HOLY QURAN CHAPTER 70. AL-MAARIJ (THE ASCENDING STAIRWAYS)

HOLY QURAN CHAPTER 70. AL-MAARIJ (THE ASCENDING STAIRWAYS)

MAUDUDI'S INTRODUCTION

Name: The Surah takes its name from the word dhil Ma'arij in verse 3.

Period of Revelation

The subject matter bears evidence that this Surah too was sent down in conditions closely resembling those under which Surah Al Haaqqah was sent down.

Theme and Subject Matter

It admonishes and gives warning to the disbelievers who made fun of the news about Resurrection and the Hereafter, and Hell and Heaven, and challenged the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) to cause Resurrection with which he threatened them to take place if what he said was true and they had become worthy of the punishment in Hell by denying it. The whole Surah is meant to answer this denial.

The Surah opens with words to the effect: "A demander has demanded a torment, the torment which must befall the deniers; and when it takes place, there will be none to prevent it, but it will take place at its own appointed time. Allah has His own way of doing things, but He is not unjust. Therefore, have patience, O Prophet, at what they say. They think it is far off, but We see it as near at hand."

Then it is said: "Resurrection, which they desire to be hastened out of jest and fun, is terrible, and when it comes, it will cause great distress to the culprits. At that time they will even be prepared to give away their wives and children and their nearest kinsfolk in ransom to escape the punishment, but they will not be able to escape it.

Then the people have been warned to the effect; "On that Day the destinies of men will be decided strictly on the basis of their belief and their conduct. Those who turn away from the Truth in the world and amass wealth and withhold it from the needy, will be doomed to Hell; and those who fear the punishment of God here, believe in the Hereafter, keep up the Prayer, discharge the rights of the needy out of their wealth, strictly avoid immoral and wicked deeds, practise honesty in all their dealings, fulfill their pledges and trust and bear true witness, will have a place of honor in Paradise"

In conclusion, the disbelievers of Makkah who rushed in upon the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) from every side as soon as they saw him, in order to make fun of him, have been warned to the effect: "If you do not believe, Allah will replace you by other people who will be better than you", and the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) has been consoled, so as to say: "Do not take to heart their mockery and jesting; leave them to indulge in their idle talk and foolish conduct if they are bent upon experiencing the disgrace and humiliation of the Resurrection; they will themselves see their evil end."'

سُوۡرَةُ المعَارج
بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

سَأَلَ سَآٮِٕلُۢ بِعَذَابٍ۬ وَاقِعٍ۬ (١) لِّلۡڪَـٰفِرِينَ لَيۡسَ لَهُ ۥ دَافِعٌ۬ (٢) مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ ذِى ٱلۡمَعَارِجِ (٣) تَعۡرُجُ ٱلۡمَلَـٰٓٮِٕڪَةُ وَٱلرُّوحُ إِلَيۡهِ فِى يَوۡمٍ۬ كَانَ مِقۡدَارُهُ ۥ خَمۡسِينَ أَلۡفَ سَنَةٍ۬ (٤) فَٱصۡبِرۡ صَبۡرً۬ا جَمِيلاً (٥) إِنَّہُمۡ يَرَوۡنَهُ ۥ بَعِيدً۬ا (٦) وَنَرَٮٰهُ قَرِيبً۬ا (٧) يَوۡمَ تَكُونُ ٱلسَّمَآءُ كَٱلۡمُهۡلِ (٨) وَتَكُونُ ٱلۡجِبَالُ كَٱلۡعِهۡنِ (٩) وَلَا يَسۡـَٔلُ حَمِيمٌ حَمِيمً۬ا (١٠) يُبَصَّرُونَہُمۡ‌ۚ يَوَدُّ ٱلۡمُجۡرِمُ لَوۡ يَفۡتَدِى مِنۡ عَذَابِ يَوۡمِٮِٕذِۭ بِبَنِيهِ (١١) وَصَـٰحِبَتِهِۦ وَأَخِيهِ (١٢) وَفَصِيلَتِهِ ٱلَّتِى تُـٔۡوِيهِ (١٣) وَمَن فِى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ جَمِيعً۬ا ثُمَّ يُنجِيهِ (١٤) كَلَّآ‌ۖ إِنَّہَا لَظَىٰ (١٥) نَزَّاعَةً۬ لِّلشَّوَىٰ (١٦) تَدۡعُواْ مَنۡ أَدۡبَرَ وَتَوَلَّىٰ (١٧) وَجَمَعَ فَأَوۡعَىٰٓ (١٨) ۞ إِنَّ ٱلۡإِنسَـٰنَ خُلِقَ هَلُوعًا (١٩) إِذَا مَسَّهُ ٱلشَّرُّ جَزُوعً۬ا (٢٠) وَإِذَا مَسَّهُ ٱلۡخَيۡرُ مَنُوعًا (٢١) إِلَّا ٱلۡمُصَلِّينَ (٢٢) ٱلَّذِينَ هُمۡ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِہِمۡ دَآٮِٕمُونَ (٢٣) وَٱلَّذِينَ فِىٓ أَمۡوَٲلِهِمۡ حَقٌّ۬ مَّعۡلُومٌ۬ (٢٤) لِّلسَّآٮِٕلِ وَٱلۡمَحۡرُومِ (٢٥) وَٱلَّذِينَ يُصَدِّقُونَ بِيَوۡمِ ٱلدِّينِ (٢٦) وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم مِّنۡ عَذَابِ رَبِّہِم مُّشۡفِقُونَ (٢٧) إِنَّ عَذَابَ رَبِّہِمۡ غَيۡرُ مَأۡمُونٍ۬ (٢٨) وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمۡ لِفُرُوجِهِمۡ حَـٰفِظُونَ (٢٩) إِلَّا عَلَىٰٓ أَزۡوَٲجِهِمۡ أَوۡ مَا مَلَكَتۡ أَيۡمَـٰنُہُمۡ فَإِنَّہُمۡ غَيۡرُ مَلُومِينَ (٣٠) فَمَنِ ٱبۡتَغَىٰ وَرَآءَ ذَٲلِكَ فَأُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ هُمُ ٱلۡعَادُونَ (٣١) وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمۡ لِأَمَـٰنَـٰتِہِمۡ وَعَهۡدِهِمۡ رَٲعُونَ (٣٢) وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم بِشَہَـٰدَٲتِہِمۡ قَآٮِٕمُونَ (٣٣) وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمۡ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِہِمۡ يُحَافِظُونَ (٣٤) أُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ فِى جَنَّـٰتٍ۬ مُّكۡرَمُونَ (٣٥) فَمَالِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ قِبَلَكَ مُهۡطِعِينَ (٣٦) عَنِ ٱلۡيَمِينِ وَعَنِ ٱلشِّمَالِ عِزِينَ (٣٧) أَيَطۡمَعُ ڪُلُّ ٱمۡرِىٍٕ۬ مِّنۡہُمۡ أَن يُدۡخَلَ جَنَّةَ نَعِيمٍ۬ (٣٨) كَلَّآ‌ۖ إِنَّا خَلَقۡنَـٰهُم مِّمَّا يَعۡلَمُونَ (٣٩) فَلَآ أُقۡسِمُ بِرَبِّ ٱلۡمَشَـٰرِقِ وَٱلۡمَغَـٰرِبِ إِنَّا لَقَـٰدِرُونَ (٤٠) عَلَىٰٓ أَن نُّبَدِّلَ خَيۡرً۬ا مِّنۡهُمۡ وَمَا نَحۡنُ بِمَسۡبُوقِينَ (٤١) فَذَرۡهُمۡ يَخُوضُواْ وَيَلۡعَبُواْ حَتَّىٰ يُلَـٰقُواْ يَوۡمَهُمُ ٱلَّذِى يُوعَدُونَ (٤٢) يَوۡمَ يَخۡرُجُونَ مِنَ ٱلۡأَجۡدَاثِ سِرَاعً۬ا كَأَنَّہُمۡ إِلَىٰ نُصُبٍ۬ يُوفِضُونَ (٤٣) خَـٰشِعَةً أَبۡصَـٰرُهُمۡ تَرۡهَقُهُمۡ ذِلَّةٌ۬‌ۚ ذَٲلِكَ ٱلۡيَوۡمُ ٱلَّذِى كَانُواْ يُوعَدُونَ (٤٤)

