70. Surah Al-Ma'aarij (The Ways of Ascent)

In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful.

1

YUSUFALI : A questioner asked about a Penalty to befall-

PICKTHAL : A questioner questioned concerning the doom about to fall

SHAKIR : One demanding, demanded the chastisement which must befall

M& HILALI : A questioner asked concerning a torment about to befall

2

YUSUFALI : The Unbelievers, the which there is none to ward off,-

PICKTHAL : Upon the disbelievers, which none can repel,

SHAKIR : The unbelievers-- there is none to avert it--

M& HILALI : Upon the disbelievers, which none can avert,

3

YUSUFALI : (A Penalty) from Allah, Lord of the Ways of Ascent.

PICKTHAL : From Allah, Lord of the Ascending Stairways

SHAKIR : From Allah, the Lord of the ways of Ascent.

M& HILALI : From Allah, the Lord of the ways of ascent.

4

YUSUFALI : The angels and the spirit ascend unto him in a Day the measure whereof is (as) fifty thousand years:

PICKTHAL : (Whereby) the angels and the Spirit ascend unto Him in a Day whereof the span is fifty thousand years.

SHAKIR : To Him ascend the angels and the Spirit in a day the measure of which is fifty thousand years.

M& HILALI : The angels and the Ruh [Jibrael (Gabriel)] ascend to Him in a Day the measure whereof is fifty thousand years,

5

YUSUFALI : Therefore do thou hold Patience,- a Patience of beautiful (contentment).

PICKTHAL : But be patient (O Muhammad [sallallahu alayhi wa sallam]) with a patience fair to see.

SHAKIR : Therefore endure with a goodly patience.

M& HILALI : So be patient (O Muhammad [sallallahu alayhi wa sallam]), with a good patience.

6

YUSUFALI : They see the (Day) indeed as a far-off (event):

PICKTHAL : Lo! they behold it afar off

SHAKIR : Surely they think it to be far off,

M& HILALI : Verily! They see it (the torment) afar off,

7

YUSUFALI : But We see it (quite) near.

PICKTHAL : While we behold it nigh:

SHAKIR : And We see it nigh.

M& HILALI : But We see it (quite) near.

8

YUSUFALI : The Day that the sky will be like molten brass,

PICKTHAL : The day when the sky will become as molten copper,

SHAKIR : On the day when the heaven shall be as molten copper

M& HILALI : The Day that the sky will be like the boiling filth of oil, (or molten copper or silver or lead, etc.).

9

YUSUFALI : And the mountains will be like wool,

PICKTHAL : And the hills become as flakes of wool,

SHAKIR : And the mountains shall be as tufts of wool

M& HILALI : And the mountains will be like flakes of wool,

10

YUSUFALI : And no friend will ask after a friend,

PICKTHAL : And no familiar friend will ask a question of his friend

SHAKIR : And friend shall not ask of friend

M& HILALI : And no friend will ask of a friend,

11

YUSUFALI : Though they will be put in sight of each other,- the sinner's desire will be: Would that he could redeem himself from the Penalty of that Day by (sacrificing) his children,

PICKTHAL : 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

SHAKIR : (Though) they shall be made to see each other. The guilty one would fain redeem himself from the chastisement of that day by (sacrificing) his children,

M& HILALI : Though they shall be made to see one another [(i.e. on the Day of Resurrection), there will be none but see his father, children and relatives, but he will neither speak to them nor will ask them for any help)], - the Mujrim, (criminal, sinner, disbeliever, etc.) would desire to ransom himself from the punishment of that Day by his children.

12

YUSUFALI : His wife and his brother,

PICKTHAL : And his spouse and his brother

SHAKIR : And his wife and his brother

M& HILALI : And his wife and his brother,

13

YUSUFALI : His kindred who sheltered him,

PICKTHAL : And his kin that harboured him

SHAKIR : And the nearest of his kinsfolk who gave him shelter,

M& HILALI : And his kindred who sheltered him,

14

YUSUFALI : And all, all that is on earth,- so it could deliver him:

PICKTHAL : And all that are in the earth, if then it might deliver him.

SHAKIR : And all those that are in the earth, (wishing) then (that) this might deliver him.

M& HILALI : And all that are in the earth, so that it might save him .

15

YUSUFALI : By no means! for it would be the Fire of Hell!-

PICKTHAL : But nay! for lo! it is the fire of hell

SHAKIR : By no means! Surely it is a flaming fire

M& HILALI : By no means! Verily, it will be the Fire of Hell!

