المعارج
Surah Al-Maarij (المعارج) - Transliteration, Translation and Audio
Chapter 70 of the Quran, 44 verses, "The Ascending Stairways"
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
Surah Al-Maarij Transliteration and English Translation
- 1
سَأَلَ سَآئِلٌۢ بِعَذَابٍۢ وَاقِعٍۢ
Sa ala saaa'ilum bi'azaa binw-waaqi'
A supplicant asked for a punishment bound to happen
- 2
لِّلْكَٰفِرِينَ لَيْسَ لَهُۥ دَافِعٌۭ
Lilkaafireen laisa lahoo daafi'
To the disbelievers; of it there is no preventer.
- 3
مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ ذِى ٱلْمَعَارِجِ
Minal laahi zil ma'aarij
[It is] from Allah, owner of the ways of ascent.
- 4
تَعْرُجُ ٱلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةُ وَٱلرُّوحُ إِلَيْهِ فِى يَوْمٍۢ كَانَ مِقْدَارُهُۥ خَمْسِينَ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍۢ
Ta'rujul malaaa'ikatu war Roohu ilaihi fee yawmin kaana miqdaaruhoo khamseena alfa sanah
The angels and the Spirit will ascend to Him during a Day the extent of which is fifty thousand years.
- 5
فَٱصْبِرْ صَبْرًۭا جَمِيلًا
Fasbir ssabran jameelaa
So be patient with gracious patience.
- 6
إِنَّهُمْ يَرَوْنَهُۥ بَعِيدًۭا
Inaahum yarawnahoo ba'eedaa
Indeed, they see it [as] distant,
- 7
وَنَرَىٰهُ قَرِيبًۭا
Wa naraahu qareebaa
But We see it [as] near.
- 8
يَوْمَ تَكُونُ ٱلسَّمَآءُ كَٱلْمُهْلِ
Yawma takoonus samaaa'u kalmuhl
On the Day the sky will be like murky oil,
- 9
وَتَكُونُ ٱلْجِبَالُ كَٱلْعِهْنِ
Wa takoonul jibaalu kal'ihn
And the mountains will be like wool,
- 10
وَلَا يَسْـَٔلُ حَمِيمٌ حَمِيمًۭا
Wa laa yas'alu hameemun hameemaa
And no friend will ask [anything of] a friend,
- 11
يُبَصَّرُونَهُمْ ۚ يَوَدُّ ٱلْمُجْرِمُ لَوْ يَفْتَدِى مِنْ عَذَابِ يَوْمِئِذٍۭ بِبَنِيهِ
Yubassaroonahum; ya waddul mujrimu law yaftadee min 'azaabi yawma'izim bibaneeh
They will be shown each other. The criminal will wish that he could be ransomed from the punishment of that Day by his children
- 12
وَصَٰحِبَتِهِۦ وَأَخِيهِ
Wa saahibatihee wa akheeh
And his wife and his brother
- 13
وَفَصِيلَتِهِ ٱلَّتِى تُـْٔوِيهِ
Wa faseelathil latee tu'weeh
And his nearest kindred who shelter him
- 14
وَمَن فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًۭا ثُمَّ يُنجِيهِ
Wa man fil ardi jamee'an summa yunjeeh
And whoever is on earth entirely [so] then it could save him.
- 15
كَلَّآ ۖ إِنَّهَا لَظَىٰ
Kallaa innahaa lazaa
No! Indeed, it is the Flame [of Hell],
- 16
نَزَّاعَةًۭ لِّلشَّوَىٰ
Nazzaa'atal lishshawaa
A remover of exteriors.
- 17
تَدْعُوا۟ مَنْ أَدْبَرَ وَتَوَلَّىٰ
Tad'oo man adbara wa tawallaa
It invites he who turned his back [on truth] and went away [from obedience]
- 18
وَجَمَعَ فَأَوْعَىٰٓ
W jama'a fa aw'aa
And collected [wealth] and hoarded.
