Al-Ma'aarij
سُورَةُ المَعَارِجِ
The Ascending Stairways
**In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful** The blessed Chapter has forty-four Verses and is regarded as one of those revealed in Mecca, though some of the Verses were revealed in Medina. The designation of the Chapter, connoting the angels’ places of ascent, derives from the third Verse. Similar to other Meccan Chapters, it mainly treats of Resurrection and warning to the polytheists and opponents. It also deals with the states of the disbelievers on the Day of Resurrection and the characteristics of the peoples of Paradise and Hell. The opening Verses of the Chapter concerns sending down torments in this world whereby one of the deniers of Imam ‘Ali’s (as) guardianship (wilaya) was afflicted and lost his life whose detailed account will be mentioned under the first Verse.
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ سَأَلَ سَآئِلٌۢ بِعَذَابٍۢ وَاقِعٍۢ
Sa ala saaa'ilum bi'azaa binw-waaqi'
AN INQUIRER ASKED for the affliction that is to come
لِّلْكَٰفِرِينَ لَيْسَ لَهُۥ دَافِعٌۭ
Lilkaafireen laisa lahoo daafi'
Upon the infidels -- which none would be able to repel --
مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ ذِى ٱلْمَعَارِجِ
Minal laahi zil ma'aarij
From God, the Lord of the steps (of progression),
تَعْرُجُ ٱلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةُ وَٱلرُّوحُ إِلَيْهِ فِى يَوْمٍۢ كَانَ مِقْدَارُهُۥ خَمْسِينَ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍۢ
Ta'rujul malaaa'ikatu war Roohu ilaihi fee yawmin kaana miqdaaruhoo khamseena alfa sanah
To whom the angels and the soul take a day to ascend, whose length is fifty thousand years.
فَٱصْبِرْ صَبْرًۭا جَمِيلًا
Fasbir ssabran jameelaa
So persevere with becoming patience.
إِنَّهُمْ يَرَوْنَهُۥ بَعِيدًۭا
Inaahum yarawnahoo ba'eedaa
They surely take it to be far away,
وَنَرَىٰهُ قَرِيبًۭا
Wa naraahu qareebaa
But We see it very near.
يَوْمَ تَكُونُ ٱلسَّمَآءُ كَٱلْمُهْلِ
Yawma takoonus samaaa'u kalmuhl
The day the sky becomes like molten brass,
وَتَكُونُ ٱلْجِبَالُ كَٱلْعِهْنِ
Wa takoonul jibaalu kal'ihn
The mountains like the tufts of (carded) wool,
وَلَا يَسْـَٔلُ حَمِيمٌ حَمِيمًۭا
Wa laa yas'alu hameemun hameemaa
And no friend inquires after friend
يُبَصَّرُونَهُمْ ۚ يَوَدُّ ٱلْمُجْرِمُ لَوْ يَفْتَدِى مِنْ عَذَابِ يَوْمِئِذٍۭ بِبَنِيهِ
Yubassaroonahum; ya waddul mujrimu law yaftadee min 'azaabi yawma'izim bibaneeh
Though within sight of one another. The sinner would like to ransom himself from the torment of that Day by offering his sons,
وَصَٰحِبَتِهِۦ وَأَخِيهِ
Wa saahibatihee wa akheeh
His wife and his brother,
وَفَصِيلَتِهِ ٱلَّتِى تُـْٔوِيهِ
Wa faseelathil latee tu'weeh
And his family who had stood by him,
وَمَن فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًۭا ثُمَّ يُنجِيهِ
Wa man fil ardi jamee'an summa yunjeeh
And all those who are on the earth, to save himself.
كَلَّآ ۖ إِنَّهَا لَظَىٰ
Kallaa innahaa lazaa
But never. It is pure white flame
نَزَّاعَةًۭ لِّلشَّوَىٰ
Nazzaa'atal lishshawaa
That would skin the scalp.
تَدْعُوا۟ مَنْ أَدْبَرَ وَتَوَلَّىٰ
Tad'oo man adbara wa tawallaa
It will summon whoever turns his back and flees,
وَجَمَعَ فَأَوْعَىٰٓ
W jama'a fa aw'aa
Who amasses and then hoards.
۞ إِنَّ ٱلْإِنسَٰنَ خُلِقَ هَلُوعًا
Innal insaana khuliqa haloo'aa
Surely man is greedy by nature.
