Sura al-Ma‘arij

70:1. A questioner asked about the punishment bound to occur,

سأل سائل بعذاب واقع

70:2. upon the disbelievers, which none can repel,

للكافرين ليس له دافع

70:3. from Allah, Lord of the Ascending Ways.

من الله ذي المعارج

70:4. The angels and the Spirit ascend to Him in a Day whose span is fifty thousand (earthly) years.

* If fi yawm is co-related to waqi’, it implies ‘50,000 year long Day of Judgement when the torment will befall’. But if it is co-related to ta‘ruju, it denotes fifty millennium year a day speed of ascension by the angels and by the souls of the believers that ascend towards Allah’s Throne. It is known to Allah alone as to what time they take to reach the destination. This generates the concept of ‘light year’.

تعرج الملائكة والروح إليه في يوم كان مقداره خمسين ألف سنة

70:5. So endure with graceful patience.

فاصبر صبرا جميلا

70:6. Indeed, they think this (Day) to be distant,

إنهم يرونه بعيدا

70:7. but We see it as near.

ونراه قريبا

70:8. On that Day, the sky will be like molten copper,

يوم تكون السماء كالمهل

70:9. and the mountains like (flakes of) coloured wool.

وتكون الجبال كالعهن

70:10. And no close friend will ask about his friend,

ولا يسأل حميم حميما

70:11. (although) they will be made to see each other. The guilty will wish to ransom himself from the punishment of that Day at the expense of his children,

يبصرونهم يود المجرم لو يفتدي من عذاب يومئذ ببنيه

70:12. and his wife and his brother,

وصاحبته وأخيه

70:13. and his close family who had sheltered him,

وفصيلته التي تؤويه

70:14. and all those upon the earth, if it could save him (from the punishment).

ومن في الأرض جميعا ثم ينجيه

70:15. But never! Indeed, it is a blazing Fire,

كلا إنها لظى

70:16. that strips away the whole skin.

نزاعة للشوى

70:17. It invites whoever turns back and flees (from the truth),

تدعوا من أدبر وتولى

70:18. and accumulates wealth and holds it (from distribution).

وجمع فأوعى

70:19. Indeed, humankind has been created impatient and greedy.

إن الإنسان خلق هلوعا

70:20. He gets distressed when misfortune afflicts him,

إذا مسه الشر جزوعا

70:21. and he becomes miserly when good fortune comes his way,

وإذا مسه الخير منوعا

70:22. except for the performers of prayer,

إلا المصلين

70:23. those who consistently observe their prayers,

الذين هم على صلاتهم دائمون

70:24. and those in whose wealth there is a known share,

والذين في أموالهم حق معلوم

70:25. for the beggar and the deprived,

للسائل والمحروم

70:26. and those who firmly believe in the Day of Judgement,

والذين يصدقون بيوم الدين

70:27. and those who are fearful of the punishment of their Lord.

والذين هم من عذاب ربهم مشفقون

70:28. Indeed, the punishment of their Lord is not something to feel safe from.

إن عذاب ربهم غير مأمون

70:29. And those who guard (the chastity of) their private parts,

والذين هم لفروجهم حافظون

70:30. except with their wives or their slave women, for they are not blameworthy (for them).

إلا على أزواجهم أو ما ملكت أيمانهم فإنهم غير ملومين

70:31. But those who seek to go beyond this (limit) are the transgressors.

فمن ابتغى وراء ذلك فأولئك هم العادون

70:32. And those who are faithful in keeping their trusts and covenants,

والذين هم لأماناتهم وعهدهم راعون

70:33. and those who are firm upholders of their testimonies,

والذين هم بشهاداتهم قائمون

70:34. and those who are (consistently) watchful over their prayers,

والذين هم على صلاتهم يحافظون

70:35. they shall be in Gardens, held in great honour.

أولئك في جنات مكرمون

70:36. What is the matter with the disbelievers that they are hastening towards you,

فمال الذين كفروا قبلك مهطعين

70:37. from the right and the left, in crowds (to mock you)?

عن اليمين وعن الشمال عزين

70:38. Does every one of them hope to enter the Garden of Bliss (without possessing faith and performing good deeds)?

أيطمع كل امرئ منهم أن يدخل جنة نعيم

70:39. Never! Indeed, We have created them from (a substance) they already know.

كلا إنا خلقناهم مما يعلمون

70:40. So I swear by the Lord of all horizons of sunrise and all horizons of sunset that We are Capable,

فلا أقسم برب المشارق والمغارب إنا لقادرون

70:41. of replacing them with others better than them. And We cannot be prevented (from doing so).

على أن نبدل خيرا منهم وما نحن بمسبوقين

70:42. So leave them occupied with idle talk and to amuse (themselves) until they encounter their Day, which they have been promised (as Retribution),

فذرهم يخوضوا ويلعبوا حتى يلاقوا يومهم الذي يوعدون

70:43. the Day they come out of the graves, hastening, as if racing towards a goal.

يوم يخرجون من الأجداث سراعا كأنهم إلى نصب يوفضون

70:44. Their (shameful) eyes will be downcast (and) disgrace will overtake them. That is the Day they have been promised.

خاشعة أبصارهم ترهقهم ذلة ذلك اليوم الذي كانوا يوعدون