- 19
۞ إِنَّ ٱلْإِنسَٰنَ خُلِقَ هَلُوعًا
Innal insaana khuliqa haloo'aa
Indeed, mankind was created anxious:
- 20
إِذَا مَسَّهُ ٱلشَّرُّ جَزُوعًۭا
Izaa massahush sharru jazoo'aa
When evil touches him, impatient,
- 21
وَإِذَا مَسَّهُ ٱلْخَيْرُ مَنُوعًا
Wa izaa massahul khairu manoo'aa
And when good touches him, withholding [of it],
- 22
إِلَّا ٱلْمُصَلِّينَ
Illal musalleen
Except the observers of prayer -
- 23
ٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمْ دَآئِمُونَ
Allazeena hum 'alaa Salaatihim daaa'imoon
Those who are constant in their prayer
- 24
وَٱلَّذِينَ فِىٓ أَمْوَٰلِهِمْ حَقٌّۭ مَّعْلُومٌۭ
Wallazeena feee amwaalihim haqqum ma'loom
And those within whose wealth is a known right
- 25
لِّلسَّآئِلِ وَٱلْمَحْرُومِ
Lissaaa 'ili walmahroom
For the petitioner and the deprived -
- 26
وَٱلَّذِينَ يُصَدِّقُونَ بِيَوْمِ ٱلدِّينِ
Wallazeena yusaddiqoona bi yawmid Deen
And those who believe in the Day of Recompense
- 27
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم مِّنْ عَذَابِ رَبِّهِم مُّشْفِقُونَ
Wallazeena hum min 'azaabi Rabbihim mushfiqoon
And those who are fearful of the punishment of their Lord -
- 28
إِنَّ عَذَابَ رَبِّهِمْ غَيْرُ مَأْمُونٍۢ
Inna 'azaaba Rabbihim ghairu maamoon
Indeed, the punishment of their Lord is not that from which one is safe -
- 29
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ لِفُرُوجِهِمْ حَٰفِظُونَ
Wallazeena hum lifuroo jihim haafizoon
And those who guard their private parts
- 30
إِلَّا عَلَىٰٓ أَزْوَٰجِهِمْ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَٰنُهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ غَيْرُ مَلُومِينَ
Illaa 'alaaa azwaajihim aw maa malakat aymaanuhum fainnahum ghairu maloomeen
Except from their wives or those their right hands possess, for indeed, they are not to be blamed -
- 31
فَمَنِ ٱبْتَغَىٰ وَرَآءَ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْعَادُونَ
Famanib taghaa waraaa'a zaalika fa ulaaa'ika humul 'aadoon
But whoever seeks beyond that, then they are the transgressors -
- 32
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ لِأَمَٰنَٰتِهِمْ وَعَهْدِهِمْ رَٰعُونَ
Wallazeena hum li amaa naatihim wa 'ahdihim raa'oon
And those who are to their trusts and promises attentive
- 33
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم بِشَهَٰدَٰتِهِمْ قَآئِمُونَ
Wallazeena hum bishahaadaatihim qaaa'imoon
And those who are in their testimonies upright
- 34
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمْ يُحَافِظُونَ
Wallazeena hum 'alaa salaatihim yuhaafizoon
And those who [carefully] maintain their prayer:
- 35
أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ فِى جَنَّٰتٍۢ مُّكْرَمُونَ
Ulaaa'ika fee jannaatim mukramoon
They will be in gardens, honored.
- 36
فَمَالِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ قِبَلَكَ مُهْطِعِينَ
Famaa lil lazeena kafaroo qibalaka muhti'een
So what is [the matter] with those who disbelieve, hastening [from] before you, [O Muhammad],
- 37
عَنِ ٱلْيَمِينِ وَعَنِ ٱلشِّمَالِ عِزِينَ
'Anil yameeni wa 'anish shimaali 'izeen
[To sit] on [your] right and [your] left in separate groups?
- 38
أَيَطْمَعُ كُلُّ ٱمْرِئٍۢ مِّنْهُمْ أَن يُدْخَلَ جَنَّةَ نَعِيمٍۢ
Ayatma'u kullum ri'im minhum anyyudkhala jannata Na'eem
Does every person among them aspire to enter a garden of pleasure?
- 39
كَلَّآ ۖ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَٰهُم مِّمَّا يَعْلَمُونَ
Kallaaa innaa khalaq nahum mimmaa ya'lamoon
No! Indeed, We have created them from that which they know.
