70. Sūrat al-Maʿārij

٧٠۔ سُورَةُ المَعارِج

Qurʾān > Chapter 70
القرآن > كتاب ٧٠

The Ascending Stairways (Meccan)

quran:70:1 – In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.

A supplicant asked for a punishment bound to happen  

A petitioner petitioned, a supplicator supplicated ˹for˺, an impending chastisement
القرآن:٧٠:١ – بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

سَأَلَ سَائِلٌ بِعَذَابٍ وَاقِعٍ  

{سأل سائل} دعا داع {بعذاب واقع}.
quran:70:2 –

To the disbelievers; of it there is no preventer.  

— which in the case of the disbelievers none can avert: this was al-Nadr b. al-Hārith who said, ‘O God, if this be indeed the truth from You … ˹then rain down upon us stones from the heaven’ ˹Q. 8:32˺,
القرآن:٧٠:٢ –

لِلْكَافِرِينَ لَيْسَ لَهُ دَافِعٌ  

(للكافرين ليس له دافع) هو النضر بن الحارث قال: "" اللهم إن كان هذا هو الحق "" الآية.
quran:70:3 –

˹It is˺ from Allah, owner of the ways of ascent.  

from God (mina’Llāhi is semantically connected to wāqi‘in, ‘impending’), Lord of the Ascensions, the ascension routes of the angels, which are the heavens.
القرآن:٧٠:٣ –

مِنَ اللَّهِ ذِي الْمَعَارِجِ  

{من الله} متصل بواقع {ذي المعارج} مصاعد الملائكة وهي السماوات.
quran:70:4 –

The angels and the Spirit will ascend to Him during a Day the extent of which is fifty thousand years.  

To Him, to the place in the heaven to which His command descends, ascend (read ˹feminine person˺ ta‘ruju or ˹masculine person˺ ya‘ruju) the angels and the Spirit, Gabriel, in a day (fī yawmin is semantically connected to an omitted clause, that is to say, ‘˹in a day˺ in which the chastisement befalls them’, on the Day of Resurrection) whose span is fifty thousand years, from the perspective of the disbeliever, on account of the calamities he will encounter in it — but as for the believer, it ˹the mentioned day˺ will be easier for him than an obligatory prayer which he performs in this world, as stated in hadīth.
القرآن:٧٠:٤ –

تَعْرُجُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ وَالرُّوحُ إِلَيْهِ فِي يَوْمٍ كَانَ مِقْدَارُهُ خَمْسِينَ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍ  

{تعرج} بالتاء والياء {الملائكة والروح} جبريل {إليه} إلى مهبط أمره من السماء {في يوم} متعلق بمحذوف، أي يقع العذاب بهم في يوم القيامة {كان مقداره خمسين ألف سنة} بالنسبة إلى الكافر لما يلقى فيه من الشدائد، وأما المؤمن فيكون أخف عليه من صلاة مكتوبة يصليها في الدنيا كما جاء في الحديث.
quran:70:5 –

So be patient with gracious patience.  

So be patient — this was ˹revealed˺ before he ˹the Prophet˺ was commanded to fight — with a graceful patience, that is, one in which there is no anguish.
القرآن:٧٠:٥ –

فَاصْبِرْ صَبْرًا جَمِيلًا  

{فاصبر} وهذا قبل أن يؤمر بالقتال {صبرا جميلا} أي لا جزع فيه.
quran:70:6 –

Indeed, they see it ˹as˺ distant,  

Lo! they see it, that is, the chastisement, as ˹being˺ far off, as never taking place;
القرآن:٧٠:٦ –

إِنَّهُمْ يَرَوْنَهُ بَعِيدًا  

{إنهم يرونه} أي العذاب {بعيدا} غير واقع.
quran:70:7 –

But We see it ˹as˺ near.  

while We see it ˹to be˺ near, taking place without a doubt.
القرآن:٧٠:٧ –

وَنَرَاهُ قَرِيبًا  

{ونراه قريبا} واقعا لا محالة.
quran:70:8 –

On the Day the sky will be like murky oil,  

The day when the heaven will be (yawma takūnu’l-samā’u is semantically connected to an omitted clause, implicitly taken to be yaqa‘u, ‘it will take place’) as molten silver,
القرآن:٧٠:٨ –

