, and stand firm in their testimony. It closes by returning to the disbelievers rushing forward on that Day with heads lowered and eyes humbled, asking rhetorically why they hasten toward what they once denied, capped by a warning that they'll wish they had more time to prepare.
سَأَلَ سَآئِلٌۢ بِعَذَابٍ وَاقِعٍ
A man [mockingly] demanded the punishment.
لِّلْكَـٰفِرِينَ لَيْسَ لَهُۥ دَافِعٌ
It will fall on the disbelievers––none can deflect it––
مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ ذِى ٱلْمَعَارِجِ
from God, the Lord of the Ways of Ascent,
تَعْرُجُ ٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ وَٱلرُّوحُ إِلَيْهِ فِى يَوْمٍ كَانَ مِقْدَارُهُۥ خَمْسِينَ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍ
by which the angels and the Spirit ascend to Him, on a Day whose length is fifty thousand years.
فَٱصْبِرْ صَبْرًا جَمِيلًا
So be patient, [Prophet], as befits you.
إِنَّهُمْ يَرَوْنَهُۥ بَعِيدًا
The disbelievers think it is distant,
وَنَرَىٰهُ قَرِيبًا
but We know it to be close.
يَوْمَ تَكُونُ ٱلسَّمَآءُ كَٱلْمُهْلِ
On a Day when the heavens will be like molten brass
وَتَكُونُ ٱلْجِبَالُ كَٱلْعِهْنِ
and the mountains like tufts of wool,
وَلَا يَسْـَٔلُ حَمِيمٌ حَمِيمًا
when no friend will ask about his friend,
يُبَصَّرُونَهُمْ ۚ يَوَدُّ ٱلْمُجْرِمُ لَوْ يَفْتَدِى مِنْ عَذَابِ يَوْمِئِذٍۭ بِبَنِيهِ
even when they are within sight of one another. The guilty person will wish he could save himself from the suffering of that Day by sacrificing his sons,
وَصَـٰحِبَتِهِۦ وَأَخِيهِ
his spouse, his brother,
وَفَصِيلَتِهِ ٱلَّتِى تُـْٔوِيهِ
the kinsfolk who gave him shelter,
وَمَن فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًا ثُمَّ يُنجِيهِ
and everyone on earth, if it could save him.
كَلَّآ ۖ إِنَّهَا لَظَىٰ
But no! There is a raging flame
نَزَّاعَةً لِّلشَّوَىٰ
that strips away the skin,
تَدْعُوا۟ مَنْ أَدْبَرَ وَتَوَلَّىٰ
and it will claim everyone who rejects the truth, turns away,
وَجَمَعَ فَأَوْعَىٰٓ
amasses wealth and hoards it.
۞ إِنَّ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ خُلِقَ هَلُوعًا
Man was truly created anxious:
إِذَا مَسَّهُ ٱلشَّرُّ جَزُوعًا
he is fretful when misfortune touches him,
وَإِذَا مَسَّهُ ٱلْخَيْرُ مَنُوعًا
but tight-fisted when good fortune comes his way.
إِلَّا ٱلْمُصَلِّينَ
Not so those who pray
ٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمْ دَآئِمُونَ
and are constant in their prayers;
وَٱلَّذِينَ فِىٓ أَمْوَٰلِهِمْ حَقٌّ مَّعْلُومٌ
who give a due share of their wealth
لِّلسَّآئِلِ وَٱلْمَحْرُومِ
to beggars and the deprived;
وَٱلَّذِينَ يُصَدِّقُونَ بِيَوْمِ ٱلدِّينِ
who believe in the Day of Judgement
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم مِّنْ عَذَابِ رَبِّهِم مُّشْفِقُونَ
and fear the punishment of their Lord––
إِنَّ عَذَابَ رَبِّهِمْ غَيْرُ مَأْمُونٍ
none may feel wholly secure from it––
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ لِفُرُوجِهِمْ حَـٰفِظُونَ
who guard their chastity
إِلَّا عَلَىٰٓ أَزْوَٰجِهِمْ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَـٰنُهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ غَيْرُ مَلُومِينَ
from all but their spouses or their slave-girls––there is no blame attached to [relations with] these,
فَمَنِ ٱبْتَغَىٰ وَرَآءَ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْعَادُونَ
but those whose desires exceed this limit are truly transgressors––
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ لِأَمَـٰنَـٰتِهِمْ وَعَهْدِهِمْ رَٰعُونَ
who are faithful to their trusts and their pledges;
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم بِشَهَـٰدَٰتِهِمْ قَآئِمُونَ
who give honest testimony
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمْ يُحَافِظُونَ
and are steadfast in their prayers.
أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ فِى جَنَّـٰتٍ مُّكْرَمُونَ
They will be honoured in Gardens of bliss.
فَمَالِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ قِبَلَكَ مُهْطِعِينَ
What is wrong with the disbelievers? Why do they rush to peer at you [Prophet],
عَنِ ٱلْيَمِينِ وَعَنِ ٱلشِّمَالِ عِزِينَ
from right and left, in crowds?
أَيَطْمَعُ كُلُّ ٱمْرِئٍ مِّنْهُمْ أَن يُدْخَلَ جَنَّةَ نَعِيمٍ
Does every one of them expect to enter a Garden of bliss?
كَلَّآ ۖ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَـٰهُم مِّمَّا يَعْلَمُونَ
No! We created them from the substance they know,
فَلَآ أُقْسِمُ بِرَبِّ ٱلْمَشَـٰرِقِ وَٱلْمَغَـٰرِبِ إِنَّا لَقَـٰدِرُونَ
and, by the Lord of every sunrise and sunset, We have the power
عَلَىٰٓ أَن نُّبَدِّلَ خَيْرًا مِّنْهُمْ وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمَسْبُوقِينَ
to substitute for them others better than they are- nothing can prevent Us from doing this.
فَذَرْهُمْ يَخُوضُوا۟ وَيَلْعَبُوا۟ حَتَّىٰ يُلَـٰقُوا۟ يَوْمَهُمُ ٱلَّذِى يُوعَدُونَ
So leave them to wallow in idle talk, until they come face to face with their promised Day,
يَوْمَ يَخْرُجُونَ مِنَ ٱلْأَجْدَاثِ سِرَاعًا كَأَنَّهُمْ إِلَىٰ نُصُبٍ يُوفِضُونَ
the Day they will rush out of their graves as if rallying to a flag,
خَـٰشِعَةً أَبْصَـٰرُهُمْ تَرْهَقُهُمْ ذِلَّةٌ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ ٱلْيَوْمُ ٱلَّذِى كَانُوا۟ يُوعَدُونَ
eyes downcast and covered in shame: that is the Day of which they were warned.
Arabic text and translation (M.A.S. Abdel Haleem) via the Quran.Foundation API.
Frequently asked
Forty-four verses.
Meccan, revealed in Makkah.
"The ascending stairways" or "the ways of ascent" — a title for God as Lord of the routes by which angels ascend, and by extension for the Day whose duration is described as fifty thousand years.
Maintaining prayer, giving the needy their due right, believing in the Day of Judgement, guarding chastity, honoring trusts and covenants, and standing firm in testimony.