16

YUSUFALI : Plucking out (his being) right to the skull!-

PICKTHAL : Eager to roast;

SHAKIR : Dragging by the head,

M& HILALI : Taking away (burning completely) the head skin!

17

YUSUFALI : Inviting (all) such as turn their backs and turn away their faces (from the Right).

PICKTHAL : It calleth him who turned and fled (from truth),

SHAKIR : It shall claim him who turned and fled (from truth),

M& HILALI : Calling: "[O Kafir (O disbeliever in Allah, His angels, His Book, His Messengers, Day of Resurrection and in Al-Qadar(Divine Preordainments), O Mushrik (O polytheist, disbeliever in the Oneness of Allah)] (all) such as turn their backs and turn away their faces (from Faith) [picking and swallowing them up from that great gathering of mankind (on the Day of Resurrection) just as a bird picks up a food-grain from the earth with its beak and swallows it up] [Tafsir Al-Qurtubi, Vol. 18, Page 289]

18

YUSUFALI : And collect (wealth) and hide it (from use)!

PICKTHAL : And hoarded (wealth) and withheld it.

SHAKIR : And amasses (wealth) then shuts it up.

M& HILALI : And collect (wealth) and hide it (from spending it in the Cause of Allah).

19

YUSUFALI : Truly man was created very impatient;-

PICKTHAL : Lo! man was created anxious,

SHAKIR : Surely man is created of a hasty temperament

M& HILALI : Verily, man (disbeliever) was created very impatient;

20

YUSUFALI : Fretful when evil touches him;

PICKTHAL : Fretful when evil befalleth him

SHAKIR : Being greatly grieved when evil afflicts him

M& HILALI : Irritable (discontented) when evil touches him;

21

YUSUFALI : And niggardly when good reaches him;-

PICKTHAL : And, when good befalleth him, grudging;

SHAKIR : And niggardly when good befalls him

M& HILALI : And niggardly when good touches him;-

22

YUSUFALI : Not so those devoted to Prayer;-

PICKTHAL : Save worshippers.

SHAKIR : Except those who pray,

M& HILALI : Except those devoted to Salat (prayers)

23

YUSUFALI : Those who remain steadfast to their prayer;

PICKTHAL : Who are constant at their worship

SHAKIR : Those who are constant at their prayer

M& HILALI : Those who remain constant in their Salat (prayers);

24

YUSUFALI : And those in whose wealth is a recognised right.

PICKTHAL : And in whose wealth there is a right acknowledged

SHAKIR : And those in whose wealth there is a fixed portion.

M& HILALI : And those in whose wealth there is a known right,

25

YUSUFALI : For the (needy) who asks and him who is prevented (for some reason from asking);

PICKTHAL : For the beggar and the destitute;

SHAKIR : For him who begs and for him who is denied (good)

M& HILALI : For the beggar who asks, and for the unlucky who has lost his property and wealth, (and his means of living has been straitened);

26

YUSUFALI : And those who hold to the truth of the Day of Judgment;

PICKTHAL : And those who believe in the Day of Judgment,

SHAKIR : And those who accept the truth of the judgment day

M& HILALI : And those who believe in the Day of Recompense,

27

YUSUFALI : And those who fear the displeasure of their Lord,-

PICKTHAL : And those who are fearful of their Lord's doom -

SHAKIR : And those who are fearful of the chastisement of their Lord--

M& HILALI : And those who fear the torment of their Lord,

28

YUSUFALI : For their Lord's displeasure is the opposite of Peace and Tranquillity;-

PICKTHAL : Lo! the doom of their Lord is that before which none can feel secure -

SHAKIR : Surely the chastisement of their Lord is (a thing) not to be felt secure of--

M& HILALI : Verily! The torment of their Lord is that before which none can feel secure,

29

YUSUFALI : And those who guard their chastity,

PICKTHAL : And those who preserve their chastity

SHAKIR : And those who guard their private parts,

M& HILALI : And those who guard their chastity (i.e. private parts from illegal sexual acts) .

30

YUSUFALI : Except with their wives and the (captives) whom their right hands possess,- for (then) they are not to be blamed,

PICKTHAL : Save with their wives and those whom their right hands possess, for thus they are not blameworthy;

SHAKIR : Except in the case of their wives or those whom their right hands possess-- for these surely are not to be blamed,

M& HILALI : Except with their wives and the (women slaves and captives) whom their right hands possess, for (then) they are not to be blamed,

31

YUSUFALI : But those who trespass beyond this are transgressors;-

PICKTHAL : But whoso seeketh more than that, those are they who are transgressors;

SHAKIR : But he who seeks to go beyond this, these it is that go beyond the limits--

M& HILALI : But whosoever seeks beyond that, then it is those who are trespassers.

