سُورَةُ المَعَارِجِ

سَأَلَ سَاۤىِٕلُۢ بِعَذَابࣲ وَاقِعࣲ (۱)

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

لِّلۡكَـٰفِرِینَ لَیۡسَ لَهُۥ دَافِعࣱ (۲)

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

مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ ذِی ٱلۡمَعَارِجِ (۳)

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

تَعۡرُجُ ٱلۡمَلَـٰۤىِٕكَةُ وَٱلرُّوحُ إِلَیۡهِ فِی یَوۡمࣲ كَانَ مِقۡدَارُهُۥ خَمۡسِینَ أَلۡفَ سَنَةࣲ (۴)

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…

فَٱصۡبِرۡ صَبۡرࣰا جَمِیلًا (۵)

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

إِنَّهُمۡ یَرَوۡنَهُۥ بَعِیدࣰا (۶)

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

وَنَرَىٰهُ قَرِیبࣰا (۷)

but, We see it as near!

یَوۡمَ تَكُونُ ٱلسَّمَاۤءُ كَٱلۡمُهۡلِ (۸)

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

وَتَكُونُ ٱلۡجِبَالُ كَٱلۡعِهۡنِ (۹)

and the mountains will be like tufts of wool,

وَلَا یَسۡـَٔلُ حَمِیمٌ حَمِیمࣰا (۱۰)

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

یُبَصَّرُونَهُمۡۚ یَوَدُّ ٱلۡمُجۡرِمُ لَوۡ یَفۡتَدِی مِنۡ عَذَابِ یَوۡمِىِٕذِۭ بِبَنِیهِ (۱۱)

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,

وَصَـٰحِبَتِهِۦ وَأَخِیهِ (۱۲)

and of his spouse, and of his brother,

وَفَصِیلَتِهِ ٱلَّتِی تُـٔۡوِیهِ (۱۳)

and of all the kinsfolk who ever sheltered him,

وَمَن فِی ٱلۡأَرۡضِ جَمِیعࣰا ثُمَّ یُنجِیهِ (۱۴)

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

كَلَّاۤۖ إِنَّهَا لَظَىٰ (۱۵)

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

نَزَّاعَةࣰ لِّلشَّوَىٰ (۱۶)

tearing away his skin!

تَدۡعُوا۟ مَنۡ أَدۡبَرَ وَتَوَلَّىٰ (۱۷)

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

وَجَمَعَ فَأَوۡعَىٰۤ (۱۸)

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

۞ إِنَّ ٱلۡإِنسَـٰنَ خُلِقَ هَلُوعًا (۱۹)

VERILY, man is born with a restless disposition.

إِذَا مَسَّهُ ٱلشَّرُّ جَزُوعࣰا (۲۰)

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

وَإِذَا مَسَّهُ ٱلۡخَیۡرُ مَنُوعًا (۲۱)

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

إِلَّا ٱلۡمُصَلِّینَ (۲۲)

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

ٱلَّذِینَ هُمۡ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمۡ دَاۤىِٕمُونَ (۲۳)

[and] who incessantly persevere in their prayer

وَٱلَّذِینَ فِیۤ أَمۡوَ ٰ⁠لِهِمۡ حَقࣱّ مَّعۡلُومࣱ (۲۴)

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

لِّلسَّاۤىِٕلِ وَٱلۡمَحۡرُومِ (۲۵)

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

وَٱلَّذِینَ یُصَدِّقُونَ بِیَوۡمِ ٱلدِّینِ (۲۶)

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

وَٱلَّذِینَ هُم مِّنۡ عَذَابِ رَبِّهِم مُّشۡفِقُونَ (۲۷)

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

إِنَّ عَذَابَ رَبِّهِمۡ غَیۡرُ مَأۡمُونࣲ (۲۸)

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

وَٱلَّذِینَ هُمۡ لِفُرُوجِهِمۡ حَـٰفِظُونَ (۲۹)

and who are mindful of their chastity,

إِلَّا عَلَىٰۤ أَزۡوَ ٰ⁠جِهِمۡ أَوۡ مَا مَلَكَتۡ أَیۡمَـٰنُهُمۡ فَإِنَّهُمۡ غَیۡرُ مَلُومِینَ (۳۰)

[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,

فَمَنِ ٱبۡتَغَىٰ وَرَاۤءَ ذَ ٰ⁠لِكَ فَأُو۟لَـٰۤىِٕكَ هُمُ ٱلۡعَادُونَ (۳۱)

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

وَٱلَّذِینَ هُمۡ لِأَمَـٰنَـٰتِهِمۡ وَعَهۡدِهِمۡ رَ ٰ⁠عُونَ (۳۲)

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

وَٱلَّذِینَ هُم بِشَهَـٰدَ ٰ⁠تِهِمۡ قَاۤىِٕمُونَ (۳۳)

and who stand firm whenever they bear witness;

وَٱلَّذِینَ هُمۡ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمۡ یُحَافِظُونَ (۳۴)

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

أُو۟لَـٰۤىِٕكَ فِی جَنَّـٰتࣲ مُّكۡرَمُونَ (۳۵)

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

فَمَالِ ٱلَّذِینَ كَفَرُوا۟ قِبَلَكَ مُهۡطِعِینَ (۳۶)

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

عَنِ ٱلۡیَمِینِ وَعَنِ ٱلشِّمَالِ عِزِینَ (۳۷)

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

أَیَطۡمَعُ كُلُّ ٱمۡرِئࣲ مِّنۡهُمۡ أَن یُدۡخَلَ جَنَّةَ نَعِیمࣲ (۳۸)

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

كَلَّاۤۖ إِنَّا خَلَقۡنَـٰهُم مِّمَّا یَعۡلَمُونَ (۳۹)

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

فَلَاۤ أُقۡسِمُ بِرَبِّ ٱلۡمَشَـٰرِقِ وَٱلۡمَغَـٰرِبِ إِنَّا لَقَـٰدِرُونَ (۴۰)

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

عَلَىٰۤ أَن نُّبَدِّلَ خَیۡرࣰا مِّنۡهُمۡ وَمَا نَحۡنُ بِمَسۡبُوقِینَ (۴۱)

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

فَذَرۡهُمۡ یَخُوضُوا۟ وَیَلۡعَبُوا۟ حَتَّىٰ یُلَـٰقُوا۟ یَوۡمَهُمُ ٱلَّذِی یُوعَدُونَ (۴۲)

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 –

یَوۡمَ یَخۡرُجُونَ مِنَ ٱلۡأَجۡدَاثِ سِرَاعࣰا كَأَنَّهُمۡ إِلَىٰ نُصُبࣲ یُوفِضُونَ (۴۳)

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

خَـٰشِعَةً أَبۡصَـٰرُهُمۡ تَرۡهَقُهُمۡ ذِلَّةࣱۚ ذَ ٰ⁠لِكَ ٱلۡیَوۡمُ ٱلَّذِی كَانُوا۟ یُوعَدُونَ (۴۴)

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