Surah Al-Maarij - English Translation by Aisha Bewley
سَأَلَ سَآئِلُۢ بِعَذَابٖ وَاقِعٖ
An inquirer asked about an impending punishment
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 1
لِّلۡكَٰفِرِينَ لَيۡسَ لَهُۥ دَافِعٞ
It is for the kafirun and cannot be averted
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 2
مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ ذِي ٱلۡمَعَارِجِ
from Allah — the Lord of the Ascending Steps
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 3
تَعۡرُجُ ٱلۡمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ وَٱلرُّوحُ إِلَيۡهِ فِي يَوۡمٖ كَانَ مِقۡدَارُهُۥ خَمۡسِينَ أَلۡفَ سَنَةٖ
The angels and the Spirit ascend to Him in a day whose length is fifty thousand years
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 4
فَٱصۡبِرۡ صَبۡرٗا جَمِيلًا
Therefore be patient with a patience which is beautiful
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 5
إِنَّهُمۡ يَرَوۡنَهُۥ بَعِيدٗا
They see it as something distant
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 6
وَنَرَىٰهُ قَرِيبٗا
but We see it as very close
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 7
يَوۡمَ تَكُونُ ٱلسَّمَآءُ كَٱلۡمُهۡلِ
On the Day the sky is like molten brass
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 8
وَتَكُونُ ٱلۡجِبَالُ كَٱلۡعِهۡنِ
and the mountains like tufts of coloured wool
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 9
وَلَا يَسۡـَٔلُ حَمِيمٌ حَمِيمٗا
no good friend will ask about his friend
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 10
يُبَصَّرُونَهُمۡۚ يَوَدُّ ٱلۡمُجۡرِمُ لَوۡ يَفۡتَدِي مِنۡ عَذَابِ يَوۡمِئِذِۭ بِبَنِيهِ
even though they can see each other. An evildoer will wish he could ransom himself from the punishment of that Day, by means of his sons
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 11
وَصَٰحِبَتِهِۦ وَأَخِيهِ
or his wife or his brother
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 12
وَفَصِيلَتِهِ ٱلَّتِي تُـٔۡوِيهِ
or his family who sheltered him
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 13
وَمَن فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ جَمِيعٗا ثُمَّ يُنجِيهِ
or everyone else on earth, if that only meant that he could save himself
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 14
كَلَّآۖ إِنَّهَا لَظَىٰ
But no! It is a Raging Blaze
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 15
نَزَّاعَةٗ لِّلشَّوَىٰ
stripping away the limbs and scalp
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 16
تَدۡعُواْ مَنۡ أَدۡبَرَ وَتَوَلَّىٰ
which calls for all who drew back and turned away
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 17
وَجَمَعَ فَأَوۡعَىٰٓ
and amassed and hoarded up
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 18
۞إِنَّ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنَ خُلِقَ هَلُوعًا
Truly man was created headstrong —
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 19
إِذَا مَسَّهُ ٱلشَّرُّ جَزُوعٗا
desperate when bad things happen
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 20
وَإِذَا مَسَّهُ ٱلۡخَيۡرُ مَنُوعًا
begrudging when good things come —
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 21
إِلَّا ٱلۡمُصَلِّينَ
except for those who do salat
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 22
ٱلَّذِينَ هُمۡ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمۡ دَآئِمُونَ
and are constant in it
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 23
وَٱلَّذِينَ فِيٓ أَمۡوَٰلِهِمۡ حَقّٞ مَّعۡلُومٞ
those in whose wealth there is a known share
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 24
لِّلسَّآئِلِ وَٱلۡمَحۡرُومِ
for beggars and the destitute
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 25
وَٱلَّذِينَ يُصَدِّقُونَ بِيَوۡمِ ٱلدِّينِ
those who affirm the Day of Judgement
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 26
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم مِّنۡ عَذَابِ رَبِّهِم مُّشۡفِقُونَ
those who are fearful of the punishment of their Lord
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 27
إِنَّ عَذَابَ رَبِّهِمۡ غَيۡرُ مَأۡمُونٖ
no one is safe from the punishment of his Lord
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 28
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمۡ لِفُرُوجِهِمۡ حَٰفِظُونَ
those who guard their private parts
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 29
إِلَّا عَلَىٰٓ أَزۡوَٰجِهِمۡ أَوۡ مَا مَلَكَتۡ أَيۡمَٰنُهُمۡ فَإِنَّهُمۡ غَيۡرُ مَلُومِينَ
except from their wives and any slaves they own, in which case they incur no blame
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 30
فَمَنِ ٱبۡتَغَىٰ وَرَآءَ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُوْلَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلۡعَادُونَ
but if anyone desires any more than that, they have overstepped the limits
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 31
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمۡ لِأَمَٰنَٰتِهِمۡ وَعَهۡدِهِمۡ رَٰعُونَ
those who honour their trusts and contracts
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 32
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم بِشَهَٰدَٰتِهِمۡ قَآئِمُونَ
those who stand by their testimony
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 33
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمۡ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمۡ يُحَافِظُونَ
those who safeguard their salat
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 34
أُوْلَـٰٓئِكَ فِي جَنَّـٰتٖ مُّكۡرَمُونَ
such people will be in Gardens, highly honoured
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 35
فَمَالِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ قِبَلَكَ مُهۡطِعِينَ
What is the matter with those who are kafir? They run about in front of you, with outstretched necks and staring eyes
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 36
عَنِ ٱلۡيَمِينِ وَعَنِ ٱلشِّمَالِ عِزِينَ
on the right and on the left in scattered groups
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 37
أَيَطۡمَعُ كُلُّ ٱمۡرِيٕٖ مِّنۡهُمۡ أَن يُدۡخَلَ جَنَّةَ نَعِيمٖ
Does each one of them aspire to be admitted into a Garden of Delight
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 38
كَلَّآۖ إِنَّا خَلَقۡنَٰهُم مِّمَّا يَعۡلَمُونَ
Certainly not! We created them from what they know full well
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 39
فَلَآ أُقۡسِمُ بِرَبِّ ٱلۡمَشَٰرِقِ وَٱلۡمَغَٰرِبِ إِنَّا لَقَٰدِرُونَ
No! I swear by the Lord of the Easts and Wests that We have the power
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 40
عَلَىٰٓ أَن نُّبَدِّلَ خَيۡرٗا مِّنۡهُمۡ وَمَا نَحۡنُ بِمَسۡبُوقِينَ
to replace them with something better than them. We will not be outstripped
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 41
فَذَرۡهُمۡ يَخُوضُواْ وَيَلۡعَبُواْ حَتَّىٰ يُلَٰقُواْ يَوۡمَهُمُ ٱلَّذِي يُوعَدُونَ
So leave them to plunge and play around until they meet their Day which they are promised
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 42
يَوۡمَ يَخۡرُجُونَ مِنَ ٱلۡأَجۡدَاثِ سِرَاعٗا كَأَنَّهُمۡ إِلَىٰ نُصُبٖ يُوفِضُونَ
The Day they will emerge swiftly from their graves as if rushing to rally to the flag
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 43
خَٰشِعَةً أَبۡصَٰرُهُمۡ تَرۡهَقُهُمۡ ذِلَّةٞۚ ذَٰلِكَ ٱلۡيَوۡمُ ٱلَّذِي كَانُواْ يُوعَدُونَ
eyes downcast, darkened by debasement, that will be the Day which they were promised
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 44