Sourate Al-Ma'arij (70) with hamza shown

In the name of God, the All-Benevolent, the Benevolent. A questioner asked about a punishment bound to fall upon those who reject — none can prevent it — coming from God, Owner of the Ascending Ways.i 3

بسم ٱلله ٱلرحمن ٱلرحيم سأل سآئل بعذاب واقع للكفرين ليس له دافع من ٱلله ذي ٱلمعارج

The Agents and the Influx ascend to Him in a Day whose span is fifty thousand years.i 4

تعرج ٱلملئكة وٱلروح إليه في يوم كان مقداره خمسين ألف سنة

So be patient, with a beautiful patience. 5

فٱصبر صبرا جميلا

They see it as distant, while We see it as near. 7

إنهم يرونه بعيدا ونرىه قريبا

The Day the sky will be like molten metal, and the mountains will be like carded wool, and no close friend will ask after another, though they are made to see one another. 11

يوم تكون ٱلسمآء كٱلمهل وتكون ٱلجبال كٱلعهن ولا يسل حميم حميما يبصرونهم

The severed one would wish to ransom himself from the punishment of that Day with his children, his companion, his brother, the kin who sheltered him, and everyone on earth, if that would then save him. But no! 15

يود ٱلمجرم لو يفتدي من عذاب يومئذ ببنيه وصحبته وأخيه وفصيلته ٱلتي تويه ومن في ٱلأرض جميعا ثم ينجيه كلآ

It is indeed the blazing Flame, stripping away the scalp, calling him who turned his back and went away, and gathered wealth and hoarded it. 18

إنها لظى نزاعة للشوى تدعوا من أدبر وتولى وجمع فأوعى

Indeed, mankind was created anxious: when evil touches him, he panics; and when good touches him, he withholds it — except those who maintain the Contact, constant in their Contact,i 23

إن ٱلإنسن خلق هلوعا إذا مسه ٱلشر جزوعا وإذا مسه ٱلخير منوعا إلا ٱلمصلين ٱلذين هم على صلاتهم دآئمون

and those in whose wealth there is a known right for the petitioner and the deprived, 25

وٱلذين في أمولهم حق معلوم للسآئل وٱلمحروم

and those who believe in the Day of Recompense,i 26

وٱلذين يصدقون بيوم ٱلدين

and those who are fearful of the punishment of their Guardian — indeed, the punishment of their Guardian is not that from which one is secure — 28

وٱلذين هم من عذاب ربهم مشفقون إن عذاب ربهم غير مأمون

and those who guard their private parts, except from their spouses or those bound to them by pledge, for indeed, they are not to be blamed;i 30

وٱلذين هم لفروجهم حفظون إلا على أزوجهم أو ما ملكت أيمنهم فإنهم غير ملومين

but whoever seeks beyond that, then those are the transgressors; 31

فمن ٱبتغى ورآء ذلك فأولئك هم ٱلعادون

and those who are attentive to their trusts and their promises, 32

وٱلذين هم لأمنتهم وعهدهم رعون

and those who are upright in their testimonies, 33

وٱلذين هم بشهدتهم قآئمون

and those who carefully maintain their Contact: those will be in gardens, honored.i 35

وٱلذين هم على صلاتهم يحافظون أولئك في جنت مكرمون

So what is with those who reject, hastening toward you, right and left, in separate groups? 37

فمال ٱلذين كفروا قبلك مهطعين عن ٱليمين وعن ٱلشمال عزين

Does every person among them aspire to enter a garden of pleasure? No indeed! 39

أيطمع كل ٱمرئ منهم أن يدخل جنة نعيم كلآ

Indeed, We have created them from that which they know. 39

إنا خلقنهم مما يعلمون

So I swear by the Guardian of the risings and the settings that indeed We are able to replace them with better than them, and nothing can outrun Us. 41

فلآ أقسم برب ٱلمشرق وٱلمغرب إنا لقدرون على أن نبدل خيرا منهم وما نحن بمسبوقين

So leave them to converse vainly and amuse themselves until they meet their Day which they are promised — the Day they will emerge from the graves rapidly as if racing toward an erected marker, their eyes humbled, humiliation covering them. 44

فذرهم يخوضوا ويلعبوا حتى يلقوا يومهم ٱلذي يوعدون يوم يخرجون من ٱلأجداث سراعا كأنهم إلى نصب يوفضون خشعة أبصرهم ترهقهم ذلة

That is the Day which they had been promised. 44

ذلك ٱليوم ٱلذي كانوا يوعدون