Surah Al Ma'arij
Translation by:
Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran
بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ
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سَاَلَ سَاۤىِٕلٌۢ بِعَذَابٍ وَّاقِعٍۙ
Sa'ala sā'ilum bi‘ażābiw wāqi‘(in).
A challenger has demanded a punishment bound to come
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لِّلْكٰفِرِيْنَ لَيْسَ لَهٗ دَافِعٌۙ
Lil-kāfirīna laisa lahū dāfi‘(un).
for the disbelievers—to be averted by none—
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مِّنَ اللّٰهِ ذِى الْمَعَارِجِۗ
Minallāhi żil-ma‘ārij(i).
from Allah, Lord of pathways of ˹heavenly˺ ascent,
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تَعْرُجُ الْمَلٰۤىِٕكَةُ وَالرُّوْحُ اِلَيْهِ فِيْ يَوْمٍ كَانَ مِقْدَارُهٗ خَمْسِيْنَ اَلْفَ سَنَةٍۚ
Ta‘rujul-malā'ikatu war-rūḥu ilaihi fī yaumin kāna miqdāruhū khamsīna alfa sanah(tin).
˹through which˺ the angels and the ˹holy˺ spirit will ascend to Him on a Day fifty thousand years in length.
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فَاصْبِرْ صَبْرًا جَمِيْلًا
Faṣbir ṣabran jamīlā(n).
So endure ˹this denial, O Prophet,˺ with beautiful patience.
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اِنَّهُمْ يَرَوْنَهٗ بَعِيْدًاۙ
Innahum yaraunahū ba‘īdā(n).
They truly see this ˹Day˺ as impossible,
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وَّنَرٰىهُ قَرِيْبًاۗ
Wa narāhu qarībā(n).
but We see it as inevitable.
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يَوْمَ تَكُوْنُ السَّمَاۤءُ كَالْمُهْلِۙ
Yauma takūnus-samā'u kal-muhl(i).
On that Day the sky will be like molten brass
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وَتَكُوْنُ الْجِبَالُ كَالْعِهْنِۙ
Wa takūnul-jibālu kal-‘ihn(i).
and the mountains like ˹tufts of˺ wool.
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وَلَا يَسْـَٔلُ حَمِيْمٌ حَمِيْمًاۚ
Wa lā yas'alu ḥamīmun ḥamīmā(n).
And no close friend will ask ˹about˺ their friends,
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يُبَصَّرُوْنَهُمْۗ يَوَدُّ الْمُجْرِمُ لَوْ يَفْتَدِيْ مِنْ عَذَابِ يَوْمِىِٕذٍۢ بِبَنِيْهِۙ
Yubaṣṣarūnahum, yawaddul-mujrimu lau yaftadī min ‘ażābi yaumi'iżim bibanīh(i).
˹although˺ they will be made to see each other. The wicked will wish to ransom themselves from the punishment of that Day by their children,
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وَصَاحِبَتِهٖ وَاَخِيْهِۙ
Wa ṣāḥibatihī wa akhīh(i).
their spouses, their siblings,
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وَفَصِيْلَتِهِ الَّتِيْ تُـْٔوِيْهِۙ
Wa faṣīlatihil-latī tu'wīh(i).
their clan that sheltered them,
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وَمَنْ فِى الْاَرْضِ جَمِيْعًاۙ ثُمَّ يُنْجِيْهِۙ
Wa man fil-arḍi jamī‘ā(n), ṡumma yunjīh(i).
and everyone on earth altogether, just to save themselves.
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كَلَّاۗ اِنَّهَا لَظٰىۙ
Kallā, innahā laẓā.
But no! There will certainly be a raging Flame
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نَزَّاعَةً لِّلشَّوٰىۚ
Nazzā‘atal lisy-syawā.
ripping off scalps.
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تَدْعُوْا مَنْ اَدْبَرَ وَتَوَلّٰىۙ
Tad‘ū man adbara wa tawallā.
It will summon whoever turned their backs ˹on Allah˺ and turned away ˹from the truth˺,
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وَجَمَعَ فَاَوْعٰى
Wa jama‘a fa'au‘ā.
and gathered and hoarded ˹wealth˺.
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۞ اِنَّ الْاِنْسَانَ خُلِقَ هَلُوْعًاۙ
Innal-insāna khuliqa halu‘ā(n).
Indeed, humankind was created impatient:
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اِذَا مَسَّهُ الشَّرُّ جَزُوْعًاۙ
Iżā massahusy-syarru jazū‘ā(n).
distressed when touched with evil,
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وَّاِذَا مَسَّهُ الْخَيْرُ مَنُوْعًاۙ
Wa iżā massahul-khairu manū‘ā(n).
and withholding when touched with good—
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اِلَّا الْمُصَلِّيْنَۙ
Illal-muṣallīn(a).
except those who pray,
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الَّذِيْنَ هُمْ عَلٰى صَلَاتِهِمْ دَاۤىِٕمُوْنَۖ
Allażīna hum ‘alā ṣalātihim dā'imūn(a).
consistently performing their prayers;
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وَالَّذِيْنَ فِيْٓ اَمْوَالِهِمْ حَقٌّ مَّعْلُوْمٌۖ
Wal-lażīna fī amwālihim ḥaqqum ma‘lūm(un).
and who give the rightful share of their wealth
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لِّلسَّاۤىِٕلِ وَالْمَحْرُوْمِۖ
Lis-sā'ili wal-maḥrūm(i).
to the beggar and the poor;
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وَالَّذِيْنَ يُصَدِّقُوْنَ بِيَوْمِ الدِّيْنِۖ
Wal-lażīna yuṣaddiqūna biyaumid-dīn(i).
and who ˹firmly˺ believe in the Day of Judgment;
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وَالَّذِيْنَ هُمْ مِّنْ عَذَابِ رَبِّهِمْ مُّشْفِقُوْنَۚ
Wal-lażīna hum min ‘ażābi rabbihim musyfiqūn(a).
and those who fear the punishment of their Lord—
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اِنَّ عَذَابَ رَبِّهِمْ غَيْرُ مَأْمُوْنٍۖ
Inna ‘ażāba rabbihim gairu ma'mūn(in).
