Surah Al-Maarij - English Translation by N J Dawood
سَأَلَ سَآئِلُۢ بِعَذَابٖ وَاقِعٖ
A SCEPTIC² once demanded that punishment be visited
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 1
لِّلۡكَٰفِرِينَ لَيۡسَ لَهُۥ دَافِعٞ
forthwith upon the unbelievers. No power can hinder
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 2
مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ ذِي ٱلۡمَعَارِجِ
God from punishing them. He is the Lord of the Stairways
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 3
تَعۡرُجُ ٱلۡمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ وَٱلرُّوحُ إِلَيۡهِ فِي يَوۡمٖ كَانَ مِقۡدَارُهُۥ خَمۡسِينَ أَلۡفَ سَنَةٖ
whereby the angels and the Spirit will ascend to Him in one day whose space is fifty thousand years
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 4
فَٱصۡبِرۡ صَبۡرٗا جَمِيلًا
Therefore conduct yourself with becoming patience
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 5
إِنَّهُمۡ يَرَوۡنَهُۥ بَعِيدٗا
They think the Day of Judgement is far off
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 6
وَنَرَىٰهُ قَرِيبٗا
but We see it near at hand
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 7
يَوۡمَ تَكُونُ ٱلسَّمَآءُ كَٱلۡمُهۡلِ
On that day the sky shall become like molten brass
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 8
وَتَكُونُ ٱلۡجِبَالُ كَٱلۡعِهۡنِ
and the mountains like tufts of wool scattered in the wind
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 9
وَلَا يَسۡـَٔلُ حَمِيمٌ حَمِيمٗا
No bosom friend shall ask a bosom friend when eye meets eye
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 10
يُبَصَّرُونَهُمۡۚ يَوَدُّ ٱلۡمُجۡرِمُ لَوۡ يَفۡتَدِي مِنۡ عَذَابِ يَوۡمِئِذِۭ بِبَنِيهِ
To redeem himself from the torment of that day the sinner will gladly sacrifice his children
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 11
وَصَٰحِبَتِهِۦ وَأَخِيهِ
his consort, his brother
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 12
وَفَصِيلَتِهِ ٱلَّتِي تُـٔۡوِيهِ
the kin who gave him shelter
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 13
وَمَن فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ جَمِيعٗا ثُمَّ يُنجِيهِ
and all that are on the earth, if then this might deliver him
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 14
كَلَّآۖ إِنَّهَا لَظَىٰ
But no! The fire of Hell
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 15
نَزَّاعَةٗ لِّلشَّوَىٰ
shall drag him down by the scalp
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 16
تَدۡعُواْ مَنۡ أَدۡبَرَ وَتَوَلَّىٰ
shall claim him who had turned his back
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 17
وَجَمَعَ فَأَوۡعَىٰٓ
and amassed riches and covetously hoarded them
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 18
۞إِنَّ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنَ خُلِقَ هَلُوعًا
Indeed, man was created impatient
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 19
إِذَا مَسَّهُ ٱلشَّرُّ جَزُوعٗا
When evil befalls him he is despondent
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 20
وَإِذَا مَسَّهُ ٱلۡخَيۡرُ مَنُوعًا
but, blessed with good fortune, he grows niggardly
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 21
إِلَّا ٱلۡمُصَلِّينَ
Not so the worshippers
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 22
ٱلَّذِينَ هُمۡ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمۡ دَآئِمُونَ
who are steadfast in prayer
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 23
وَٱلَّذِينَ فِيٓ أَمۡوَٰلِهِمۡ حَقّٞ مَّعۡلُومٞ
who set aside a due portion of their wealth
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 24
لِّلسَّآئِلِ وَٱلۡمَحۡرُومِ
for the beggar and for the dispossessed
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 25
وَٱلَّذِينَ يُصَدِّقُونَ بِيَوۡمِ ٱلدِّينِ
who truly believe in the Day of Reckoning
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 26
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم مِّنۡ عَذَابِ رَبِّهِم مُّشۡفِقُونَ
and dread the punishment of their Lord
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 27
إِنَّ عَذَابَ رَبِّهِمۡ غَيۡرُ مَأۡمُونٖ
for none is secure from the punishment of their Lord
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 28
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمۡ لِفُرُوجِهِمۡ حَٰفِظُونَ
who restrain their carnal desire
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 29
إِلَّا عَلَىٰٓ أَزۡوَٰجِهِمۡ أَوۡ مَا مَلَكَتۡ أَيۡمَٰنُهُمۡ فَإِنَّهُمۡ غَيۡرُ مَلُومِينَ
save with their wives and slave-girls, for with these they are blameless
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 30
فَمَنِ ٱبۡتَغَىٰ وَرَآءَ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُوْلَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلۡعَادُونَ
transgressors are those who lust after other than these
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 31
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمۡ لِأَمَٰنَٰتِهِمۡ وَعَهۡدِهِمۡ رَٰعُونَ
who keep their trusts and promises
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 32
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم بِشَهَٰدَٰتِهِمۡ قَآئِمُونَ
and bear true witness
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 33
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمۡ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمۡ يُحَافِظُونَ
and who attend to their prayers with promptitude
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 34
أُوْلَـٰٓئِكَ فِي جَنَّـٰتٖ مُّكۡرَمُونَ
These shall be laden with honours, in fair Gardens
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 35
فَمَالِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ قِبَلَكَ مُهۡطِعِينَ
But what has befallen the unbelievers, that they scramble towards you
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 36
عَنِ ٱلۡيَمِينِ وَعَنِ ٱلشِّمَالِ عِزِينَ
in multitudes from right and left
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 37
أَيَطۡمَعُ كُلُّ ٱمۡرِيٕٖ مِّنۡهُمۡ أَن يُدۡخَلَ جَنَّةَ نَعِيمٖ
Are they each seeking to enter a Garden of Delight
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 38
كَلَّآۖ إِنَّا خَلَقۡنَٰهُم مِّمَّا يَعۡلَمُونَ
No! Of what We created them they know full well
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 39
فَلَآ أُقۡسِمُ بِرَبِّ ٱلۡمَشَٰرِقِ وَٱلۡمَغَٰرِبِ إِنَّا لَقَٰدِرُونَ
I swear by the Lord of the easts and of the wests that We have the power
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 40
عَلَىٰٓ أَن نُّبَدِّلَ خَيۡرٗا مِّنۡهُمۡ وَمَا نَحۡنُ بِمَسۡبُوقِينَ
to replace them by others better than they: nothing can hinder us from so doing
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 41
فَذَرۡهُمۡ يَخُوضُواْ وَيَلۡعَبُواْ حَتَّىٰ يُلَٰقُواْ يَوۡمَهُمُ ٱلَّذِي يُوعَدُونَ
So let them paddle, let them play until they face the day they are promised
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 42
يَوۡمَ يَخۡرُجُونَ مِنَ ٱلۡأَجۡدَاثِ سِرَاعٗا كَأَنَّهُمۡ إِلَىٰ نُصُبٖ يُوفِضُونَ
the day when they shall rush headlong from their graves
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 43
خَٰشِعَةً أَبۡصَٰرُهُمۡ تَرۡهَقُهُمۡ ذِلَّةٞۚ ذَٰلِكَ ٱلۡيَوۡمُ ٱلَّذِي كَانُواْ يُوعَدُونَ
like men rallying to a standard, with downcast eyes and countenances distorted and abject. Such is the day they are promised
Surah Al-Maarij, Verse 44