- 40
فَلَآ أُقْسِمُ بِرَبِّ ٱلْمَشَٰرِقِ وَٱلْمَغَٰرِبِ إِنَّا لَقَٰدِرُونَ
Falaaa uqsimu bi Rabbil mashaariqi wal maghaaribi innaa laqaadiroon
So I swear by the Lord of [all] risings and settings that indeed We are able
- 41
عَلَىٰٓ أَن نُّبَدِّلَ خَيْرًۭا مِّنْهُمْ وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمَسْبُوقِينَ
'Alaaa an nubaddila khairam minhum wa maa Nahnu bimasbooqeen
To replace them with better than them; and We are not to be outdone.
- 42
فَذَرْهُمْ يَخُوضُوا۟ وَيَلْعَبُوا۟ حَتَّىٰ يُلَٰقُوا۟ يَوْمَهُمُ ٱلَّذِى يُوعَدُونَ
Fazarhum yakhoodoo wa yal'aboo hattaa yulaaqoo yaw mahumul lazee yoo'adoon
So leave them to converse vainly and amuse themselves until they meet their Day which they are promised -
- 43
يَوْمَ يَخْرُجُونَ مِنَ ٱلْأَجْدَاثِ سِرَاعًۭا كَأَنَّهُمْ إِلَىٰ نُصُبٍۢ يُوفِضُونَ
Yawma yakhrujoona minal ajdaasi siraa'an ka anna hum ilaa nusubiny yoofidoon
The Day they will emerge from the graves rapidly as if they were, toward an erected idol, hastening.
- 44
خَٰشِعَةً أَبْصَٰرُهُمْ تَرْهَقُهُمْ ذِلَّةٌۭ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ ٱلْيَوْمُ ٱلَّذِى كَانُوا۟ يُوعَدُونَ
Khaashi'atan absaaruhum tarhaquhum zillah; zaalikal yawmul lazee kaanoo yoo'adoon
Their eyes humbled, humiliation will cover them. That is the Day which they had been promised.
About Surah Al-Maarij
Surah Al-Maarij (Arabic: المعارج), meaning "The Ascending Stairways", is the 70th chapter of the Quran and has 44 verses. It was revealed in Makkah, when the disbelievers were mockingly asking for the promised punishment to come. The surah moves between two subjects: the certainty of the Day of Judgment, and the qualities that protect a person from the weaknesses of human nature.
It opens with a questioner asking about a punishment that is bound to fall, and describes Allah as Lord of the ascending stairways, to whom the angels and the Spirit ascend in a day whose measure is fifty thousand years. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is told to show gracious patience (sabr jamil). The surah pictures that Day, when the sky is like molten metal, the mountains like wool, and a guilty person would give up his children, spouse, brother and clan to save himself. It then diagnoses human nature as impatient when harmed and stingy when blessed, except for those who pray. Their qualities include constancy in prayer, a known share of wealth for the needy, belief in the Day of Judgment, guarding chastity, keeping trusts and promises, and honest testimony, a list that begins and ends with prayer. It closes with the disbelievers emerging from their graves on the Day they were promised.
Main Themes of Surah Al-Maarij
- The angels ascending to Allah
- Gracious patience in the face of mockery
- Human anxiety, impatience and stinginess
- The qualities of those who pray
- A known share of wealth for the needy
Listen to Surah Al-Maarij with Audio-Synced Transliteration
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Frequently Asked Questions About Surah Al-Maarij
- What does Surah Al-Maarij say about human nature?
- Verses 19 to 21 state that man was created anxious: distressed when harm touches him and withholding when good comes to him. Verses 22 to 35 then exempt those who pray and describe their qualities, showing that prayer and the character it produces are the remedy for this weakness.
- What are the qualities of the believers in Surah Al-Maarij?
- They are constant in their prayer, give a known share of their wealth to those who ask and those who are deprived, believe in the Day of Judgment and fear their Lord's punishment. They also guard their chastity, keep their trusts and promises, stand firm in their testimony, and carefully maintain their prayers.
- What is sabr jamil (gracious patience)?
- Verse 5 tells the Prophet (peace be upon him) to be patient with gracious patience in the face of the disbelievers' mockery. Many commentators explain it as patience without complaint or panic, trusting Allah and continuing one's mission calmly.