Surah 70
The Ways of Ascent
Al-Maʿarij 🪜
This chapter describes the human tendency to be anxious during hardships and greedy during good times, explaining that regular prayer and charity are the keys to overcoming these flaws. Its title is drawn from verse 3, which describes God as the Lord of the ways of ascent, through which angels rise up to the heavens.
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
1A man [mockingly] demanded the punishment.
2It will fall on the disbelievers — none can deflect it —
3From God, the Lord of the Ways of Ascent,
4By which the angels and the Spirit ascend to Him, on a Day whose length is fifty thousand years.
5So be patient, [Prophet], as befits you.
6The disbelievers think it is distant,
7But We know it to be close.
8On a Day when the heavens will be like molten brass
9And the mountains like tufts of wool,
10When no friend will ask about his friend,
11Even when they are within sight of one another. The guilty person will wish he could save himself from the suffering of that Day by sacrificing his sons,
12His spouse, his brother,
13The kinsfolk who gave him shelter,
14And everyone on earth, if it could save him.
15But no! There is a raging flame
16That strips away the skin,
17And it will claim everyone who rejects the truth, turns away,
18Amasses wealth and hoards it.
19Man was truly created anxious:
20He is fretful when misfortune touches him,
21But tight-fisted when good fortune comes his way.
22Not so those who pray
23And are constant in their prayers —
24Who give a due share of their wealth
25To beggars and the deprived —
26Who believe in the Day of Judgement
27And fear the punishment of their Lord —
28None may feel wholly secure from it —
29Who guard their chastity
30From all but their spouses or their slave-girls — there is no blame attached to [relations with] these,
31But those whose desires exceed this limit are truly transgressors —
32Who are faithful to their trusts and their pledges —
33Who give honest testimony
34And are steadfast in their prayers.
35They will be honoured in Gardens of bliss.
36What is wrong with the disbelievers? Why do they rush to peer at you [Prophet],
37From right and left, in crowds?
38Does every one of them expect to enter a Garden of bliss?
39No! We created them from the substance they know,
40And, by the Lord of every sunrise and sunset, We have the power
41To substitute for them others better than they are — nothing can prevent Us from doing this.
42So leave them to wallow in idle talk, until they come face to face with their promised Day,
43The Day they will rush out of their graves as if rallying to a flag,
44Eyes downcast and covered in shame: that is the Day of which they were warned.