يَوْمَ تَكُونُ السَّمَاءُ كَالْمُهْلِ  

{يوم تكون السماء} متعلق بمحذوف تقديره يقع {كالمهل} كذائب الفضة.
quran:70:9 –

And the mountains will be like wool,  

and the mountains will be as flakes of wool, in terms of ˹their˺ lightness and ˹their˺ floating about in the wind.
القرآن:٧٠:٩ –

وَتَكُونُ الْجِبَالُ كَالْعِهْنِ  

{وتكون الجبال كالعهن} كالصوف في الخفة والطيران بالريح.
quran:70:10 –

And no friend will ask ˹anything of˺ a friend,  

And no friend will inquire about his friend, ˹no˺ relative ˹will inquire˺ about his relative, each being preoccupied with his own predicament.
القرآن:٧٠:١٠ –

وَلَا يَسْأَلُ حَمِيمٌ حَمِيمًا  

{ولا يسأل حميم حميما} قريب قريبه لاشتغال كل بحاله.
quran:70:11 –

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

They will ˹however˺ be made to see them, that is, friends will catch sight of one another, recognising one another but refraining from speaking ˹to one another˺ (the sentence ˹yubassarūnahum˺ is a new ˹independent˺ one). The guilty one will desire, the disbeliever will yearn, to ransom himself from the chastisement of that day (read ˹min ‘adhābi˺ yawmi’dhin or ˹min ‘adhābin˺ yawma’idhin) at the price of his children,
القرآن:٧٠:١١ –

يُبَصَّرُونَهُمْ ۚ يَوَدُّ الْمُجْرِمُ لَوْ يَفْتَدِي مِنْ عَذَابِ يَوْمِئِذٍ بِبَنِيهِ  

{يبصرونهم} أي يبصر الأحماء بعضهم بعضا ويتعارفون ولا يتكلمون والجملة مستأنفة {يود المجرم} يتمنى الكافر {لو} بمعنى أن {يفتدي من عذاب يومئذ} بكسر الميم وفتحها {ببنيه}.
quran:70:12 –

And his wife and his brother  

and his companion, his wife, and his brother,
القرآن:٧٠:١٢ –

وَصَاحِبَتِهِ وَأَخِيهِ  

{وصاحبته} زوجته {وأخيه}.
quran:70:13 –

And his nearest kindred who shelter him  

and his kin, his clan (˹expressed as fasīla˺ because he is a ˹detached˺ part ˹fasl˺ of it) that had sheltered him, embraced him,
القرآن:٧٠:١٣ –

وَفَصِيلَتِهِ الَّتِي تُؤْوِيهِ  

{وفصيلته} عشيرته لفصله منها {التي تؤويه} تضمه.
quran:70:14 –

And whoever is on earth entirely ˹so˺ then it could save him.  

and all who are on earth, if it, that ransom, might then deliver him (thumma yunjīhi is a supplement to yaftadī, ‘to ransom himself’).
القرآن:٧٠:١٤ –

وَمَنْ فِي الْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًا ثُمَّ يُنْجِيهِ  

{ومن في الأرض جميعا ثم ينجيه} ذلك الافتداء عطف على يفتدي.
quran:70:15 –

No! Indeed, it is the Flame ˹of Hell˺,  

Nay! — a refutation of his wish. Lo! ˹for him˺ it, namely, the Fire, will be the Churning Fire (lazā) — a name for Hell, ˹so called˺ because it churns its flames ˹tatalazzā˺ against the disbelievers,
القرآن:٧٠:١٥ –

كَلَّا ۖ إِنَّهَا لَظَىٰ  

{كلا} رد لما يوده {إنها} أي النار {لظى} اسم لجهنم لأنها تتلظى، أي تتلهب على الكفار.
quran:70:16 –

A remover of exteriors.  

ripping out the scalp (shawā is the plural of shawāt, the skin of the head);
القرآن:٧٠:١٦ –