˹knowing that˺ none should feel secure from their Lord’s punishment—
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وَّالَّذِيْنَ هُمْ لِفُرُوْجِهِمْ حٰفِظُوْنَۙ
Wal-lażīna hum lifurūjihim ḥāfiẓūn(a).
and those who guard their chastity
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اِلَّا عَلٰٓى اَزْوَاجِهِمْ اَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ اَيْمَانُهُمْ فَاِنَّهُمْ غَيْرُ مَلُوْمِيْنَۚ
Illā ‘alā azwājihim au mā malakat aimānuhum fa innahum gairu malūmīn(a).
except with their wives or those ˹bondwomen˺ in their possession, for then they are free from blame,
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فَمَنِ ابْتَغٰى وَرَاۤءَ ذٰلِكَ فَاُولٰۤىِٕكَ هُمُ الْعَادُوْنَۚ
Fa manibtagā warā'a żālika fa ulā'ika humul-‘ādūn(a).
but whoever seeks beyond that are the transgressors.
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وَالَّذِيْنَ هُمْ لِاَمٰنٰتِهِمْ وَعَهْدِهِمْ رٰعُوْنَۖ
Wal-lażīna hum li'amānātihim wa ‘ahdihim rā'ūn(a).
˹The faithful are˺ also those who are true to their trusts and covenants;
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وَالَّذِيْنَ هُمْ بِشَهٰدٰتِهِمْ قَاۤىِٕمُوْنَۖ
Wal-lażīna hum bisyahādātihim qā'imūn(a).
and who are honest in their testimony;
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وَالَّذِيْنَ هُمْ عَلٰى صَلَاتِهِمْ يُحَافِظُوْنَۖ
Wal-lażīna hum ‘alā ṣalātihim yuḥāfiẓūn(a).
and who are ˹properly˺ observant of their prayers.
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اُولٰۤىِٕكَ فِيْ جَنّٰتٍ مُّكْرَمُوْنَ ۗ ࣖ
Ulā'ika fī jannātim mukramūn(a).
These will be in Gardens, held in honour.
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فَمَالِ الَّذِيْنَ كَفَرُوْا قِبَلَكَ مُهْطِعِيْنَۙ
Famālil-lażīna kafarū qibalaka muhṭi‘īn(a).
So what is the matter with the disbelievers that they rush ˹head-long˺ towards you ˹O Prophet˺,
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عَنِ الْيَمِيْنِ وَعَنِ الشِّمَالِ عِزِيْنَ
‘Anil-yamīni wa ‘anisy-syimāli ‘izīn(a).
from the right and the left, in groups ˹to mock you˺?
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اَيَطْمَعُ كُلُّ امْرِئٍ مِّنْهُمْ اَنْ يُّدْخَلَ جَنَّةَ نَعِيْمٍۙ
Ayaṭma‘u kullumri'im minhum ay yudkhala jannata na‘īm(in).
Does every one of them expect to be admitted into a Garden of Bliss?
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كَلَّاۗ اِنَّا خَلَقْنٰهُمْ مِّمَّا يَعْلَمُوْنَ
Kallā, innā khalaqnāhum mimmā ya‘malūn(a).
But no! Indeed, they ˹already˺ know what We created them from.
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فَلَآ اُقْسِمُ بِرَبِّ الْمَشٰرِقِ وَالْمَغٰرِبِ اِنَّا لَقٰدِرُوْنَۙ
Falā uqsimu birabbil-masyāriqi wal-magāribi innā laqādirūn(a).
So, I do swear by the Lord of ˹all˺ the points of sunrise and sunset that We are truly capable
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عَلٰٓى اَنْ نُّبَدِّلَ خَيْرًا مِّنْهُمْۙ وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمَسْبُوْقِيْنَ
‘Alā an nubaddila khairam minhum, wa mā naḥnu bimasbūqīn(a).
of replacing them with ˹others˺ better than them, and We cannot be prevented ˹from doing so˺.
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فَذَرْهُمْ يَخُوْضُوْا وَيَلْعَبُوْا حَتّٰى يُلٰقُوْا يَوْمَهُمُ الَّذِيْ يُوْعَدُوْنَۙ
Fa żarhum yakhūḍū wa yal‘abū ḥattā yulāqū yaumahumul-lażī yū‘adūn(a)
So let them indulge ˹in falsehood˺ and amuse ˹themselves˺ until they face their Day, which they have been threatened with—
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يَوْمَ يَخْرُجُوْنَ مِنَ الْاَجْدَاثِ سِرَاعًا كَاَنَّهُمْ اِلٰى نُصُبٍ يُّوْفِضُوْنَۙ
Yauma yakhrujūna minal-ajdāṡi sirā‘an ka'annahum ilā nuṣubiy yūfiḍūn(a).
the Day they will come forth from the graves swiftly, as if racing to an idol ˹for a blessing˺,
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خَاشِعَةً اَبْصَارُهُمْ تَرْهَقُهُمْ ذِلَّةٌ ۗذٰلِكَ الْيَوْمُ الَّذِيْ كَانُوْا يُوْعَدُوْنَ ࣖ
Khāsyi‘atan abṣāruhum tarhaquhum żillah(tun), żālikal-yaumul-lażī kānū yū‘adūn(a).
with eyes downcast, utterly covered with disgrace. That is the Day they have ˹always˺ been warned of.