إِذَا مَسَّهُ ٱلشَّرُّ جَزُوعًۭا
Izaa massahush sharru jazoo'aa
If evil befalls him he is perturbed;
وَإِذَا مَسَّهُ ٱلْخَيْرُ مَنُوعًا
Wa izaa massahul khairu manoo'aa
If good comes to him he holds back his hand,
إِلَّا ٱلْمُصَلِّينَ
Illal musalleen
Except those who closely follow (the Book of God),
ٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمْ دَآئِمُونَ
Allazeena hum 'alaa Salaatihim daaa'imoon
Who persevere in devotion,
وَٱلَّذِينَ فِىٓ أَمْوَٰلِهِمْ حَقٌّۭ مَّعْلُومٌۭ
Wallazeena feee amwaalihim haqqum ma'loom
In whose wealth a due share is included
لِّلسَّآئِلِ وَٱلْمَحْرُومِ
Lissaaa 'ili walmahroom
For the needy and those dispossessed,
وَٱلَّذِينَ يُصَدِّقُونَ بِيَوْمِ ٱلدِّينِ
Wallazeena yusaddiqoona bi yawmid Deen
And those who believe in the Day of Judgement,
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم مِّنْ عَذَابِ رَبِّهِم مُّشْفِقُونَ
Wallazeena hum min 'azaabi Rabbihim mushfiqoon
And those who fear the punishment of their Lord, --
إِنَّ عَذَابَ رَبِّهِمْ غَيْرُ مَأْمُونٍۢ
Inna 'azaaba Rabbihim ghairu maamoon
Surely no one can be secure from the punishment of his Lord, --
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ لِفُرُوجِهِمْ حَٰفِظُونَ
Wallazeena hum lifuroo jihim haafizoon
And those who guard their sex except from their wives and women slaves of old
إِلَّا عَلَىٰٓ أَزْوَٰجِهِمْ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَٰنُهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ غَيْرُ مَلُومِينَ
Illaa 'alaaa azwaajihim aw maa malakat aymaanuhum fainnahum ghairu maloomeen
Are free of blame,
فَمَنِ ٱبْتَغَىٰ وَرَآءَ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْعَادُونَ
Famanib taghaa waraaa'a zaalika fa ulaaa'ika humul 'aadoon
But those who seek more than this will be transgressors;
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ لِأَمَٰنَٰتِهِمْ وَعَهْدِهِمْ رَٰعُونَ
Wallazeena hum li amaa naatihim wa 'ahdihim raa'oon
And those who fulfil their trusts and covenants,
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم بِشَهَٰدَٰتِهِمْ قَآئِمُونَ
Wallazeena hum bishahaadaatihim qaaa'imoon
Who uphold their testimonies,
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمْ يُحَافِظُونَ
Wallazeena hum 'alaa salaatihim yuhaafizoon
And those who are mindful of their moral obligations.
أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ فِى جَنَّٰتٍۢ مُّكْرَمُونَ
Ulaaa'ika fee jannaatim mukramoon
They will live in gardens with honour.
فَمَالِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ قِبَلَكَ مُهْطِعِينَ
Famaa lil lazeena kafaroo qibalaka muhti'een
What is the matter with unbelievers that they stare at you with fixed gazes and hasten towards you
عَنِ ٱلْيَمِينِ وَعَنِ ٱلشِّمَالِ عِزِينَ
'Anil yameeni wa 'anish shimaali 'izeen
In crowds, right and left?
أَيَطْمَعُ كُلُّ ٱمْرِئٍۢ مِّنْهُمْ أَن يُدْخَلَ جَنَّةَ نَعِيمٍۢ
Ayatma'u kullum ri'im minhum anyyudkhala jannata Na'eem
Does every one of them wish to enter the garden of tranquility?
كَلَّآ ۖ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَٰهُم مِّمَّا يَعْلَمُونَ
Kallaaa innaa khalaq nahum mimmaa ya'lamoon
Never so. We have created them from what they know.
فَلَآ أُقْسِمُ بِرَبِّ ٱلْمَشَٰرِقِ وَٱلْمَغَٰرِبِ إِنَّا لَقَٰدِرُونَ
Falaaa uqsimu bi Rabbil mashaariqi wal maghaaribi innaa laqaadiroon
So I swear by the Lord of the Easts and the Wests that We are certainly able
عَلَىٰٓ أَن نُّبَدِّلَ خَيْرًۭا مِّنْهُمْ وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمَسْبُوقِينَ
'Alaaa an nubaddila khairam minhum wa maa Nahnu bimasbooqeen
To bring better people than they in their place; and they will not be able to thwart Us.
فَذَرْهُمْ يَخُوضُوا۟ وَيَلْعَبُوا۟ حَتَّىٰ يُلَٰقُوا۟ يَوْمَهُمُ ٱلَّذِى يُوعَدُونَ
Fazarhum yakhoodoo wa yal'aboo hattaa yulaaqoo yaw mahumul lazee yoo'adoon
So leave them to their vain disputes and amusement till they meet their day (of reckoning) promised them,
يَوْمَ يَخْرُجُونَ مِنَ ٱلْأَجْدَاثِ سِرَاعًۭا كَأَنَّهُمْ إِلَىٰ نُصُبٍۢ يُوفِضُونَ
Yawma yakhrujoona minal ajdaasi siraa'an ka anna hum ilaa nusubiny yoofidoon
The day when they will come out of their graves in all haste as though rushing to their altars,
خَٰشِعَةً أَبْصَٰرُهُمْ تَرْهَقُهُمْ ذِلَّةٌۭ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ ٱلْيَوْمُ ٱلَّذِى كَانُوا۟ يُوعَدُونَ
Khaashi'atan absaaruhum tarhaquhum zillah; zaalikal yawmul lazee kaanoo yoo'adoon
Eyes lowered, shame attending. That is the day they have been promised!