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Surah Al-Ma’arij (The Ascending Stairways) — Arabic text & English translation
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
سَأَلَ سَآئِلٌۢ بِعَذَابٍ وَاقِعٍ ١
1. A questioner questioned concerning the doom about to fall
لِّلْكَٰفِرِينَ لَيْسَ لَهُۥ دَافِعٌ ٢
2. Upon the disbelievers, which none can repel,
مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ ذِى ٱلْمَعَارِجِ ٣
3. From Allah, Lord of the Ascending Stairways
تَعْرُجُ ٱلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةُ وَٱلرُّوحُ إِلَيْهِ فِى يَوْمٍ كَانَ مِقْدَارُهُۥ خَمْسِينَ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍ ٤
4. (Whereby) the angels and the Spirit ascend unto Him in a Day whereof the span is fifty thousand years.
فَٱصْبِرْ صَبْرًا جَمِيلًا ٥
5. But be patient (O Muhammad) with a patience fair to see.
يَوْمَ تَكُونُ ٱلسَّمَآءُ كَٱلْمُهْلِ ٨
8. The day when the sky will become as molten copper,
وَتَكُونُ ٱلْجِبَالُ كَٱلْعِهْنِ ٩
9. And the hills become as flakes of wool,
وَلَا يَسْـَٔلُ حَمِيمٌ حَمِيمًا ١٠
10. And no familiar friend will ask a question of his friend
يُبَصَّرُونَهُمْ ۚ يَوَدُّ ٱلْمُجْرِمُ لَوْ يَفْتَدِى مِنْ عَذَابِ يَوْمِئِذٍۭ بِبَنِيهِ ١١
11. 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
وَمَن فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًا ثُمَّ يُنجِيهِ ١٤
14. And all that are in the earth, if then it might deliver him.
كَلَّآ ۖ إِنَّهَا لَظَىٰ ١٥
15. But nay! for lo! it is the fire of hell
تَدْعُوا۟ مَنْ أَدْبَرَ وَتَوَلَّىٰ ١٧
17. It calleth him who turned and fled (from truth),
وَإِذَا مَسَّهُ ٱلْخَيْرُ مَنُوعًا ٢١
21. And, when good befalleth him, grudging;
ٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمْ دَآئِمُونَ ٢٣
23. Who are constant at their worship
وَٱلَّذِينَ فِىٓ أَمْوَٰلِهِمْ حَقٌّ مَّعْلُومٌ ٢٤
24. And in whose wealth there is a right acknowledged
وَٱلَّذِينَ يُصَدِّقُونَ بِيَوْمِ ٱلدِّينِ ٢٦
26. And those who believe in the Day of Judgment,
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم مِّنْ عَذَابِ رَبِّهِم مُّشْفِقُونَ ٢٧
27. And those who are fearful of their Lord’s doom –
إِنَّ عَذَابَ رَبِّهِمْ غَيْرُ مَأْمُونٍ ٢٨
28. Lo! the doom of their Lord is that before which none can feel secure –
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ لِفُرُوجِهِمْ حَٰفِظُونَ ٢٩
29. And those who preserve their chastity
إِلَّا عَلَىٰٓ أَزْوَٰجِهِمْ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَٰنُهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ غَيْرُ مَلُومِينَ ٣٠
30. Save with their wives and those whom their right hands possess, for thus they are not blameworthy;
فَمَنِ ٱبْتَغَىٰ وَرَآءَ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْعَادُونَ ٣١
31. But whoso seeketh more than that, those are they who are transgressors;
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ لِأَمَٰنَٰتِهِمْ وَعَهْدِهِمْ رَٰعُونَ ٣٢
32. And those who keep their pledges and their covenant,
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم بِشَهَٰدَٰتِهِمْ قَآئِمُونَ ٣٣
33. And those who stand by their testimony
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمْ يُحَافِظُونَ ٣٤
34. And those who are attentive at their worship.
أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ فِى جَنَّٰتٍ مُّكْرَمُونَ ٣٥
35. These will dwell in Gardens, honoured.
فَمَالِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ قِبَلَكَ مُهْطِعِينَ ٣٦
36. What aileth those who disbelieve, that they keep staring toward thee (O Muhammad), open-eyed,
عَنِ ٱلْيَمِينِ وَعَنِ ٱلشِّمَالِ عِزِينَ ٣٧
37. On the right and on the left, in groups?
أَيَطْمَعُ كُلُّ ٱمْرِئٍ مِّنْهُمْ أَن يُدْخَلَ جَنَّةَ نَعِيمٍ ٣٨
38. Doth every man among them hope to enter the Garden of Delight?
كَلَّآ ۖ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَٰهُم مِّمَّا يَعْلَمُونَ ٣٩
39. Nay, verily. Lo! We created them from what they know.
فَلَآ أُقْسِمُ بِرَبِّ ٱلْمَشَٰرِقِ وَٱلْمَغَٰرِبِ إِنَّا لَقَٰدِرُونَ ٤٠
40. But nay! I swear by the Lord of the rising-places and the setting-places of the planets that We verily are Able
عَلَىٰٓ أَن نُّبَدِّلَ خَيْرًا مِّنْهُمْ وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمَسْبُوقِينَ ٤١
41. To replace them by (others) better than them. And we are not to be outrun.
فَذَرْهُمْ يَخُوضُوا۟ وَيَلْعَبُوا۟ حَتَّىٰ يُلَٰقُوا۟ يَوْمَهُمُ ٱلَّذِى يُوعَدُونَ ٤٢
42. So let them chat and play until they meet their Day which they are promised,
يَوْمَ يَخْرُجُونَ مِنَ ٱلْأَجْدَاثِ سِرَاعًا كَأَنَّهُمْ إِلَىٰ نُصُبٍ يُوفِضُونَ ٤٣
43. The day when they come forth from the graves in haste, as racing to a goal,
خَٰشِعَةً أَبْصَٰرُهُمْ تَرْهَقُهُمْ ذِلَّةٌ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ ٱلْيَوْمُ ٱلَّذِى كَانُوا۟ يُوعَدُونَ ٤٤
44. With eyes aghast, abasement stupefying them: Such is the Day which they are promised.
Quran text (Uthmani script) from the Tanzil Project — Tanzil Quran Text (Uthmani, Version 1.1), Copyright (C) 2007-2026 Tanzil Project, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0. English translation: M. M. Pickthall (public domain), text via Tanzil.net. Tap “Tafsir of this verse” for the tafsir from recognised books, with the source cited.