 

TRANSLATION OF SURAH AL-MAARIJ CHAPTER 70

Surah Al-Maarij
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

A questioner questioned concerning the doom about to fall (1) Upon the disbelievers, which none can repel, (2) From Allah, Lord of the Ascending Stairways (3) (Whereby) the angels and the Spirit ascend unto Him in a Day whereof the span is fifty thousand years. (4) But be patient (O Muhammad) with a patience fair to see. (5) Lo! they behold it afar off (6) While we behold it nigh: (7) The day when the sky will become as molten copper, (8) And the hills become as flakes of wool, (9) And no familiar friend will ask a question of his friend (10) Though they will be given sight of them. The guilty man will long to be able to ransom himself from the punishment of that day at the price of his children (11) And his spouse and his brother (12) And his kin that harboured him (13) And all that are in the earth, if then it might deliver him. (14) But nay! for lo! it is the fire of hell (15) Eager to roast; (16) It calleth him who turned and fled (from truth), (17) And hoarded (wealth) and withheld it. (18) Lo! man was created anxious, (19) Fretful when evil befalleth him (20) And, when good befalleth him, grudging; (21) Save worshippers. (22) Who are constant at their worship (23) And in whose wealth there is a right acknowledged (24) For the beggar and the destitute; (25) And those who believe in the Day of Judgment, (26) And those who are fearful of their Lord's doom - (27) Lo! the doom of their Lord is that before which none can feel secure - (28) And those who preserve their chastity (29) Save with their wives and those whom their right hands possess, for thus they are not blameworthy; (30) But whoso seeketh more than that, those are they who are transgressors; (31) And those who keep their pledges and their covenant, (32) And those who stand by their testimony (33) And those who are attentive at their worship. (34) These will dwell in Gardens, honoured. (35) What aileth those who disbelieve, that they keep staring toward thee (O Muhammad), open-eyed, (36) On the right and on the left, in groups? (37) Doth every man among them hope to enter the Garden of Delight? (38) Nay, verily. Lo! We created them from what they know. (39) But nay! I swear by the Lord of the rising-places and the setting-places of the planets that We are Able (40) To replace them by (others) better than them. And we are not to be outrun. (41) So let them chat and play until they meet their Day which they are promised, (42) The day when they come forth from the graves in haste, as racing to a goal, (43) With eyes aghast, abasement stupefying them: Such is the Day which they are promised. (44)