Al-Ma‘ârij

سَأَلَ سَائِلٌ بِعَذَابٍ وَاقِعٍ ١

A questioner asked for the torment which is sure to come about,

لِّلْكَافِرِينَ لَيْسَ لَهُ دَافِعٌ ٢

Upon the disbelievers, which no one can repel.

مِّنَ اللَّهِ ذِي الْمَعَارِجِ ٣

(That will befall) from Allah, Who is the Lord of the Ascending Steps to Heaven (and of the higher ranks and grades of spiritual hierarchy).

تَعْرُجُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ وَالرُّوحُ إِلَيْهِ فِي يَوْمٍ كَانَ مِقْدَارُهُ خَمْسِينَ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍ ٤

The angels and al-Ruh al-Amin (the Spirit) rise towards His (Throne) in a Day which measures fifty thousand years (according to the worldly scale).

فَاصْبِرْ صَبْرًا جَمِيلًا ٥

So, (O Beloved,) observe patience (on the assertions of the disbelievers) without regrets.

إِنَّهُمْ يَرَوْنَهُ بَعِيدًا ٦

Surely, they imagine that (Day) to be far off,

وَنَرَاهُ قَرِيبًا ٧

But We see it very near.

يَوْمَ تَكُونُ السَّمَاءُ كَالْمُهْلِ ٨

On that Day the sky will become like molten copper,

وَتَكُونُ الْجِبَالُ كَالْعِهْنِ ٩

And the mountains like (flakes of) coloured wool,

وَلَا يَسْأَلُ حَمِيمٌ حَمِيمًا ١٠

And no friend will enquire after his friend,

يُبَصَّرُونَهُمْ ۚ يَوَدُّ الْمُجْرِمُ لَوْ يَفْتَدِي مِنْ عَذَابِ يَوْمِئِذٍ بِبَنِيهِ ١١

(Though) they will be shown (to one another). The sinner would desire to ransom himself from the torment of that Day by his children,

وَصَاحِبَتِهِ وَأَخِيهِ ١٢

And (by giving) his wife and his brother,

وَفَصِيلَتِهِ الَّتِي تُؤْوِيهِ ١٣

And (all) his family who used to provide him shelter,

وَمَن فِي الْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًا ثُمَّ يُنجِيهِ ١٤

And all the people on earth (as recompense for himself), so that this (atonement) may save him from (Allah’s torment).

كَلَّا ۖ إِنَّهَا لَظَىٰ ١٥

But no! By no means! Surely, that is a Flaming Fire,

نَزَّاعَةً لِّلشَّوَىٰ ١٦

Stripping off the skin of all the limbs and the scalp.

تَدْعُو مَنْ أَدْبَرَ وَتَوَلَّىٰ ١٧

It is calling him who turned his back (on the truth) and turned away,

وَجَمَعَ فَأَوْعَىٰ ١٨

And (he who) accumulated wealth and then held it (from distribution).

۞ إِنَّ الْإِنسَانَ خُلِقَ هَلُوعًا ١٩

Surely, man has been created impatient and greedy.

إِذَا مَسَّهُ الشَّرُّ جَزُوعًا ٢٠

He gets upset and worried when some hardship (or financial loss) afflicts him,