نَزَّاعَةً لِلشَّوَىٰ  

{نزاعة للشوى} جمع شواة وهي جلدة الرأس.
quran:70:17 –

It invites he who turned his back ˹on truth˺ and went away ˹from obedience˺  

it will call him who turned his back and ignored, faith, saying ˹to him˺: ‘To me ! to me ˹come hither˺!’,
القرآن:٧٠:١٧ –

تَدْعُو مَنْ أَدْبَرَ وَتَوَلَّىٰ  

{تدعو من أدبر وتولى} عن الإيمان بأن تقول: إليَّ إليَّ.
quran:70:18 –

And collected ˹wealth˺ and hoarded.  

and amassed, wealth, then hoarded, keeping it in containers and refraining from paying from it what is God’s due.
القرآن:٧٠:١٨ –

وَجَمَعَ فَأَوْعَىٰ  

{وجمع} المال {فأوعي} أمسكه في وعائه ولم يؤد حق الله منه.
quran:70:19 –

Indeed, mankind was created anxious:  

Indeed man was created restless: (halū‘an is an implied circumstantial qualifier, the explanation of which ˹follows˺):
القرآن:٧٠:١٩ –

إِنَّ الْإِنْسَانَ خُلِقَ هَلُوعًا  

{إن الإنسان خلق هلوعا} حال مقدرة وتفسيره.
quran:70:20 –

When evil touches him, impatient,  

when evil befalls him, ˹he is˺ anxious, at the point of that evil befalling ˹him˺,
القرآن:٧٠:٢٠ –

إِذَا مَسَّهُ الشَّرُّ جَزُوعًا  

{إذا مسه الشر جزوعا} وقت مس الشر.
quran:70:21 –

And when good touches him, withholding ˹of it˺,  

and when good befalls him, ˹he is˺ grudging, at the point of that good befalling ˹him˺, that is to say, ˹when˺ wealth ˹befalls him˺, ˹he is grudging to give˺ of it what is due to God;
القرآن:٧٠:٢١ –

وَإِذَا مَسَّهُ الْخَيْرُ مَنُوعًا  

{وإذا مسه الخير منوعا} وقت مس الخير أي المال لحق الله منه.
quran:70:22 –

Except the observers of prayer -  

except those who perform prayers, that is, the believers,
القرآن:٧٠:٢٢ –

إِلَّا الْمُصَلِّينَ  

{إلا المصلين} أي المؤمنين.
quran:70:23 –

Those who are constant in their prayer  

those who maintain, ˹those who˺ regularly observe, their prayers,
القرآن:٧٠:٢٣ –

الَّذِينَ هُمْ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمْ دَائِمُونَ  

{الذين هم على صلاتهم دائمون} مواظبون.
quran:70:24 –

And those within whose wealth is a known right  

and in whose wealth there is an acknowledged due, namely, alms,
القرآن:٧٠:٢٤ –

وَالَّذِينَ فِي أَمْوَالِهِمْ حَقٌّ مَعْلُومٌ  

{والذين في أموالهم حق معلوم} هو الزكاة.
quran:70:25 –

For the petitioner and the deprived -  

for the beggar and the deprived, the ˹latter being the˺ one who refrains from begging and thus becomes deprived,
القرآن:٧٠:٢٥ –

لِلسَّائِلِ وَالْمَحْرُومِ  

{للسائل والمحروم} المتعفف عن السؤال فيحرم.
quran:70:26 –

And those who believe in the Day of Recompense  

and who affirm the truth of the Day of Judgement, ˹of˺ Requital,
القرآن:٧٠:٢٦ –

وَالَّذِينَ يُصَدِّقُونَ بِيَوْمِ الدِّينِ  

{والذين يُصدقون بيوم الدين} الجزاء.
quran:70:27 –

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

and who are apprehensive of the chastisement of their Lord —
القرآن:٧٠:٢٧ –

وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ مِنْ عَذَابِ رَبِّهِمْ مُشْفِقُونَ  

{والذين هم من عذاب ربهم مشفقون} خائفون.
quran:70:28 –

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

lo! there is no security from the chastisement of their Lord, ˹from˺ its being sent down —
القرآن:٧٠:٢٨ –

