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Surah Al-Ma'arij (The Ascending Stairways, المعارج) is the 70th surah of the Noble Quran — a Meccan surah of 44 verses. Read it below in Arabic with the English translation of Marmaduke Pickthall, and listen verse by verse to famous Egyptian reciters.
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
سَأَلَ سَآئِلٌۢ بِعَذَابٍۢ وَاقِعٍۢ ١
A questioner questioned concerning the doom about to fall
تَعْرُجُ ٱلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةُ وَٱلرُّوحُ إِلَيْهِ فِى يَوْمٍۢ كَانَ مِقْدَارُهُۥ خَمْسِينَ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍۢ ٤
(Whereby) the angels and the Spirit ascend unto Him in a Day whereof the span is fifty thousand years.
يُبَصَّرُونَهُمْ ۚ يَوَدُّ ٱلْمُجْرِمُ لَوْ يَفْتَدِى مِنْ عَذَابِ يَوْمِئِذٍۭ بِبَنِيهِ ١١
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
وَمَن فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًۭا ثُمَّ يُنجِيهِ ١٤
And all that are in the earth, if then it might deliver him.
وَٱلَّذِينَ فِىٓ أَمْوَٰلِهِمْ حَقٌّۭ مَّعْلُومٌۭ ٢٤
And in whose wealth there is a right acknowledged
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم مِّنْ عَذَابِ رَبِّهِم مُّشْفِقُونَ ٢٧
And those who are fearful of their Lord's doom -
إِنَّ عَذَابَ رَبِّهِمْ غَيْرُ مَأْمُونٍۢ ٢٨
Lo! the doom of their Lord is that before which none can feel secure -
إِلَّا عَلَىٰٓ أَزْوَٰجِهِمْ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَٰنُهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ غَيْرُ مَلُومِينَ ٣٠
Save with their wives and those whom their right hands possess, for thus they are not blameworthy;
فَمَنِ ٱبْتَغَىٰ وَرَآءَ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْعَادُونَ ٣١
But whoso seeketh more than that, those are they who are transgressors;
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ لِأَمَٰنَٰتِهِمْ وَعَهْدِهِمْ رَٰعُونَ ٣٢
And those who keep their pledges and their covenant,
وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمْ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمْ يُحَافِظُونَ ٣٤
And those who are attentive at their worship.
فَمَالِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ قِبَلَكَ مُهْطِعِينَ ٣٦
What aileth those who disbelieve, that they keep staring toward thee (O Muhammad), open-eyed,
أَيَطْمَعُ كُلُّ ٱمْرِئٍۢ مِّنْهُمْ أَن يُدْخَلَ جَنَّةَ نَعِيمٍۢ ٣٨
Doth every man among them hope to enter the Garden of Delight?
كَلَّآ ۖ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَٰهُم مِّمَّا يَعْلَمُونَ ٣٩
Nay, verily. Lo! We created them from what they know.
فَلَآ أُقْسِمُ بِرَبِّ ٱلْمَشَٰرِقِ وَٱلْمَغَٰرِبِ إِنَّا لَقَٰدِرُونَ ٤٠
But nay! I swear by the Lord of the rising-places and the setting-places of the planets that We verily are Able
عَلَىٰٓ أَن نُّبَدِّلَ خَيْرًۭا مِّنْهُمْ وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمَسْبُوقِينَ ٤١
To replace them by (others) better than them. And we are not to be outrun.
فَذَرْهُمْ يَخُوضُوا۟ وَيَلْعَبُوا۟ حَتَّىٰ يُلَٰقُوا۟ يَوْمَهُمُ ٱلَّذِى يُوعَدُونَ ٤٢
So let them chat and play until they meet their Day which they are promised,
يَوْمَ يَخْرُجُونَ مِنَ ٱلْأَجْدَاثِ سِرَاعًۭا كَأَنَّهُمْ إِلَىٰ نُصُبٍۢ يُوفِضُونَ ٤٣
The day when they come forth from the graves in haste, as racing to a goal,
خَٰشِعَةً أَبْصَٰرُهُمْ تَرْهَقُهُمْ ذِلَّةٌۭ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ ٱلْيَوْمُ ٱلَّذِى كَانُوا۟ يُوعَدُونَ ٤٤
With eyes aghast, abasement stupefying them: Such is the Day which they are promised.
Arabic text: Tanzil Project (tanzil.net) · English translation: M. M. Pickthall · Recitations: mp3quran.net
Al-Ma'arij