Surah Al-Maarij - English Translation by Ali Unal

سَأَلَ سَآئِلُۢ بِعَذَابٖ وَاقِعٖ

A questioner (in mocking denial of the Day of Resurrection) has asked about the punishment certain to befall
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 1

لِّلۡكَٰفِرِينَ لَيۡسَ لَهُۥ دَافِعٞ

(And prepared for) the unbelievers; none can ward it off (from them)
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 2

مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ ذِي ٱلۡمَعَارِجِ

(It is) from God, Whose are the stairs of ascent
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 3

تَعۡرُجُ ٱلۡمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ وَٱلرُّوحُ إِلَيۡهِ فِي يَوۡمٖ كَانَ مِقۡدَارُهُۥ خَمۡسِينَ أَلۡفَ سَنَةٖ

The angels and the Spirit ascend to Him (thereby), in a day the measure of which is fifty thousand years (of your normal worldly years)
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 4

فَٱصۡبِرۡ صَبۡرٗا جَمِيلًا

So (O Messenger) endure (their insolence) with becoming patience
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 5

إِنَّهُمۡ يَرَوۡنَهُۥ بَعِيدٗا

They see it (the punishment) as far off (beyond their reason and perception)
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 6

وَنَرَىٰهُ قَرِيبٗا

But We see it as (certain to come and) near at hand
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 7

يَوۡمَ تَكُونُ ٱلسَّمَآءُ كَٱلۡمُهۡلِ

The Day when the sky will be like molten metal
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 8

وَتَكُونُ ٱلۡجِبَالُ كَٱلۡعِهۡنِ

And the mountains will be like multi-colored tufts of wool
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 9

وَلَا يَسۡـَٔلُ حَمِيمٌ حَمِيمٗا

And no loyal friend will ask after his friend
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 10

يُبَصَّرُونَهُمۡۚ يَوَدُّ ٱلۡمُجۡرِمُ لَوۡ يَفۡتَدِي مِنۡ عَذَابِ يَوۡمِئِذِۭ بِبَنِيهِ

Though they will be in sight of each other. Every disbelieving criminal will yearn to ransom himself from the punishment of that Day even by his sons
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 11

وَصَٰحِبَتِهِۦ وَأَخِيهِ

And his wife and his brother
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 12

وَفَصِيلَتِهِ ٱلَّتِي تُـٔۡوِيهِ

And all his kinsfolk who sheltered him
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 13

وَمَن فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ جَمِيعٗا ثُمَّ يُنجِيهِ

And whoever else is on the earth, all of them, so that he might then save himself
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 14

كَلَّآۖ إِنَّهَا لَظَىٰ

By no means! It is a furiously flaming fire
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 15

نَزَّاعَةٗ لِّلشَّوَىٰ

Tearing away the skin
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 16

تَدۡعُواْ مَنۡ أَدۡبَرَ وَتَوَلَّىٰ

It will call to itself those who turn their backs (on the call to faith) and turn away (from worship of God)
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 17

وَجَمَعَ فَأَوۡعَىٰٓ

And amass wealth and withhold it (from spending in God’s cause and for the needy)
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 18

۞إِنَّ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنَ خُلِقَ هَلُوعًا

Surely human has been created with a restless, impatient disposition
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 19

إِذَا مَسَّهُ ٱلشَّرُّ جَزُوعٗا

Fretful when evil visits him
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 20

وَإِذَا مَسَّهُ ٱلۡخَيۡرُ مَنُوعًا

And niggardly when good visits him
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 21

إِلَّا ٱلۡمُصَلِّينَ

Except those who are devoted to the Prayer
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 22

ٱلَّذِينَ هُمۡ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمۡ دَآئِمُونَ

Those who are constant in their Prayer
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 23

وَٱلَّذِينَ فِيٓ أَمۡوَٰلِهِمۡ حَقّٞ مَّعۡلُومٞ

And those in whose wealth there is a right acknowledged (by them)
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 24

لِّلسَّآئِلِ وَٱلۡمَحۡرُومِ

For such as have no means other than begging, and such as are denied help (because, having self-respect, they cannot beg and are thought to be well-off)
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 25

وَٱلَّذِينَ يُصَدِّقُونَ بِيَوۡمِ ٱلدِّينِ

And those who affirm as true the Day of Judgment
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 26

وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم مِّنۡ عَذَابِ رَبِّهِم مُّشۡفِقُونَ

And those who are fearful of their Lord’s punishment (and live accordingly)
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 27

إِنَّ عَذَابَ رَبِّهِمۡ غَيۡرُ مَأۡمُونٖ

Indeed, their Lord’s punishment is that of which no one can ever feel secure
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 28

وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمۡ لِفُرُوجِهِمۡ حَٰفِظُونَ

And those who strictly guard their private parts, and their chastity and modesty
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 29

إِلَّا عَلَىٰٓ أَزۡوَٰجِهِمۡ أَوۡ مَا مَلَكَتۡ أَيۡمَٰنُهُمۡ فَإِنَّهُمۡ غَيۡرُ مَلُومِينَ

Save from their spouses or (as a permission for men) those (bondsmaids) whom their right hands possess, for with regard to them they are free from blame
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 30

فَمَنِ ٱبۡتَغَىٰ وَرَآءَ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُوْلَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلۡعَادُونَ

But whoever seeks beyond that, such are those who exceed the bounds (set by God)
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 31

وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمۡ لِأَمَٰنَٰتِهِمۡ وَعَهۡدِهِمۡ رَٰعُونَ

And those who are faithful to their trusts (which either God or society or an individual places in their charge) and to their pledges (between them and God or other persons or society)
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 32

وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم بِشَهَٰدَٰتِهِمۡ قَآئِمُونَ

And those who are upholders (of right and justice) by bearing true witness and without avoiding giving testimony
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 33

وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمۡ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمۡ يُحَافِظُونَ

And those who safeguard their Prayers (including all the rites of which they are constituted)
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 34

أُوْلَـٰٓئِكَ فِي جَنَّـٰتٖ مُّكۡرَمُونَ

Those will be in Gardens, high-honored
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 35

فَمَالِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ قِبَلَكَ مُهۡطِعِينَ

What is the matter with those who disbelieve, that (with the intent of mockery) they hasten on toward you with staring eyes fixed on you
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 36

عَنِ ٱلۡيَمِينِ وَعَنِ ٱلشِّمَالِ عِزِينَ

From the right and from the left, in crowds
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 37

أَيَطۡمَعُ كُلُّ ٱمۡرِيٕٖ مِّنۡهُمۡ أَن يُدۡخَلَ جَنَّةَ نَعِيمٖ

Does every one of them covet admission into the Garden of bounty and blessing (regarding himself as supremely deserving Paradise without the effort of faith)
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 38

كَلَّآۖ إِنَّا خَلَقۡنَٰهُم مِّمَّا يَعۡلَمُونَ

By no means! We have surely created them out of that (simple matter) which they know very well
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 39

فَلَآ أُقۡسِمُ بِرَبِّ ٱلۡمَشَٰرِقِ وَٱلۡمَغَٰرِبِ إِنَّا لَقَٰدِرُونَ

So, I swear by the Lord of the points of sunrise and sunset, that surely We are able
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 40

عَلَىٰٓ أَن نُّبَدِّلَ خَيۡرٗا مِّنۡهُمۡ وَمَا نَحۡنُ بِمَسۡبُوقِينَ

To replace them with (others) better than them (in respect of faith in God and in their worship of Him), and We are not to be frustrated (in doing what We will)
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 41