إِنَّ عَذَابَ رَبِّهِمْ غَيْرُ مَأْمُونٍ  

{إن عذاب ربهم غير مأمون} نزوله.
quran:70:29 –

And those who guard their private parts  

and those who guard their private parts,
القرآن:٧٠:٢٩ –

وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ لِفُرُوجِهِمْ حَافِظُونَ  

{والذين هم لفروجهم حافظون}.
quran:70:30 –

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

except from their wives and those whom their right hands own, in the way of slavegirls, for in that case they are not blameworthy;
القرآن:٧٠:٣٠ –

إِلَّا عَلَىٰ أَزْوَاجِهِمْ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ غَيْرُ مَلُومِينَ  

{إلا على أزواجهم أو ما ملكت أيمانهم} من الإماء {فإنهم غير ملومين}.
quran:70:31 –

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

but whoever seeks beyond that, those are the infringers, who transgress ˹the bounds of˺ what is lawful ˹stepping˺ into what is unlawful;
القرآن:٧٠:٣١ –

فَمَنِ ابْتَغَىٰ وَرَاءَ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْعَادُونَ  

{فمن ابتغى وراء ذلك فأولئك هم العادون} المتجاوزون الحلال إلى الحرام.
quran:70:32 –

And those who are to their trusts and promises attentive  

and those who are keepers, ˹faithful˺ guardians, of their trusts (amānātihim: a variant reading has the singular ˹amānatihim˺), that to which they are entrusted of religion and the affairs of this world, and their covenant, the one taken from them regarding such things,
القرآن:٧٠:٣٢ –

وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ لِأَمَانَاتِهِمْ وَعَهْدِهِمْ رَاعُونَ  

{والذين هم لأماناتهم} وفي قراءة بالإفراد: ما ائْتُمِنوا عليه من أمر الدين والدنيا {وعهدهم} المأخوذ عليهم في ذلك {راعون} حافظون.
quran:70:33 –

And those who are in their testimonies upright  

and who are forthwith with their testimony (bi-shahādatihim: a variant reading has the plural ˹bishahādātihim, ‘their testimonies’˺), ˹those who˺ offer them and do not withhold them,
القرآن:٧٠:٣٣ –

وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ بِشَهَادَاتِهِمْ قَائِمُونَ  

{والذين هم بشهادتهم} وفي قراءة بالجمع {قائمون} يقيمونها ولا يكتمونها.
quran:70:34 –

And those who ˹carefully˺ maintain their prayer:  

and who preserve their prayers, by observing them in their appointed times.
القرآن:٧٠:٣٤ –

وَالَّذِينَ هُمْ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمْ يُحَافِظُونَ  

{والذين هم على صلاتهم يحافظون} بأدائها في أوقاتها.
quran:70:35 –

They will be in gardens, honored.  

Those will be in Gardens, honoured.
القرآن:٧٠:٣٥ –

أُولَٰئِكَ فِي جَنَّاتٍ مُكْرَمُونَ  

{أولئك في جنات مكرمون}.
quran:70:36 –

So what is ˹the matter˺ with those who disbelieve, hastening ˹from˺ before you, ˹O Muhammad˺,  

So what is wrong with those who disbelieve that they keep staring towards you (muhti‘īna is a circumstantial qualifier),
القرآن:٧٠:٣٦ –

فَمَالِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا قِبَلَكَ مُهْطِعِينَ  

{فمال الذين كفروا قبلك} نحوك {مهطعين} حال، أي مديمي النظر.
quran:70:37 –

˹To sit˺ on ˹your˺ right and ˹your˺ left in separate groups?  

to the right and to the left, of you, in droves? (‘izīna is also a circumstantial qualifier), in other words, in groups standing in circles, one next to the other, saying, in mockery of the believers, ‘Verily if ˹the likes of˺ these are to enter Paradise, we shall enter it before them’. God, exalted be He, says:
القرآن:٧٠:٣٧ –

عَنِ الْيَمِينِ وَعَنِ الشِّمَالِ عِزِينَ  

{عن اليمين وعن الشمال} منك {عزين} حال أيضا، أي جماعات حلقا حلقا، يقولون استهزاء بالمؤمنين: لئن دخل هؤلاء الجنة لندخلنها قبلهم قال تعالى:
quran:70:38 –

