70

The Ascending Stairways

70:1

سَأَلَ سَآئِلُۢ بِعَذَابٖ وَاقِعٖ
A challenger has demanded a punishment bound to come
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70:2

لِّلۡكَٰفِرِينَ لَيۡسَ لَهُۥ دَافِعٞ
for the disbelievers—to be averted by none—
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70:3

مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ ذِي ٱلۡمَعَارِجِ
from Allah, Lord of pathways of ˹heavenly˺ ascent,
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70:4

تَعۡرُجُ ٱلۡمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ وَٱلرُّوحُ إِلَيۡهِ فِي يَوۡمٖ كَانَ مِقۡدَارُهُۥ خَمۡسِينَ أَلۡفَ سَنَةٖ
˹through which˺ the angels and the ˹holy˺ spirit will ascend to Him on a Day fifty thousand years in length.
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70:5

فَٱصۡبِرۡ صَبۡرٗا جَمِيلًا
So endure ˹this denial, O  Prophet,˺ with beautiful patience.
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70:6

إِنَّهُمۡ يَرَوۡنَهُۥ بَعِيدٗا
They truly see this ˹Day˺ as impossible,
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70:7

وَنَرَىٰهُ قَرِيبٗا
but We see it as inevitable.
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70:8

يَوۡمَ تَكُونُ ٱلسَّمَآءُ كَٱلۡمُهۡلِ
On that Day the sky will be like molten brass
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70:9

وَتَكُونُ ٱلۡجِبَالُ كَٱلۡعِهۡنِ
and the mountains like ˹tufts of˺ wool.
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70:10

وَلَا يَسۡـَٔلُ حَمِيمٌ حَمِيمٗا
And no close friend will ask ˹about˺ their friends,
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70:11

يُبَصَّرُونَهُمۡۚ يَوَدُّ ٱلۡمُجۡرِمُ لَوۡ يَفۡتَدِي مِنۡ عَذَابِ يَوۡمِئِذِۭ بِبَنِيهِ
˹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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70:12

وَصَٰحِبَتِهِۦ وَأَخِيهِ
their spouses, their siblings,
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70:13

وَفَصِيلَتِهِ ٱلَّتِي تُـٔۡوِيهِ
their clan that sheltered them,
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70:14

وَمَن فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ جَمِيعٗا ثُمَّ يُنجِيهِ
and everyone on earth altogether, just to save themselves.
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70:15

كَلَّآۖ إِنَّهَا لَظَىٰ
But no! There will certainly be a raging Flame
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70:16

نَزَّاعَةٗ لِّلشَّوَىٰ
ripping off scalps.
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70:17

تَدۡعُواْ مَنۡ أَدۡبَرَ وَتَوَلَّىٰ
It will summon whoever turned their backs ˹on Allah˺ and turned away ˹from the truth˺,
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70:18

وَجَمَعَ فَأَوۡعَىٰٓ
and gathered and hoarded ˹wealth˺.
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70:19

۞إِنَّ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنَ خُلِقَ هَلُوعًا
Indeed, humankind was created impatient:
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70:20

إِذَا مَسَّهُ ٱلشَّرُّ جَزُوعٗا
distressed when touched with evil,
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70:21

وَإِذَا مَسَّهُ ٱلۡخَيۡرُ مَنُوعًا
and withholding when touched with good—
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70:22

إِلَّا ٱلۡمُصَلِّينَ
except those who pray,
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70:23

ٱلَّذِينَ هُمۡ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمۡ دَآئِمُونَ
consistently performing their prayers;
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70:24

وَٱلَّذِينَ فِيٓ أَمۡوَٰلِهِمۡ حَقّٞ مَّعۡلُومٞ
and who give the rightful share of their wealth
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70:25

لِّلسَّآئِلِ وَٱلۡمَحۡرُومِ
to the beggar and the poor;
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70:26

وَٱلَّذِينَ يُصَدِّقُونَ بِيَوۡمِ ٱلدِّينِ
and who ˹firmly˺ believe in the Day of Judgment;
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70:27

وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم مِّنۡ عَذَابِ رَبِّهِم مُّشۡفِقُونَ
and those who fear the punishment of their Lord—
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70:28