32

YUSUFALI : And those who respect their trusts and covenants;

PICKTHAL : And those who keep their pledges and their covenant,

SHAKIR : And those who are faithful to their trusts and their covenant

M& HILALI : And those who keep their trusts and covenants;

33

YUSUFALI : And those who stand firm in their testimonies;

PICKTHAL : And those who stand by their testimony

SHAKIR : And those who are upright in their testimonies,

M& HILALI : And those who stand firm in their testimonies;

34

YUSUFALI : And those who guard (the sacredness) of their worship;-

PICKTHAL : And those who are attentive at their worship.

SHAKIR : And those who keep a guard on their prayer,

M& HILALI : And those who guard their Salat (prayers) well ,

35

YUSUFALI : Such will be the honoured ones in the Gardens (of Bliss).

PICKTHAL : These will dwell in Gardens, honoured.

SHAKIR : Those shall be in gardens, honored.

M& HILALI : Such shall dwell in the Gardens (i.e. Paradise) honoured.

36

YUSUFALI : Now what is the matter with the Unbelievers that they rush madly before thee-

PICKTHAL : What aileth those who disbelieve, that they keep staring toward thee (O Muhammad [sallallahu alayhi wa sallam]), open-eyed,

SHAKIR : But what is the matter with those who disbelieve that they hasten on around you,

M& HILALI : So what is the matter with those who disbelieve that they hasten to listen from you (O Muhammad [sallallahu alayhi wa sallam]), in order to belie you and to mock at you, and at Allah's Book (this Qur'an).

37

YUSUFALI : From the right and from the left, in crowds?

PICKTHAL : On the right and on the left, in groups?

SHAKIR : On the right hand and on the left, in sundry parties?

M& HILALI : (Sitting) in groups on the right and on the left (of you, O Muhammad [sallallahu alayhi wa sallam])?

38

YUSUFALI : Does every man of them long to enter the Garden of Bliss?

PICKTHAL : Doth every man among them hope to enter the Garden of Delight?

SHAKIR : Does every man of them desire that he should be made to enter the garden of bliss?

M& HILALI : Does every man of them hope to enter the Paradise of delight?

39

YUSUFALI : By no means! For We have created them out of the (base matter) they know!

PICKTHAL : Nay, verily. Lo! We created them from what they know.

SHAKIR : By no means! Surely We have created them of what they know.

M& HILALI : No, that is not like that! Verily, We have created them out of that which they know!

40

YUSUFALI : Now I do call to witness the Lord of all points in the East and the West that We can certainly-

PICKTHAL : But nay! I swear by the Lord of the rising-places and the setting-places of the planets that We verily are Able

SHAKIR : But nay! I swear by the Lord of the Easts and the Wests that We are certainly able

M& HILALI : So I swear by the Lord of all [the three hundred and sixty (360)] points of sunrise and sunset in the east and the west that surely We are Able

41

YUSUFALI : Substitute for them better (men) than they; And We are not to be defeated (in Our Plan).

PICKTHAL : To replace them by (others) better than them. And we are not to be outrun.

SHAKIR : To bring instead (others) better than them, and We shall not be overcome.

M& HILALI : To replace them by (others) better than them; and We are not to be outrun.

42

YUSUFALI : So leave them to plunge in vain talk and play about, until they encounter that Day of theirs which they have been promised!-

PICKTHAL : So let them chat and play until they meet their Day which they are promised,

SHAKIR : Therefore leave them alone to go on with the false discourses and to sport until they come face to face with that day of theirs with which they are threatened;

M& HILALI : So leave them to plunge in vain talk and play about, until they meet their Day which they are promised.

43

YUSUFALI : The Day whereon they will issue from their sepulchres in sudden haste as if they were rushing to a goal-post (fixed for them),-

PICKTHAL : The day when they come forth from the graves in haste, as racing to a goal,

SHAKIR : The day on which they shall come forth from their graves in haste, as if they were hastening on to a goal,

M& HILALI : The Day when they will come out of the graves quickly as racing to a goal,

44

YUSUFALI : Their eyes lowered in dejection,- ignominy covering them (all over)! such is the Day the which they are promised!

PICKTHAL : With eyes aghast, abasement stupefying them: Such is the Day which they are promised.

SHAKIR : Their eyes cast down; disgrace shall overtake them; that is the day which they were threatened with.

M& HILALI : With their eyes lowered in fear and humility, ignominy covering them (all over)! That is the Day which they were promised!