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

Does each one of them hope to be admitted into a Garden of Bliss?
القرآن:٧٠:٣٨ –

أَيَطْمَعُ كُلُّ امْرِئٍ مِنْهُمْ أَنْ يُدْخَلَ جَنَّةَ نَعِيمٍ  

{أيطمع كل امرىءٍ منهم أن يدخل جنة نعيم}.
quran:70:39 –

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

Nay! — meant to thwart their hopes of ˹entering˺ Paradise. Indeed We created them, as others, from what they know, from drops of sperm, and so one cannot hope for Paradise ˹merely˺ on account of this: one hopes for it by being God-fearing.
القرآن:٧٠:٣٩ –

كَلَّا ۖ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَاهُمْ مِمَّا يَعْلَمُونَ  

{كلا} ردع لهم عن طمعهم في الجنة {إنا خلقناهم} كغيرهم {مما يعلمون} من نطف فلا يطمع بذلك في الجنة وإنما يطمع فيها بالتقوى.
quran:70:40 –

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

For verily (fa-lā: lā is extra) I swear by the Lord of the rising-places and the setting-places, of the sun, the moon and all the stars, that We are able
القرآن:٧٠:٤٠ –

فَلَا أُقْسِمُ بِرَبِّ الْمَشَارِقِ وَالْمَغَارِبِ إِنَّا لَقَادِرُونَ  

{فلا} لا زائدة {أقسم برب المشارق والمغارب} للشمس والقمر وسائر الكواكب {إنا لقادرون}.
quran:70:41 –

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

to replace ˹them˺, to bring in their place, with ˹others˺ better than them, and We are not to be outmanoeuvred, ˹We will not be˺ frustrated in this.
القرآن:٧٠:٤١ –

عَلَىٰ أَنْ نُبَدِّلَ خَيْرًا مِنْهُمْ وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمَسْبُوقِينَ  

{على أن نبدل} نأتي بدلهم {خيرا منهم وما نحن بمسبوقين} بعاجزين عن ذلك.
quran:70:42 –

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

So leave them to indulge, in their falsehoods, and to play, in this world of theirs, until they encounter that day of theirs, in, which they are promised, chastisement;
القرآن:٧٠:٤٢ –

فَذَرْهُمْ يَخُوضُوا وَيَلْعَبُوا حَتَّىٰ يُلَاقُوا يَوْمَهُمُ الَّذِي يُوعَدُونَ  

{فذرهم} اتركهم {يخوضوا} في باطلهم {ويلعبوا} في دنياهم {حتى يلاقوا} يلقوا {يومهم الذي يوعدون} فيه العذاب.
quran:70:43 –

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

the day when they will come forth from the graves hastening, to the site of the Gathering, as if racing to a ˹standing˺ target (nasbin: a variant reading has nusubin, meaning something that has been erected ˹mansūb˺, such as a flag or a banner),
القرآن:٧٠:٤٣ –

يَوْمَ يَخْرُجُونَ مِنَ الْأَجْدَاثِ سِرَاعًا كَأَنَّهُمْ إِلَىٰ نُصُبٍ يُوفِضُونَ  

{يوم يخرجون من الأجداث} القبور {سراعا} إلى المحشر {كأنهم إلى نَصْبِ} وفي قراءة بضم الحرفين، شيء منصوب كعلم أو راية {يوفضون} يسرعون.
quran:70:44 –

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

with their eyes humbled, abject, overcast by abasement, shrouded in it. Such is the day which they are promised (dhālika is the subject and what follows it is the predicate), meaning: the Day of Resurrection. Meccan, consisting of 28 or 29 verses.
القرآن:٧٠:٤٤ –

خَاشِعَةً أَبْصَارُهُمْ تَرْهَقُهُمْ ذِلَّةٌ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ الْيَوْمُ الَّذِي كَانُوا يُوعَدُونَ  

{خاشعة} ذليلة {أبصارهم ترهقهم} تغشاهم {ذلة ذلك اليوم الذي كانوا يوعدون} ذلك مبتدأ وما بعده الخبر ومعناه يوم القيامة.