إِنَّ عَذَابَ رَبِّهِمۡ غَيۡرُ مَأۡمُونٖ
˹knowing that˺ none should feel secure from their Lord’s punishment—
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70:29

وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمۡ لِفُرُوجِهِمۡ حَٰفِظُونَ
and those who guard their chastity
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70:30

إِلَّا عَلَىٰٓ أَزۡوَٰجِهِمۡ أَوۡ مَا مَلَكَتۡ أَيۡمَٰنُهُمۡ فَإِنَّهُمۡ غَيۡرُ مَلُومِينَ
except with their wives or those ˹bondwomen˺ in their possession, for then they are free from blame,
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70:31

فَمَنِ ٱبۡتَغَىٰ وَرَآءَ ذَٰلِكَ فَأُوْلَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلۡعَادُونَ
but whoever seeks beyond that are the transgressors.
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70:32

وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمۡ لِأَمَٰنَٰتِهِمۡ وَعَهۡدِهِمۡ رَٰعُونَ
˹The faithful are˺ also those who are true to their trusts and covenants;
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70:33

وَٱلَّذِينَ هُم بِشَهَٰدَٰتِهِمۡ قَآئِمُونَ
and who are honest in their testimony;
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70:34

وَٱلَّذِينَ هُمۡ عَلَىٰ صَلَاتِهِمۡ يُحَافِظُونَ
and who are ˹properly˺ observant of their prayers.
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70:35

أُوْلَـٰٓئِكَ فِي جَنَّـٰتٖ مُّكۡرَمُونَ
These will be in Gardens, held in honour.
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70:36

فَمَالِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ قِبَلَكَ مُهۡطِعِينَ
So what is the matter with the disbelievers that they rush ˹head-long˺ towards you ˹O Prophet˺,
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70:37

عَنِ ٱلۡيَمِينِ وَعَنِ ٱلشِّمَالِ عِزِينَ
from the right and the left, in groups ˹to mock you˺?
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70:38

أَيَطۡمَعُ كُلُّ ٱمۡرِيٕٖ مِّنۡهُمۡ أَن يُدۡخَلَ جَنَّةَ نَعِيمٖ
Does every one of them expect to be admitted into a Garden of Bliss?
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70:39

كَلَّآۖ إِنَّا خَلَقۡنَٰهُم مِّمَّا يَعۡلَمُونَ
But no! Indeed, they ˹already˺ know what We created them from.
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70:40

فَلَآ أُقۡسِمُ بِرَبِّ ٱلۡمَشَٰرِقِ وَٱلۡمَغَٰرِبِ إِنَّا لَقَٰدِرُونَ
So, I do swear by the Lord of ˹all˺ the points of sunrise and sunset that We are truly capable
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70:41

عَلَىٰٓ أَن نُّبَدِّلَ خَيۡرٗا مِّنۡهُمۡ وَمَا نَحۡنُ بِمَسۡبُوقِينَ
of replacing them with ˹others˺ better than them, and We cannot be prevented ˹from doing so˺.
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70:42

فَذَرۡهُمۡ يَخُوضُواْ وَيَلۡعَبُواْ حَتَّىٰ يُلَٰقُواْ يَوۡمَهُمُ ٱلَّذِي يُوعَدُونَ
So let them indulge ˹in falsehood˺ and amuse ˹themselves˺ until they face their Day, which they have been threatened with—
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70:43

يَوۡمَ يَخۡرُجُونَ مِنَ ٱلۡأَجۡدَاثِ سِرَاعٗا كَأَنَّهُمۡ إِلَىٰ نُصُبٖ يُوفِضُونَ
the Day they will come forth from the graves swiftly, as if racing to an idol ˹for a blessing˺,
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70:44

خَٰشِعَةً أَبۡصَٰرُهُمۡ تَرۡهَقُهُمۡ ذِلَّةٞۚ ذَٰلِكَ ٱلۡيَوۡمُ ٱلَّذِي كَانُواْ يُوعَدُونَ
with eyes downcast, utterly covered with disgrace. That is the Day they have ˹always˺ been warned of.
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